Wellspring by Rachel Alatalo (’23-24) – SEE SAW Comics, Webcomics from the Sequential Artists Workshop

Wellspring by Rachel Alatalo (’23-24)

â€œWhy am I like this?â€ Rachel looks at themself in the mirror. They have thick eyebrows, bangs, and wavy hair past their shoulders, rendered in soft blues. They are touching their cheeks with their hands as tears and makeup stream down their face. They look pained, brows furrowed, eyes wide, frowning.

â€œI wander the hallways of my mind.â€ Rachel is walking through a threshold into a hallway with blue and white checkered tiles and a rounded ceiling. There are potted plants and artworks decorating the space. Tears are still streaming down their face.

â€œSearching for the source of my tears.â€ A dark, damp spot on the ceiling is dripping large amounts of water, splashing on the floor. Rachel looks up with surprise to see it. They ascend an ornate staircase, wearing an evening gown.

Rachel peers through a creaking door to see an overflowing bathtub. They approach it. They dive into an ocean through the tub, swimming down to coral and anemones and eels on the sea floor.

â€œAs if pain caused by memories works differently than pain caused by family, or hormones, or alcohol, or the news.â€ Rachel looks over a dark chasm in the ocean floor and dives down, reaching their hand through it to get to something unseen, brows furrowed. There is litter scattered in the underwater landscape: an alcohol bottle, a cracked phone, a pill bottle, along with shells and human bones.

Rachelâ€™s hand reaches through a small hole and brushes something bright; they smile. â€œBut it hasnâ€™t worked out yet.â€ They tug to get their hand out and struggle, now frowning and panicked. â€œMaybe I need to let it goâ€ They grab onto something like a clump of hair, let it go, and retract their hand through the hole. They pop open the bathtub drain stopper. â€œAnd deal with whatâ€™s right in front of me.â€ They look off in the distance, hair slicked back from the water, a calm expression on their face. Their hands touch their hair on the back of their head.

â€œWhy am I like this?â€ Rachel looks at themself in the mirror. They have thick eyebrows, bangs, and wavy hair past their shoulders, rendered in soft blues. They are touching their cheeks with their hands as tears and makeup stream down their face. They look pained, brows furrowed, eyes wide, frowning.

â€œI wander the hallways of my mind.â€ Rachel is walking through a threshold into a hallway with blue and white checkered tiles and a rounded ceiling. There are potted plants and artworks decorating the space. Tears are still streaming down their face.

â€œSearching for the source of my tears.â€ A dark, damp spot on the ceiling is dripping large amounts of water, splashing on the floor. Rachel looks up with surprise to see it. They ascend an ornate staircase, wearing an evening gown.

Rachel peers through a creaking door to see an overflowing bathtub. They approach it. They dive into an ocean through the tub, swimming down to coral and anemones and eels on the sea floor.

â€œAs if pain caused by memories works differently than pain caused by family, or hormones, or alcohol, or the news.â€ Rachel looks over a dark chasm in the ocean floor and dives down, reaching their hand through it to get to something unseen, brows furrowed. There is litter scattered in the underwater landscape: an alcohol bottle, a cracked phone, a pill bottle, along with shells and human bones.

Rachelâ€™s hand reaches through a small hole and brushes something bright; they smile. â€œBut it hasnâ€™t worked out yet.â€ They tug to get their hand out and struggle, now frowning and panicked. â€œMaybe I need to let it goâ€ They grab onto something like a clump of hair, let it go, and retract their hand through the hole. They pop open the bathtub drain stopper. â€œAnd deal with whatâ€™s right in front of me.â€ They look off in the distance, hair slicked back from the water, a calm expression on their face. Their hands touch their hair on the back of their head.

Published On: May 8, 2024

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3 thoughts on “Wellspring by Rachel Alatalo (’23-24)”

Ellen Beier
05/16/2024, 1:13 pm
- Reply
Wow Rachel, so beautifully done.
Maria Fitzgerald
05/21/2024, 6:10 am
- Reply
This is amazing! So much movement, great backgrounds, and full of meaning.
david alatalo
06/22/2024, 11:33 am
- Reply
well maybe I’m biased but I thought it was awesome. Don’t worry about everyone getting it . not going to happen. Listen there are legit people think earth is flat, can never be convinced. Progress not perfection. Risk reward ratio meaning balance between time and effort and final result. God knows you saw plenty of my home projects that sometimes good enough is good enough cuz it got the job done. Other stuff, yah alot of time and effort and end result will last for decades. Your good enough far surpasses most peoples almost perfection.

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