Kenestra

The Writer's Cramp - 7/24/25 - W/C 609

Kenestra

Ken adjusted his fedora. “Ah, looks just perfect.” He twisted back and forth in front of the mirror.

“What are you doing?”

“Checking the fit. Does it look okay?”

Maya turned him around. “Where are you going in that hat?”

“Um. Out? I have a trip planned.”

“Today? Today we were going to the spring thing. Remember?”

“Ooops. Nope. Totally forgot. Gotta run.” He kissed Maya.

She watched as he ran out the front door to the Jeep and sped off.

“Hey! Get back here!” yelled Maya.

Ken drove for days. He’d found a city a few months ago. He was amazed at the building technique of the skyscrapers. Such amazing architectural details found in the remote area he was sure had to made by an ancient civilization schooled by some alien beings.

The Jeep bounced over the rutted road. Ken spotted the white bandana he’d tied to a branch a few weeks back. It marked the path to the city in the woods.
A day’s hike into overgrown woods led him to the site. Towering buildings, winding roads, peaceful lagoons all hidden in the foothills of the Rockies.

“Finally! Now we’ll get the pictures and make this place famous!”

Ken fiddled with a tripod, adjusted the camera, the focus, the f-stop. He grabbed the shutter remote to take some shots.

Into the picture flew a huge bird. Then giant reptiles lumbered by. Soon huge mammals filled the tiny camera screen. Ken kept clicking the shutter and feeling quite proud.

“This will get the attention of all the archaeologists and news outlets and all this other scientific people and…and…” He kept taking photos. Soon the memory chip was full and his battery dead.

The trip back home again took days. The days spent fine tuning the discussion with the press, the book ideas, the movie rights.

“I’ll be famous! A lost city! It was there all along. Hidden in the forest. And I found it!”

As Ken drove into his driveway, Maya came out the front door.

“Where have you been?”

Ken jumped out of the Jeep, ran to her and hugged her. “Wait til you hear! I found the most wonderful ancient city! It’s all perfect, hidden in the mountains and pristine!”

Maya peeled off his arms. “What? An ancient city in the mountains? You’re crazy. Get your stuff and get out. I’m done.”

“Come on Maya! It’s great! Let me show you.” Ken grabbed the camera and showed Maya image after image to her. “See? A wonderful ancient abandoned city, just as the people left it. And all those ancient animals still there! It’s gold, I tell you!”

Maya started to laugh hysterically. “You…really…think…” Doubled over in laughter, she started again, “You…oh mercy…” then ran into the house laughing.

“I called it ‘Kenestra’!” Ken shouted then ran after her.
Once in their house, he found Maya on the couch, still laughing.

“What is so funny?”

“Give me a few…” She kept on laughing.

“Well I don’t see what is so funny! I spent days, I spent time, I found this ancient city. Don’t you see how famous we’ll be?”

“Oh Ken!” More laughs. “Really?” More laughs. “You didn’t notice that the…” Laughs continued. “The ‘lost city of Kenestra’…” Now Maya was off the couch and on the floor laughing, the kind of laughing that brings tears.

“What? What is so blasted funny?”

“Those are LEGOs! You found someone’s LEGOs project! And your ancient reptiles and birds and such. Just random forest animals. I…just…cannot…” Maya rolled on the floor, laughing. “Your lost city of whatever…”

“Kenestra!”

"I call BS, Ken. It's not real."







W/C 609