Flash Fiction Day 9: "The garden shrank at night."
Prompt: “The garden shrank at night.”
The garden shrank at night, every evening at eight, like
clockwork. It would get small enough to fit in a child’s pocket, which it did.
The young witch picked up the garden using the red checkered napkin underneath,
which looked like a gigantic picnic blanket carrying the tiny garden. They had
placed the napkin in the soil before starting to plant the garden, and a few
quick spells here and there produced a lustrous green garden with clusters of burgeoning
marigolds, tulips, daisies, and hydrangeas within a couple of weeks. Now, it would have
been ideal if the garden was by the lake, but the witch would not be able to
watch over it, with so many young humans and their pets running around
and digging up the flowers that grew there. And so, every night, the little
witch gently held their garden in their small, soft hands and walked it over to
the beach. Once there, they would lay it down by the cool, still water, and
wait. They patiently sat cross-legged on the sand, every night, for an hour or
so, until ripples formed in the water. The garden grew once again to its original
size, and the child waited some more. They enjoyed the wait. These evenings
were treasured; the starlight, the nightbirds’ songs, the delicate breeze
gently rocking the shrubbery, and the anticipation. The flora came to life in the stillness of the
night, and so did the fauna residing in the lake. As waves formed in the darkness,
if one looked closely, silhouettes of what could be mistaken as people could be
seen emerging from it. The shadowy figures swam closer to the shore in silky
motions barely stirring the water. The child grinned as they approached
quietly, thrilled to show them the latest blooms in the verdant garden. The mermaids
loved the child for bringing them the garden, for they longed to gaze upon its
rainbow of colours and enjoy the flowers’ sweet aroma. They were freshwater mermaids,
but this immense lake was new to them, having been transported there by a storm
a few moons ago, and they missed their beloved blossoms by their old home. The
unexpected encounter with the witch child who had been taking a night stroll had
been a lucky one. Friendships are, after all, made in the most unpredictable
ways, especially when witches and mermaids are involved.
Very creative indeed. 💖
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