The Thanksgiving Mouse

Ms. Fizz stood before the counter chopping up carrots and celery. Her knife moved fast over the cutting board as tiny pieces of veggies flew out around her. She blew a long gray curl from her face as she heard the faintest pitter-patter in the distance. She paused, tilted her head to be sure, then continued preparing her Thanksgiving meal.

           Ms. Fizz dragged the large cutting knife against the cutting board, brushing all of the beautiful vibrant colors into a pan and placed it on the stove top. The pattering of little tiny feet grew closer and closer, until she knew that he was right behind her. Knife still in hand the old woman leaped around in a circle displaying the craziest eyes she could fathom, scaring off the intruder.
          A muffled squeak blurted from the small mouse as it darted from the kitchen and into its mouse hole near the dining room table. Ms. Fizz smiled at her accomplishment and returned to the stove. She placed the knife on the counter as she took up an oven mitt and opened the oven to baste the turkey once again. The smell of the delicious plump turkey wafted through the house as the heat of the oven warmed her cheeks.
          Then came the tiny feet once again, pattering softly against the wooden floors.
          Ms. Fizz sighed deeply, hovering over the opened oven, waiting. She listened as the mouse moved closer and closer, until he was once again directly behind her, hoping to get some scraps. Ms. Fizz grinned the scariest grin she could imagine and slammed the oven door closed as she twirled around waving her hands out the side of her face like tentacles.
          The mouse squeaked louder than before and dashed off to the safety of his mouse hole.
          Ms. Fizz continued to cook. She glazed her carrots and baked some rolls. As she was mashing her potatoes she heard the mouse for the third time, sneaking his way back into the kitchen. She was sure he was going to try to steal some food this time! So, Ms. Fizz dipped her finger into the mashed potatoes and lathered it across her mouth and down her chin. She half closed her eyes and swirled around chanting “brains” to appear as though she had turned into a zombie.
          Ms. Fizz giggled a deep belly giggle as the mouse squealed several times and darted out of the kitchen to hide in his mouse hole. She was sure he didn’t want to become a zombie.
          Once all of Ms. Fizz’s Thanksgiving fixings were complete, she removed two plates from her cupboard. She piled potatoes and gravy as high as the plates would hold and nestled glazed carrots and celery right beside. She placed large slices of turkey on the plates, followed by several warm and buttered rolls. Ms. Fizz then carried one of the plates carefully to her dining room table and placed it on the end. She could see two tiny eyeballs watching her from within the dark mouse hole. She pretended not to notice and refrained from smiling at the persistent little mouse.
          Ms. Fizz returned to the kitchen and grabbed the second plate filled with delicious food and carried it back into the dining room. The mouse watched her carefully, afraid to be startled by her again. Ms. Fizz took the plate directly to the mouse hole and placed it on the floor for her guest.
          Once in her seat, Ms. Fizz began to enjoy the fruits of her labor as the tiny timid mouse came out of his mouse hole to feast upon a meal he had only dreamed of.

By K, Copyright 2013

the young girl

The young girl sat, kneeling in the center of the frozen lake. The bottoms of her naked feet exposed to the chilling air as her toes began to turn blue. Her eyes widened as her long brown hair flew out and away from her neck. She hovered closer to the ice as her hands reached to swipe the freshly fallen snow from the surface.
Her eyes watered as the light beneath grew brighter and brighter, revealing all that she came to see. Maidens danced amidst the flowing waters, their toes pointed like small ballerinas. Their naked skin, the color of water itself, seemed silky smooth and almost translucent. She watched the maidens and their graceful movements as her heart began to ache. Tears streamed down her face leaving trails of bitter cold against her cheeks, until they broke free and landed softly against the ice.
The moment her tears pattered against the lake's surface, the maidens stopped twirling and were instantly touching the frozen surface from beneath. Their tiny hands, slightly misshapen with not enough fingers to count, taunted the young girl. Her soul ached for a different life as she looked over her shoulders one last time. She quickly closed her eyes tightly to hold back her despair, and blindly placed her right hand against the top of the frozen lake. Within moments the young girl felt water rushing through her hair and over her skin as she pointed her toes in unison.

by K, Copyright 2013

sorceress

She stands still, raising her arms as the winds pick up, flailing her tousled and knotted hair behind her. Her lips part as a slur of words spill from her mouth, guttural and deep. Her skin is pale as dusk, her eyes ablaze with the color of fire as her words filter out and around the forest. The trees twist and turn, startled. Leaves begin to shake with the impact, rattling their warning for all who might hear. Branches snap; broken pieces falling to the earth. Birds scream as they flee her presence, desperate to escape. Then all is silent.

Written by K, Copyright 2013

distraught and overwhelmed

Distraught and overwhelmed
with the loss of his missing love-
he has searched high and low
for days.
He heads into the forest to hunt,
an excuse to avoid the onlookers
and to cry in privacy.
Tears stream down his cheeks
as he calls out his endearing love
for her, who is now sheathed
in beautiful swan feathers, waddling
before him.
He raises his riffle and shoots, 
praying that she will show herself
soon.

by K, Copyright 2013

her red lips

Her red lips tighten,
frowning upon the old woman before her.
She can't decide if this woman
is worthy of her trust or not.
Finally, as always,
she gives in to the notion left by her father-
she focuses on the good within the old weary woman.
Come in, she tells the woman,
her red lips shifting into a smile.
After resting her tired feet,
the old woman wraps her worn cloak tighter
and sets off on her way, pausing
to offer a plump red apple in return.
The apple is graciously accepted.
After the old woman has left,
she rubs the apple with her fingers
and takes a delicious bite.
Before she can taste the sweetness of the fruit,
a bitter flavor invades her mouth.
The poisonous insect that is her stepmother
begins to bleed throughout her body,
dropping her to her knees.
Her breath quickly fades
until she is lying on the ground
waiting to be found, thinking
how delightful the old woman's company was.

by K, Copyright 2013

I quietly stand

I quietly stand in the middle of the pond
watching the water's movements.
Circles ripple out away from my body,
slowly, calmly, until it's as if I hadn't entered.
Soon the water's surface is broken
by several small sleek bodies,
slithering in all directions.
The sun reveals their translucent skin
and their eyes proclaim innocence.
Their tails flick the water playfully in my direction
as their slender bodies quickly delve
deeper into the pond, into the darkness,
once again unseen by the world.

by K, Copyright 2013

*As you can see, I've had mermaids in my mind today...

13

I dip my toes
into the salty sea,
feeling the water caressing my soles.
The day has finally come-
I am now thirteen years old.
I continue to sit on the edge of the pier
dangling my legs within the cool waters,
waiting.
Waiting for what I have been anticipating
my whole life, waiting for this very moment.
Within seconds I feel my feet begin to fuse together,
tingling.
The skin on my legs begin to split, like many tiny slits,
forming millions of shining scales from my waist down.
The sun glistens off my new form as my neck begins
burning.
My fingers fling to my neck, feeling gills that are too dry,
waiting for water.
I wiggle my body off the pier and into the sea,
ready to swim...

By K, Copyright 2013