It waited patiently
on the bedpost, backseat, produce shelf
while her parents fought
in the next room, front seat, supermarket
leaving her unattended, abandoned,
_______________________________vacant.

She held her breath, frozen,
not fearing their anger
but the demon
_______(edging closer by the minute),

misconstruing
any move she made
_______for an invitation.

Michelle Wilson’s words have appeared in Litro Magazine, The Drabble, 50-Word Stories, Literally Stories, Flash Fiction Magazine, and Mr. Beller’s Neighborhood, among others. She lives in Miami Beach, Florida. Sometimes, she can be found at medium.com/@wilsmk.