My Short Short for the Day

He was the oldest chicken any of the chicks had ever seen.  His feathers were a bit ruffled, never quite settling back into place.  His skin sagged low under his chin.  His walk was stiff as he strutted around the yard.  His cluck was garbled and weak.  In spite of all of this, the hens would graciously step aside making a path for him to walk as he made his rounds through the yard.

“What should we do today, Chuck?”  Pete asked.

“Yeah, Chuck, what're we doing today?”  Sal chimed in.

“Well, I think we need to make up a batch of special worm bait.”  Chuck began.  “Yes, that's what we should do.”

“Worm bait?  What's that?”  Eddie asked.

“Well, you see.  It's this very special, very secret recipe that I overheard Mrs. Gobble talking about.”  Chuck lowered his voice.  “It's supposed to be able to bring every worm within a 100 feet out of their holes.”

“Oh!  That would be like fifty tons of worms for each of us.”  Pete said wiping a bit of drool from his beak.

“Oh, boy! Oh, boy!  Let's do it!”  Eddie clucked rubbing his wings together.

“What do we need to do?”  Sal asked.

“Well, we need water, mud from under the coop, 3 buttercup flowers, 2 long green stalks of grass and...”  Chuck paused.

“What?  What?”  The chicks asked.

“We need...one of...the feathers...”

“Yeah?  Yeah?”  The chicks leaned in. 

“From...Grandpa Chicken.”  Chuck said.

The chicks' eyes widened as they stared at Chuck.  Their beaks dropped open and their wings drooped down.  Not a peep was made.

“So...who's going to get the feather?”  Chuck asked.

The chicks looked at each other and took several steps back shaking their heads vigorously.

“Seriously?  No one?”  Chuck asked raising his wings.

The chicks all shook their heads in unison, still wide eyed.

“Fine.  I'll do it.  Just remember to thank me when we are all pigging out on juicy worms.”  Chuck said strutting off to the front yard. 

The chicks didn't dare watch but held their breath and waited.  After several moments had passed, there was a sudden squawk followed by a loud racket.  The chicks peered around the corner of the coop and saw a collection of hens chasing after Grandpa Chicken who was chasing after Chuck.  And as Chuck got closer they all saw what he had in his beak...the feather from Grandpa's backside.  Chuck grinned as he sped past them to the far side of the chicken coop.

My Short Short for the Day

Ilyia looked out the window and stared at the dusty desert stretching all the way to the horizon.  She closed her eyes.  If she could do anything, the first thing she'd do is change the landscape.  The desert was so barren and hot.  The doctors said it was good for her, a dry climate would ease the pain, but still she struggled every day with the unchanging scenery and dismal heat. 

So today she decided to change the view.  With her eyes closed she imagined what she'd like to see.  Some trees.  They don't have to be big but they had to be green.  Then some shrubs, too.  It's hot and dry so they had to be hearty and drought resistant.  Then maybe some smaller plants with colorful buds.  It would take some time to bloom, but it would be worth the wait.  Next some rocks would work well as decorations and some bark to cover up the plain, old sand.

That would be nice.  Hmm?  But that wasn't quite right.  What else?  What was missing?  Oh, yes, a pathway.  Definitely needed a pathway to walk around the garden.  Or maybe several pathways leading to different gardens.  But there would be one main pathway starting at the front door and stretching out as far as she could see.  Then there would be smaller pathways heading off to the right and left.  She would build that garden to cover every last speck of sand.  All that boring, hot, ruthless sand.

She sighed blissfully resting her head on the windowsill and drifting off into sleep to explore her beautiful garden.

My Short Short for the Day

Alice wandered down the worn path thinking about the scent of the ocean wafting through on the warm summer breeze and the coo of the birds nesting above.  A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.  It had been such a pleasant date yesterday.  Tom was tall with a broad chest and soft green eyes.  When he smiled at her she felt the flutter of a million butterflies in her stomach.  She felt so light she wanted to sing.  It was totally out of character for her but since no one was around she opened her mouth as a favorite tune bubbled up and she stopped abruptly.

The tree loomed in front of her.  She'd never seen it before.  How could she have not noticed it before?  How long had it been there?  She slowly walked forward never taking her eyes off the tree.  She blinked.  Did it move?  Had the limbs shifted?  Limbs...her mind started to untangle the branches and shift them until her eyes saw what looked strangely like limbs...arms reaching out.

She stopped just inches from the trunk.  Her body began to shudder, then shake until she grabbed at the trunk to steady herself.  The jolt flashed through her jerking her body around like a rag doll for what felt like hours.  But only seconds later her body slumped to the ground, her hand singed and her body vibrating.

She opened her eyes and pulled herself to sitting.  What happened?  I...I can't remember.  What was I doing?  She looked at her hand and stared trying to understand why it was burnt.  She pushed herself to her feet never taking her eyes off her hand.  As she tried to take a step she nearly fell.  She looked down at her feet or what used to be her feet.  Now there were roots wrapped around where her feet were supposed to be with vines winding their way up her legs.  She could make no sound.  Within moments the roots and vines had covered her completely.  She stiffened under the weight, tilting her head towards the sun.  The warmth felt good as she closed her eyes.

My Short Short for the Day

The pattern was clear, etched into Mia's memory so when she saw the stone, she knew it was the one. Grandfather had talked longingly of the Crystal Stone. He had many adventures seeking it, but was never successful in finding the precious stone. He spoke of the old days so fondly, that Mia had dreamed of having her own adventures one day. She vowed she would find that precious stone for Grandfather one day.

