Stephen Stiles 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 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:
Devil’s Horns
by Stephen Stiles
“Bella! Quick! Over here! What are those?!”
Bella turned and walked back to the trailside where her younger sister stood pointing at short black spikes poking through the forest floor. At first glance, they looked deadly. Bella had no idea what they were, but that had never stopped her before.
“Those black things?” asked Bella, buying time for a ‘reasonable’ explanation.
“W-what else?” answered Madelyn with timid frustration, hoping she hadn’t missed something even more scary.
“Oh, those,” shrugged Bella. “Baby demons,” she stated definitively.
“WHA?!” squealed Madelyn, eyes wide open.
Bella smothered her grin, and nonchalantly turned to stroll away.
“Wait! Stop! Shouldn’t we do something?!” cried Madelyn.
“Leave them be,” advised Bella. “They’re babies. Probably sleeping.”
“But they’re bad!” shouted Madelyn after her sister.
“Nothing’s all bad or good,” called back Bella, merrily. “Even demons gotta live somewhere.”
“Stop!” yelled Madelyn, as she broke into a run to catch up back up. “I’m good!”
“Yeah, usually,” acknowledged Bella, “and sometimes you’re bad. Demons just work the other way.”
“I don’t get it,” puffed Madelyn, dropping back in step.
“You will when you get older,” said Bella, coming to a point she didn’t know she thought. “Sometimes the stuff you think is bad ends up good. Same with the good stuff.”
Madelyn let Bella’s idea sink in a little. A little was all it sunk.
The forest sang to them as the sisters continued their hike in silence. And under the forest floor, the baby demons slept blissfully.
