I was hungry. And so I wandered upon a rather small field of berries. There used to be so many beautiful fields of ripe berries that seemed to glow with such dear vibrance and life, they would glimmer even in the dark so perfectly, so delightfully and delectably from their stems. But you see now in these fields, the berries that have grown ripe, fruit fallen from the stem, no longer lit in perfect rows. There's a certain joy in seeing all the elevator buttons lit, now it's like trying to piece together the intended picture of a child's Lite-Brite.
And this rather small field, rather empty field had only one berry strung to its stem, walking towards this alluring fruit I could not help but to tread upon spilt berry juice and mangled pulp, as if the fruit of the berries themselves tried to escape their skin and stem with much, much confusion. It was an interesting fragrance of near putrescent arugula and vinegared sandlewood.
The berry was about to ripen, what a shame it would be for this field to lay in darkened waste.
"WHAT. WHAT. WHAT. WHAT. WHAT. WHAT WHAT WHAT."
"Alo m'dear."
"WHAT. WHAT WHAT. WHAT. WHAT WHAT WHAT. WHAT."
I placed my palms over her berry eyes and held her berry head as she palpitated, until she calmed.
"It's..."
"It's..."
"It's not gone," I answered.
"But I saw it, but I felt it, my body was blown apart into so many.." she coughed, berry juice spat from her soft wet lips. She was heaving now, only her chest pumped up and down with great strain, she could never leave her stem and roll down the hill to play like the other berries did.
"So many.. many bits.."
"What do you feel?"
"It... it hurts... there's this weight over my eyes.. I can't see.. I can't feel my.."
"Shhhhhhhhh, hush my little rubus. There was an explosion, you are fully paralized and now blind," I could feel her tears coating the underside of my palm as she stayed silent within her sniffling breath.
"You were so very close to the blast that you were blinded by the burst. I know it is very scary, to lose your sight, to lose your body, for you the world you knew did disappear and you have never known a darkness like this. There is a whole world of caves within this darkness, there is life within this darkness, and one day you too may happen upon the fields of brilliant berries just like this one, if there is any left. But not today."
"But.."
"Goodnight my little rubus, remember that you still have your soul."
"Who are you.."
From a shoulder pocket, with my teeth I pulled a small syringe, and with my mouth and teeth administered my own brand of synthetic hormones; her fruit will never taste the same, but this will be one less empty field.
"Sallo~"
Her breathing neutralized as she fell into sedation. I slid my stone sharpened nails beneathe her eyelids and plucked my fare, then gingerly repaired the stems that held her.
This berry will still glow.
"There is a man who is dear to me, who also has no eyes. But he can see, and so will you."
If there were moment crops in space
I'd pick them like ripe roses
Pluck them as I would mountain berries
Then, place them in my satchel
And walk around as if I carried secrets instead.
