The branches whipped my arms, legs, and face but still I ran. Glancing behind, side to side. Dark, so dark. Run! I slammed suddenly into the ground, shooting pain, my breath forcefully expelled. Gasping for air, panic growing, I tried to rise but was snared by the roots of a fallen tree. Sliding my hands down my leg I began feeling for the breaks in the roots, tugging and twisting to free myself. The pounding of my heart was deafening. Quiet! Closing my eyes I strained to take slow breaths. Hide! Crawling behind the root ball I wrapped my tunic around my curled body. I reached to my pocket grasping the round, glass flask. Still there. Not broken. Working it free I cradled it in my shaking palms mesmerized by the white, shimmering, iridescent liquid. Drink! I removed the stopper and inhaled a waft of the sweet-scent. As I lifted the unicorn milk to my lips, the wood nymph appeared. “It won’t bring your child back to you, my Queen.” Shaking, tears sliding down my eyes. “Not to me, but it will bring him back and break the curse.” “There is a cost.” “A willing sacrifice, please keep him safe.” Quickly, one, two, three swallows. As my spirit drifted away, I heard the wail of my son and the King’s voice, “Here!” I watched as he fell to his knees and pulled our son from behind the roots of the fallen tree wrapped in his mother’s tunic. This is my first round submission for the 250-word NYC Midnight Microfiction Challenge 2021. My assigned genre was Fairytale/Fantasy, action was drinking milk and the word was heart. I placed 8th in my group and was able to move on to round 2.
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