Last night I was in my yard and I shifted spots to look at a different part of the sky. As I took a step I felt and heard a crunch. It was that unmistakable sensation of treading on a snail.
I hate it when it happens. I always feel so guilty and I usually say a little prayer in my head (and apologise to the snail - who obviously can’t hear me but it’s a reflex action 😆)
*WARNING... graphic picture of deceased snail, may cause distress 😬
This is a photo of the aftermath of the unfortunate event.
I thought that was the end of it. But I went out this morning and sat on my step and there sitting next to me - just by the step, is another snail.
It was about 4 feet away from the horrifying incident of the night before. Immobile, maybe sleeping, I hope so but it didn’t look alive to me.🥲
My brain likes to create stories (my friend once likened my inclination to do so to the protagonist of the movie Amelie) so obviously, faced with this scene, it goes into overdrive and suddenly they were two snails escaping the confines of the restrictive snail community by scaling a giant barrier (the wall to my yard) fleeing in the night just their homes on their backs, excited at the prospect of new life.
Finally they reach the safety of the yard hidden by the surrounding walls and vegetation (I really need to weed my yard again) nobody will find them, they can finally be together, enjoy each other, marvel at their bravery and determination, celebrate their union and new found freedom.
Suddenly a shadow envelops them, they call out to each other, desperate and hopeless cries as the giant looming over them lowers its boot and suddenly after a horrific crunch one of them is silent.
The other snail cries out for his/her/their love but he/she/they are crushed under the pieces of their broken home. Unmoving. Shattered and squished.
So he (we will stick with he whilst assuming it could be any of the pronouns just to help with flow 😅) walks a little not wanting to leave his fragmented love but he can’t be so close anymore as all he can see is his love, all he can think about is the destruction of his future hopes and dreams lying there in a mush pile and it makes him so sad and feel very lonely. He considers the climb back to their old habitat but it’s a long journey and suddenly he feels so very tired.
He settles in a place where he can still see them. They are far enough away that they are a little blurry.
He can convince himself they are fine and just resting and will move towards him soon. He sits there just looking and waiting trying to smile, trying to pretend everything is ok. Pushing down the urge to fall apart and accept the demise of his companion.
And at some point in the night. Heavy under the weight of the grief he finally allows space for,
He takes a deep breath and his heart just stops. It didn’t want to keep on beating. Not without his love.
His little snaily soul finally escapes the confines of his slimy casing and he floats off to be United with the one he couldn’t live without, so they can enjoy snail heaven for the rest of eternity.
It did make me a little sad, I don’t mind admitting it. But then I remembered that it’s just my story and in all likelihood it’s all completely unrelated and they probably didn’t know each other at all. Maybe they just happened to be in the same place at the same time and there was no other significance to it.
I don’t know why.
But that made me a little sadder.
I know why really.
But that’s my own story.
😭