Friday, November 18, 2011

Scissors

Chuck Wendig, author of DOUBLE DEAD, issued a flash fiction challenge, Frog Powder Seagull Tower Scissors. Pick one and write 100 words. Here's my 100 (and 8) words and the 179 words it was whittled from.

108

The pair reached the top of the dune and beheld more dunes.

“Michaud?”
 
“Forde?”

“We only have enough water for one of us to return. Or both of us to die halfway there…”

“No, one of us must warn them.”

“What d’you recommend? Arm wrestlin’?”

“No, I think something less taxing. Rochambeau?”

“Fair dinkum.”

“Is that a ‘yes’?”

“Oui.”

“Very well then, let us begin.”

Two fists sat in two palms. Michaud counted.

“Roh. Sham. Bo.”

“Bugger.”

The Australian had paper, the Frenchman scissors. Forde handed his canteen to Michaud. Michaud turned and walked away.


178

The pair reached the top of the dune and beheld more dunes.

"Michaud?"

"Forde?"

"We are well and truly forked, moan amy. We only have enough water for one
of us to return. Or both of us to die halfway there..."

"No, mite, one of us must warn them."

"What d'you recommend? Arm wrestlin'?"

"Hon hon hon. You are very droll, monsieur. No, I think something less
taxing. Rochambeau?"

"Fair dinkum."

"Is that a 'yes'?"

"Oui."

"Very well then, let us begin."

Two fists sat in two plams. Michaud counted.

"Roh. Sham. Bo."

"Bugger."

The Australian had paper, the Frenchman scissors. Forde handed his canteen to Michaud.

"I will send help immediately."

"You do that. Good luck, Jean-Paul. Tell her I love her."

"Tell who, Frank?"

"The best lookin' one you can find, mate."

Michaud smiled.

"Just so, mon ami."

He turned and walked away.

Forde sat in the powdery sand and watched Michaud walk away, but in his mind's eye he was back in the lifeguard tower at Bondi with a sea breeze, sheilas, and shrieking gulls.

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