Last week, I finished flash fiction class with the literary school Band. Every day, we had a short lecture on the subject and then an assignment to write a short story of up to 300 words. I did them all! That short week got me back into the habit of writing again.
I will share one here.
Baroness
Baroness is in a bad mood today. Of course, she is. It’s damp outside, and she was dragged for a walk. I don’t like rain either, but Mom says that she needs to hit ten thousand steps a day. And what does that have to do with me? Oh, right – I can’t be left home alone.
The milk in the saucer has soured again. Why doesn’t Baroness ever drink it? Maybe she is lactose-intolerant like me.
“Spectrum” is such a stupid word. There’s a spectrum in the color wheel. Like Baroness’s fur. Who said Siamese cats are only gray? Mine is pink with blue stripes.
I tuck Baroness under the raincoat and whisper to her: “Be patient, dear. We will finish reading Kafka when we get back.”
Mom asks me to hold her umbrella. I hear her leaving a voicemail for my doctor: “Violet took her imaginary cat for a walk. What should I do?”
But I know a secret: Baroness is real. And Mom is imaginary. But I won’t tell her.