Melinda trembled as she dialled the number. She bit her finger nails, holding the ‘phone to her ear, praying she would answer.

Out the window she watched Indigo and Lake running round the garden. They seemed so happy, but…

The voicemail service answered. She swore and hung up, then re-dialled. ‘Come on,’ she muttered.

This time her call was answered.

‘Melinda, it’s Sunday, I’m with my family,’ Doctor Rutter did not sound pleased.

‘But he’s done it again, and now his little sister laughing along.’

‘What exactly has he done?’

‘Crushed it dead, a spider. He took such joy in it. Why would he do something like that?’

‘Melinda, we have spoken of this. It is perfectly natural behaviour. He will grow out of it. You really must stop over-reacting like this.’

Outside, Indigo called his little sister over. ‘Look what I found.’ He held up the wriggling worm. Then he put it down on the slab, picked up a loose brick and smashed it down. They stared at the blood and smear that remained.

‘Imagine we could do that to something bigger?’ He looked round at the rabbit hutch that sat against the back of the house.

Written as part of Sunday Photo Fiction. Write a story of around 200 words based on the photo prompt given (above). Hosted by Susan Spaulding. For more details visit HERE. For a change, this story is autobiographical as I have recently started cycling to and from my work.

To read more of the stories based on this week’s prompt, visit HERE.