June 2024 Flash Lit 2.1 - Apple

Davy stared at the ceiling.  There were shapes in the texture, one that looked like a dragon and one that looked like broccoli and one that looked like a boat with a stick of cotton candy for a sail.  So far, the ceiling was the most interesting thing about Aunt Lilian’s house.

Mama had explained, when she and Daddy dropped him off yesterday, that Aunt Lilian was really a great aunt.  Davy was not so sure.  His Aunt Brit seemed greater to him, plus she lived with Uncle Nolan and his cousins Grant and Emmy.  Aunt Lilian didn’t live with anybody, unless you counted Fred the arthritic cat who glared from corners at Davy.

 

“We’ll be back in just a few days,” Mama said.  “As soon as Daddy’s tests are done.”

 

Davy knew about tests.  His cousin Grant had spelling tests because he was in second grade, but Davy was only in kindergarten.  “What does Daddy have to spell?” he asked.

 

“Not that kind of test, honey,” Mama said, but she didn’t explain.

 

So here Davy was at Aunt Lilian’s, lying under the flowery sheets and the very scratchy wool blanket, bored and a little hungry.

 

He ventured out of bed and cautiously opened the bedroom door.  Davy could hear Aunt Lilian snoring in her room.  He stayed on the carpet runner as he walked down the hall because the floor on either side might be hot lava.

 

Last night he hadn’t really noticed anything in Aunt Lilian’s house because of Mama and Daddy leaving and Fred glaring and Aunt Lilian’s yellow and orange and pink swirly billowy dress over her billowy body.  This morning, he could explore.

 

There was no tv, which was weird.  There were lots an dlots of thick books and a statue of a woman with six arms dancing and a row of elephants carved out of dark wood and a frowning mask and a white cina figure of a lady in a ruffly flowery dress.  There was a big dark piano with its own red-fringed shawl.  A gold-and-glass clock ticked on the mantelpiece.  A big book with a picture of a canyon weighed down the coffee table and there was a bowl of fruit next to it.

 

Davy’s stomach rumbled.  He took the apple, strangely light, and bit.  It was not real.  He looked at it more closely.  It had the marks of his teeth in it.

 

He hastily put it back in the bowl, tooth side down.  But then Fred was there, glaring from under the big leather chair.

 

Resolutely, Davy picked up the apple again and went to confess to Aunt Lilian.