Too Late

The click of a camera caught his attention, his smile widened as he took in his blond athletically trim wife.

“You are so beautiful Mrs. Allen.”

David wrapped her in a hug and smelled the fruity sent of her shampoo. The ring of her silver laughter caused the deer to look up quizzically and Ann untangled her arms from her husband’s just enough to click of some more shots. Finished, she leaned back into David’s broad chest and they watched the mother and baby trot back into the forest.

“Being back out here makes me miss Matt.” Ann sighed; she felt David tense and draw back.

“You haven’t talked to him have you?”

“I almost went to his house that day, the day before we came out here,” David remembered the meandering drive and three times he called Matt and then hung up.

“He misses you David, and I know you miss him. Be the bigger man and go talk to your brother,” Ann pleaded.

“I will, when we get back, I promise.”

“How about now?” Ann held out her cell, a satellite phone courtesy of her boss who wanted the nature pictures ASAP.

David looked from her to the phone and back to Ann. The look in his wife’s eye said he didn’t have a choice if he wanted to sleep in the cabin tonight. He flipped the phone open and punched in his brother’s phone number.

“Dad,” Matt was a little surprised to hear his father’s voice answer. “I’m calling Matt…oh,” David covered his face. “Yeah Dad, we’ll be there tomorrow.” David clicked off.

“David, what?” Ann asked.

“Umm,” David struggled to collect himself. “Matt’s dead, Dad found him this morning. He slipped on some water on the floor, hit his head on the counter top… and died.”


A story about someone finding a dead body
Word count 300