Flash Nano 20: Prompt Write a story that includes an animal visitation.

The Visitor

Jason and Emma pulled into their driveway and used the remote to open the garage door. The automatic lights came on.

They’d had a wonderful night out: dinner and a movie. Nights out were rare, but they were able to get Amber to babysit the twins. Amber was the neighborhood favorite for parents and kids.

“I don’t really want tonight to end,” Emma said.

“It won’t, once I get back from taking Amber home. Warm the bed for me.”

“Look,” Emma pointed to the open garage door.

“I don’t see any. . . Oh, my God,” he said.

The couple watched a skunk, followed by a baby skunk, waddle from behind a bush into the garage. The garage was attached so they could enter the house directly into the kitchen, a great benefit after grocery shopping.

“What will we do?” Emma asked.

Jason didn’t have an answer.

“Call Amber,” Emma said. “Warn her. “Tell her to make sure the kitchen door is closed.”

After the call, they sat in the car, 10 minutes, 20 minutes. The skunks, wherever in the garage they were, must be content.

“Maybe they’ve gone to sleep,” Emma said.

Another 12 minutes passed. “Let’s go quietly into the house. Amber can stay overnight rather than . . .” She didn’t need to finish.

*

The next morning they woke to a dusting of snow. When they looked out the window, two sets of tiny footprints were leading out of the garage to the woods next to the garage.

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