Isaac challenged me to write a piece of flash fiction with the prompt: “A trick-or-treating child walks up to where bird sits on a candy dish. The bird speaks. What does it say?”
Since I’m supposed to be taking a break today (that is, not working on any of the main projects or “work” stuff, and I am notoriously bad at taking a break), I gave it a shot.
This is the result. 😊
🍬 The Bird on the Candy Dish 🍬
A child waddles to their neighbor’s doorstep, their pumpkin costume bejeweled in sequins the eerie color of glow-in-the-dark stars, which have basked in an open window on a cold, sunny day. Red-tinted leaves rattle-tumble across the broken sidewalk, and the brisk air smells of coming storms and batches of apple cider.
Two concrete steps past the skeleton that rears its plastic hand from a mulched grave, the child finds a rusty wrought iron table covered by a fluttering orange sheet. A bowl painted in black cats and candy corn reveals the prize: candy in glossy wrappers that reflect the rafters’ twinkling orange and purple lights.
Despite the offer of candy, the child hesitates, their glowing pumpkin costume swinging at their ankles. A raven sits atop the bowl, preening shining black feathers. It turns a sharp eye to the child. “Beware… take only one piece of candy, or doom shall befall you and your friends!”
The child stares. Because birds usually don’t speak, its warning seems more important than when a guardian admonishes them not to take a second cookie from the bag. “Okay,” the child squeaks, and snags a single chocolate-covered peanut butter treat from the bowl before waddling back down the step and to the sidewalk.
The raven sighs. It had rather hoped for a more exciting night.
Maybe the next child will ignore its warning.
🎃
I hope you enjoyed the story! 😃
Stephanie Flint - Author and Artist 