Willow’s Tale

Willow’s Tale

Captured in a changed world, Willow is taken far from the family she loves and the man who loves her.  Will they be able to find her in time?

(This story continues in Willow’s Secret.)

Excerpt:

    “We won’t injure you, but it won’t be nearly as pleasant.”

    Delusional, definitely delusional.  How could he possible think any of this could be pleasant?

    “I’ll give you an hour to consider your options,” he concluded.  “It will be getting dark by then, and the darkness will offer privacy.”

    Willow continued to stare in the distance, avoiding the men completely.  She didn’t have to look at them to envision Harry’s unpleasant attributes.  True to his name, his furry paunch hung out beneath the bottom of his shirt.  He was missing at least three teeth and she could smell him from where she sat.  The rest of the men weren’t in much better shape and they all ogled her lasciviously, making her skin crawl; except for Jake.

    As the sun sank into the horizon, Jake returned to her.  “Have you made your decision?”

    Willow slowly turned her head toward him.  Her heart was pounding, and she thought she might throw up, but she managed to keep her face impassive.  Waiting a moment to make sure that her hand wouldn’t shake, she reached up and pointed to Jake, then shifted her gaze to the setting sun.

Author’s Note:

Willow's Tale taught me flexibility.  The original image in my mind for the opening scene was of a boy laying in the grass watching ants.  For any of you who have been kind enough to read this story, you know how differently that scene turned out!  Another interesting tidbit: Instagram bans this cover in the hashtags even though there is nothing risqué about it. Therefore I always have to blur the image.

Also found in Nett’s Shorts:  A Collection of Short Stories.