When he took the farm’s surplus crop into the town to sell, his mother and grandmother made sure he was protected.
They gave him amulets and charms, and a cold-forged knife to protect himself. They warned him to count fingers, and never make no a promise or a bargain that he couldn’t keep. They told him to stay away from strangers and running water.
But as the fog rolled in on his return home he became lost and found himself on a dock instead of the familiar bridge.
Despite his caution, he still found himself taken away by the ferries.

“Mort’s Dock & Engineering Company c.1855” by Balmain & Glebe Heritage is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Everyday Drabbles © 2026 by Hugh J. O’Donnell is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

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