She was finally old enough to venture out beyond the village and she decided today would be the start of her grand adventure. The Crystal Stone was out there, somewhere, and she would find it and bring it back to her Grandfather. Maybe, just maybe that would make him well again. He had always been so strong but the sickness had hit her village hard and several had died. Grandfather was very ill and weak but was holding onto to life, not ready to take his final adventure beyond the clouds.

Mia tiptoed into his cabin, knelt down by his bed and whispered softly to him. “I will find the Crystal Stone, Grandfather, and bring it back for you. I promise.” He gently squeezed her hand and smiled. “You are a very special girl, Mia.” She fought away the tears and kissed her Grandfather on the forehead, then rose and walked out.

She had packed a bag the night before with some supplies and hid it under her bed. The sun was still sleeping but it would rise soon. She quietly returned home, picked up her bag and crept back outside. She silently crossed the village and disappeared into the forest. No one had saw her, no one followed, no one knew where she was going, except Grandfather and he wouldn't tell.

She was completely on her own. Her heart jumped at the thought, fear and excitement coursed through her. Straightening her shoulders she took a deep breath, settling her nerves. She had to do this, for Grandfather. He just couldn't die. Not now. Not yet.

She journeyed through the forest, climbing trees, crawling through caves, wading through streams, hiking up mountains. Days passed until she lost track of how long she had been gone. Her body had long since ceased its aching. Her focus was sharp. She ate when she could, slept when she could, but always kept searching.

And then, in the middle of a grassy field, with the sun burning bright above, a glint of light shot up from the grass. She ran toward it, heart pounding, and she knew as she stared down. She had found the Crystal Stone.

My Short Short for the Day

She raced into the clearing, heart pounding, lungs burning, legs throbbing. She skidded to a halt just shy of the plant. It was beautiful. She started to reach out but quickly jerked her hand back. The warning rang through her mind. One touch, even the slightest could be deadly. It was mesmerizing, she lost herself until a cold chill raked across her face, snapping her back to attention.

She had to bundled it up quickly and carefully. She'd lost hours already. She pulled out the bag, arranged it carefully on the ground. Then putting gloves on she pulled out a small saw and began to cut at the stem. She was lean but strong and soon had the plant falling over onto the bag. She gently wrapped it up, tying it securely. She hurried off eating up the miles until she reached the pond.

The pond was covered in a thick layer of green slime. It would contain and eventually break down the plant, rendering it harmless. She found a large rock, tied it to the plant and tossed the whole thing into the pond.

Done. Now only 235 more to go.

My Short Short for the Day

The sky is so...so...beautiful. I haven't seen it in over 500 years. This is my last day so I thought I would enjoy, well, everything.

I've spent my life in the shadows, hiding, sneaking, avoiding being seen. But then I met Dag. I tried to avoid him, stay away, but he wouldn't let me. He left me sweet notes, brought me treats and made me laugh. That's what finally made me give in. We started spending time together and soon we were in love. Completely, totally and hopelessly.

Then he was gone. Just like that. Well, maybe not quite that simply. We were together, watching tv, cuddling on the couch and all of a sudden the room started to shake, smoke billowed in and a bright flash of light blasted through. We didn't have time to run. I couldn't even move, but Dag did. He threw himself on me. He saved me and did it with a smile.

I tried to go on without him. But I was just barely surviving. Until I finally came to accept what I had to do. I had to live. Do all that I had wanted to but never dared. I had all the time in the world, right? But Dag threw me off. He changed me. He made me feel alive. The pain I felt now was proof that I was alive. And now I need to live.

So today is my last day. I'm staring up into the blueness of the sky with the white, puffy clouds floating across. The air is so fresh and clear, unlike the dampness of the shadows. The singing of the birds, so musical and sweet.

This is my last day, my last day of waiting to live.

My Short Short for the Day

“Are you sure that's the one?” Ebby crouched to get a closer look.

“Yes, this is it. Just as Ilka described.” Serra carefully clipped the plant and wrapped it in a damp cloth. She then tied it securely with some twine then tucked it into her bag. “Ok, let's go.”

Ebby raced after Serra. “Wait up.”

They hurried down the pine needle covered dirt trail. The sun was just beginning to set and a chill settled into the air. Serra held the bag a little tighter to herself. Ebby tucked her collar tighter around her neck. They rounded the curve in the trail and stopped.

“I'm going straight to Ilka. You go home so Mom and Dad won't worry.” Serra said.

“But I want to go with you.” Ebby pleaded grabbing Serra's arm.

“No, Ebby. It's late, you need to get home.” Serra gently removed Ebby's arm and nudged her toward home. “Please, just go.”

“Ok. But it's not fair.” Ebby pouted and trudged off down the trail a few steps. A crack of a branch kicked her into a run.

Serra watched her disappear into the shadows before continuing on. Soon she reached the hut and knocked.

“Come in Serra.” Ilka's voice was weathered but still had a bit of song to it.

Serra went inside closing the door behind her. She set the bag on the table where Ilka indicated then gently pulled out the bundle. She untied the twine and unwrapped the flower, then stepped back.

“Oh, Serra, it's beautiful. Thank you.” Ilka reached out to skim her fingers ever so lightly over the petals. “It's perfect.”