My Short Short for the Day

The spaceship crashed just over the hill.  It could have been a military plane or chopper but to Jonah, it had looked like a UFO.  A real-life UFO.  It seemed totally impossible but something in the pit of his stomach told him that it was true.  He had to run faster than he ever ran before to reach it first.  Who knows when the government would show up.  And it wasn’t an “if”, he knew it would be a “when”.

He crested the hill and looked down into the valley but saw nothing.  It looked…normal.  How could this be?  He knew he had seen something, something big.  Really big.  Too big to hide behind a tree or boulder.  It can’t be.  There’s no way it could have been his imagination.  He wasn’t even thinking of any of his sci-fi stories at the time.  He was actually thinking about the Geometry test coming up at the end of the week.  The one he hadn’t studied for yet. 

So, there was no way he had imagined it.  Something was wrong.  He half slid half stumbled down the hill, moving faster than his body was used to.  For once he didn’t care how graceless he was.  He had to find that ship.  He reached the bottom, took a step, and promptly smacked full speed into something solid.  “Oof!”

He reached out his hands, touching the cold object.  It felt smooth like metal.  He sniffed it, but all he could smell was nature.  He shrugged, “Oh, well.  You never know if the smell might give you a clue.”

Jonah smiled.  “It’s real!”

He lay against the ship with his arms spread and hugged it.  His goofy grin spread wide across his face.  “It’s real.”

After a few more moments, he straightened up, and looked around hoping no one saw him.  He cleared his throat and put on his serious face.  He pulled out a pencil, notepad and measuring tape from his backpack.  You just never know when you might need to investigate something.  Years of being a boy scout ensured he was always prepared.

                                                 *******     to be continued     *******

My Short Short for the Day

“Today’s the big day BumblyBee!”  Quinn smiled and struck a majestic pose.  “What if I call you BB for short?”

“Bzzz bzzz.”  BumblyBee did a loop de loop.

“Great!”  Quinn looked to the skies.  “Let’s go!”

Quinn ran down the driveway and onto the sidewalk.  She dodged skateboarders, dogs and sprinklers as she ran towards town searching for any evil doers.  BumblyBee flew alongside scanning the area as well.

“Help!”  A voice pleaded in the distance.

“BB, over there!”  Quinn turned abruptly and raced towards the park.  “How can we help?”

“Oh, uh, well.  You see, I got my purse stuck in the bench here.”  The little, white haired lady explained.

“No problem, Ma’am.”  Quinn posed majestically.  “We can help.”

Quinn whispered to BumblyBee and they got to work.  Within a couple minutes they managed to maneuver the purse out of the bench and handed it to the lady.

“Oh, my.  How wonderful!  Thank you so much!”  The lady beamed.  The reached in her purse and pulled out a dollar bill.  “Here you go dear.” 

“Oh, no, we couldn’t.  Your thanks is all we need.”  Quinn smiled, bowed and turned away.  “Off we go BB.”

Quinn ran across the grass and towards the sidewalk with BumblyBee zooming alongside her. 

“Help!  Someone, please help!”  A voice was yelling from nearby.

“How can we help?”  Quinn asked the man. 

“Oh, uh, well.  There’s a kitten stuck down in that grate.”  The man said pointing.

“No problem.”  Quinn posed majestically.  “We can help.”

Quinn whispered to BumblyBee and they got to work.  Within a couple minutes they managed to maneuver the kitten out of the grate and handed it to the man.

“Gee, great job kid!”  The man stuck his hand out.  “Thanks!”

Quinn shook his hand and smiled.  “You’re welcome!”  Quinn bowed and turned away.  “Off we go BB.”

“Quinn, come home now.”

“It’s time for lunch BB, let’s go!”  Quinn turned around and raced home at top speed with BumblyBee racing next to her.

“Mom!  We’re home!”  Quinn rushed in the front door.

“Shut the door behind you!”  Mom called from the kitchen.

Quinn shut the door and hurried into the kitchen.  “What’s for lunch?”

“You’re favorite.  Grilled cheese for you and honey for you.”  Mom set a sandwich on Quinn’s plate and a little bowl of honey on BumblyBee’s plate.

