The loss of his lollipop staff was the hardest pill to swallow. Watching it shatter like glass when it slipped from his grasp was almost worse than being snatched from his happy home.
Once conscious, it took Renaldo mere moments to adjust to his new fate. The castle, which before seemed obscenely grotesque, was now welcoming. Vivid yellow and emerald no longer pleased him as much as tar black and putrid green. Dancing and sweets were meaningless. Renaldo's only desire was to serve his new mistress and win her unending adulation.
Through a stone carved window he saw the gray curtain of night, blotted by a swarm of sinister black objects that weaved erratically across the moon's face. He was one of them now.
Four figures emerged in the distance. They skipped with joy, unaware of the danger that lurked ahead. With torch in hand, Renaldo swooped closer and perched on a nearby branch, only to find the offensive launched without him.
His new brethren pulled at the lion's tail and ears, while others clawed at the eyes of the metal woodsmen. Only Renaldo noticed the straw man as he attempted to guide the nefarious child with the ruby shoes to safety. This was his moment. He would be the apple of his lady's eye. His vicious battle howl skewered the night as he descended, his fire-bathed scepter clenched tightly. By morning, the scarecrow would return to the earth in ashes, and the murderous out-lander would bow before his queen.
YOU ARE READING
Monkeys Fighting Badgers
Short StoryA collection of various small works I've done over the last two years. These are short stories either waiting to be turned into full books or that were done for writing exercises and challenges that don't really fit anywhere else, but ones I thought...
