Emily was almost invisible behind the big overstuffed armchair in her father’s study, but looked quickly around its armrest to see if anyone would be coming in and interrupting her plan about his chessboard. It wasn’t like anyone would notice her, because she’d been so quiet since the big blowup, but you could never be sure.
Daddy had been gone for such a really long time and Mommy hadn’t stopped crying all week. She’d cried, too, but only because her big brother, Roger, had yelled at her to stop being such a baby, and thrown her last pacifier out the apartment window.
It’s not like she ever put it in her mouth anymore and only sometimes at night – she was almost six, after all! – but mostly it lived in the left pocket of her favorite overalls, right there with her magic rock, the hot pink rabbit’s foot, and Roger’s blue cat’s eye marble.
After one more quick glance, Emily darted across the study and grabbed a white pawn — and then a black one for just-in-case – and slid its round head onto her tongue and felt a hundred percent better.
© Liz Husebye Hartmann (2021)
*The challenge? Write a story in 6 sentences, no more & no less, and if you’d like, share your creation or just visit and comment on others’ ideas, with GirlieOnTheEdge, Denise. The prompt is “PAWN”, and here’s where you join the party: Six Sentence Stories
Valley of the Trolls 
She kept a lot of heart in her pocket. Well done.
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Thanks, Lisa!
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Clever idea, creatively developed, giving an excellent piece, Liz
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Thank you!
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Oh, my heart. The children get the worst of it when these things happen, no matter what anyone says.
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And yet, they persist. 💔
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Absolute gem, Liz. Hope you send it on to some Flash sites.
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Wow, thanks Doug!
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What a great use of the Daddy’s pawns as the pacifiers in his absence.
Children will find a way.
A sad and beautiful story.
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You nailed it, Jenne. ❤
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What a great story! You managed so much emotion from so many characters. That use of the pawn and its connection to Daddy for comfort, was genius. 😀
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(blushes) Thank you!
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I tried to go with a chess theme, but don’t remember enough about it to do so. Good six.
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(I never learned…too complex for me). 🙄 Thanks!
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An excellent use for a chess piece (or two)!
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We find comfort where we can…
Thanks!
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Good one, Liz. You immersed us into her childhood anxieties perfectly. At first I was sure she was going to add a Queen or King to her collection of ‘pocket stuff’ – but yes, a pawn is the perfect pacifer! 😀😎
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Queens and Kings in her world are a little rough-edged at the present. 😉 Thanks!
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I am glad she found those surrogate pacifiers in such a trying situation.
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The saying “necessity is the mother of invention” isn’t a concept strictly attached to the world of adults. Kids, by virtue of inexperience can be extremely innovative 😀
Cute Six, Liz
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Thanks!
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