“You're beautiful, Hazy.”
It isn't suspect that I should use terms of endearment. After all, she caught fireflies in my garden as a toddler and called me her "Grandpa Number Three." She smiles and her legs stop twitching. We both listen to the throbbing of a bumblebee. She will leave me soon.
“You remind me of a girl fell in love with once, you know.” Widening her eyes she jumps, turns scarlet, upsets the table. My ice tea crashes, flooding her lemonade tumbler and dripping onto the grass.
“Sorry!”
“Delia'l take care of it. C'mere and give me a hug before you go.” My voice is gruffer than I expect it should sound. Hazel is near. She leans down and my lips skim the hollow of her throat. I put my arms around her and squeeze. She kisses my cheek, just a flutter, eyelash brushing my skin. I grab her and pull her down into my lap.
“I better go. My mom needs me at home,” she says. Soft. Smooth. Firm. Sweet. Maybe I'm pushing too hard. I kiss her on the cheek and she stiffens in response. My heart bleats.
“I really got to go now!” I loosen my arms and she squirms, springs, throws me a confused smile before exiting out the vine latticed gate.
Hazel doesn't come around anymore.
I watch from the window as she walks to school. Delia says she's started dance lessons. Delia says, "It was nice she always came by to visit but it's a good thing she's getting a little exercise. If you ask me, she was turning into quite a pudgy young woman."
I look down at my clubbed feet, transformed into cloven hooves.
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First published in Felicia C. Sullivan's literary magazine Small Spiral Notebook in 2003, the story is a little ditty about lust, loss and the pain of an unrequited life.
Very nice writing, Krista.
This is sexy, dark, all the forbidden stuff-- you wrote it really well, I could smell and feel that garden permeating the story and the ending kind of strange but perfect too
Thank you so much Bob and Susan! So glad you enjoyed the story. Yes, a strange ending...
That last sentence is a stunner. This is one of the first stories I ever read by you and it's great to read it again. Wonderful writing.
A beautifully written trip to the dark side. Great story!
Well-crafted piece, Krista! I really appreciate the writing. This made me think of “Hazel’s Amazing Mother,” one of the first books I can remember reading. The story of course is so different but now you’ve made me want to find that old little book. :)