PHOTO PROMPT © Jean L. Hays
Endangered Species
It was hot and stuffy hiding in the cellar and after days of waiting Marcie saw one.
It sauntered past, composed, confident and majestic in a fine metallic plumage.
Marcie and Mary shuddered, the trap was set.
The Pheasant paced back and forth guarding the building, it had alerted Species Control about the find. Hurry, it had reported, before the humans attempt an escape.
Mary gripped Marcie’s hand, to stop her shaking. Why did these giant Pheasants find female flesh such an addictive delicacy?
Worse; why had they volunteered to bait them?
A man’s idea! The last women on Earth.
James McEwan 
Well written story of reversal here.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh no!!! Attack of the avians. Not the lasy women… oh oh
LikeLiked by 1 person
Such an inventive take on the photo- love the reversal of what you’d expect, especially as pheasants have very small heads.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I know some women who are pretty tough old birds. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Figures… do the men not realise that without women, they can be no more?
Loved the imagery and the mislead. Well done, sir!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Love that last line, James.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nice switch-around. One day, it could happen… 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow, that was a great take, totally different.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Very clever piece.
LikeLiked by 1 person
To be bait for those birds… Love the conceit in your tale.
LikeLiked by 2 people
That was a mind-bending twist! Good writing 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Splendid title. What a grim thought to have been inspired by such a quiet photoprompt! Good imagination, James.
LikeLiked by 2 people
you managed to make this scary in a very small world count. Clever – I think the grabbing of the hands is what did it.
LikeLiked by 2 people
This is so clever – I really like how you mislead us. (I wonder if the pronouns it and he, should be the same in the sentence about the peacock reporting the women? I found that line a little confusing.)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Claire, thanks for pointing out the pronoun inconsistency. I have updated the post. Occasionally I run away with my writing that I miss the simplest of things. thank you.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I think we all do that, especially in our FF stories. So little time…
LikeLiked by 1 person
On second thoughts I have gone with ‘it’ to create distance and maintain the sinister tone.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Delicious story! Made my morning!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks June, have a nice morning.
LikeLike
Great imagination.
LikeLiked by 1 person
A reversal of hunting season fortunes! Great idea James.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Clever title too!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Very scary story. Well done.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I liked the metallic plumage on the giant pheasant. Great image
LikeLiked by 2 people
Great work, James!
Just when the reader thought that the endangered species i.e. the bird will be trapped, we get to learn who the real endangered species is…
Alarming situation indeed…
LikeLiked by 3 people