Iron Frog emerges from a mercury lake. Skin gleaming. Eyes cast around. Testing the air. Dry. Still. Safe. Iron Frog pushes off. Pulls forward. Solar webbing drawing through liquid metal. Mercury is parted and swells together again. Sweeping arms. Kicking legs. Stroke by stroke coming closer to the lake’s edge. Mercury beads become rivers over iron, returning to the lake. Nimble fingers and toes drag metal body onto land. Iron Frog spreads webbed digits. Actinic deliciousness sparks shivers. Shrieking white rays tear through atmosphere to meet Iron Frog. Absorbed. Consumed. Restoring. Refuelling. Now moving. Clambering over shards, over razor metal, over steel shale. Over and over. Recording. Storing. Over and over. Eight hundred and forty two cycles. Iron Frog moves. Records. Stores. Moves. Stops in the dark. Waits. Eight hundred and forty three cycles. Moves again. Repeats. Pressure change. Find mercury. Down, down, down. Down to safety while solar storms rage. Waits. Waits. Waits. Eight hundred and eighty four cycles. Iron Frog emerges once again. Swims for shore. Sends data home. Moves over metal. Across trenchant land. Repeats. Repeats. Repeats. Iron Frog repeats. Four thousand, seven hundred and twelve cycles.
Rachel McDove is a middle aged frog lover from Scotland!