Fall is in the air. Leaves are beginning to change. We wake to cooler mornings. This month has been a little off for me so far, but I hope to straighten that out for the last half.
Labor Day weekend came and went, with the passing of the county fair, which for the first year in several I decided to go and enjoy some fair French fries (or for my British friends crisps), fried dough, and some good old fashioned horse/pony pulling.
Tracey Mackillop with her ponies Hank and Prince,
miniature horses which—depending on the class—measure
between 28 inches to the top of the shoulders and 34 inches
The blacked out faces I do not have consent to publish.
Fair season, once upon a time, was my favorite time of year. Our family went to all of the local ones. Even some not so local. When the kids grew up and moved away, and both my husbands and my health was not so well, we were forced to stop. These days I lean toward the spring flowers, but don't hesitate to go to a pulling event when I am able.
Today I am going to share with you my Furious Fiction Round for April. The requirements are 500 words or less in 55 hours; it also must include: beginning in some kind of queue, the words CROSS, DROP and LUCKY, and it also must include a map.
So here we go. The title is:
"The Disappearance"
Lucy and Johnathan sat in their car third in line for the ferry ride, waiting in the queue to load the boat.
“I’m so excited Johnathan, I’ve never crossed a body of water on a ferry before.”
“Well then, sweetie, I guess today is your lucky day.”
Lucy snuggled in close to Johnathan while they drove on to the ferry. They parked and got out of the truck. Lucy dragged Johnathan to the side of the boat and held him close. When he took out his phone to look at the maps function to determine where they needed to drive when they got off the ferry.
“Lucy, the map here says that we need to turn right when we offload.”
“Ok, the ride is only another 20 minutes, so let’s just stand here until we get close to the shore again. We can enjoy the cool breeze in our faces while we smell the salty air. We can even watch for dolphins or whales. You know just relax until we get over there.”
Little did he know, she had a different plan all laid out for when they arrived at the other side. Johnathan wrapped his arms around her and held her in a firm embrace.
They approached the off-load ramp at the shoreline and Lucy spoke, “I have to use the restroom. I will be right back.”
Johnathan climbed into the car to wait for her. They pulled up to the shore, and he waited until it was his turn to offload. His eyes darted in all directions, frantically looking for Lucy. They ushered him off the boat and he waited at the end of the dock. He waited until long after the ferry had reloaded and headed back towards the other side.
Lucy watched from the lower deck of the ferry, wearing a different jacket and a baseball cap. She saw how Johnathan pulled off to the side, waiting for something that would never arrive. Once the ferry docked again, Lucy offloaded and dropped her phone in the nearest waste barrel, after smashing it between her feet and the hard ground.
Toby walked up to her and smiled, “You ok?”
“I’m fine. Wouldn’t it have been easier to just tell him, though?”
“No, this way you get to start over with nothing in the past hindering you. He will get over it.” He let out a cruel laugh, "Or die with it on his mind. Either way, you get a fresh start."
Toby grabbed his phone from his pocket and dialed a number. “Hi Ma’am,” he spoke in a frantic tone. “I am at the Wildwood Ferry and I just saw a person with long red hair fall over the edge of the boat. I would have called sooner, but I had no service.”
Clicking his phone off, shutting it down completely, before he too smashed the phone between his heel and pavement, he dropped his phone with Lucys. He turned and looked at her, “So, what name do you want this time around?”
I've never made the long list with these entries, but some day maybe. My goal at the beginning of the year was to enter every month and as of this day 9/15/21, I am, so far, successful in reaching that goal.
Be sure to check out my new book reviews as of late, I have been fortunate enough to have been able to read some very outstanding books.
Sunny and Sam, big ponies under 50 inches tall
Until the end of the month I wish you all good health and happy reading. See you soon.