#flashfiction

“Come along children. Gather in close. We’re going out for our walk.”
Miss Kelly who ran the daycare facility stood next to the door and beckoned all the children toward her.
The children toddled across the room, abandoning their toys. Each displayed bright white teeth and were filled with joy to be going for their daily walk.
Miss Kelly gathered the toddler leashes from beside the door and quickly clipped the leads to the harnesses each child wore.
Others sometimes looked askance when she led a leashed pack of children past. Some called the leashes cruel, but they had never tried to corral a pack of toddlers on a walk. It was too much to expect a lone woman to control half a dozen or more children who would dart off to inspect every flower, shiny pebble or stray cat in their path. Without the leashes the children would accidentally place themselves or others in danger.
“Now remember, no pulling, children. You’ll all get to see whatever you want.”
Half a dozen eager nods were her answer.
Miss Kelly opened the door and the children burst forth, yanking her arm.
The tugging was more frantic than normal and it took all Miss Kelly’s strength to restrain the children long enough to lock the door to the facility. What had them so worked up?
Pocketing the keys, Miss Kelly turned to see all the children tugging toward a small boy standing on the sidewalk. The boy had rosy cheeks and disheveled blonde hair. His red and white stripped shirt strained across his plump belly. The boy’s mouth gaped wide as he stared at the pack of toddlers straining toward him.
It was rare for a human child to come near Little Litches Daycare and the pack of toddlers gnashed their teeth and flames of desire ignited in the eye sockets of their naked skulls.
“Oh look children,” Miss Kelly said, baleful fire kindling in her own eye sockets. “Lunch.”
She dropped the leashes.