Self-Review – What’s an Animal?

A Review of What’s an Animal?

If global climate change really goes out of control, then there’s every possibility that, eventually, people in the future will be asking: what’s an animal? That is, if we were to survive such catastrophic upheavals in our world.

Chances are exceptionally good that we would not. And so, that makes this one a more farfetched story than a lot of the others I’ve written which take place here on Earth.

I wrote this story during the second quarter of 2024. That year, I was generally not using prompt words. So, this short tale has a somewhat different origin story.

Background

With no prompt word, this story, rather, is the result of a thought experiment.

What would happen if we were the only animals left? There would be plants but no critters. No beef, no bees, and no bears.

Among other things, human beings would have to pollinate plants, or we would have to program some sort of robotic or quasi-robotic help to do that task for us.

By itself, this would have to be an undertaking on a global scale. I cannot fathom any way that this would not be an exceptionally expensive undertaking.

As a result, this story doesn’t take place in our immediate future. It kind of can’t.

Plot for What’s an Animal?

A future post-climate change world is turned upside-down when, for the first time in decades, a young girl finds an actual living animal—an earthworm.

What does this discovery mean for humans? Does it foretell a better future? Or is it just a nasty reminder that we’ve messed up the planet beyond all recognition?

Characters

The characters are Cherish Wilton (she’s the POV character); her teacher Mrs. Alpert; her little sister Adore; their parents, Ted and Evelyn; Professor Linton; Marcia Lee, the innkeeper; Marcia’s three brothers; the mayor; and Premier Natasha Ivanova.

While Cherish and her family have the same last name as the family in Small Acts of Defiance, I don’t intend any relationship between them.

Memorable Quotes from What’s an Animal?

It was a small thing, barely the width of my palm. I set my tablet to filming mode and filmed it as it crept slowly along the forest floor. I heard more rustling behind me. I turned, and it was Adore. “Where were you?” she asked.

“I was here. Where were you?”

“Around. What do you have there?”

“Come and see. It’s magnificent!”

Adore came over and I showed her the tiny creature under the leaves. “It’s kind of ugly,” she said after a while.

“That’s not a very kind thing to say.”

“It’s not like it can hear or understand us. Er, can it?”

“I don’t know if it can hear at all,” I said. “And I’m sure it can’t understand us. Look at how it moves. It’s fascinating.”

“It doesn’t have any arms or legs,” said Adore. “Do you think maybe it used to, and it was in some horrible accident?”

“I don’t think so,” I said. “I think this is the way it’s supposed to be.”

Rating for What’s an Animal?

The story has a K rating. While there isn’t really much that’s untoward that happens herein, the mere thought of how we could get this way is more than a trifle upsetting.

As it should be.

Takeaways for What’s an Animal?

I like how the ending has the people working to try to take back the planet. That there’s this marvelous discovery, and it reminds them that nature is astounding and we need to protect it.

I just hope that, in real life, things never get as dire as they do here. And at the same time, if anything like this happens, I hope the government would not try to suppress the finding like they do here (oops, spoiler alert!).

Because people should know just how vital animals truly are to our existence, and that of our world. And we should never, ever take them for granted, or believe we can live without them.

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Want More of my Short Stories and Novellas?

If this story resonates with you, then check out some of my other articles about my shorter works.

Short Stories

Finally, for a complete list of my shorter works, please be sure to check out the Hub Page—Short Stories.