B. Handy
Copyright B. Handy 2011
Published at Smashwords
Cherries
By B. Handy
Lucy strolled through her local forest, running furred, glove-covered hands over the smooth tree trunks she passed. Spinning with glee down a wide trail, she grinned towards the midday sun. Peaceful walks such as these were a favorite. Spindly fingers brushed over her favorite dress; white with red cherries scattered abound. Skipping merrily to the end of her usual route, Lucy hummed the tune of "Old McDonald".
Coming to an abrupt halt, she looked down a small hill that lay ahead. Her eyes scanned across the horizon and eyed a field of small trees that expanded for acres into the distance. She made a rash decision and headed down the slopping hill through the rows of foreign foliage. She gave a curious look around the clearing, having never gone through this bit of property on her walks. Hearing a twig snap nearby, she turned, a long, bunny ear swaying atop her crown as she listened for the sound again. Halting her steps for a moment, she shrugged before continuing on in her wanderings.
The plants were like none she had ever seen before and had a musty and unpleasant aroma wafting through the branches. It was a smell that reminded her of Kyle, her oldest brother. Coming to a clearing in the grove, she cocked her head towards a trailer that sat in the middle, adjacent to a long shed. Walking towards the mobile home door, she hopped up the steps and gave a ginger knock.
Waiting a few seconds, she heard no sounds inside and prepared to leave when a brief pain struck her in the chest. Her eyes went wide before fading to a lifeless shade of blue. Falling from the steep steps, she hit the dirt with a resounding thud as a young man walked from the nearest pot plants, holding a scoped rifle at his side.
The girl’s bunny ear headband snapped beneath his boot when he approached. “We use mules for this line of work, kid, not rabbits.” He sneered while looking over the cherries on her dress as blood stained across the fabric.