Generations (2nd Place)

Deborah quickened her pace. The familiar limestone crags and worn path before her, she could feel the wind mischievously play with her graying hair as she neared the summit. The sun, hidden by a bank of clouds, had just emerged and rained down strands of gold upon her glistening skin. Her muscles cried for relief and her head spun, but she trudged on.

A hawk circled high above in majestic flight and constant vigilance for his next meal. Debbie paused only for a moment to catch her fading breath. The thin air and chill bore upon her. Her intent, however, outweighed everything else. A mere shadow of herself in her younger years, she would reach the summit and view the hidden valley once again.

She reached for her nylon rope and thread it into the eyelits. Twenty feet up a sheer rock was her last obstacle. I don’t know if I have the strength. A tear escaped her eye and left a cold streak down her cheek. I must make it!

Laboring for what seemed like hours she collapsed upon the tiny plateau. Her body exhausted. Her eyes scanned the hidden valley and the sun’s rays cast shadows all about the kaleidoscope of colors. A peace rushed over her.

……………………..


“Well where could she have gone?” Nurse Prater looked sternly at the duty nurse.

“She was here when I left my shift. Don’t ask me.”

Nurse Prater held the medical chart in her hand. “Her condition is critical. She’ll die without her meds. Search the building!”

Samantha stared at the hospital bed where her mother laid for the last three months. She nodded, knowingly, and smiled. She always said she’d never die in a hospital hooked to machines. I’d best get my climbing gear.


296 Words


Flash Story
Limited to 300 words
Must contain the words: clouds, rope, shadow