SPECIAL FEATURE This week featured artist Bethan Short will be taking over today’s storytime. To find out/ read more about Bethan, make sure to check out the most recent EMERGING ARTIST segment and get all of the juicy contexts.

Socks are like penguins

From their conception they have a partner who is just absolutely made for them. No matter how dull or unique they are, each sock is destined to live a life of utter contentment as part of a perfect pair. 

For majority of their lives, the couples will spend their time locked in an intimate embrace, one sock enveloping the other as if protecting them from any harm that might come their way. The pants look on, jealous. Then, every so often the socks are separated for the day, forced to hang out with a shoe. Compared to the soft, protective hold of their partner, shoes are hard and suffocating. At the end of the day, the worn-out sock is tossed carelessly into a pandemonium of pungent clothing with absolutely no guarantee they will find themselves close to their partner. This torture can last from a few days to weeks, each sock crying out for their soulmate, aching for their touch. Eventually, they are all challenged to survive what can only be described as an attempted drowning. However, despite the terrifying nature of this event it is always eagerly anticipated, as it is followed by the long-awaited reunion of the couples. 

While this is the life of most socks, there are the unlucky few who are separated from their partners. Whether it’s that the attempted drowning is successful, and one half of the couple fails to return from that journey, or that the pair unfortunately find themselves at the mercy of a careless/ evil master who believes that it’s acceptable to wear odd socks. These socks live a lonely life, waiting for the sweet release of death. 

The vanity of socks is what binds the pairs together, like Narcissus they are in love with their own reflections. The issue of low self- esteem had never been a problem, until one day the left member of a pair of green stripy socks caught a look at themselves in a mirror and found that their horizontal stripes made them look fat. From then on, whenever the left green stripy sock looked at their partner, all they could think about was their own reflection and how much they hated it. A similar thing happened to the right sock of a plain white pair, who slowly began to feel more and more inadequate compared to the colourful and unique pairs of socks they were sharing a drawer with, especially the green stripy pair. Neither the right green stripy sock nor the left white sock were very understanding of their partners declining love- it was just a phase, they were made for each other and nothing would ever change that.

The unhappy socks found themselves eagerly awaiting the days when they would be granted relief from their partners’ suffocating embrace and they could instead spend time with a shoe, who can be decent company if the odour is ignored. The left green stripy sock even found themselves hoping that the myths and legends of socks going missing in the “Washing Machine” were true. 

It just so happens that one day the left green stripy sock found themselves in close proximity to the right plain white sock. Each found themselves admiring the other, those green curvy lines, the elegance of pure white. It was difficult to connect while each was being bear hugged by their “soulmate” but they slowly found themselves becoming closer, discussing who their favourite toe was, the arrogance of the pink glittery pair of socks in the drawer and Brexit. Their partners still weren’t worried. Jealousy and suspicion are not really part of sock’s range of emotions, there had never been a need before these two star- crossed lovers. 

When the white pair were selected for their day of separation, the left green stripy sock and the right white sock exchanged a quick, soft goodbye. The right white sock found themself spending the day with a boot they had known for years and they talked over the sock’s blossoming romance. The boot was sympathetic but that night when telling the story to their partner they expressed disbelief at their old friend’s ridiculous behaviour. 

A few days later, by the grace of God, the left green stripy sock found themselves flung on top of the right white sock. The sudden intimacy made both shy at first and they talked about the weather. Days turned into weeks and the couple fell deeply in love, they decided that they never wanted to be apart again. So, they came up with a plan. During the next drowning attempt, they would make their escape. They would hide in the corner of the machine while all the other clothes were being removed and when the coast was clear they would make their way behind the machine and set up their lives there, amongst the dust and spiders. 

This is, one can hope, the circumstance that has resulted in me losing two perfectly good socks during a wash, because where else did they fucking go? I hate losing socks in the wash, but I guess if it makes them happy I’ll just let it go. As long as they are okay with the fact that I’m going to throw their previous soulmates in the bin because they are useless to me now.

We hope you enjoyed todays story! Did you want to find out more about Bethan? check out the link below! Is there a story you have written that your would like to share? Let us know!