In-The-Dark-Cloud Town Where People Wear Mud
When the people of Gruntings get up in the morning, they roll out of bed and fall right into a mud pile they have on floor. It’s standard in the Gruntings culture to be covered in mud all day long. To be seen without mud all over your body would be like any of us stepping outside to see our neighbor mowing the grass naked.
The stomach tightens and sinks.
The heart and lungs follow.
It’s a confounding reaction to a receipt of affection.
It’s familiar, and, therefore, oddly comforting.
But familiarity can be a curse.
A cursed reminder of what once went wrong when you were just trying to do things right this time.
This time it’ll be different, you say.
Why? You’re different, but what are you doing differently?