Short Story

The Hunt

Nancy's Notes 🖊️🎶

This is The Unicorn Challenge
where we are encouraged to write
a story in 250 words or less using
the photo below as inspiration.

© Ayr/Gray

Maggie had gone missing….again. Three-years-old, she was already a master escape artist. There was no playpen or toddler’s gate that could keep her inside. She never went far….visiting the neighbor’s puppies or picking flowers in the field….but every time she took off, her mother, Page, was a nervous wreck. Even with the doors locked, little Maggie found a way to get out….the pet door!

The first time she disappeared, Page found her playing in a treehouse across the road. She’d gotten a good scolding that day but it did little to temper her wanderlust. She never went far and – except for the treehouse incident – came running whenever Page called.

Except this time.

Maggie was nowhere to be found and didn’t respond to her mother’s increasingly frantic calls. Every worst case scenario ran through Page’s mind. Tears poured down her face as she ran every which way searching for Maggie. Finally, Page felt compelled to call the police.

The gardening shed revealed nothing; the only thing in the old well was echoes. Maggie was nowhere and Page was distraught. A loud “OVER HERE” filled everyone with both hope and dread. Following the voice, they all ran to the swimming pool hidden behind the tall potted plants. There, curled into a ball in the corner of a large chaise lounge was Maggie….sweaty and fast asleep with a bunch of mommy’s favorite flowers, now wilted, in her little fist.

Hugging Maggie tightly, Page quickly agreed when a policeman suggested replacing the pet door.

NAR©2025
250 Words

This is “Runaway Train” by Soul Asylum

The Unicorn Challenge-04/07/25

All text, graphics and videos are copyright for Nancy’s Notes 🖊️🎶, The Sicilian Storyteller, The Elephant’s Trunk, The Rhythm Section, et al., and are not to be used without permission. NAR©2017-present.

41 thoughts on “The Hunt”

  5. I remember the day when my two-year old daughter went missing. I was frantic, no where to be found. Police, boy scouts, everyone was searching the (river) village for her. Then my friend, asked me if I had double checked everywhere in the apartment and I told her I had, but we looked again, starting in the kids’ room. We almost left the room, when my friend said wait a minute, and moved the big bunch of crumpled up bedding and there she was, fast asleep, nestled under it all.
    The thing is, she never ever took a nap, certainly never decided to take one herself.
    I made sure I carefully made their beds every morning after that!

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  8. A parent’s nightmare, so well told, Nancy. My two sisters were ten and twelve years younger than me, and thick as thieves. They would mischievously leave the house without telling anyone and hide. I remember the fright in looking for them in the back yard of our neighbor’s house who owned a pool, thinking the worst. It seems Maggie has an adventurer’s soul.

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    1. Pools! There are too many horror stories related to pools. I’m sure your parents must have been so scared when your sisters wandered off and hid. I really didn’t want anything awful to happen to Maggie. Thanks for reading, Brenda!

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  9. Oh Nancy, … you can feel the terror, as they start to think of the worst possible scenario, … you can’t help it. That’s where your mind goes., … but I love the ending and the wilted flowers, grasped in the little girls hands….(I got your name right this time., 😉… previous mistake caused by stress, I think)….💫💙💫

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    1. So pleased to know I put the terror in you, Penn! As writers, we always hope someone will relate to our stories; I see many of us have experienced something similar …. myself included. Thank you and no worries about the name!

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  12. It’s the ‘bunch of mommy’s favorite flowers, now wilted, in her little fist’ that’s the emotional perplexer for the mother, I suspect – the relief, the anger and the two-way love.But yes, the pet door has to go, but I see many other adventures ahead for a little girl like Maggie – maybe Page sgould go along with her?

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    1. Of course! How could Page be angry when she sees her favorite flowers in Maggie’s hand? She may even feel a bit guilty knowing Maggie was picking those flowers just for her. Maggie didn’t plan this but it is sure working in her favor! Page will have her hands full when Maggie gets older and her sense of adventure gets stronger. Thank you, Jenne.

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