December | 2021 | ShiftnShake

At Carrot Ranch, the December 2, 2021, prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story that includes the littlest Christmas goat. Who does the goat belong to? What is happening? Go where the prompt leads!

You might recognize this father and daughter from previous flashes.

Bidding

“Daddy, why’re we going to the auction? We’ve got Bud.”

When one of Lucienne’s team died, they’d gotten the other Morgan. “Bud’s old, but is fit enough for our needs. He’s still strong and he’s patient. But he’s in a new barn and he’s lonely, Hope.”

They walked around the pens, pausing to look at a Shetland pony, even sheep.

“There Daddy.”

“A goat?”

“Those two littlest ones.”

With Hope doing the bidding they got the goats without contest.

“What’re you going to do with these goats?” the auctioneer asked Hope.

“They’re Christmas cheer for Bud. Comfort and Joy.”

Held in Reserve

She looked not at her husband but at the snow dusted ground, thick and soft with decades of needles, nudged a pinecone with the toe of her worn boot.

“No, we’ll think of something, but not this.”

He again looked up at the great towering pine; so many board feet held in reserve, board feet that the mill had offered good money for, money they sorely needed if the children were to have any Christmas.

“New toys grow old quickly.”

“Children grow quickly too, they need Christmas memories,” he countered.

“Yes, which is why we mustn’t cut this tree.”

The photo comes from the Saddle Up Saloon, where Kid and Pal offer a picture prompt every fifth Monday. Out of Carrot Ranch habit this response is 99 words. Using the word “reserve”, it is also six sentences, no more no less, because further prompting comes from Denise, the indefatigable hostess of Six Sentence Stories. You are encouraged to take part in both prompts and if you haven’t been by the Saddle Up Saloon, you are missing something. You don’t need to reserve a spot at the bar but can reserve a place on the stage. Did you know that you could be a featured writer reading on the Saloon stage from the Author’s Chair? Contact me! I’ll set you up.