Here is my contribution to the Friday Fotoflash Challenge for August 15 2019 in 500 words or less.
He perched himself carefully through the bars in the open window. His view was amazing, a visage that continued for miles and miles, well beyond anything he had physically explored.
He snorted as he thought the words, ‘physically explored’. He rarely ventured outside the castle gates. He might have been a prince but with his deformities, he was the recipient of stares from the commoners and the butt of jokes told in whispers behind the wagging fingers of the other royals.
“Someday, I’ll show them. I’ll be king and they’ll be forced to carry me around to all the places I want to see.”
“Reginald, where are you?” His mother’s voice carried up the stairs and out through the window to the streets below. Not ready to give up his view, he remained silent. Her voice drifted as she continued walking through the hallways in search of him.
Afternoon turned into night and he remained, listening to the changing sounds below him and watching the stars and moon arrive. He fell asleep but woke as the sun warmed his face. He stretched his good arm but couldn’t. It was stuck. His bad arm was still wrapped around the bar on the other side, unmovable as well.
He didn’t want to call for his help but knew he had to if he wanted to get out of this situation. He opened his mouth and yelled but no sound came out. He tried to move again. Nothing. Even his legs were immobile. He couldn’t wiggle his toes or his fingers. He began to panic and tried to call again. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. Zero.
A young boy held his mother’s hand as they walked to market where they would sell the vegetables freshly plucked from their garden. He stopped, mouth open and pointed upward. His mother tugged at him, in a hurry to get a good selling spot.
“Look!” he pled and she complied, letting out a scream.
The young prince was no more, he was just bones picked clean by the night howlers.
Thank you.
Sounds like a good spooky tail round a camp fire!