Flash Fiction Essay

Hi there.  Hey I’m over here, next to the corn. You see me? Ya. Hi, my name is Claire. I am a crawfish. You’re probably wondering how I’m dead but still talking to you. It’s kind of a funny story. Well, that’s the thing; I’m not actually dead.  I’m only pretending, unlike all of my not-so-lucky friends around me… poor things.

            I guess I’ll start off my story by telling you a little bit about myself. As I said before, my name is Claire. I’m originally from Louisiana (Go Saints), but now I’m here with you. I have, well I guess had, two brothers, Crawford, and Chris, and three sisters, Crystal, Crispy, and Creola. I feel sort of guilty for not feeling bad about their deaths but how can mourn the loss of someone you never knew? They were all so much older than me that I never even got to know them, and I guess I never will. Oh, I’m sorry, I got a little bit carried away.

            Today, I woke up, took a swim in the through the mud like I always do but something felt off.  As I began to crawl to school I heard a loud noise and I looked around me only to be trampled by the freakish squirming all around me. I don’t remember much after that. However, I awoke to the sound of shrill cries of desperation and longing to get away from that giant, pot of boiling water. I don’t know how, but I guess they skipped me or else it was on purpose, maybe it was a sign from the universe that I have bigger things to do in my life.

            We are crawfish, mudbugs, cockroaches of the sea, dirty creatures so why is it that we are so sought after? As a crawfish, we live our whole life worried that tomorrow is our last day. We all know it’s coming but it’s uncertain how or where, most go during the summer. Summertime. A time when the sun is shining, family gathers together, and children laugh and play outside. Summer is a time that all human enjoy, but not my kind. We aren’t that lucky to enjoy this relaxation, in fact it’s quite the opposite. Summertime is a time when we run, scared for our lives, a time when we wake up and half of our family and friends have been taken, by them.

            I am unsure of how my life will turn out as of now. I don’t know if I am able to escape this tragedy and be able to live with myself knowing all of my friends and family are dead. If I leave, I may never be able to forgive my self, but if I stay, I know I couldn’t.  Both dying and escaping are dangerous feats, but one must be done. Wasn’t it fate that allowed me to live so that I might help my kind escape this ruin? But now that you know my story I guess the real question is, will you help me?