David Davies is a creative writer who focuses on poetry and short stories. David has self-published four books, which as dyslexic writer has shown his determination and hard work. He also has a passion for painting where he often combines his writing with painting. He studied at the Hull school of art and design (2003). David has exhibited his paintings in several group shows including the Engine room gallery and ADF gallery (arts disability forum); 54o North Festival and East Belfast Arts Festival. David also has several poems printed in various anthologies, Lagan Navigation Trust (Where my river flows), The John Hewitt Society (Once Alien Here) and the Poetry Church magazine.

David is a very determined person who does not give up. His achievements through the years have mainly been in the arts but has covered a lot of ground from critical studies, photography, and painting. David studied conservation and restoration of antique furniture at West Dean college (2006). David also works with marquetry and creates art on the computer. He has performed his poetry, and even collaborated with other artists to write and perform a small play called, ‘Gnome Alone’.

A Preferred World

Ella had just turned twenty-one two days ago. She sat in the park on a bench watching people come and go. Perhaps walking their dogs, or families walking together, mothers pushing prams, runners, and cyclists. It was early summer, and the sun was shining bright, a few white whipped cream clouds loitered in the sky. The air was quite fresh considering it was a warm day then the sun hid behind a cloud, and Ella became a little chilly. She pulled around, and buttoned up her light purple cardigan, “That’s better”, she explained. She then folded her arms and crossed her legs looking up to the sky. She noticed one cloud that resembled a small creature’s face with a fat nose, which had wings coming out of its ears. She smiled to herself reminiscing on her childhood days with her friend, as they laid flat on the lawn looking up at the clouds and making stories from the shapes they saw. 

Suddenly, a shadow flicked across her eyes, and a woman’s voice spoke, “good afternoon.” Ella’s head reclined to a passing woman with her small grey miniature schnauzer. Ella surprised, replied, “Oh, hello.” The woman smiled and walked on leisurely. Then Ella was staring in front of her, to a wild grass area, which was poker dotted with yellow Dandelions scattered everywhere. Some even had early spherical globes mounted on a straight stem. She got up and wandered over with her hands in her blue jean pockets. She gazed down at one dandelion’s fluffed globe, each parachuted seed joined together to make a perfect sphere. Ella bent over and picked the fluffed globe, she held it between her finger and thumb, rotating it. Her eyes wide, with her pupil’s aperture small as if a camera was taking a macro shot, gathering all the detail. Ella let out a little giggle, then she took a deep breath and blew as hard as she could, sending all the parachuted seeds floating everywhere. She imagined each seed being a little person clinging to their silky threaded wish that kept them afloat, to settle and grow forth their wishes.

A loud THUD sounded behind Ella, and she immediately spun around and screamed at the sight of a 15 x 15-inch square box that had a red bow around it. Her hand went over her mouth as she gasped, “where did that come from?” She tilted her head far back and looked up to the sky expecting a plane to be flying overhead. Ella then sighed and rested her eyes back to the sight of the box that was at her feet. She looked around, to her left and right; behind and in front of her, but no one was in sight. The birds were singing in the background as Ella knelt and lifted the box into her hands then shaking it up and down to feel the weight. She set it back down again and scratched her head. Her long brown hair dangled over her face as she squatted over the box wondering upon it.    

Suddenly, another shadow stretched and approached across the grass; she quickly looked up to two boys taking a short cut over the wild grass area. They looked across at Ella and laughed, “Happy Birthday.”

Ella tutted, “It’s not my birthday today.”

The two boys just walked on, while Ella now sat on the wild grass. The park rangers always left areas for the wild to encourage various insects and butterflies. She curled her legs tight in as she sat on the side of her hip with one arm outstretched for support. Her other hand flicked the bow on the box as she thought about opening it. Abruptly, she breathed in and leant forward and sat with her legs crossed and with her two hands she started to untie the red bow. The box lifted open from the top, nothing prohibited entry. She got onto her hands and knees and leant over the box, peering in, “Oh, What’s this.” Ella’s hand vanished into the box, and then pulled out a small device, which had a large deep green button on the top. There was text in bold white lettering above that read, ‘Press this button for a convenient life.’

Ella’s eyebrows scrunched and she shook her head, “I did not wish for this.”

Suddenly a voice from beside her said, “you are right, I know what you wished for.”

Ella’s head jolted back with her eyes wide, “who is that?” She looked around frantically but could not see a soul in sight. The voice spoke again, “I am down here, my name is Dande-Ryan.” Ella looked down and saw a bloomed dandelion head, which was waving in the soft wind beside her. Ella moved her head closer to get a better look at the dandelion, “Wow, did you just speak to me?” She noticed his leaf hand curled around a staff with a fluffy globe on the top, which was the patterned cluster of the parachute people. Dande-Ryan then said, “You blew the top of one of my staffs and made a wish, but I must warn you this box is nothing to do with me or your wish.”

