LUCKY( A short story)

Chapter One

The spring air was fresh, and sweet in Sunset Park. On dancing treetops, sparrows and mockingbirds competed against one and another in whom will sing the sweetest melody. On green grass, squirrels, and rabbits ran nervously from one elm and to another.

Men and women some were sitting; others were standing; some engaged in soft talk, others loud and laughing, and some were simply enjoying the vibrant spring life. Amongst these was a young a women in her early twenties with dark eyes and dark hair. She and her baby boy of thirteen months sat the closest to the lines of tall pines; bordering the mouth of the forest. There was great distance between her and others—maybe she just liked the calm, or maybe she was afraid that they would come and tell her how beautiful her baby was. She didn't mind that, but then they would ask about his Father. She hated that question.

Every now and then, she would gently shake his stroller. The baby would smile and giggle.

Caw. Caw. Caw. A band of crows with ruffling feathers, suddenly, settled on the grass mocking one and another.

Caw. Caw. Caw.

On the log table, next to her, the woman had dippers and wipes, wet bags, sunscreen, formula, extra baby clothes, and a paper bag full of corn. She took a handful and throw it at them.

Caw. Caw. Caw.

She loved the crows; they always stuck together, and always had each other's back no matter the trouble. She wished, someone had her back. She wished, she had someone she could fall on. Don't be a foul now, she told herself. You don't need anybody's help. It's you and him now. She looked down at her baby, and reached and touched his little nose. The baby giggled.

Caw. Caw. Caw.

The crows took to the air and hovered as a tall, heavy bull dog suddenly came sniffing at the grass and the corn. He stopped and looked up at the woman, his eyes sad and weary.

"Oh, what's wrong? You want a treat? Let me see if I have something," she told him, and turned to her bag.

After a moment, she turned to him ashamed, "I'm...I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I don't have anything."

The bull dog whined and brought his tail down.

"Wait. Don't go."

She turned and picked her sandwich. She was still hungry. It's okay. I'll buy another one. It's okay.

"Here, boy. Here."

Excited the bull dog wiggled his tail, again and again; forever happy.

Caw. Caw. Caw. The crows returned to their corn, and the dog rummaged the sandwich and even parts of the grass under it, and excited he moved towards the woman. She rubbed his thick heads and he licked her hands. She loved him. He started playing around and around with the crows.

Caw. Caw. Caw.

She looked over her baby and touched his lips. He smiled and giggled.

"Come," she told the dog as she noticed his collar, "Come." Lucky was the name on the leather around his neck, "Lucky." The dog's ear rose up, "Lucky go. Lucky come," she laughed and rubbed his head again, "Good, boy."

Caw. Caw. Caw. Lucky went playing with crows. One of the birds sat on his back, and picked him, another went for his tail, and the third went for his eye, and picked at it as if to pluck out of its socket.

"Get away! Get away!" She stood and chased to them off the poor whining animal, "Oh, god."

Dark blood started dripping from Lucky's eye, "Oh... my god. Oh, my god."

Caw. Caw. Caw. The crows were coming back. Afraid they would hurt the poor dog again, she rushed at them with her bag, and chased them away—before, she gather her breaths, she heard a cry, a cry she knew all too well.

Across, the fat bull dog fixed his teeth in her baby boy's foot and pulled him away effortlessly from the stroller, and onto the ground.

She couldn't speak. She couldn't move. She couldn't breathe. Paralyzed, she fell into the grass. "M-m-m-my-my-my ba-ba-my-my baby. My baby! MY BABY!" She screamed her lungs "MY BABY! Help! Help!"

Dog looked at her indifferently, and pulled her boy away. With her baby's small white foot in his drizzling mouth, he ran.

"MY BABY!" She screamed as she saw his small body dragged into the woods, "MY BABY!"

Caw. Caw. Caw. The birds came back and cruelly picked and pulled at her hair.

"MY BABY!" She pulled herself, screaming, "MY BABY!" Yet no one around her lifted a finger. They just watched as the dog pulled the screaming infant into the woods. They just enjoyed the spring air and watched.

Caw. Caw. Caw. The crows mocked her.

With a shoe in one foot, and the other naked, her yellow sun dress muddy with dirt and grass, helplessly the women ran into the woods.