Writing Resources from Fifteen Minutes of Fiction

I Am Misunderstood

I am the one you dream of in times of stress - the embodiment of your worries and fears. I am clever and mysterious and, for this, you avoid me at all costs. You were born in fear of my strong body and smooth skin. It's a fear that you have never learned to overcome.

I am the one on whom you dare not tread. I make my home in the dark, in the bushes, under the leaves, in the crevices in your pile of firewood. You check for me, but you rarely find me; I slip away unnoticed when I hear you moving around. My absence is perhaps more unnerving than my presence because you are sure that I am lurking just out of sight.

I am the one who would tell you, if you would listen, that I simply don't want any trouble. I have tried to show you. I stay out of your way, kill the insects that destroy your flowers, and eat the vermin that seek to disease your children. But you refuse to see. It's not entirely your fault.

I am the one - since the very beginning - whom you have been told to blame for all of your problems. I am the source of evil, according to your books and legends. I am the alleged purveyor of sin.

...But the truth is, I just thought Eve looked hungry.

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