Jillian Chantal

This week, the writers of Tuesday tales are writing to the word prompt soft. This is my last week sharing the geese story as it is now complete. It’ll be in a book of short stories released in the fall.

Check out the other tales here

After dinner, Brenda Sue went upstairs to work on her essay assignment for English class. She fell asleep with her face on her arms at her desk and woke with a start when she heard the front door shut.

Glancing at the clock, she noted it was close to midnight. Mom must have had a great time with her friends to be out so late.

Still groggy, she shoved aside the papers she’d crushed with her head and staggered to the bed. She didn’t take the time to change into her pajamas.

A little while later, she sat straight up in terror. A nightmare of epic proportions where she was chased by bloody geese. Her blood or theirs? It was hard to tell.

Brenda Sue leapt out of bed and paced the room trying to shake off the dream.

It stayed with her so she eventually took a soft yellow throw off the back of her desk chair, went downstairs and snuggled up on the couch. Maybe a change in location would help.

As she tossed there, she decided she might have to go ahead and ask someone else to feed those geese. They were affecting her and she couldn’t seem to shake the idea they were out to get her. No prom dress was worth lost sleep and nightmares. Besides, she only had a couple of days left to finish that essay that counted as a big chunk of her grade.

The next thing she knew, her mother was shaking her awake. “Time to get up, dear. You don’t want to be late.”

Brenda Sue pushed her hair out of her face. “Great. What time is it?”

“It’s 6:15. You have to feed the geese, remember?”

“Ugh. Yeah. I wish I’d never agreed to it.” She swung her legs off the couch and planted her feet. “I’ll take a quick shower.”

“Just a few more days. I’m warming up some Jimmy Dean biscuits. You can carry one with you and eat on the way.”

“Thanks, Mom.”

Brenda Sue got ready in record time, grabbed the sausage biscuit and munched on it as she walked to the goose house.

Upon arrival, she went in the barn and grabbed the feed.

Entering the area where the geese roosted, she called out, “Food. Come eat.” She was tempted to call for Madge and Gladys but she really had no idea if those were real names or made up in her concussion brain. Best to leave that be.