Kids

This was a draft from an old prompt. Don’t remember why I didn’t get around to posting this, but here it is. Enjoy.

Panicked, the man ran from rack to rack.

“Can I help you, Sir?” The clerk asked.

“I only looked away for a minute.”

“You’ve lost something?”

The man frantically wiped aside clothes on the nearby racks, looking underneath one. “Jackson!”

The clerk’s hands fluttered against her chest. “Oh my; shall I call security?”

“Jackson, I swear to God, when I get my hands on you.”

“I’m sure he’s close by, but threatening him won’t make him come out of hiding,” the clerk said, in a strained, high voice.

“Him?”

A look of confusion crossed the clerk’s face. “You said, Jackson. Aren’t we looking for your son?”

The man rolled his eyes. “It’s a gender neutral name,” he said, moving to the next rack. “Haven’t you heard the latest, gender terms are offensive.”

“Offensive?” The clerk moved with him, scanning the area for a wandering child. “To whom?”

“Not to me,” he said, stopping abruptly, “It’s a family name.” A smile spread across his face. The clerk followed his gaze.

The child stood on the dressing stage in front of a large mirror. Tiny hands clutched her frilly pink dress, and dark brown curls bounced with each twirl.

“She looks like a princess to me; all girl,” he said.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on the subject. Join the conversation. Talk to me or tell me your story. I’m all ears.

Clara squatted next to the tiny figure, “Sweetheart please eat,” she begged, holding a small section of the grilled cheese sandwich, that only five minutes ago, had been demanded.

Megan, her lips puckered as if stung by bees, crossed her arms, shook her head side to side and shoved the plate away.

Her mother’s temper flared, “I made it the way you wanted, either eat it or go hungry,” she said, scooting the plate back in front of her daughter.

The Wilson’s little darling, the youngest child and only girl in a brew of four rambunctious kids, burst into tears, “You cut the crust off, it’s ruined.”

Clara remembered how hard she prayed for a daughter and softened, dumped the cold sandwich into the trash and prepared to make a fresh one; it was just a cheese sandwich.

Five Sentence Fiction – This Weeks word -Spoiled