Introducing my flash fiction from the prompt on Wednesday, June 7, 2023.
Mist clung to the forest’s naked branches as we dashed through tall tree trunks, desperate to find any kind of cover.
It was all my brother’s fault anyway. He was the one who thought sneaking out the trial robot was a good idea.
Changing the setting on a machine is never a good idea.
A low beeping shuddered through the trees, and I dove behind a trunk. It was just wide enough to hide behind.
The beeping grew louder as my brother dashed behind his own tree. Our hearts pounded wildly as the beeping paused, holding in place, and after several long, torturous moments, the beeping began to fade.
We’d finally lost the feral robot.
My brother threw up, and if he was close enough I’d kick him. But I didn’t want to make any noise. Not until the robot was long gone.
As we hustled toward the forest edge, toward civilization and help, the beeping returned. Quiet at first, searching for a new clue. I shoved my brother forward, desperate because in the distance the treeline thinned and a metal fence glistened in the mist.
We pushed harder, ran faster, and yet the beeping grew louder. Nearer. Faster as it picked up our trail. The fence clanged as we began to climb, the beeping roaring behind us.
My brother cried out as his foot slipped, and he slid back to the ground. Before he could try again, he was met by a glistening white hand.
He’d failed his escape.
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