“Come on, I’ll show you where unicorns come from,” said a convincing, eight-year-old, Tracy.
“Is it very far?” asked her best friend, Allison.
“No, just a few minutes’ walk, over to that small wood,” Tracy pointed out. “The grown-ups won’t miss us. We’ll only be gone for a few minutes.”
As the two young girls walked away, their parents enjoyed a picnic that included several bottles of sparkling, English, white wine. Helped by the warm sunshine of a late summers’ day, the laughter and merriment that filled the meadow made the slow disappearance of the girls go unnoticed.
“This is the place,” Tracy decided, as she peered towards a leafy, green glade, at the centre of which was an old, moss-covered stone trough.
“But where are the unicorns?” asked Allison. “I can’t see them.”
“In there,” responded Tracy, as she pointed towards the old, moss-covered stone trough. “Go on, have a look,” she smiled, as she gently pushed the girl who was one month younger than her towards the trough.
Taking a few quick steps towards the moss-covered stone relic, a slightly chilly breeze blew through the red ribbon that sat on top of golden curls that always bobbed up and down whenever Allison accelerated from a gentle walking pace. With goosebumps populating her bare arms, she peered down into the shallow trough.
“I can’t see any unicorns, only green stuff and a few yellow leaves,” sighed Allison.
“You’re not looking closely enough,” laughed Tracy, as she walked towards Allison. “Can’t you see the rainbow coloured horn of the baby unicorn poking through?”
Placing her hands on her knees, Allison bent forward to take a closer look, but couldn’t see any evidence of a rainbow coloured horn.
“No,” replied, Allison. “All I can see is green stuff and a few fallen leaves.”
“Oh, you won’t find the unicorns in there,” came a voice that startled both girls. “I’ve moved them all to a safe place. It’s unsafe for them in there.”
Turning around, both girls raised their hands to protect their eyes from the glare of the sun that occasionally flashed through the branches of the trees that surrounded the old trough.
“I’m the Unicorn Keeper,” declared the figure with a long grey beard, and who Tracy thought looked like a wizard. “The unicorns are all safe. I can take you to them in my magical vehicle if you like? It’s just over the hill on the other side of the meadow. Come on, take my hands and I’ll take you to them,” he said, as he turned to walk away in a direction that would take the girls out-of-sight of their parents.
Several minutes later, as the two unicorn-loving girls walked hand in hand with the stranger who seemed like a very nice wizard, he told them stories of a magical place he was taking them to, where nice things were about to happen, and where there would be unlimited ice-cream.
Written in response to the #writephoto challenge hosted by Sue Vincent at Sue Vincent’s Daily Echo.
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Hugh's Views & News 
I’m hoping for at least a Pied Piper’s type ending.
I always leave the outcome of my stories in the mind of the reader.
Always always?
Just about, yes.
Oh dear, methinks those girls should have been a little wiser. He’s a creepy old wizard. I’m afraid he might not be all that nice. Perhaps I’ve watched too many horror movies. No, I’ve read too many news reports. You really captured the imagination and the scene, Hugh.
Thanks, Norah. This story is still haunting me. I almost didn’t publish it, but I’m glad I did.
Perhaps we all need a cautionary tale at times. I’m pleased you published it too.
Yikes! My imagination says yes, he was a nice wizard who really had a whole barn full of unicorns! 🙈Nice job Hugh!
Thanks, Debbie. I always leave it up to my readers as to how my stories end.
That last line had me cringing for the girls…
This piece of flash fiction has even given me the shivers, Sue. That’s not something that has happened to me before with a piece of my own fiction.
I’m notsurprised, Hugh…
OMG, Hugh. You totally creeped me out. *Shuddering* This story is pure evil. It’s GREAT!
Thanks, Diana. Thank goodness I never published the second version of this piece of flash fiction then. It was even eviler. 😈
Lol. You’re a master.
Oh, oh. At first I thought Tracy was going to push her into the well, but this is worse!
That was where the original plot went, Jacquie. But then the figure who looked like a wizard appeared in my mind.
I definitely need to remember to read your posts in daylight! 🙂
Always, always keep the lights on, Donna. 😈
Written in true Hugh style, lol. Well done! ❤
Thank you, Debby.
xx
Foreboding and fear…nice thing to do to a unicorn story!
They don’t usually go hand-in-hand, do they? 😈
What Dan said, Hugh, creepy and sad, but a likely scenario in these times. I want to see unicorns too! Did you see the movie on Netflix, Unicorn Girl? Very well done and quite the tear jerker!
I’ve not come across that movie, Terri. My ‘to watch’ list is going to topple over soon. A bit like Allison almost did in this short story.
I agree, Hugh, it is creepy but good. Great imagination, but then you are a pro. 😊
Thank you, Chuck. That’s so very kind.
Oh! Hugh please tell me he was indeed a really nice old wizard!💜
That’s only something you, my readers, can decide, Willow.
Indeed 💜💜
The line,”away from their parents,” set a creepy tone. Good one, Hugh
I think that line says it all about the story, John. Thanks so much.
Creepy but good, and yes, all too possible. Do another with a happier ending? (I want to see the unicorns).
I find happy endings so challenging to write. Chris. 😈
Yikes, such a fabulous, scary twist. I thought you were going one direction when Allison was bent over, peering into the trough, and then the wizard came along. Well done and frightening!
Thank you, Priscilla. When I started out on this story, it had a completely different plot after Allison peered into the trough. I think the version I published has a more creepy feel to it.
This is chilling, Hugh – well done!
Thanks, Teri. One I was almost not going to publish.
I’ll go with Ritu’s assessment. Creepy, but sadly, all to likely.
I’m not one to shy away from writing about these horrible subjects, Dan. However, I did hesitate several times before publishing this piece of flash fiction.
You do it well.
Oh Hugh… That’s creepy!!
Yes, maybe a tad too creepy, Ritu. I had several versions of the story and was in two minds whether to publish it at all. After I published it, it was creeping me out so much that I altered some of it. Only a few words, but some readers may still find it a creepy story.
Creepy… but captivating!