A Short Story Collection #Wattys2018

Unspoken

This time, we were given a children's picture book that had NO words. Absolutely no words were anywhere in the book. We were told to make a story just by looking at the pictures. Credits to the author of the book though!

Also, the picture of the actual book that I have on my phone won't load up, so sorry about that!

The abstract word II was curiosity.

* * *

On the day I saw the men coming, I didn't understand the words they said. I watched them walk away into the setting sun with my kitten on my shoulder and a cow following behind me.

I soon forgot about that day.

My life went on as usual. I did my chores day after day following the same old routine. As I was feeding the chickens, my mom called to me. I turned unsure of what she wanted. She held a hand woven basket out to me wordlessly gesturing towards the storage barn.

My kitten followed me as I walked over and opened the doors before going inside. As I reached with my arm to gather some scones, I heard a rustling sound coming from the corn stalks in the dark corner.

That's when I saw his eye.

That's when I remembered the day the men came.

I ran back home quickly as I was scared because there was a strange man hiding in our barn. Standing by the door, I slowed my breathing but lost a hold of my basket. Hurrying inside to bring my mom the scones, my mind wondered.

Who was that man? Why was he there? How long has he been hiding?

Is he following the underground railroad?

That night, I went back outside to him when everyone was asleep with my lantern and some food. I gave it to him hoping it was enough.

As the days went by, I snuck him some food during the night so that he wouldn't starve if I could.

Then one day, the men came back. I was filled with the overwhelming need to know who they were searching for.

I hid in the cupboard underneath the stairs when they came into my house. They carried a paper with words I could not read on it. "Someone has escaped," they said, "we have a reward if you know him."

I watched through a hole in the wood suddenly feeling what that poor man must feel.

The men left soon after. At night, I went back outside to see if he was alright. I looked in the corn stalks to find him, but he was gone. In his place was a wooden doll.

That night, I thought about the man named Freedom.