Fingered Hands

Fingered hands with wedding rings, bowing down broken before me. She stopped and stooped down to inspect what she had found. The ground yawned open before her. Bells hanging from leaves nearby tinkled softly. A green snake rose up out of the hole she had left, addressing her: “My darling,” he said. “Bring me back three eggs, and I will reward you generously.” Emily stood up and hurried off into the forest. Chocolate emanated from the darkness. Men in yellow hats danced on the edges of her periphery. The tiger tamers would not let her go so easily. She must find the dam if she wanted to escape. Rocks fell and guarded her for the night. Monkeys came and sang to her, shooing away the flies from her rotting corpse.