I thought I would attempt some fiction this time, it’s been a while…
Jack and Jill
“It’s got to be here somewhere, I just know it!” Jack huffed and puffed as he frantically swept his gaze here and there.
Jill was following calmly.
Even she was just as excited to get to the cave, but she was fully aware of where it was, unlike her scatterbrained brother.
As children, they would walk up nature’s stone staircase towards the mouth of the cave, and spend many hours playing. It was their private den, untouched by others, kitted out with all sorts of essentials, so they didn’t have to keep rushing home in the day. There were stools and a tiny table. Mother had given them some cups and plates, and cutlery so they could eat their picnic lunch in comfort.
There was even a little candle holder with candles so they had light, And a little box with pens and paper so they could write secret notes to one another.
Often, they would find ‘treasures’ on their walks and these were stored in a small biscuit tin, things like special leaves, and pebbles, and the odd bit of metal they found.
It was these ‘treasures’ that brought them back to their old cave today, 20 years later.
Watching his portly behind jiggling its way ahead of her, Jill wondered whether her brother would even fit inside anymore.
“Jill, I am so sure we found one of those! Do you remember? In that huge hole, that we spent the summer digging? It was a small golden coin, and on the news, they showed one just like it, that had been found a few miles from here. £100,000 they reckon it could be worth! An ancient coin from among the first the Romans had when they came over here! To think, if we have one, we could be in for a windfall sis!” Jack’s eyes glazed over with the haze of an imagined riches-fuelled future.
“Maybe Jack, maybe. Who knows if everything is still where we left it anyway? It may even be a den for today’s youngsters, and our inconsequential rubbish will mean nothing to them.” She had decided to accompany him, on a whim.
It might do him good to revisit the past, goodness knows his future hadn’t been so good to him. 31 and already divorced, with 2 children to support, and a greedy ex-wife, no job due to a recent redundancy, and an ever-expanding waistline… He was a stress-induced heart attack waiting to happen…
But life had been no bed of roses for her either. She was still single, a chapter book of failed romances behind her, debt-ridden with a catalogue of maxed-out credit card bills to pay and in danger of losing her flat, as she couldn’t afford the rent.
Of course, she could just move to a cheaper place, but what of her lifestyle? She deserved to live life to the fullest. So what if her credit cards had paid for the exorbitantly priced holidays, and nights out? If she wanted to attract the right sort of man, she needed to be in the right places.
And she would stop at nothing to continue to live behind this smokescreen of a life that she had created.
“Here! I knew we’d get there!” Jack was almost jumping with joy! He scrambled up the stairs to peer inside the cave, but that was all he could do. “Jill, you are going to need to go in, I can’t quite fit!”
“Move over then, tubster!” she said with a little fondness, looking at her sweaty faced little brother.
Going in was like stepping back into their childhood! It hadn’t been found by anyone else, and there was a blanket of dust and cobwebs gracing every surface. Scrambling around in her bag, Jill found the torch she had brought with her and switched it on.
Looking around, she saw the pair of now tiny chairs and the table. There was the candle holder and a small box of matches. And in the far corner was the small hole where they used to put the biscuit tin. Gingerly, she eased it out and opened the box. There was a huge amount of rubbish, rotten leaves, that crumbled in her hand, stones, and various rubbish that children found to be valuable at a young age, but nothing that was a true treasure. Jack must have been mistaken.
“Did you find it sis?” Jack called from the cave mouth.
“Yeah, I did,” she said, “but there’s nothing here…” Sifting through , her fingers felt something round and flat. Pulling it out, she realised that it was indeed a coin, rather like that one in the news.
“Come on then, bring the box out at least, so I can have a look!” Jack was eager to root through the rubbish too. Slipping the coin in her pocket, she made her way back to the entrance and handed him the tin.
“See, nothing but old crap, Jack, sorry.” She watched as he stood there, rooted to the spot, frantically pushing the leaves and stones from side to side.
“But, but! I was so sure. Seriously sis, don’t you remember that coin? I am so sure we found one like it… it was that day. You know, that day. When I fell down these steps and bumped my head. Mum was adamant that we don’t come here after that, but we still sneaked out!”
Oh yeah, I remember that day Jack, Jill thought, when you didn’t slip, but were given a helping hand, just a little one, on your journey down, just like the little assistance you’ll be getting now…
It wasn’t a long drop, just a few stone steps, but with his excess weight, it was like falling many feet, and that rock at the bottom served as a pretty sharp pillow to rest his head on, once he came to a halt. Crimson oozed from his temple, spreading across the stones, and pooling in the mud below.
