Sticks and Stones - Genre Shorties week 13

Kay's prompt and my response:

The library has been burned to the ground. Who would do such a thing and why.

“Sticks and stones’ll break my bones but words’ll never hurt me.”

Tom chanted and turned before the flames till the flickering flavor of light attracted his eyes, compelling his look. Books were devoured in the crackle and hiss, smelling sour, and though he couldn’t read he watched the pages brown. They’d hurt no more; that much he knew; that was what mattered now.

The song he’d learned long times ago, when kids would tell their strengths in play. But beatings and schoolings tore it all away, left him like this. Words do hurt too.

So he burned the library down.

Comments: 12

Kay M. Oct 28, 2009, 2:17pm EDT

You wrote a great story so quickly! If children only truly knew how deeply they could hurt another

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A. F. Stewart Oct 28, 2009, 3:46pm EDT

Fabulous story!

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Marge H. Oct 28, 2009, 4:44pm EDT

When I was a kid, the nuns used to say that a lot. I remember thinking, words can be destructive too.

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Tracy Fabre Oct 28, 2009, 5:38pm EDT

Alas! Poor Tom. But for a counselor, a library would stand...

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Magi the magical poet is riding the wind again Oct 28, 2009, 6:02pm EDT

This turned that saying on its head - and how true, too!

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JOHN BECK Oct 28, 2009, 7:50pm EDT

The story begs to feel sympathy as well as negative attitudes toward Tom. What's his life going to be like when he realizes that burning the words hasn't solved his problems? Well written and dramatic.

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