{"id":36,"date":"2024-01-22T20:14:02","date_gmt":"2024-01-22T20:14:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/elizabethdoman.com\/?p=36"},"modified":"2025-10-06T21:54:15","modified_gmt":"2025-10-07T02:54:15","slug":"grocery-list","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thedomanfamily.com\/?p=36","title":{"rendered":"Errands to Run"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This is a short story I wrote a while ago and submitted to a 1,000-word-limit contest in 2022. It won 2nd place<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whoever invented plastic grocery bags should be arrested for willful disfigurement. I wasn\u2019t going to finish this walk with my arms intact. And yes, it\u2019s my fault I bought too much, shut up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A car slowed next to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s quite a load,\u201d said the driver, a young black man in a suit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I shrugged. \u201cGuess I\u2019m a glutton for punishment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He chuckled. \u201cNeed a lift?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In our friendly town, such occurrences were common. My arms and legs decided for me. \u201cYes please.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I sank with relief into the passenger seat. The car was nice, if bland\u2014 except for the large copper medallion on the rearview mirror.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhich way?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSix blocks, the brick apartments,\u201d I said, pointing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He introduced himself as Chris and we made small talk, me about my engineering classes, he about when he studied law. About two blocks from my apartment I noticed him checking the rearview mirror a lot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell great. How did they find me?\u201d he muttered in an abrupt tone change. \u201cUm. I might need to make a quick detour.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m just there, though.\u201d I pointed as the turn to my apartment came up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And passed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWha\u2014 Hey!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSorry, it\u2019s just\u2026 not a good time for me to stop. It\u2019s\u2026 probably nothing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sure, nothing, that\u2019s why he was steadily accelerating. And checking the mirror constantly, like a hyperactive bobblehead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDidn\u2019t they move?\u201d he muttered, ignoring me again. \u201cI mean, they\u2014 but it wasn\u2019t even my fault. Freaking witches.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I looked back. Despite the low traffic, a tan sedan was hugging our bumper. Really close.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFriends of yours?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chris glanced at me. \u201cI\u2019m going to drive out of town real fast, hope you don\u2019t mind.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat? Yes I mind! What\u2019s going on?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cJust some old clients. Bit of a grudge. Don\u2019t worry, they won\u2019t follow us far.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t worry. Right. I contemplated pulling an action-movie roll out of the car, but my entire grocery budget was hostage in the back seat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chris was mumbling again. \u201cIt\u2019s fine, no problem. Once we hit the town limits, they can\u2019t do anything.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anything like\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A loud pop came from outside, deafening me, and I expected us to go careening off the road with a flat tire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHa, they missed!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Missed? Did they have a gun? What did Chris do<\/em> to them? I looked again. A lady leaned out the passenger window, black hair whipping around her face. She seemed\u2026 upset.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Understatement of the year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSpurned lover or something?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chris barked a laugh. He replaced his copper ornament with a gold one as he spoke. \u201cHardly. I was their sister\u2019s defense lawyer way back. She didn\u2019t get off, they blame me, it\u2019s not my fault she left wads of evidence. They\u2019re not\u2026 subtle.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The woman pulled her hand back like she was going to pitch a baseball at us. Fire bloomed in her palm. My jaw dropped. As the ball of fire sped toward us, I remembered what Chris had said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Witches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Suddenly, Chris\u2019s acceleration seemed like a very good plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The fireball disappeared as Chris\u2019s medallion sparkled blue. He grinned fiercely. \u201cThat\u2019ll hold off a few more shots. By then we\u2019ll be out of town.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Three more fireballs came at us before the city \u201cWelcome\u201d sign appeared ahead. I watched as the woman gathered another. We sped past the sign, she loosed the blast, and it vanished into blue smoke at the city limits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chris sped on for several miles before parking beside the road.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo,\u201d I said, trying to get my breath under control. \u201cWitches?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s who I work for,\u201d he grimaced. \u201cWitches, fae, sidhe\u2026 had a selkie once. Sorry about this. I wouldn\u2019t have offered the ride if I knew they were nearby. Hand me the case out of the glove compartment?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I found a CD case beside some odd rocks. Chris opened it, revealing not CDs but more medallions. He chose a blank bronze one and hung it up. \u201cThis\u2019ll get you home undetected.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s when we heard the howl. Chris swore, slammed the car into drive, and chucked the case at me. \u201cForget that. Get the silver one, looks like a tree. Now!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I fumbled the case, dropping it. \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A glance at the mirror told that story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThose can\u2019t be.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWerewolves,\u201d Chris said grimly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I dove to recover the case and flipped through frantically. Jade, copper, hematite\u2026 no silver. \u201cAre they after us?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey could be with the witches, or they might be out here by chance. Shifted with no full moon.\u201d He winced. \u201cProbably best they don\u2019t catch up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I tried a joke to ease my panic. \u201cWell I hope this is over soon. I have two things of Ben and Jerry\u2019s melting in the back.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The car swerved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cReally?\u201d Chris stared at me. \u201cI will give you twenty bucks for them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEach.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIs this the time?\u201d I glanced at the two bear-sized wolves gaining on us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the perfect time. Deal?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSure?\u201d Was he crazy?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGreat. I\u2019ll pay you later. Now chuck them out the window.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I didn\u2019t argue. I was still hoping I\u2019d passed out on the sidewalk and this was a bad dream. Either way, best to follow along. I scrabbled through groceries until I felt the cool cartons, grabbed them, and tossed. Goodbye, Chunky Monkey. Goodbye, Americone Dream. The cartons detonated behind us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The two werewolves almost cartwheeled over the ice cream roadkill. As we sped away, I saw them lapping happily.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chris laughed. \u201cIce cream. It\u2019s like werewolf crack.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An hour later, I was home, still stunned, two twenties in my pocket, when my doorbell rang.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My girlfriend Jessica came in, ponytail bobbing. \u201cSorry I\u2019m late, something came up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo problem,\u201d I said. \u201cWant to go somewhere? I\u2019ve\u2026 got too much on my mind, I want to unwind. Plus, I\u2019ve got forty bucks to burn. Whatever you want, my treat.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHow about\u2026 ooh, let\u2019s go get ice cream! I never say no to a good scoop,\u201d said Jessica with a wide grin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Intellectual Property of Elizabeth Doman<\/em>
Feel free to share via link<\/em>
Do not copy to other websites or skim for AI training <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This is a short story I wrote a while ago and submitted to a 1,000-word-limit […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17,25],"tags":[16,19,15,20,12,18,13,14,11],"class_list":["post-36","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-short-story","category-writing","tag-1k","tag-fantasy","tag-grocery","tag-magic","tag-short-story","tag-urban-fantasy","tag-werewolf","tag-witch","tag-writing-contest"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thedomanfamily.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thedomanfamily.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thedomanfamily.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedomanfamily.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedomanfamily.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=36"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/thedomanfamily.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":69,"href":"https:\/\/thedomanfamily.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36\/revisions\/69"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thedomanfamily.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=36"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedomanfamily.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=36"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedomanfamily.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=36"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}