Welcome to Flashes of Sanity! Your weekly (during July it is daily!) dose of flash fiction on 500 words or less. The last entry for this celebratory month. What better way to end this than a story about a birthday party!
Today’s entry: Birthday party
Enjoy!
Everyone was there. Her mother, her father, her brothers, her friends, friends’ parents. Exactly everybody.
It was the perfect birthday party.
Yet no one played. No one smiled. No one talked.
Everyone stared.
”Mom, what is happening?”
”I don’t know hon’, go ask your dad.”
The girl walked over to all those who stared, past the children freezing between the crowd and her mother.
”Dad, what is happening?”
”I am sorry little one, but we can’t celebrate on days like this.” Her father glared at her mother. ”Not when snakes have been ruining lives.”
”Ruining lives?” The mother screamed. ”Your riot killed someone!”
”And how many won’t your machines have killed when this all is over?” The father snapped back. ”How many will have to starve before you realize the wrong in all this.”
”You are impossible,” the mother mumbled.
The father went down on his knees beside the little girl. His charring eyes met hers.
”Once they knock on your door,” he whispered, ”I want you to know that you are safe. You and your brother will always be safe.”
He then turned to all those who stared. He nodded and the house became empty in a matter of seconds.”
”Mom,” the girl’s voice trembled. ”I am scared.”
The mother hugged her daughter. Hard.
”Why do they hate us?” The birthday girl cried.
”Because,” her mother’s voice trembled too. ”Change is hard on people.”
Later that night, when they came knocking she didn’t feel safe either. Not when they shot the guards. Not when they punched her mother. Not when they opened her bedroom door.
“Don’t you worry,” she told her brothers. “Dad told me we would be safe.”
”Dad,” she whispered as the men walked closer. “Are you there?”
But her dad was not among the knockers.
They were only starers.
Want to read more? Click here to read all previously published Flashes of Sanity!
DBJ 