“Thanks Mom!”  Quinn took a big bite.

“Were you careful?”  Mom asked sitting down next to Quinn.

“Of course Mom.  No one saw us use our powers.”  Quinn munched happily on her sandwich. 

“Good.”

My Short Short for the Day

 Larry nosed through the trash hoping to find a scrap of something to fill his grumbly belly.  The smell of baking bread made him drool but he ignored it.  He’d tried to get some scraps from them, but every time they shouted at him and slammed the door in his face.  All he wanted was just a little bite of something.  His energy was waning so he slumped down by the garbage can, letting it prop him up while he rested.  It was getting harder to get up each morning.  His belly wouldn’t let him lay still for long, though.  He had to eat.

“Hey, guys, I’ll catch up with you later!” 

Larry turned his head toward the voice.  It was a boy and he was coming towards him.  Larry struggled to get to his feet, but he was too weak, so instead he tried to scrunch down as much as possible hoping the boy wouldn’t notice him.  The boy stopped running and walked slowly towards him, holding out a hand.

“It’s ok boy, I won’t hurt you.”

Larry’s tail began to wag, he couldn’t help himself.  He tilted his head to look up.  The boy knelt beside Larry and gently patted his head.  Larry closed his eyes and enjoyed the kindness.  The boy pet him for a few moments then stopped.  Larry opened his eyes and whined a little.

“It’s ok boy.  I’ll be right back.” 

The boy walked to the back door of the bakery and knocked.  A man opened the door and they talked for a few moments.  The man disappeared and returned with a small bowl.  The boy carefully set the water down in front of Larry.

“Here boy, drink some water.”

Larry leaned down and lapped at the water as best he could while the boy petted him.  When he had finished the bowl, Larry looked up at the boy and licked his face.

“You’re welcome.”  The boy’s voice was kind.  “Ok, I’m going to lift you up now.”

Larry wagged his tail.  The boy gently picked him up, it hurt, and Larry whimpered a little but licked the boy’s face to say it was ok.  The boy carried him to a small house with a little fenced yard.  A woman was standing in the doorway, smiling and shaking her head.

“Found yourself another stray?”  The woman’s voice was kind.

“Yeah, mom.  He really needs our help.” 

Larry wagged his tail as best he could.  The woman smiled.  “Of course, dear.  I’ll get some food.”

My Short Short for the Day

 *******     continued     *******

 

Melanie thumped into the rocking chair, clutching the arms and staring in terror at the doorway.  A dark, huddled figure crept toward her.  Her voice caught in her throat as fear shot through her. 

The figure inched closer making a raspy, wheezing kind of gurgle as it moved.  Melanie didn’t dare look away but dreaded seeing the figure up close.  The smell hit her then.  It smelled like a swampy marsh filled with rotting fish.

The figure was only a few feet away.  The dingy clothes hung off her in tatters.  Her hair was stringy and matted in places.  Her skin was so dirty it was hard to tell where the clothing ended and her skin began.  Then she looked straight at Melanie.  Her eyes were a piercing blue.  Melanie gasped.

Suddenly there was a siren sound outside.  Just a few short bursts of noise, just enough to make Melanie turn her head towards the window.  Almost as quickly, she turned back.  She felt a whoosh of air in her face, but the figure was gone. 

The front door was kicked in and she heard yelling downstairs.  She found she could move so she jumped out of the chair and ran down the hallway.  She nearly collided with a police officer who was coming up the stairs. 

“Whoa!”  He grabbed her by the arms.

“There’s a child.  Here.  I…I don’t know where the parents are.  Couldn’t find them.  But there’s something wrong.  Very wrong.”  The words stammered out.

“Slow down.”  The officer was guiding her down the stairs.  “She said there’s a kid here.  Check the rooms.”  He barked the orders then led Melanie outside.

“But…the child.  She’s…there’s…”  Melanie was handed some water.

After several minutes, a couple officers came out of the building and walked over.  “Sir, the place is empty.  No one’s here.”

“But, there was a little girl.”  Melanie started to explain.

“Look, this place is on the market.  Has been for a while now.  No one’s lived here in years.”  The officer stated.  “And we just checked the whole house, top to bottom.  No one.”

