Leaf Fight

Winner--10/26/08

ID: 896794   (Rated: 13+) Daily Flash Fiction Challenge  Enter your story of 300 words or less. Note new starting time! by arakun the twisted raccoon

         The old man called from the back porch, “An’ when you get done raking’ them leaves put em in the bags and put em by the curb. How many times I got to tell you the same thing?”

         Gary kept raking, “Yes, Grandpa,” he said. Then under his breath, he said, “Crazy old man! Why doesn’t he die like everybody else his age?”

         The whole back yard was littered with leaves mostly from the trees that flourished along the property line. Cut those down and get rid of the leaves, Gary thought. Usually the old bastard doesn’t care what the yard looks like but all of a sudden he gets this bug he wants it raked.

         Gary paused and looked up at the house. The old man shouted, “Stop yer lollygagging and get raking! You ain’t working for the damn WPA!”

         Gary kept raking. He wondered why he let the old man treat him this way. Time was when his grandfather was a giant of a man and Gary was a little boy. But now Gary no longer needed to fear the beatings that had terrified him so much when he came here to live, an orphaned child of eight. At fifteen, he thought, he was well able to take the old man any time he wanted a fight. With that he threw down the rake. He stood defiant as the old man came toward him, swinging the belt. Gary yanked the belt out of the gnarled hands and threw it into the leaf pile.


         A little later he set a row of plastic bags at the curb, mostly filled with leaves, but a couple of the bags were a little heavier than the others.


285 words