It was always the ones you least expected.
If any of the families in the newly built neighborhood had discovered Goldie or her eggs and were keeping it quiet, Kayla would’ve put her money on almost anyone before Marcella and Leo. They radiated wholesomeness, striking her as the sort of model citizens who’d immediately report finding an unexpected cache of gold to the proper authorities. Whoever those proper authorities were.
She'd almost skipped their property in her methodical search, until she’d spotted something large and bright pink from her path in the woods. Up close it turned out to be an upside-down wading pool set as a crude trap, with a large pile of grain as bait.
From there it had been easy to find signs of Goldie’s presence, most notably a ratty cardboard box under a bush containing one golden egg. Kayla could tell the box had been moved and replaced. Someone knew about the eggs and maybe even about Goldie herself.
She pocketed the egg and took a quick survey of the area, though she already knew the best place to keep watch from was a nearby abandoned hunting blind. It fact, it was so perfect it gave her pause. Was it a trap for Goldie, or for Goldie’s pursuers? Should she call Alex just in case?
Kayla shook her head. It was too risky to turn him loose on a family with young children. She kept low as she moved back into the woods and prepared to hunker down.
This was inspired by the #freewrite prompt pink baby pool.
This is a continuation of
Image from here.
