Margarida Brei is the Readers’ Choice in this week’s Indies Unlimited Flash Fiction Challenge. The winning entry is decided by the popular vote and rewarded with a special feature here today. (In case of a tie, the writer who submitted an entry first is the winner per our rules.) Without further ado, here’s the winning story:
Stalagmites
by Margarida Brei
Col was the Stalactite; I, Greg the stalagmite. We were opposites brought together by our love of spelunking. Our classmates joked that one day, we would join together and form a column. They were hinting at our sexual orientation, but we were really in love with stalagmites and stalactites. Col was so passionate about these formations, that when his voluptuous girl friend touched one, he raged at her for corrupting history and destroying its integrity. Col was the hot head, the daring one hanging dangerously from the ceiling, while I was calm with two feet on the ground.
Clambering to the newly discovered cave, Col was like an overly excited child going on holiday with pockets full of sweets. After a three mile hike, we arrived in a grey dripping cave covered in stalagmites, but oddly devoid of any “icicles”. The stalagmites resembled cyprus knees. Very distinctive, mysterious and mystical. Looking at the stalagmites was like a religious experience for me. The cave was so unearthly still. We were surrounded by greyish ‘inverted stalactites’ resembling soldiers at attention or misshapen aliens. It was ethereal. Even though I had seen magnificent speleothems globally from the lofty impressive “Witch’s Finger” in New Mexico to the largest stalactite in Jeita Grotto, Lebanon, this was the climax of my life.
“Magnificent” escaped my lips.
Col’s voice echoed angrily through the cave, “Fool! I did not bring you here for the damn stalagmites. Look! The cave is full of gold. We are billionaires!”
