Journaling...Friday Fiction: Straw

Today is Friday Fiction at The One-Minute Writer.  The prompt is Write a brief bit of fiction using the prompt "Straw."  From C. Beth...Friday Fiction is your opportunity to write a short (short, short, short) story. Many participants use more than one minute for Friday Fiction prompts, and I open up the One-Minute Writing of the Day contest to entries of various lengths.


The straw in the abandoned barn smelled musty and damp.  He didn't care though.  Any place was good enough for him as long as he could hide safely.  He looked down at the iron shackle still hooked on his ankle.  The master had kept him chained because he knew he was a runner.  Somehow the chain had been weak and he was able to break it with a hatchet easily.  He had been on the run for days before finding the barn.  He climbed into the loft and settled down behind some bales of hay.  He could hear the baying of the dogs in the distance.  He could only pray they would not search the barn.  As it turned out, a futile prayer.


Inspired by my current read, Roots by Alex Haley.