She opened the Valentine he had left by the bed.

“This year no hike.
Go ride your bike.”

Last year’s hike had been a disaster. They walked along the edge of the jetty. He clowned around, until he fell right into the ocean. After floundering to the shore, she wrapped him in her pink jacket as they hurried back to their apartment.

Oh, the looks they had gotten! He was soaking wet and wearing a pink jacket; she was wearing a thin shirt. They laughed all the way home, and sneezed for the next month.

On her bike she found another note:

“You know where you want to go —
Ride on down to the studio!”

She rode to one of her favorite places — the clay studio.

She parked her bike by their unused door and saw her next Valentine taped to it.

“The clay is ready; the wheel’s all set —
Go make something, my Coquette.”

She rolled her eyes. She hated that nickname, but the clay and wheel were both waiting for her as the note had said.

She was soon absorbed in her work. Time stood still as she shaped and reshaped the vase. She was startled when the studio owner tapped on her shoulder and handed her another card.

“Come outside and you will see
A special valentine from me.”

She washed her hands and stepped out the door. Her bike was covered with flowers, all her favorite kinds.

He knelt beside it, holding a small square box.

---

Too corny? Probably.

This is my response to the Unicorn Challenge this week. It’s an easy challenge (in theory) — no more than 250 words and base whatever you write on the photo prompt.

Chorus:
It’s the man with the iron finger
Whatever you do, don’t linger!
Don’t stop and look!
He’ll open that book
And you will fall down dead
OOOO-oooo-OOOO-oooo-OOOO-oooo-OO!

v. 1
One day young William wandered
And all the while he pondered
What should he do
With Mary-Sue
When suddenly he saw
A giant of a man
Who raised his heavy hand
As William filled with dread
The giant stared and said:
“Come take a look –
It’s in my book –“
Then William fell down dead.

Chorus: (see above)

v. 2
Miss Mary Sue came searching
Love like a bird was perching
Upon her heart
But she did start
When she saw that man
Who raised his heavy hand
Her light heart filled with dread
The giant glared and said,
“Come take a look –
It’s in my book –“
But Mary Sue fell dead.

Chorus: (see above)

v. 3
Simon, he was walking
A-whistling and gawking
At that and this
In simple bliss
When he saw the man
Who raised his heavy hand
So Simon stopped and smiled
He asked him like a child,
“What’s in your book?
May I please look?”
The giant ran off wild.

OOO-oooo-OOOO-oooo-OOOO-oooo-OO!

Final chorus:
It’s the man with the iron finger
Yeah — Go ahead and linger!
As for that book?
Ask for a look!
And he will run away!

---

Good grief. It’s been a long week. And now this.

I think this is my strangest response yet to the Unicorn Challenge, which is a pretty simple challenge: Base your post on the picture and don’t write more than 250 words. This little ditty came in at 223.

Here’s a peek into my creative process which I don’t even understand myself: The photo begged Cautionary Tale. Am I right? Then, in the strange workings of my mind, I started hearing a didgeridoo which would explain all the “OOO-oooo-OOOO-oooo-OOOO-oooo” stuff. I suppose this is some strange children’s song?

“Thank you, thank you,” said Delia. “We’re so grateful that you came to hear us play!”

“There’s nobody here,” said Hugh dryly.

Geena kept hammering away at her keyboard.

“It’s this stupid name,” said Hugh.

“Oh, come on,” said Delia. “D for Delia, U for Hugh, G for Geena! It makes sense. Besides, here comes someone. Let’s start playing.”

Geena paused, while Delia called out, “Africa — by Toto! And a-one, and a-two–“

“Excuse me,” said the young man. “I’m looking for the animal rescue place?”

Geena had already started to play, but Delia turned to both of them. Hugh shrugged. Geena played.

“Sorry,” she said to him. “I have no idea.”

Delia paused and then said, “Let’s try again.”

Geena stopped while Delia counted, “A-one and a-two —“

A child dragging her mother by the hand approached. “I KNOW THEY’RE HERE! I HEARD OLD MISTER ANGUS TALKING ABOUT IT!”

