Annette Rey is the Readers’ Choice in this week’s Indies Unlimited Flash Fiction Challenge. The winning entry is decided by the popular vote and rewarded with a special feature here today. (In the case of a tie, the writer who submitted an entry first is the winner per our rules.)
Without further ado, here’s the winning story:
Bluebird
by Annette Rey
The day dawns with promise; the reminder comes to me from liltingly, sweet, joyful songs. My spirit is soothed; my chest expands in deep, relaxed breathing. I absorb their message.
Peace flows through me. As I walk through my wild, woodland yard, I give a gift in return of seed and fresh water. I contemplate the blessings of the natural world and will all, man and beast, safety and fullness of life.
A woodchuck baby appears; with frightened eyes he scans the area and skitters back into the shelter of heavy brush. A hard-working chipmunk darts to the top of a woodpile and views his world, searching for food to store in his home. A lizard skitters across my path. Squirrels hop from branch to branch, shaking limbs and rattling leaves above me. They are watchful, too, for me to disappear so they can share the bounty I leave behind.
Over two-dozen types of birds swoop, and perch, and pierce the air around me. The smallest ones approach the closest to me, choose a seed, and flutter to the nearest branch to break it open. They transfer the seed to a claw and press it to the bark. A tiny, pointed beak pecks the shell – tat-tat-tat, tat-tat – until the soft, inner reward is revealed and consumed. Cardinals open a seed in their mouths. Blue jays swallow them whole.
My soul is filled with beauty, and color, and rhythm, and song.
Blessings abound for you. Just look for them.
Great story and even better thoughts.
Thank you – good comes to those who seek it. Best Regards.