Sticks

I give to you a story in eleventy-one words...

‘What is it?’

‘How should I know?’

They poked at it with small sticks.

‘Is it alive?’

‘How can we tell?’

They jabbed harder, mostly at its legs and arms.

‘We can’t just leave it.’

‘Why not?’

‘It’s blocking the road.’

‘So? Let it be someone else’s problem.’

The fat one stuck the stick in its ear. It flinched, causing the two to dart behind a tree.

‘What did you do?’ the thin one hissed.

‘I don’t know.’

‘Where’s your…’

‘I dropped it.’

‘You what!?’

They glanced back and watched as it sat up. It held the stick.

‘What do I do?’

The thin one stared at it. ‘We follow it.’