“But…”  Melanie let the words drop.

“Come on, we’ll need to take you to the station for a statement.”  The officer said leading her to the car.

She sat in the car looking down at her hands.  As the car started to pull away from the curb, she looked up to the top floor window.  She blinked and there was the face.  That little, grime covered face with the piercing blue eyes staring straight at her.

My Short Short for the Day

                                                       *******     continued     *******

 

“Lilly?  Is that you?”  Melanie walked slowly towards the huddled figure.  “Are you ok, sweetie?”

The two locked eyes.  Melanie shivered and took her eyes from the figure for a moment to locate the sudden draft of coldness.  There was a loud hiss and a scuttling sound.  Melanie looked back to the corner and it was empty. 

“Lilly?  Where are you?”  Melanie pulled the blinds back from the other window to let in as much light as possible.  There were no floor lamps, table lamps or ceiling lights.  The only light source was the sun.  “Lilly?  Come out now.  The game’s over.”

Melanie cautiously opened the closet door.  There were some dingy clothes hanging and a pair of dust covered, worn out shoes.  It looked like stuff that would fit a child but from some long-ago time.  She checked the bed.  The bedding was old and faded with a musty odor.  The only thing under the bed was dust.  There was a wooden nightstand with a grimy glass and yellowish colored cloth.  In the drawer was a bible and a tiny stuffed rabbit.  It was staring up at me with one button eye hanging down the side of its face barely attached by a fraying thread.  One of the ears had been sewn back on but with a jagged stitch and darker colored thread.  Melanie shut the drawer.

Melanie looked around the room.  The only other object in the room was a rocking chair.  She went over to it.  There was a lot of dust covering it, like the rest of the room.  She brushed some dust off the arm of the chair and yanked her hand back.  There were scratches all over the arm.  Tiny scratches but they were deep.  She brushed the dust off the other arm and found similar scratches.  She dusted the seat but there were no scratches there.  So, she dusted the back of the chair and it was normal until she got to the top part.  There were tiny, deep scratches right at the place where an adult’s neck would be.

Melanie stepped back, covering her mouth in fear as she whispered.  “What happened here?”

A loud hiss blasted through the room forcing Melanie to stumble forward and fall into the chair.

 

*******    to be continued     *******

My Short Short for Yesterday

I still remember that face staring at me from the window as the police car drove away.  I stared back helplessly as the terror still clutched my heart in a vice grip.

That morning had been bright and sunny, with a warm breeze and blue skies.  I woke up early with a smile on my face, ready for the day’s adventure.  I was babysitting for a new client today.  It was a sort of test run.  The couple was looking for a live-in nanny for their 6-year-old daughter.  I had babysat for many years growing up and taken CPR courses and even recently completed some child development classes at the local community college.  Things were looking bright for my future and today was my chance to secure my first real job. 

“Bye Mom, Dad! I’m heading over to Mr. and Mrs. Sinclair’s house now!”  I picked up my bag and headed towards the door. 

“Good luck Honey!”  My mom called from the living room.  “See you tonight!”

I caught the local bus and 20 minutes later, stepped off in front of a beautiful Brownstone.  I checked my notes and walked to #712.  I was almost immediately buzzed in.  Huh, I guess they saw me get off the bus.  I thought.  I went inside and the door shut automatically behind me.

“Hello?  Mr. and Mrs. Sinclair?”  I looked around.  “It’s me, Melanie.  The sitter.”

I walked slowly towards the first door.  “Hello?”  It was locked.  I moved to the next door but found it locked as well.

“Are you here to watch me?”  A small voice echoed down the hall.

“Lilly?  Is that you?”  I turned around.  “Yes, it’s me, your sitter, Melanie.”

“Try to find me.”  The voice said.

‘Maybe Mr. and Mrs. Sinclair were out back and didn’t hear my come in.’  I tried to shake off the odd feeling that was creeping in.  ‘I’ll go find Lilly first then talk to them.’

“Ok, I’m coming to find you.”  I said figuring it wouldn’t take long.

I checked the rest of the doors downstairs but all of them were locked.  ‘Weird.’  I frowned. 

