A Story of The Night Watch
“I’m curious,” he said, “What about the chicken?”
“I was lost,” she said defiantly. “I don’t know why he included me in the picture. I was only trying to get home for a meal, if you can call that a meal. It wasn’t much of a chicken, you know.”
“I see,” he said. “You know, I understand the historians say you weren’t even real. They say you were put in as an emblem of the military company.”1
“Yeah?” she said. “I’m not real, am I? My family wasn’t real? My little brother Henrik, he wasn’t real? You tell me that and I know you’re telling lies, because he was real!”
“Indeed,” he said. “But, you see, it doesn’t fit. Your dress is far too fanciful, too golden, for someone who has nothing but a chicken for a dinner.”
“Oh, well…” she said, and paused. Then, “Well, I wanted to see what it was like down in the city and Mother never lets me or Henrik out we’re always kept in the nursery to do school with the governess and I hate it and so we decided to sneak out and it was really so much fun and nobody recognized us but then Henrik dared me to steal a chicken of all things and I did and then I got panicked and ran and next thing I was right there in the middle of the soldiers of all people and so I didn’t know what to do and I froze and I don’t even remember how I got away and Mother found out anyway and we got in so much trouble and I had to give back the chicken.”
“Ah,” the man said. “Well, that explains it.”
“Explains what?” she said, “And who are you, anyway?”
“Oh, well,” he said, “I’m the one who distracted the soldiers.”
“Really? How’d you do that?"
He shrugged, laughing softly. “I got them to pose for my painting.”
She laughed now as well. The sound passed without an echo in the hall as the living walked unaware past the shadows.
This story inspired by
‘s Friday flash fiction prompt:https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-Night-Watch, also https://artsandculture.google.com/story/uncovering-the-hidden-details-of-39-the-night-watch-39/cwXR16Hnd0PwSQ?hl=en
OK this is great but I am confused. Chicken? Emblem of a military company? I feel like I am missing some references but I can't put my finger on it. Nursery rhymes?? What's missing?
"I'm not real, am I?" Something some of my characters would say defensively if they were accused similarly of being fake...