Dropped my keys into a fountain

a poem

Photo credit: Kinga Cichewicz photography on Unsplash

~~~~

My heart was racing

I dropped my keys into a fountain
Made a wish
and kept on running
to a place vaguely familiar
in a dream or two

I kept looking back
to get a glimpse of what was chasing me
what foul beast

but saw no one

In a corner near the castle was an old burlap bag
filled with gold coins
which I hid it discretely beneath my flowing skirt
lest someone desired a piece of my good fortune

Suddenly the lane I walked down became engulfed in fire
impeding my progress

I ran back towards the rickety bridge
afraid it might collapse
upon the home of dirty, greedy trolls

And I felt their hands reaching up to pull me under
But they stopped when the contents of my burlap bag
rained upon them

Outnumbered I kept running
through plush green ferns and forest
and saw a wrought iron fence

But the gate was locked from both sides
Lost the key and nearly lost my mind
Being swallowed by smoky shadows
and three witches with their incantations

There’s no place to run
No place to hide

When I woke up from this dream I
pushed my pillow to the other side
and pulled the covers over my head
until I cozied myself back into my comfortable bed
trying to find sleep once again
and possibly the same dream

This story was published in The Cotton Thread — weaving life with words. If you want to be a writer in our publication, click here.