Then I went upstairs, and it seemed even quieter than before.  She was really good at keeping still.  At the top of the stairs I turned left and checked the door at the end of the hallway, locked.  I checked the next door and the next and the next, but they were all locked.  ‘Very weird.’  The hair on my arm got prickly. 

“Don’t be stupid Melanie.  I’m sure there is a logical explanation.” I grumbled to myself.

Then I stopped in front of the door at the end of the other hallway.  It must be the master bedroom because it seemed to take up at least 1/3 of the upstairs space.  I turned the knob and it squeaked loudly.  I cringed as it echoed down the hall behind me.  I pushed the door open carefully and it creaked in reluctance.  The room was dim, but some sunlight was seeping in around the curtains.  I checked the wall for a light switch but couldn’t find one, so I made my way to the nearest window and pulled the curtains open.  I heard a loud hiss from somewhere behind me and jerked around.  In the farthest, darkest corner I could see a small figure huddled there, shielding its eyes from the burst of light. 

 

                                    *******     to be continued     *******

My Short Short for the Day

        *******    continued     *******

Evie and Maggie searched through the large room looking for any kind of phone but couldn’t find a landline or a cell phone.  They searched the bedroom as well, but to no avail.

“Well, now what?”  Evie asked plunking down on the couch.

“Ok, let’s get some food, just a sandwich or something small.”  Maggie headed towards the refrigerator.  “And then we’ll head down the path further to see if we can find a town.”

The girls make sandwiches and sat at the table to eat.  Maggie moved some papers around on the table.  “Look, a newspaper.”

She pulled it out and opened it.  She was flipping through the pages when Evie let out a gasp.

“Look Maggie!”

Maggie looked around the side of the paper.  Evie was pointing at the front page.

“Look at the date!”  Evie put her hand to her mouth.

Maggie closed the paper and folded it over to look at the front page.  She scanned it and gasped.

“Do you think that is real?”  Evie whispered.

“It can’t be.”  Maggie rubbed at the ink, but it didn’t smudge.  She flipped through the pages, quickly scanning then closed it.  “It is real.”

“That means we…”  Evie cut herself off.

“Yeah, we…”  Maggie dropped the paper and looked at her friend.  “…we’re in the past.”

My Short Short for the Day

“Come on.”  Maggie whispered edging towards the glowing circle of light. 

“I don’t know.”  Evie’s heart was pounding.  “Maybe we should just go home.”

“Oh, don’t be such a scaredy cat.”  Maggie lightly nudged her best friend’s arm.  “We’re adventurers, remember?  We have to explore the unknown.”

“Ok, ok.”  Evie murmured crouching behind Maggie.

“Alright, on 3.”  Maggie took a deep breath and let it out slowly.  “1 – 2 – “

Evie grabbed Maggie’s hand and held tight. 

“3.”

The girls leaped into the glowing circle of light and landed on solid ground.  They blinked several times to adjust and realized it was early morning.  They looked around and saw they were in a clearing in the forest.  The pines towered over them, leaves were scattered across the ground and all was still and silent.  Slowly the girls straightened up, looking around at how normal it looked.

“Did we even go anywhere?”  Evie finally asked, speaking softly so as not to disturb the quiet.

“Look, there’s a path.”  Maggie pointed excitedly.  “There wasn’t one back home.”

“Oh, right.  That’s new.”  Evie looked behind her.  “Wait, where’d the glowing circle go?”

Maggie jerked around and reached out as if she was trying to touch something.  “It…it’s gone.”

“What do we do now?”  Evie fought back the shakiness.

“Ok, stay calm.”  Maggie patted Evie’s shoulder.  “We’ll follow the path and find someone and ask them where we are.”

Maggie’s confidence eased Evie’s fear.  They walked down the path, listening to the soft chirps and rustles of the forest animals waking up.  When they reached another clearing, Evie was feeling pretty cheerful.

“Look, a cabin.”  Maggie smiled.

“I’m so hungry, I hope they have some toast or something.”  Evie’s statement was punctuated with a grumble from her belly.

They knocked on the door.  Silence.  They knocked again.  Nothing. 

Maggie went to the front window and peeked in.  “It looks like no one’s home.”

“What should we do?”  Evie peeked in the window, too.

