A Riddle
“Two eyes that never blink.
Four legs that quiver.
Sixteen bodies still and cold as death.
What am I describing?”
Mr. Carken stepped into the light and fixed Sean and Jake in a wild stare.
“The answer?” he drawled. “Two nosey boys who’ve found something they weren’t supposed to find.”
He stepped close and, stooping before one and then the other, blew out the lamps they had carried from the kitchen above.
“I guess the eyes blink after all,” he said.
This is my response to this week’s Friday Fictioneers prompt (to be honest, I think it’s a little lazy, but I also like riddles so I’m sticking with it). You be the judge(s)! And then enjoy all the other stories this week, being guarded–but not too closely–by the blue guy up above.
Happy (basically) weekend, everyone!
pinionpost 
Sixteen bodies?! Yikes. Yeah, I’d say they weren’t supposed to find that. Eerie one!
Yeah, I kept squaring the numbers and arrived at 16, so Mr. Carken is a bad man indeed (not that he would be that much better if the number were, say, 15 instead)
Oh, scary… good one!
Very different from the other entries I have read. It has quite a mysterious, eerie tone to it.
–JW
Thanks for stopping by, JW!
Scarily well done
Dee
Thanks Dee – I’ll always take that compliment
A cute story nicely written.
Nice pace to this. You have rhythm brother and it is heard in your writings.
Tom
I’ve always been one to focus on sound and rhythm – glad it comes through now and then! Thanks Tom
*Shudder* Nice work, Brian.
Ha, why thank you. That’s some high praise right there
Eek!
I agree with the above. Eek! Pretty scary, concise poetic and terrifying. Also well written.
A bad man indeed…. sixteen bodies, yik
Scary. Very well told. Hope Sean and Jake come up with an escape plan quickly.
Brian, that really flows well and is wonderfully creepy. Well-written!
janet
Thanks Janet! “Wonderfully creepy” – I like that
BTW, I like the beard a lot.