22 Comments
User's avatar
Summer Cattanach's avatar

I think this story has so much depth and potential and when I was reading it I felt like the language wasn’t keeping up. Between the dreamlike narrative and tender pain it felt to be the reader contemplating this as a reality, I felt like the way it could’ve been told was just ALMOST what it was supposed to be. Does that make sense?

I’m writing like this too recently and find it’s difficult to maintain the voice and storyline but this was awesome and inspiring and I want to write my story now lol

Jane Dougherty's avatar

I think the language tells the story as I intended it to be understood, and I’m sorry it missed the mark with you. Maybe it’s a case of being divided by a common language. I’m pleased it has inspired you to get on with writing your own story though :)

Jeannine Lawall's avatar

I don't see the world ending any time soon, but I can see we humans wiping ourselves out if we continue with our nonsense. Nature will survive. It always does, in some form or other.

Jane Dougherty's avatar

I can’t imagine a credible end to the earth. I know we’ll cling by our fingertips even if it means living underground because we’ve poisoned the surface, but I have a horrible feeling that technology will keep us one step ahead of extinction, but that same technology won’t have room for anything else on board. It’s only ever been about us, and of us, only a very tiny elite.

Jeannine Lawall's avatar

I'm hoping some of us might go feral...

Jane Dougherty's avatar

Oh! I thought half of us already had :)

FranB's avatar

Beautiful. Let's hope humanity doesn't destroy the rest of nature before we get there.

Jane Dougherty's avatar

I hope so too, but I can’t believe we’ll agree to die out as long as there is still life on this planet;

FranB's avatar

😢

Stefan Baciu's avatar

Jane, this is the kind of fable I aspire to write.

Jane Dougherty's avatar

Then write it! I wrote what I would love to believe. You can do the same xx

Words She Keeps's avatar

This has so much potential - and is already so rich! I loved the way you are able to quickly set scene.

Jane Dougherty's avatar

Thank you! You’re the second person to say this bit of flash fiction has potential :)

Douglas Bruton's avatar

Not sure which world I would like to be in at the end! Thanks for sharing this. x

Jane Dougherty's avatar

It might be a question of whether we’d have a choice :)

Douglas Bruton's avatar

And that’s a scary thought! x

Jane Dougherty's avatar

The environmental disaster is getting scarier every day.

Liz Gauffreau's avatar

I like this very much! I think the earth could end this way.

Jane Dougherty's avatar

At least this carries some things forward. Not the troublemakers.

Liz Gauffreau's avatar

Yes!

Nancy Waddell's avatar

I love the image of the fox and vixen as the only ones left. Beautiful writing Jane!

Jane Dougherty's avatar

Thanks Nancy. Fox and Vixen are one of my favourite couples xx