“Well, it is kind of an emergency.  We are lost, right?”  Maggie reasoned.  “I say we go in and see if we can phone for help.”

Evie lifted a large rock up and found a key underneath.  “My grandma always hides her key under a rock.”

“Good thinking!”  Maggie took the key and unlocked the door.  Slowly she pushed it open.  “Hello?  Anyone here?”

Evie reached for a light switch and found one near the door.  The lights came on flooded the cabin.

Evie and Maggie squinted until their eyes adjusted.  There was a large room and two doors at the back.  Maggie crossed the room to the first door and opened it.  A bedroom.  Evie opened the other door and it was a bathroom.

“Seems normal enough.”  Maggie shrugged.  “Well, let’s see if we can find a phone.”

 

       *******    To be continued     *******

My Short Short for the Day

 “Here you go Bella.”  Silvia handed her some scraps before shrinking back to kid size.

“What about you?”  Bella asked ignoring her growling belly.

“Don’t worry.  I already ate.”  Silvia lied with a smile.

If it wasn’t for Silvia, Bella probably would have died.  Bella’s dad had died in the war when she was only 3.  She tried but couldn’t remember what he looked like anymore.  Then her mom got really sick.  Bella had tried her best to care for her.  She had met Silvia one day in the alley behind Ned’s Bakery.  Silvia was adult size, so Bella thought she was a grown up.  She had several pieces of bread and a few chunks of pastries in her hands.  Bella stared up at her with hunger rumbling in her belly. 

“Please, can I have a piece of bread for my mum?  She’s sick.”  As much as Bella wanted to eat something, she knew her mom needed it more.

Silvia looked down at her.  “Where is your mum?”

Bella pointed to the mass of run-down shacks.

“Take me to her.”  Silvia nodded towards the shacks.

Bella led her home.  Silvia walked over to the bed, setting the food on a nearby table.  She looked at the woman and very gently touched her neck.  She let her hand drop and was silent for a few moments.

“What’s your name?”  Silvia asked quietly as she picked up a nearby bag and began to fill it.

“Bella.” 

“I’m Silvia.”  She said stuffing a few more items into the sack.  “How old are you?”

“Five.”  Bella watched Silvia move about the room.

“Time to go.”  Silvia said packing the food into the bag before slinging it over her shoulder.

“But, what about mum?”  Bella took a step towards the bed, but Silvia stepped in front of her.

“I’m sorry Bella, she’s gone.”  Silvia shrunk down to kid size, took Bella’s hand and walked out.  “But don’t worry kid, I’m 8 so I can take care of you now.”

My Short Short for the Day

 If it was your last day on earth, what would you do?  Have you ever thought of that?  I’m not one of those people who subscribe to the idea to “live each day likes it’s your last”.  Instead, I had lived my life like there would always be a tomorrow.  That was until last month when I was diagnosed with a terminal illness.  One of those horrible diseases that ravages your body but leaves your mind intact to experience all the horrors inflicted on your physical being.  Not what I consider a very appealing option.  So instead of accepting my fate with stoic bravery, I decided to see what my other options were.  There were a lot of non-traditional choices and I tried many of them, but nothing seemed to help. 

I was getting weaker and running out of money and feeling quite desperate.  That’s when this little, old man knocked on my door.  He seemed harmless enough, so I let him in.  He slowly shuffled his way across the room to my couch and carefully lowered himself down.  He turned his face up towards me and grinned.

“Can I get you something to drink?”  I asked not sure if I had anything.

“Yes, some tea please.”  The old man continued to grin.

“Oh, ok, just a minute.”  I searched my kitchen cupboards and eventually found an old tea bag.  I put some water in a cup, microwaved it for a couple minutes and plopped the tea bag in.  I put a spoon in the cup, too.

“Do you take milk or sugar?”  I yelled from the kitchen.

“No, just tea.”  The old man’s voice carried so clearly.  He didn’t yell or even raise it.

“Here you go.”  I carefully set the cup on the coffee table.  I sat in the chair across from him.  “So, can I help you with something?”

“No, I’m afraid you are in no position to help me.”  He sipped his tea and smiled.  “However, I believe I am in a position to help you.”

“What?”  I stared at him.  How could he possibly help me?  I thought.

