Naked, she stands on the lip of a hill with the warming spring sun arcing overhead. Pink velvet light cascades through the dew drops on the wildflowers and the dappled shadows of the oak leaves shimmer over her skin in the delicate breeze.
Ridiculed. Humiliated. She has worked longer and harder for less. There are people who have tried, given up, and moved on. There are people who haven't tried and now stand several ranks above her and tell her what she must do and how she must do it and that she should just keep trying.
But today she finally got that thing. That thing she was looking for all this time. Always one leap ahead. The tail of a white rabbit. But now, after all these long years. All these wounded nights. All these exhausted tears. It's in her hands. No one can pry it from her. And now she stands naked and unafraid. And she smiles. This is her victory. Her happiness. Her vengeance.
Paddy Dobson
1st January 2022