Lucky Encounter

Prompt: Write a story involving a leprechaun

Erin glanced at the funny little man. He sat across from her, and although he couldn’t be much over three feet, his suit fit perfectly. Erin had first caught a glimpse of him as she waited for her flight home from Vegas. He stepped out of the newsstand, deftly avoiding the crush of people hurrying by, and made his way to the boarding area. He sported a red bow tie and his hair was long and gray. Erin tried to gauge his age, but his face was a queer combination of wizened old man and mischievous child and she thought he could be anywhere between forty and a hundred and forty.

The seat belt sign flashed and Erin gathered up her purse. Outside the airport, she caught a final glimpse of him as he climbed into a long black car. As it pulled away, he turned and looked out the window. It could have been a trick of the light, but she swore he stuck out his tongue at her. Erin hailed a cab and forgot about him.

A few weeks later, rounding the last aisle at the supermarket, she almost ran her buggy over the same little man. She reached down and touched his shoulder, “excuse me” still on the tip of her tongue, when, to her amusement, he began stomping his foot like a badly behaved two-year-old.

“That’s not fair,” he cried in a thick Irish brogue. He threw a leather pouch at Erin’s head and, sobbing loudly, turned and ran down the aisle.

Erin picked up the pouch and gasped when she loosened the drawstring and saw the bag was filled with shiny gold coins. Being a little short after her vacation, she hurriedly stuffed the bag into her purse then calmly proceeded to the checkout counter.

Word count: 300