Shortcut: YA Fantasy

The shortcut wasn't working out the way he planned. From the street, it had looked like the back yard opened right out onto the alley, no muss, no fuss. It would be pretty easy to cut across the yard, dodge through the alley, and get home before his ma found out he was gone. Or so he'd thought. He had only made it halfway across the yard, though, when things got...weird. He hadn't expected an old woman to look up from her gardening--he was pretty sure nobody lived in the house, and even if they did, why would they be out gardening at 3 in the morning? He hadn't expected her to give him an odd measuring look before she turned back to her gardening either. He'd figured he was going to get yelled at, for sure, and maybe worse.

Inspiration: Damn kids walking over my lawn.
Story Potential: Medium.
Notes: Maybe she needs an adventurous kid who's always poking his nose in the wrong place. Or maybe it's just punishment. Either way, he'll be gone a while, though of course it will still be the same time (almost) as when he left back home.