Bed Fellows

A little girl needed a room of her own, especially when her siblings closest in age, were all boys. She was given the space off the bathroom. A space normally used for storage. Besides, she could lock the door. She could find privacy there.

She didn’t mind sleeping on an old mattress, covered in quilts. There was a bare light bulb hanging from the ceiling, so she could read. She gladly traded the feel of the mice running across her legs at night over her father’s demands. She chose to sleep in mouse turds rather than her own blood.

 Written for Charli Mills’ 99 word flash fiction challenge for March 7, 2019. A story about MICE.