She nuzzles the egg with her beak, desperately hoping.

The egg is warm from the warmth of her belly.

If only she could cause her child to emerge using the fierce power of her will alone!

Her partner watches, the egg’s siblings at his side. The cygnets want to swim.

Eleanor Buffam is an interdisciplinary artist, writer, and musician based in Leith, Edinburgh. Alongside short stories, she is currently co-writing a sci-fi trilogy.