Still Brave

I've been toying with the idea of sharing my fiction writing for a little while now. I've not written anything new for a while, but I am expanding on ideas that have been long-shelved and getting a little kick out of losing myself in my own words again. I've been digging through my archives and have a few bits I'd like to share. Not all in one go, not literary works of wonderment, just something I enjoy doing. 

First up is this piece of flash fiction that I wrote in 2021, and came about following a prompt about a Disney princess...

Merida looked around the forest to make sure she wasn’t being watched. She crouched next to Avery and studied the arrow sticking out of his neck. He’d died with his eyes wide open, an expression of dread etched on his face. This satisfied her greatly. 

With a final glance behind her Merida grabbed Avery’s limp arm and began dragging him to the edge of the bear pit. Mustering up the last of her strength she rolled his lifeless body over the edge and watched as it fell to the bottom of the pit, landing with a satisfying thud. Whatever was down there would enjoy the feast, something much more ferocious than Mor’du and much more determined to make the most of Avery’s flesh, skin and bones.
Merida had lured Avery into the forest on the pretence of making more secrets. He’d fallen for it immediately. She walked through the trees with a sense of resolve, fully vindicated in her choice to rid the world of Avery. Ever since she was a bright-eyed four-year-old he’d been there, forcing her to be his pretty little secret; 14 years later she knew better and wasn’t going to stand for his behaviour any longer. 
From her safe position nestled in a juniper bush she’d lined up her bow and arrow perfectly, setting Avery in her sights ready to end him. He hadn’t seen it coming but he’d felt the arrowhead pierce the right side of his neck. It ripped the skin, tore through the sinews and came to a stop, embedded deep within his soft tissue.
As he lay dying Merida broke cover and took great satisfaction in the terror that rose in his face as he realised who’d slain him.

“This is what you get for being a bad man, Avery.” A smile danced on Merida’s lips as she spoke. “This is what happens to men who touch what’s not theirs.”