Here is my flash fiction from the September 6, 2023 prompt. I hope you enjoy it!
I stare at the strange black hole in the center of the sidewalk, trying to decide if I should kick a rock into it, or maybe poke it with a stick from the fragile tree several paces away.
It’s such a strange hole, too. Almost like someone drew it there, a masterful artist of comics or graphic novels. The ink-looking shading is exquisite, and it stands out against the real-world setting.
But most unusual is that I’ve seen it before. So far, the volleyball-sized hole has cropped up in five different towns as I found new places to walk and explore while staring at slightly different scenery.
Whatever. I’m grabbing the stick.
I sidestep to the tree, keeping my gaze on the hole, and return quickly with a large twig the length of my hand. Not once do I remove my gaze from the hole.
Crouching low, I prod the smallest tip of the stick into the hole. The ink-looking lines ripple, almost as if something beneath it is reacting to the slight pressure from the stick. I withdraw, watching the hole, but nothing moves.
So I poke again, this time the stick tip dipping into the hole, the blackness pressing down until it breaks through like a pencil through paper.
An ink-drawn hand bursts through the hole, reaching beyond the stick and grabbing my wrist. I scream as the hand yanks me down, the hole expanding until it encompasses me, and I disappear into the darkness.
For more enchanting Wednesday Words by other authors, check out the official Wednesday Words page!