Ella nodded, “Well, where did it come from and why did it arrive after I had blown your globed staff?”

Dande-Ryan with his other leafed hand flicked his mane petals with pride as he said, “how can I address you; I mean what is your name?”

Ella smiled, “I am Ella.”

Dande-Ryan nodded his petal head, “Well, Ella, I really don’t know where and why the box arrived? What I do know is, there is no convenience, and it usually costs the earth.”

Ella laughed, “My mum often says that to me, when I buy something overpriced or too expensive.”

“Oh, she is right.”

Ella frowned, “But, it would help everybody if it was a convenient world, everything at a push of a button.”

Dande-Ryan scoffed, “I tell you, there is no such thing.”

Ella tutted and sighed, “everybody is telling me what to do, I just want something to come easy for a change.” She then looked at the large round green button, her hand went down and with her fingertips, she brushed over the surface of the plastic button.

Dande-Ryan shook his head, “if you push that button, you will be sorry.”

Ella’s finger rested upon the button with bird songs singing in the background. The trees swaying gently, and the sun warmed Ella’s back as she sat on the wild grass. She sighed, and then again and again. Her hand started to shake, she took a deep breath and pushed hard on the large round green button, Click.

Ella blinked, and within that blink, everything had changed, the wild grass that she sat upon was now artificial grass, bristled plastic. She looked up to the sky, the clouds were pixelated, and the trees were uniform plastic. The scent of the flowers vanished, the sound of the birds vanished, and poor Dande-Ryan was nowhere to be seen. All the dandelions had gone because nobody wanted a replica of those weeds, which had been pasted on all weed killer products and adverts.

Ella quickly stood up and her breathing became heavy. A hot flush flowed through her body with nervousness, which fluttered a sharp knife pain from the wind in her stomach. She gasped and shouted, NO, WHAT HAVE I DONE.”  

The footpaths along the roads were now moving conveyor belts, and people stood upon them, moving along to their desired destination. Everything was cleansed, no mud, no soil. All food was artificially produced. Everybody’s favorite artificial flowers stood in plastic pots and containers. The world was so sterile and clinical. The rivers were like Lego, just a transparent shiny reflective surface that one could walk on. Real water came in bottles. The sun was a large bright tungsten bulb that hung in the sky with a long cord hanging down to the government buildings. Food was ordered and brought by lorries, or underground conveyer belts that were fitted to some homes that led to the supermarkets. There was a button or switch for everything, turning on and off lights, turning on and off the heating. Perhaps, electric blinds, and doors that opened and closed just at the flick of a switch. Preparing and cooking food was made by robots at a push off a button. An instant taxi at the door just from one push of a button. If you wanted the effect of lightning, then a button was pushed, and all the mini compact strobe lights packed together, flashed in their thousands in the sky. If you wanted a change of decoration, just push that button. 

There were teleportation stands in people’s homes, just at a push of a button. Suddenly, while Ella stood there, an advert lit up in the sky like a giant hologrammatic screen. It was advertising the new teleportation, booming their snazzy slogan, ‘Just at your fingertips’, or ‘Control is at hand.’ Perhaps, ‘travel with your fingertips’, and ‘the power of your touch.’     

She screamed, “I DID NOT WANT THIS.”

She screamed as loud as she could. But it was difficult to sound her voice with no wind to carry it. There were no seasons. There was no snow anywhere in the world because it created too much of a hindrance. Polystyrene balls were sufficient to replicate a white romantic landscape. The stars at night were like sequences stuck in the sky, and the moon was a torch that dimmed and brightened every month to imitate the cycles. 

Oddly enough, in the sterile environment, there were still viruses and infection, which flourished even more in this clinical world.

Ella stood sad with her head down. She looked at the ground and her eyes caught sight of her jeans that had grass and mud stains on them. The stains on her jeans were the only evidence left of a natural world. She started to cry, “What have we done.” She never washed those jeans after that day and had them displayed on the wall of her mod-com gadget home. Everything at a push of a button.

Soundtrack:

Smith & Mighty, feat. Kelz – Seeds

Jon Hopkins, feat. Purity Ring – Breathe this Air

Radiohead – Fake plastic trees

Future sound of London – Oceans of Plastic

Eat Static, feat. Robert Smith – In all worlds

Pop will eat itself – X, Y & Zee

Foster the people – Fire Escape

Health – Hateful