“Out of the Shadows”

Author’s Note: This is a Take Ten to Write story and has not been proofread for errors. If I feel inspired or if there’s interest in the story, I’ll post a revised, edited, and extended version at a later date. Happy reading!

Prompt: Write a story titled “Out of the Shadows”.

Once upon a time, there lived a prince. He was loved by all his people, as he was kind and generous with everyone he met.

One day, while the prince was on his daily rounds through his kingdom, he noticed a shivering form tucked into a shadowy corner. He approached the form slowly.

“Pardon me, are you lost?” he asked, extending a hand toward the trembling figure.

The shadow did not reply, nor make any move to suggest that it could understand the prince.

The prince decided to try again. “Pardon me, are you lost?”

He took a step closer. This time, the shadow responded. Its head whipped around and it bared its teeth at the prince.

But the prince didn’t even flinch. Instead, he knelt beside the shadow, paying no attention to its narrowed, red eyes glaring at him.

“It’s awful cold in those shadows, isn’t it?” the prince murmured. “Would you like to come out in the sunlight, where it’s warmer?”

The creature shrank even further into its corner, a growl building in its throat.

The knight accompanying the prince stepped forward, uneasy of the creature who seemed to be ready to attack. “Your highness, we should be getting on our way. It will be dark soon.”

“Hush,” the prince said, holding up a hand to keep the knight back. “Do not come any closer. You’ll frighten it.”

The knight hesitated. He couldn’t be sure if the creature was a real threat, but it would be his fault if the prince was hurt.

“Your highness, I must insist,” he said, but the prince once again silenced him.

“Just a few more moments,” the prince said, keeping his eyes locked onto the red ones staring back at him. He extended his hand toward the creature once again. “Please, let me help you. I promise that no harm will come to you while you’re under my protection.”

The creature hesitated. Uncertainty flickered in its eyes. Finally, it seemed to relax. Its eyes widened and turned into a light pink. Slowly, it stepped out of the shadows.

The knight gasped as the creature revealed itself. “Your highness, is that-“

“Yes, I think it is,” the prince interrupted the knight, equally as surprised. “It is a Lightsquirrel.”

Final Comments: I feel like the writing style of this one was a bit rough. Oh well, that’s why they’re called rough drafts, right?

Overall Rating: 🤔