“Ah, don’t be fooled by my appearance.  This is simply an illusion I use to make others, such as yourself, feel more comfortable with my proposition.

“Your proposition?”  My mind was muddled.  “What could you possibly want from me?”

“Ah, we have been monitoring you for some time now.  Ms. James.”  The man sipped from his tea again, never taking his eyes off me.

“How do you know me?”  I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand up in a prickly line.

“It would be easier and quicker to show you.”  He leaned towards me, stretching out his gnarled, wrinkly hands.

I don’t know why but I went along with it.  When he touched my head, I saw images flash in my mind and heard sounds and felt emotions.  It only lasted for a few moments, but I felt like I had experienced a lifetime. 

“We would like you to join us and in exchange, we can heal you.”  The old man’s smile was warm.

“Of course, what do I need to do.”  My voice sounded so strange, so distant.  Like I was dreaming but on the verge of waking.

“You will know all soon.”  The man stood and patted my shoulder, then shuffled across the room.

I opened the door.  “Thank you.”

The old man smiled and shuffled away down the hallway.  I shut the door and walked back to my chair.  I picked up the teacup and took it into the kitchen and was about to clean it when I noticed a piece of paper stuck to the bottom.

“Enjoy your last day on earth, for tomorrow you begin your new adventure.”

So, as I asked earlier, if it was your last day on earth, what would you do? 

Turtles

 

My Short Short for the Day

The roly poly pug waddled along on his chubby, little legs.  His tongue was hanging out of his mouth as he snorted along with each breath.  His eyes gleamed with mischief as he surveyed his territory.  His grin always fooled people into dropping their guard around him. 

“Ah, this’ll do.”  He woofed as he plopped his bum onto the ground.  He shook himself and the top hat fell off his head, landing perfectly upside down.  He nudged it with his paw, then stretched out his hind feet with his front paws in between.  For some reason, the humans loved it when he sat like them, so he made use of that.

A few moments later, a man walked towards him talking on his cell phone.  “Woof!”  The man looked down, startled to see a fat pug grinning up at him. 

“Oh, where did you come from?”  The man stared at him and the pug panted and put his paw on the rim of the top hat.

“What a funny, little dog.”  The man grinned.  He dug around in his pocket and pulled out some change.  He tossed it into the hat and was rewarded with a wave of the chubby pug paw.

The man laughed then went back to his phone call.  “You’ll never believe what I just saw.”

A lady was bustling by with a little kid in tow.  “Wait Mom!  A doggie!”  The kid dug his heels in and wouldn’t budge.

“What is it Timmy?”  The lady looked tired.  “Oh, what a funny, little dog.”

The pug grinned and put a paw on the rim of the hat. 

“He wants money.”  The boy shouted with glee.  “Give him some.”

“What, why would he need money.”  The lady shook her head.

“Come on Mom.”  The boy looked at her with big, round eyes.  “Please.”

“Oh, alright.”  The lady pulled out some coins and dropped them into the hat. Then turned away, tugging the boy.

The pug waved a chubby paw and the boy laughed and waved back.

As the sun started to set, the pug stood, stretched his chubby legs, then picked up the hat with his snaggly teeth and walked to the nearby bakery.  Al opened the door for him.  The pug waddled inside and set the hat down by the counter.  Al dumped the hat out and put the hat back on the floor.  He also set down a cup of water and a bowl of food.  The pug ate heartily and drank, slopping water all over the floor.  When he was done, Al patted the pug, put its hat back on and tucked a note in the band of the hat. 

“Tell Mrs. Johnson that Sal with be by with her dinner in about an hour.”  Al opened the door and the pug woofed before waddling out.

My Short Short for the Day

 “Quick!  Hurry!  My baby is still in there!”  The soot covered woman screamed.

Without hesitation, I raced into the burning building.  I was hit with a wall of smoke so thick I started to choke.  I remembered those movies where they show the person covering their nose and mouth with a cloth and that seemed to fix the problem, so I searched for something I could use.  There was a bandana lying on the floor so I scooped it up and did my best to cover my face.  It wasn’t great, but it helped.  I kept low and searched, listening carefully.  I couldn’t see or smell anything except smoke so I had to rely on touch and sound.  Of course, everything felt hot on my feet but I tried to block out the pain.  The sounds of crackling flames dominated but I forced myself to tune those noises out and listen for anything other than that.

