Ben craned his neck to stare into the rafters. He twisted his lips in frustration and deep thought. "Won't you come down?"
The cockatrice remained near the barn's ceiling.
Ben shook his head. "I'm not climbing up there." He whistled.
The stubborn creature refused to budge.
Ben stomped to the corner of the barn and grabbed the tallest ladder he could find. He opened it beneath the cockatrice.
The cockatrice tilted its head and watched.
Ben climbed the ladder. He reached toward his pet. His arm stretched, his fingers scraped the bottom of the rafter.
The cockatrice flitted to another beam.
"That's so funny." Ben glared at the tiny pest.
He climbed down the ladder, set it up, and climbed up it again. His pet flew away again. Ben growled and clenched his jaw. He climbed down and closed the ladder. "Fine. Stay up there. See if I care."
He left the barn.
The cockatrice warbled.
Ben leaned against the door and peered into the barn through the space between the double doors.
The cockatrice flew over, under, and around the rafters. Its jaws snatched insects out of the air. Content murmurs followed each successful grab.
Ben sank to the dirt and sighed.
As the sun set, the cockatrice wiggled through the gap between the doors. It whined.
Ben reached down and scratched its head. "I knew you'd come back eventually."
The small hatchling grinned. Not easy to do with a rooster's beak.
Ben carried his friend back into the house.
YOU ARE READING
Ben's Hen
FantasyIn a world ruled by dragons, one boy hatches a cockatrice on a whim. His mother wants to destroy it, but he loves it. *I'm open to suggestions* I write the story, but you help shape it. It's a bit of an experimental "Choose Your Own Adventure".
