My prompt:
I walk Rim Road at my own peril: I have been warned.
An errant twig snaps under my hiking book; birds scatter to the sky. I stop...and listen. Crickets, squirrels, leaves buffeted by Nature's exhale, the rumbling of my stomach, and the hammering of my heart are the sounds that jump out to greet my vigilance.
The forest closes in as I approach the rotted gate. My trembling hand reaches for the latch as the warning rattles my every fiber. "Never go past old man Miller's gate. Rim Road will be your last destination...of this world.
My story for writing.com using their prompt too (Prompt: I don't like this)
Rim Road
We walk Rim Road at our own peril.
An errant twig snaps under my hiking book; birds scatter to the
sky.
“What was that?” my brother asks.
“A twig.”
“No, something else,” he says.
We stop...and listen. Crickets, squirrels, leaves buffeted by
Nature's exhale, the rumbling of our stomachs, and the hammering of our hearts
are the sounds that jump out to greet us.
“I don’t like this,” Sammy says.
I’m scared, too, but can’t let on. He is my kid brother.
“We’re almost there, Sammy.”
The forest closes in as we approach the rotted gate. My trembling
hand reaches for the latch as my grandpa’s warning rattles my every fiber.
"Never go past old man Miller's gate. Rim Road will be your last
destination...of this world.
“Eddie, don’t! Remember the curse!”
“Oh, that is just a silly story Grandpa George told us,” I say,
but I ease my hand away.
We have come all this way on our Saturday adventure, intent on
trespassing on old man Miller’s property. He has been dead for years and his
house stands abandoned, but the curse remains, according to our grandfather.
“Oh, Sammy, don’t be a chicken!”
“I’m not being a chicken. Grandpa is a smart man.”
Our Grandpa George is a smart man and not prone to gossip or
exaggeration.
The two-story house stands in disrepair amongst the tall weeds. I
see movement in an upstairs window.
“I think we should go,” Sammy says.
“I guess,” I say without mentioning what I saw.
“Let’s go to the movies,” my kid brother says.
“Okay, let’s.”
We turn back and head home; I lead the way, looking back every so
often.
“Let’s pick up the pace so we don’t miss the matinee,” I say, as
we hurry home down Rim Road.
No comments:
Post a Comment