To Serve
Jaym Esch
I serve my Queen.
No greater purpose exists in my busy, structured life. Around the clock, I live to meet her needs. My focused existence in such service is hardly unique. All who surround me possess the same determination. With this knowledge comes the understanding that I am no different than those who work by my side.
I make my way through the drab maze of corridors in our colony, forcing my way past other workers and soldiers, each focused on their own tasks. The earth beneath my feet is firm, packed tight by the habitual marching of countless legs. I continue forward, carrying out my duties without cessation- duties that have changed several times since I first started my service for my Queen.
Mine is a caste society, where status is predetermined- and therefore my duties- at a young age. Even the females are measured uniquely to discover the way in which they can best serve. The process is quite seamless, designed to maximize our efficiency in assuming our positions upon reaching adulthood.
I continue inexorably forward through this same place I was born in, seeking the end of my journey.
Youth is a pampered state for our kind. Family is not a matter of importance. I was raised by countless servants of my Queen, the same as the others around me. In fact, with the care bestowed upon our young in her domain, you can rightfully say we are all children of my Queen. Our care is a priority- still behind that reserved for my Queen, but forthright and assured. For the future in any society lies with the children. And so I grew strong, healthy, and able to serve.
When my adulthood came, my role had already been determined. I was not to serve as a soldier in our strong, numerous forces. Our soldiers are indeed fierce, some able to topple mighty giants with one swift, unarmed blow. Some of our distant forces in the Red Army even have experience in chemical warfare that provides a great advantage in battle. Our efforts have been so successful, we have managed to found colonies and thrive on nearly every landmass on the planet- only a scant few islands remain free of our presence!
Yet despite the amazing abilities of our soldiers, it was not the path for me. Instead my role will be that of a life of grueling, manual labor. Perhaps not as glorious as serving in battle, but essential- and not any less dangerous in the end.
At first, I served my Queen directly- provided for her every need, and even cared for some of the children. This was my one moment in time where I was able to spend my days by her side- to be at the center of it all.
However, such a time was not meant to last, and before long I was soon performing rigorous construction work. Hour after hour of working the earth in order to fortify our defenses and maintain passageways, so others could attend their own duties. This was a monumental undertaking, as we had established our location nearly 25 years prior, resulting in a truly massive scale of rooms and corridors to upkeep.
Yet time marched forward, and as my third year of adulthood arrived, I found myself serving in a new way in as many years. For the first time, my work would be requiring me to leave the colony and perform perhaps the most vital task of all: the gathering of food for the crop.
Leaving my past behind in the corridor I traversed, I stepped forth through the exit into the bright sunlight of the colony’s surrounding lands. A trail forward led me on, toward the great Green Forest and its plentiful growth towering toward the sky.
Foraging is a difficult task, and not one devoid of threat, so I proceed along the path quickly. A few of my co-workers travel along the same path- some yards ahead, others close behind. We must work hard, as winter approaches, and during the cold season we will need to rely solely on our efforts to date. We are not blessed with a tropical climate, and the upcoming freeze will slow our work to a near crawl.
Suddenly, an alert is signalled nearby! While some might turn and run at such potential danger, I charge forward with other nearby workers, heedless of the threat- instinct takes hold and compels me ahead.
Many of us converge upon the spot of the warning, to discover the Green Forest has been flattened in a large area. In the midst of the destruction lie the crushed corpses of some others of my rank. Yet before action can be taken, an enormous form appears above us, blotting the sun from the sky with its massive frame.
Of course! Only one of the giants could have caused such utter destruction to the forest! Yet our colony has no defense against the immense creatures. Helpless, I find myself directly under an incoming Giant foot swallowing the sky as the size of my doom increases each second it nears.
After the blow lands, I lie broken and mangled amongst the others who have fallen before me, draped over some of the wreckage of the vast Green Forest that no longer reaches for the clouds.
It is a seemingly cruel twist of fate, with all I have done for my colony and my Queen, yet there is nothing I could change. As my life seeps out of me, it is certain that another will take my place in service to my Queen, and there is nothing of consequence in such a random death.
For such is the life of an ant.
This story is something I came up with for use at the new writer's group I have joined, since I had nothing to submit in the first meeting. I actually was walking through a parking lot, and upon seeing an ant on the ground the last line instantly popped into my head. Since the length needs to be quite short, I tried to keep it quite simple.
While it is in essence a "twist" story, I feel that there is a backup use for the story for those clever people out there (and I know you're out there) who see the end coming before the final line... I call this a "re-read" story.
What I mean by a "re-read" story is that while you may have been clever enough to figure out that yes, it was in fact about ants, if you take a moment to read the story a second or third time, you may notice some interesting things.
I did my best to make sure not to humanize the ants- you should see that no one "assigned" work to the main ant- it was determined by his caste ranking. I also removed any reference to emotions- this was NOT easy, and I kept falling into the trap over and over again! Small play with words attempt to mislead the reader, but not unfairly: "collecting food for the crop" might seem incorrect, as a crop IS food, right? Well, no... in this case! Ants regurgitate food into what is known as the "crop", so the phrasing is correct- a clue to tease the reader.
All of the details in the story are true facts of ants, yet hopefully provide the illusion of a simple worker for a mighty Queen of some generic kingdom.
I also attempted to use a fair bit of foreshadowing- I refer to the ant's eventual death twice (see if you can spot these instances!) as well as make certain to refer to the "Giants" earlier, so the appearance of the murdering human (darn those humans!) at the end of the story is not so entirely random. The foreshadowing hopefully seeps in at least on a subconcious level to help tie the story together a bit.
I hope you enjoyed this simple story- it's nothing complex, but remember- you learn something each time you write, so no matter how simple the story, it will make you a better writer in the end!