PJSquared The World Through Philip James' Eye

Spring Break Story Stub 1

My Spring Break has officially started. Here's a quick thing I threw together.

There was a feeling in Sam's stomach that threatened to eat her alive. It seemed to be a ball of snakes coated in hot wax, snakes which bit her and and made the tortuous sphere grow every time she mentally prodded it. The ball sat in her stomach like lead heated red-hot, and the sickness it caused in her gut threatened to make the take-out dinner in her stomach re-appear in front of her.

Worse still, Sam knew the feelings were all her creation. She had not been poisoned, she was not sick in the medical sense. Sam's mind had made her own feelings toxic, feelings for him, and she could find no way out. The many-headed hydra of jealousy, rage, and confusion was slowly eating through her thoughts until it felt like she was drowning in a sea of her own anger and panic. Why was she here? What cause did she have to feel this way? Why could she find no way out?

The first snake egg had been laid months ago, and its true origina had been lost in Sam's memory. She was sure only that the egg was laid by some thought she had of him, or from something he'd said to her. Sam had slowly recognized the feeling of the egg's growth for what it was, but it was too late. The egg had hatched, the snake was biting, and already more eggs had spawned. The good times with him kept the brood from growing, but the bad times revealed that only a single head had been cut from the hydra, and more had grown to take its place. Sam felt betrayed, but whether in actuality or from her own imagination she could not say.

As a child, Sam had once tried to start a garden. She had no idea what she was doing, but plunged ahead, trying to make a corner of her world more beautiful despite her initial mistakes. Sam loved the garden, and remembered the good feelings she had had tending it, feelings of peace of wholeness and fascination. he remembered the day she had come to find the neighbors had picked her her garden clean, and had started passing her flowers out around the neighborhood. Sam was heartbroken. Though she tried to grow flowers again, she never recovered the same feelings of wonder she had when the flowers first bloomed for her. Sam thought about him, now, and remembered the flowers.

Negative feelings are a virus. They invade through the tiniest cracks, ans use their host's own mind to replicate and grow. Like an intelligent parasite, the feelings in her gut swarmed every time she thought about talking to him; they prevented Sam from trying to find a way out of the situation. Sam felt the snakes in her stomach fight, and felt confused. Trying to find a happier place, Sam did the only thing she thought would help. She began to write.

Possibly slightly depressing and angsty. Any and all appropriate feedback appreciated!