Delia looked at them expectantly. The mother asked, “Have you seen any puppies around here?”

“Uh — no,” she answered. Geena started playing her keyboard.

“Maybe they’re further up,” the mum said, and they walked on.

Hugh picked out the notes to “How Much Is That Doggie in the Window” just to irk Delia.

She glared at him.

Geena paused for Delia to count into the song. “And a-one –“

“Excuse me,” said a woman. “I’m looking to adopt a pet.”

Delia snapped, “We don’t have any pets here!”

Hugh spoke up. “It’s our name. The DUGs. Playing here now.”

Geena played her keyboard.

---

This is my attempt at the Unicorn Challenge this week — 250 words (NO MORE) based on the photo.

Week attempt. Weak attempt. Maybe a little of both.

“WHO’S THAT I HEAR ON A WALK-WALK-WALK?
YOU MUST PLAY PAPER-SCISSORS-ROCK!”

The man walking on the path in the woods was startled to see an ogre towering before him, pounding his fist into his palm.

“Wha-a-a-a-t??!!?”

“PAPER. SCISSORS. ROCK. SHOOT!” The ogre bellowed, making the motions with his hands, then thrusting out the two fingers of scissors.

The man was so startled that he did nothing. The ogre grabbed him, threw him over his shoulder and carried him away.

A few days later it happened again. The ogre seemed to magically appear from beneath the little footbridge as a woman was crossing it. She formed rock with her fist which defeated the scissors so she was allowed to pass.

And so the days went. People mysteriously disappeared or came off the path with strange stories of a child’s game on a footbridge. Children were warned never to travel that path.

However, as children are wont to do, one day the pack mentality took over and a group of children decided to go that way.

Some of the boys boldly led the way. Some of the girls hung back clutching each other’s arms or hands. The muddled middle moved ahead, curious and cautious.

They reached the bridge

“WHO’S THAT I HEAR ON A WALK-WALK-WALK?
YOU MUST PLAY PAPER-SCISSORS-ROCK!”

The children gathered together and faced the ogre.

“PAPER. SCISSORS. ROCK. SHOOT!” The ogre bellowed.

Every child formed rock with both hands and rushed the ogre.

“GAH!!” he shrieked before – POOF! – he disappeared.

---

Unicorn Challenge: No more than 250 words and base it on the photo.

A strange tale, I know, with absolutely no wise moral other than the knowledge that an ogre will always play scissors.

That bird annoyed the bejeebers out of him.

Oh, it seemed sweet when she was around, cooing, preening, making little chitterings of happiness. Once she was walked out the door, everything changed.

It hissed at him. Who knew birds could hiss?

It glared at him with a withering stare.

Lately it had started dive-bombing him.

“Can we cage the dang thing?” he asked.

“Cage Dexter?!” Clearly, he had offended her. “No-no-no-no-no-NO! He needs his freedom!”

What about mine? he thought.

“The cat’s gonna eat him,” he told her.

“They are friends,” she insisted.

The hell they are, he thought.

That day, after a particularly bad bout of hissing, withering stares, and dive bombings, he donned some disposable gloves (so he wouldn’t have to touch it) and snatched it right off its perch.

“I’ve got you now,” he hissed, in a meaner hiss than Dexter had ever done, and he wrung his little neck.

He scattered feathers around the apartment, to simulate a struggle, and put a good amount near the cat’s bed. Then — and this is the part that turned his stomach – he ripped wings and feet off to leave them as further evidence.

He carried the rest of the carcass out to the dumpster and threw it in with the gloves.

Or so he thought.

Back upstairs, he was in the bathroom washing up when she came in.

“I found this on the sidewalk,” she said, holding a glove and feather. “Doesn’t this look like Dexter’s?”

---

The Unicorn Challenge — no more than 250 words based on the photo prompt.

Pretty proud of myself today – I started with over 270 words and got it down to 247!