Photo copyright K. S. Brooks. Do not use without attribution.
Oscar had been fishing this stream since he was a boy and he knew it like the back of his hand. Today, something was definitely not right.
Suddenly, steam erupted from the ground a few hundred yards away. As he stared in disbelief, a second geyser erupted closer to him.
What the heck is going on?
The water in the stream suddenly turned muddy and he could feel it getting warmer. Bubbles began churning the surface of the water. As Oscar began backing toward the bank, he could feel the river bed shaking beneath his feet…
Photo copyright K. S. Brooks. Do not use without attribution.
Og hunts alone now. The others think Og is bad luck, so they send him away.
This makes things very difficult for Og. There are no helpers. No one to watch for spearmouths when Og sleeps. No one to help chase game.
Mostly, Og eats nuts and berries, but the season is almost over and the cold time will be here.Og does not know what to do.
He sits down by the water. There is a bush there with little leafcrawlers on the vines. Og tries a leafcrawler. Yuck! Og throws it in the water. As soon as bug hits the water, a fish jumps up and takes it.
Fish would be good to eat, but going in water is dangerous. Og gets an idea…
Photo copyright K. S. Brooks. Do not use without attribution.
Preston extended his arms and gestured around expansively. “It is pure Americana, snookums. I tell you, no one else is doing this. There is a fortune to be made here.”
Marina scowled, impatiently clicking her Prada heels on the floor. “Yes, the place is positively reeking of prosperity.”
“People complain all the time about chain restaurants replacing everything. What if there secretly was a chain of little diners like this – all different – unconnected by a unifying brand?”
Marina ran her finger over a dingy countertop. “Oh, I don’t know. Widespread food poisoning?”
Preston knew he needed Marina’s financial backing to make it happen, so he had to find a way to warm her to the notion…
Photo copyright K. S. Brooks. Do not use without attribution.
Everything changed for Brian when Sherry moved in next door. That summer Brian finally took an avid interest in yard work. Out of pure coincidence, when Sherry was sunbathing in her backyard, Brian would find the energy to mow and trim, unbidden by his parents. Being a good neighbor, he would offer to do the same for Sherry.
In the fall, he raked leaves with the same vigor, and in the winter, he shoveled the driveways. Brian always offered the same to Sherry.
Sure, he was only a seventeen-year-old high school boy and she was a nineteen-year-old student nurse, but she treated him like an adult. She’d invite him in for coffee – like adults. They would talk – like adults.
Come Valentine’s Day, he meant to make his intentions clear. He went over with a bouquet of roses in her favorite color. But something was different. There was a black Trans Am parked in her driveway. He could hear voices inside. Brian’s heart stuttered as his finger hovered over the doorbell…
Welcome to the Indies Unlimited Flash Fiction Challenge. In 250 words or less, write a story incorporating the elements in the picture and the written prompt above. Do not include the prompt in your entry. The 250 word limit will be strictly enforced.Continue reading “Flash Fiction Challenge: Brian’s Blue Bouquet”