“Sorry brother dearest…” Jill fingered her pocket, feeling the outline of the coin. This was going to get her out of some deep water, “…but don’t worry, I’ll chuck a few hundred at your kids too…”
Jack and Jill
Went in the cave
To fetch an antique coin
Jack got pushed
out of the way
and Jill cashed in a fortune
That Sacha… She’s back with another doozie of a prompt for Writespiration #93…
Your challenge this week is to set a piece of flash fiction under water. Write a story in less than 200 words. Paste in the comments or use a pingback and submit before 7th August.
Here’s my take… it is partly autobiographical… Yes, I have Scuba Dived, and yes I was a nervous wreck… but I did it, and what an amazing experience!!!!
Strictly Swim Dancing
They danced. Oh, how they danced.
And to think, I had been too scared to come here.
I would have missed Nature’s beautiful show!
Barely an hour had passed since I had been floundering in the shallow end of a swimming pool, trying to fathom how to use the breathing apparatus on this darned Scuba diving tank. Finally, I was swimming under the water like a boss!… Then they transferred us to the sea, and the sand kicking up in my face was too much. I couldn’t do it.
I told the lovely instructor to continue without me, that I would sit it out on the beach, while the rest of the group continued, but he was having none of it.
He held my hand, and led me onto the boat that was to take us to deeper waters. And he waited for me to fall into the ocean, guiding me every second of the way.
And boy, was I glad he did! Looking out of my goggles, at the myriad of fish waltzing around me was amazing.
It was like watching a thousand dancers in one ballroom, synchronised to the millisecond.
Friday gave me Ronovan’s Fiction Prompt, but as I have been a little out of sorts (read totally exhaustipated!) I was unable to get my head into gear.
The prompt word was Holiday.
So I decided to take a break too this week. Lara is having a holiday! She will be back next week, full of bumbling exploits with her crew.
Sorry… Cheesy excuse, but I seriously am so tired, that the old brain isn’t quite ticking as well as usual!
I sat with my computer on for hours, in front of me, and not one word formed when it came to Lara, so I figured, rather than feed you an awful chapter, we can have a break, and by then I will be on holiday too, and hopefully refreshed, I can get Lara’s story going again!
My daddy pointed it out to me one day, during a walk on the beach near our house.
We would stand there, feet tickled by the ripples as the tide rolled in and out.
“One day Becky, we are going to live there, on that little bit of paradise, away from the world. Just our little family.” We would make all sorts of silly plans for out future on the mysterious island.
Then he announced that he was off on an adventure. He whispered to me that he was going to the island on his little boat, and he was going to stake a claim on it. It was our secret. I even helped him make a flag to fly there, once he arrived.
He promised that when he was back, we would pack our things and sail back there, and make a home for ourselves.
He was gone for days.
Mummy was fine at first, then after the first couple of days, she started to fret. He never went away for this long without telling her in full detail. This time, he had been a little elusive, and just mentioned that he had work. She called friends and family to no avail, and then the police.
In the end, I had to tell her our secret. That daddy was off exploring, and sailing to the island that we used to see on the horizon.
It was so manic around our house, then they told us they had found a boat, and they believed it was Daddy’s. It was washed up on some rocks, not far from where we would stand and look out at our dream home.
Mummy cried so much. But I couldn’t understand why she was upset. Daddy hadn’t been found. My flag wasn’t in the boat.
It was obvious to me. Daddy had got to the island and was flying my flag there. He was just waiting for us to make our way there.
So now, I still go and stand, feet in the water, gazing out at the speck of land, rising from the horizon. If I look hard enough, I am sure I can see a flag flying.
It won’t be long daddy, I’ll be there soon. It took a lot of convincing, but mummy finally let me have sailing lessons, and when I get a boat, I’ll sail over to you, so we can make our dream come true…
Tuesday is also Matt the Book Blogger’s Flash Fiction Prompt day!
The prompt song is Christina Aguilera’s ‘Say Something’.
It’s funny, this song reminds me of my Lil Princess, as she always sings it, and I didn’t know what the song was… (Getting old, me!) Well, now I know!
Inspired entirely by the part in the video where the elderly man is with his sick wife… ( I had tears in my eyes watching that part of the video…
“Bet, say something. Bet? Lillibet? My sweet, I know you can hear me. Just give my hand a squeeze so I know you’re not annoyed with me. I’m sorry I didn’t get your favourite gingernuts. The doctor wasn’t sure you’d be up to eating them. But I did sneak in a Bakewell Slice. I know how much you love them.”
Frank looked at the sleeping figure, and his eyes welled up. His Bet was such a chatterbox, you couldn’t keep her quiet usually.
But I Smile Anyway... 