Suddenly I heard a faint whimper.  I stopped and listened harder.  There it was again.  Coming from that room.  I went to the door and felt it to see if it was hot.  It was, but the whimper was louder now.  I moved back a few steps then charged the door.  It burst open and flames shot at me.  I ducked and rolled to the side.  I looked around, listening and then I heard the whimper.  It was getting faint.  I crawled across the floor to the tattered remnants of a bed.  I poked my head under and there she was, a little girl.  Maybe 3 or 4 years old.  Crying softly with a teddy clutched in her hands.

I stretched myself further under the bed and grabbed hold of her nightgown.  I tugged but she wouldn’t move.  It was getting hotter.  I couldn’t wait.  I yanked and the child fell over.  I dragged her out from under the bed, shoved my head in next to the teddy so that her arms were around my neck and dashed out of the room.  She stumbled along beside me, moving mechanically but at least she was moving.   We rushed through the rooms, dodging obstacles, flames and falling debris until we burst out into the cold night air.

I took a few wobbly steps, then collapsed.  The screaming woman knelt beside us, gently cradling the little girl who was still clinging to my neck. 

“Good doggie.”  The little girl managed to say before her mother hugged her tight to her chest. 

“Very good doggie.”  The woman agreed gently stroking my back. 

My Short Short for the Day

 “Congratulations!  You have freed me from the magic lamp so now you have 3 wishes.  But remember, choose wisely as you can not undo a wish once it has been spoken.  Oh, and of course, you can’t wish for more wishes, you can’t make someone fall in love with you and you can’t kill anyone.” 

“Wow!  Are you for real?”  Dillin stared up at the genie.

“Yes, I am. Now, what would you like for your first wish?”

“Oh, oh, I wish I could have a ton of money!”  Dillin shouted.

“Your wish is my command!”  The genie waved his hand and a ton of money dumped on the ground in front of Dillin.

“Wait, is that all?  I wanted more than that.”  Dillin pouted.

“That is exactly one ton.”  The genie smiled.  “What is your next wish?”

“Hmm?”  Dillin scratched his head.  “Well, oh, I know.  I can’t wish for someone to fall in love with me, right?”

“Right.”

“Ok, then, I wish I was hot!”  Dillin’s smile was very smug.

“Your wish is my command!”  The genie waved his hand and Dillin became hot.

“Hey, wait, whoa!  I didn’t mean that kind of hot.  I meant good looking hot!”  Dillin screamed as he ran to the pond, throwing himself in.

“What is your final wish?”  The genie smiled.

“Yeah, yeah, just a minute.”  Dillin slogged out of the water.  “I have to be smart about this one.  Hmm?  Oh, I know.  I wish I could start over.”

“Your wish is my command!”  The genie waved his hand with a smile and disappeared.

“Congratulations!  It’s a boy!”  The nurse gently placed the baby in the new mom’s arms.

“Look honey!  Isn’t he beautiful!”  The mom gushed.  “I’m going to name you Dillin.”

 

My Short Short for the Day

 The mighty predator locked eyes on his prey.  He flicked his tail as a warning to any others that this was his prey.  He sat up, nose twitching, testing the wind for any scent of danger.  His eyes darted from here to there before locking on his target again.  All was clear.  His prey, unsuspecting.  Carefully he crept along the rough surface, slowly making his way ever closer while remaining cautious to not give himself away. 

He paused, surveying the distance.  He was close enough now.  He gathered himself, tensing his muscles, never taking his eyes off his prey.  He held for a moment, perfectly still, then pounced.  He landed on his prey, grabbed it in his claws and brought it to his mouth. 

He sat down, looking around as he quickly nibbled through the shell and pulled out the inside.  His tiny teeth gnawing easily through the crunchiness.  Then his tiny paws turned the shell around so that he could get to the other end.  He rapidly broke through the outer shell to reveal the other hidden nut.  He continually looked around, making sure no one else was going to try to steal his peanuts from him.

Koi at the Huntington Gardens