With the dead bodies of her two best friends close by, eleven-year-old Miranda carefully raised one of the window slats with her finger and peered out into the garden.
She watched as the massive creature, known as a Nellyphant, pushed its trunk against the tree house looking for its next meal. Although it was snowing, she could also make out the smaller creatures, known as Mickice, on the roof of the treehouse. They, too, had grown a liking for human flesh.
Miranda’s trap, of leaving her dolls in the treehouse, had worked. The creatures thought they had their next meal, but Miranda knew it wouldn’t be long before they worked out that they had been tricked.
While sliding her hand slowly between the window slats, the door behind Miranda creaked. She froze to the spot, terrified of what was coming into the room. However, she had her weapon ready in her other hand, so she knew she had a good chance of spinning around, taking aim, and killing with one shot whatever was coming through the door.
As she quietly counted down from five, she heard whatever it was, slowly approach her. The wheezing sound it made as it took short, sharp, intakes of breath, made the tiny hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.
Just before her countdown ended, Miranda gripped her weapon firmly, span around, took aim, and faced what was behind her.
“Take this,” she yelled, as she fired her weapon at the biggest Nellyphant she’d seen.
Then the real world appeared.
“OK, young lady, that’s enough,” coughed Miranda’s Mother, while removing the PlayStation virtual reality headset from Miranda’s head. “You’re too young to be playing this violent videogame,” she voiced while holding the box of the game in front of Miranda’s face. “Go play with your dolls instead.”
As Miranda climbed the stairs in protest, her mother blew her nose before slipping on the virtual reality set. Maybe playing a video game would take her mind off the head cold she had.
***
Written in response to the Monthly Speculative Fiction Writing Prompt, from Diana, at Myths of the Mirror. Click here for full details.
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Hugh's Views & News 
Great way to bring it around. I enjoyed the read.
Thank you, Kelly. I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Excellent Hugh… had me right to the end..hugsxx
Thank you, Sally.
Hugs to you.
No clue of what was coming. Loved it! ❤️
Thank you, Irene. Glad you never saw that ending coming.
Haha, Mom knows the best and always wins. She always knows what tricks to play with her kids. Great job, Hugh!
She certainly does, Miriam. Thank you so much for reading my take on the prompt.
It’s so clever, Hugh! I got a good mental picture of it and It gave me a laugh!
Lol, I didn’t expect THAT ending 🙂
Good to hear. I like it when the reader gets the ‘unexpected’ ending.
A nice twist, Hugh!
Thanks, Teri.
I like this, Hugh. A great take 👍🏻
Thank you, Robbie.
You took it to the obvious direction that no one had thought of!
Thank you. I always end up going to the places nobody else thinks of. 😀
That is a creative mind!
Thank you. 😀
Welcome
What a fun story, Hugh, with a very unexpected ending. How fitting that Mum should send Miranda away so she can play the game – seems like a familiar scenario. What’s good for the goose …
Exactly, Norah. At least mum is over the age limit for playing the game, though. I wonder if she enjoyed battling the Nellyphants?
I think she probably would. I would. 🙂
Great read and love the imaginative twist!
Many thanks for stopping by my Travel and Photography blog.
Thanks for reading. Glad you enjoyed it. Once I got started, I enjoyed writing this piece of flash fiction.
You’re very talented!
Well done, Hugh! Would have never thunk it! Love, “go play withyour dolls.” Yeah right!
I know, not the kind of thing parent’s tell their kids these days, or do they?
Thanks, Jordy. Glad you enjoyed my version of this writing prompt.
You are the master of unexpected 🙂
Why, thank you, Claudette. That is indeed an honour.
Didn’t see the twist coming at all. When her mother told her to go and play with her dolls my first thought, before my brain caught up, was, ‘oh, no, her dolls are in the tree house – the Nellyphant will get her’
Lol, thank goodness those Nellyphants were only in the video game, Mary. It could have been an unfortunate ending for Miranda had they not only existed online.
Loved it, Hugh! Didn’t want it to end! You are so creative! Hope you had a Happy Valentine’s Day! ❤️🤗😘
You didn’t want it to end, Janice? Maybe one for me to work on and give more legs to then?
Glad you enjoyed it.
Hope you had a great Valentine’s day.
Great story, I had no idea it would be a video game!! 😂 love it!
Thanks, Debbie. I always love it when my stories lead readers up the wrong path.
That’s a tough picture to twist into a story, Hugh. Nice job.
I liked that bit at the end where the mother plays the game…Don’t do as I do, do as I say 🙂
Tell me about it, Aimer. I was determined not to allow that elephant (or mice) defeat me.
The thought of a carnivorous Nellyphant is pretty horrifying. Mother knows best! Even though she has an ulterior motive.
Absolutely. I would have never argued with my mother.
You are so creative, Hugh! What a great story with 21st century twists! Intriguing image on which to base the story!
It was a tough image to write something about, Terri. However, I was determined not to allow that elephant to defeat me.
Hi Hugh,
Great imagination and I too was pulled into the story. HUGS
That’s great to hear, Chuck. Thanks so much for reading my piece of flash fiction.
Hugs to you.
Hugh this is fabulous in elephantine proportions! First the unexpected (only you my friend, could come up with that), and ending with another unexpected twist.
Tee-hee! I loved it. Happy Valentine’s Day hugs! ❤
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Teagan. I don’t know why, but I thought of Copper when trying to think of a name for the man-eating elephant. I just wondered what she would have called them.
Hope you have a lovely Valentine’s Day.
Hugs.
Absolutely love this Hugh 💜💜🎉
Thanks, Willow. 😀
Brilliant! Your story had me riveted until the very last word (and beyond)!
That’s fantastic to hear, Donna. Thank you. Keep an eye out for those Nellyphants. 👀
Ha ha ha. I love it, Hugh. Your imagination was on overdrive. I was totally swept up in the “game” and loved the twist. Thanks so much for taking up the prompt! I’m eager to share. 🙂
You’re welcome, Diana. It was a hard prompt for me. I didn’t think I’d come up with anything. Then a story started to build…
I had great fun writing it.
I figured it would be a challenging stretch for lots of us, but the stories have been spectacular. So varied and immensely creative. I’m so glad you gave it a go. 🙂
Great imaginative story Hugh. You definitely surprised me with the ending.
Thank you, Len. My imaginative mind sometimes goes into overdrive.
Very intriguing! I had to keep reading on!
Music to my ears, Robert. Thanks for reading.
Nooo – I’ll be imagining Nellyphants now!
I’ve been singing ‘Nellie the Elephant’ all morning 😀
😀 – now I have that in my head too. I hope Nellyphants aren’t a problem in your neck of the woods – we’ll be visiting on our holibobs and I haven’t room in the car for the anti-nellyphant deterrant spray
They’ve been extinct since the appearance of ‘hugopopotamuses, and they’re not man-eaters, Eileen, so you’re safe. Enjoy your trip.
Phew, that’s a relief 🙂
Love your take on this prompt Hugh!
Thanks, Ritu. When I first saw the prompt, I thought I’d never come up with anything. Then a story in my head began to build.
I’ve been intrigued by some of the responses!