Into the Night

The prompt photo for this story was a beautiful woman above a castle with birds. I'll give extra points to anyone who gets what/who I'm referencing or referring to with my story. I'm not sure anyone will get it lol

One last tear rolled down her dewy soft cheek. She quickly brushed it away and headed toward the window. She stopped when she caught sight of her passing reflection in the mirror. Men had always found her beauty fascinating. They had been known to trip over their own two feet while gawking at her. She grimaced as she remembered the first fight that broke out over who could escort her across the cobblestones. And then there was poor Annas. His was the first blood shed in her name. 

She shook her head to erase the memory. Outside, the crows startled, alerting her to his arrival. She smiled as she watched a ladder silently placed against the palace wall.

He pulled her close through the window. “Are you ready, my dear?” Her heart lifted as she settled against him. “Yes, Love,” she replied, happy that she would no longer be the cause of jealousy and anger among men.  Because, finally, she had found a man who loved her for more than her beauty.

Riding into the night, Helen never looked back.

We Have Won

I haven't written anything in so long, y'all. It says my last blog post was 2015! I saw a contest on a group in Facebook and thought, why not. I'm a little rusty, but I hope y'all like the story. We had to keep it under 200 words. The photo prompt was of a little mouse in a guy's shirt pocket. This is what I came up with:

“Can I come out now, Jed?”

Jed pushed his little friend back in his pocket, firmly but gently. “No, stay in there, Mickey.”

“But I wanna see what’s going on, Jed!” Mickey squeaked.

Jed looked around the room. “There’s nothing going on, Mickey.” He hung his head and whispered, “There hasn’t been anything going on for months.”

Mickey grew quiet as he watched a tear slide down Jed’s cheek. He knew the solitude had been getting to Jed. He’d heard him cry at night and watched him pace the floor during the day. And always, he had that radio on, listening, hoping. Waiting.

That night was no different. After sharing a meal of pork and beans with Mickey, Jed turned on the radio. He was still fiddling with the buttons when a noise outside caught his attention. Jed almost stepped on Mickey in his hurry to get to the door. 

He couldn’t believe is eyes. His neighbors were laughing and hugging each other. Over the noise, after the radio static broke, Jed heard, “You stayed inside alone so that now you may come outside together. Breathe deeply, my friends. It is safe.”

“We have won.”