Short Stories

The Pig

We made our way around my house, nobody was home so we should be able to get the pig around the back without being disturbed. I pulled open the old barn doors, dust flying everywhere. I swiped my hand across my face, trying not to inhale years of dust and dirt.

"I thought there were doors on the stalls, Sammy?"

"There was, but we took 'em all out for the horses after the fire, remember?"

Diggs nodded, and we both remembered. It had been another accident, we had set our other barn on fire while playing around with fireworks. It had been a huge celebration and we just wanted to see what it looked like from the lighter's point of view. Long story short we both got grounded for 6 months and I haven't seen my phone since.

"What're we supposed to keep him in?"

I looked around, almost everything had been cleared out to restock the other barn so it was incredibly bare. I pulled some chicken wire from the wall and started wrapping it around one of the stalls. Once it was about waist height and thick enough the pig wouldn't barge through I called out to Diggs.

"Hey man, can you bring me the old hammer and some nails?"

Diggs toddled back with both and I quickly secured the wire. We put the pig into the pen and stood back.

"Wow Sammy, it works!"

I patted Diggs on the shoulder and turned to him.

"I'm gonna go get us some sandwiches, mum made some for the fair and there were leftovers"

I didn't wait for a response, running out of the barn and up towards the house. The flyscreen on the back porch was open so I let myself in. The bench was covered in five or six bright-coloured trays covered in aluminium foil. I swiped one off the marble counter and took it back off before mum realised it was missing. She would be home from work at any minute and ready to take the sandwiches down to the fair.

When I got back to the barn Diggs was sitting in the stall with the pig, throwing hay over it while it squealed and dodged. Diggs stood up and stepped over the fence, coming over and opening the sandwiches.

"Sammy man, are you sure these are spares? They look pretty for real"

I pushed him out of the way and grabbed a tomato and cheese from the tray.

"It's fine mate, she's not gonna care"

He looked sceptical but grabbed one all the same.

"I was thinkin' of some names while you were gone"

"Don't give it a name Diggs, you'll get attached and we won't have any Christmas ham"

He pushed me away and huffed.

"We ain't eating him"

I chuckled and shook my head, the kid had no idea.

"I was thinking what about Hogwarts, get it Hogwarts"

"I get it mate it's terrible"

The pig squealed and squealed a real ear-piercing shriek.

"See the pig doesn't even like it"

"Hamlet?"

"No"

"Porkchop?"

"No!"

"Bacon?"

Huh, that wasn't too bad. I wasn't about to tell Diggs he had another good idea and was coming up with a plan to make it sound like I had thought of that name when the pig stopped squealing. It turned in a circle, once, twice, then sat down. It stared blankly at Diggs.

"Bacon it is"

I pulled the foil back over the tray of sandwiches, we had devoured almost half of them and couldn't eat another bite.

"I am stuffed, Sammy"

I just burped in response.

"We should get going it's gonna be dark soon and your mum won't be happy if you're out too late"

Diggs nodded.

I grabbed the sandwiches and stuffed them under some hay. We carefully closed the barn doors behind us. 

A/N: This one's a little bit shorter because I had no idea where else to stop so I decided to keep it short and sweet.