Burning the Rubber Snake — Short Story
Jackie bit her lip as she watched the road. For thirty minutes she had sat on the edge of the porch watching the road for the first sign of a car. Various dolls rested around her in a multitude of positions where they had been placed in frustration. Dolls’ clothes and complements were scattered around them. Between fittings, her eyes focused on the road.
This was the day her cousins would be coming to visit.
It had been over a year since she had seen Adam and James. They lived several states away. Talking to them over the internet just wasn’t the same as having them around to play with. Jackie lived for the three weeks they came to stay with her at her family’s farm. Jackie’s eyes quickly narrowed down at the dog who had suddenly sat up straight. His ears stood up. Seconds before the vehicle appeared around the curve in the trees, he began to bark.
Jackie quickly stood up and shouted, “They’re here!”
A dark van made its way around the bend and up the hill to the farmhouse. The dog’s barking intensified. Jackie rushed to the end of the sidewalk and waved at the car turning into the driveway. The car honked in return.
Following up the gravel road, Jackie ran. Her feet kicked gravel up in the air behind her. The van hadn’t come to a complete stop when the back door flew open and…
