Okay, so this was written for the six sentence story prompt of charm, by girlontheedge. I am blaming this one on the fact I am reading The Stand by Stephen King right now, because its strange and a little twisted. It started off as a cute little idea, someone with a good luck charm, a rabbit’s foot, then it was the foot from a real rabbit, and then the guy carrying it got dark, and well, Happy New Year!
He walked into the house with a good luck charm in his pocket that you wouldn’t realize was the actual foot of a rabbit unless you got close enough to see the small rust colored stain on the fur where it was attached to the keychain like all the dollar store knock offs.
He was a superstitious man, even though his job relied far more on precision and skill than luck, but when you were raised by a woman like his grandmother, the superstition never quite left you, even when you knew it was foolish.
He was a hard man, the type that in another time people would have accepted as a necessary evil, someone who got things done regardless of the costs, but in the here and now, his ruthless efficiency and cold demeanor scared most people when he let down his mask. Even when it was up, it was like they could sense it, a lingering aura of death following him home in the case for his M82, which he carefully stowed in his attic until his next job.
When he was clean, and clothed, the charm back in his pocket, he practiced in the mirror until the smile on his face no longer looked plastic, and then he picked up a different case and walked across the road, bracing himself for the noise within.
He stepped through the door, fifteen minutes before midnight, handing over the case of champagne with his apologies to the host, and sat surrounded by the unsuspecting sheep from his neighborhood, one hand in his pocket, fiddling with the rabbit’s foot to make sure he brought only good luck into the New Year.
Anne McSommers' Writing Nook 
Interesting use of a mirror to use as practice “until the smile on his face no longer looked plastic”.
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I always like a good mirror… There is something about mirrors.
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Goodness! You had me thinking the case was holding a rifle, but instead, it was a case of champagne. Yes, Stephen King can make us go dark…
Nicely written, still feeling the dread…!
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Thanks. There is going to be a lot of creepy on the blog this year, dark media in, dark media out…
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Yeah! Bring it ON!
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You reading the original or 1990 uncut? Original was long enough for me, lol
Good and creepy, Six, Anne 😀
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I am listening to the Audiobook of the uncut version. 48 hours long! Read the cut version years ago, but wanted to make that audible credit worth it!
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I know just the scene you’re referring too, Anne. One that I wish King had left out. I can’t remember if it was in the original which I read way back, but I vividly remember it from the uncut version which I read much more recently.
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Thanks alot, Chris! Now you have me considering reading the uncut version, lol. (The man is beyond prolific in his word counts 😁)
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To be honest, and I am a big King fan, the uncut version is a bit too much. His prose is stunning as ever, but there are several scenes which should have fallen victim to the blue pencil.
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Jeepers, creepers, Anne. Come, Mr.Talisman, tally me banana, daylight come and me want to go home. https://youtu.be/nN5lIEcbXpM
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