Each one comes through. Ka-Chunk.
Each one comes through. Ka-Chunk. Each one comes through. Ka-Chunk. Each one comes through. Ka-Chunk. Each each one comes through ka-chunk. Each each one comes comes through ka-chunk. Each comes through kachunk. Each comes kachunk. Each kachunk. Each ka. Chunk. Kachunk. Ka. Chunk.
Sheep die without a struggle. It’s in their nature. If they struggled they wouldn’t be sheep but lions. Ka-Chunk. When they are hauled in on the line they’ve already done struggling and have reached acceptance, which is much easier to achieve if you’re a sheep. Ka-Chunk.
Opposite on the line is Marcus. For variety it’s possible to swap tasks, if the supervisor isn’t looking. Not much variety though. Knife for stun-bolt. Ka-Chunk. But a change is a change.
What if one day a sheep were to be hauled in here and it was fighting for its life like a lion? Then it would be treated with great repect. The stun-bolt would go in with a whispered salute: I salute you. Ka-Chunk. The knife would do its work with great reverence. The sheep-like-a-lion would be remembered for a moment or two, maybe spoken of at the smoke break, wondered over. Ka. Chunk. But the end result would be the same. So it’s understandable that they don’t struggle.
What if one day a sheep spoke, said brother don’t do this thing? That would be remarkable, sure enough. But it wouldn’t make a hell of a lot of difference in the end. A few more words at smoke break – hey did you hear that? A talking sheep on the line. You’re crazy, know that? Ka-Chunk.
What if one day a sheep came through and in its eyes was the luster of recognition of mother, of grandpa, of one of the dear departed ones gone upon this earth? If it came to be understood that all living beings on this Earth are one family, related, and that a sheep was only the clothes that the soul of grandpa was choosing to wear for the time being? Ka-Chunk.
Well that understanding might indeed become a problem. It could open up all kinds of delays on the floor, all kinds of doubts, all kinds of hummings-and-hawings before the job got rolling again. Ka-Chunk. Because all have families to feed, no shit. A sacrifice to make.
All have to do a thing to get food on the table, nice roast lamb of a Sunday lunch with potatoes and gravy yumyum. Children crowding round, the table, yelling for seconds. All have that thing to do. It’s a sacrifice, know that? Ka-Chunk.
All have to do a thing. Ka-Chunk. All have to do a thing. Ka-Chunk. All have to do a thing. Ka-Chunk. All all have to do a thing ka-chunk. All all have a thing to do a thing kachunk. Allhavetodo athing. Ka. Chunk. A sacrifice. All have to kachunk. All haveka. Chunk.
Written for Fictionistas, following this prompt: Write a story about a character who has had an epiphany while doing a mundane, everyday task.
With acknowledgement and gratitude to the filmmaker Charles Burnett, whose film Killer of Sheep (1978) inspired this story, and from which the stills above are taken.
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I just love the sharp edge of your writing. Ka. Chunk
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