Prompt Word: Shining
Minervie and Chip 70
The investigators followed Minervie and Chip around the side of their home, through the side gate, and into the back yard.
Chip, seeing the number of adults who were present, asked, “Gramma, is Graendle in trouble?”
The lead woman spoke first, “No. He is a witness to an incident we need to know about.”
Minervie nodded, “I suspect the trouble is around a unicorn.”
They reached the backyard, and the investigators formed a circle around Minervie and Chip.
It was late morning, and the sun started shining into the yard above the neighbor’s backyard oak.
The lead investigator got down to sit on her heels, to be closer to eye level with Chip, “My name is Cathy, and I’m just here to ask questions.”
Chip looked around, “Why are there so many people with you?”
Cathy kept her eyes on Chip, “Last time someone talked to the treant, they got … hurt. The team is here to prevent anyone from getting hurt.”
Chip looked up at Minervie, but Minervie was watching beyond the back gate into the Gathering Wood.
Cathy asked, with as soothing a voice as she could, “Chip? Are you able to call the treant to the back gate?”
Chip looked back at Cathy, “I …”. There was a pause while Chip stared at the ground between them. After about 20 seconds, Chip nodded, and then said, “Graendle doesn’t want to leave his place, he said he’s been rooted for too many moons.”
Cathy wasn’t able to keep the disappointment off her face completely. “Okay Chip, can you ask if he knows of where any unicorn might be?”
Chip looked up, and said, “There is no unicorn in the Gathering Wood,” with no hesitation.
Minervie turned toward Cathy and made a disapproving grunt, but Chip thought it might be directed at him. He looked to Minervie and plaintively said, “The unicorn didn’t even last a whole day.”
Link to First Post: https://wandering.shop/deck/@vollink/116490213158268570