Men Will Be Men (1st Place)

The chirping birds flitted about, as the twinkling of sunlight filtered through the tender shoots of a nearby bush. Josh paused to take in the peace and serenity. After three long days of hiking, he had finally reached his destination – A quiet rock-walled canyon with a picturesque waterfall cascading down into a crystal clear pool that radiated with sparkling minerals. The call of the birds created a soft echo that slipped through the crop of trees jutting out over the water. He’d been here once before with his father. Just as I remembered it.

He breathed in the sweet air. Josh halted. What's that smell? He sniffed again. Smoke? He wondered. No, not smoke exactly. More like a charcoal grill? That doesn’t make any sense. His curiosity came to the fore. Something isn’t right.

Josh began the slow ascent up the rocky wall. He was careful not to disturb the plant life, and peeked his head above the edge. There stood a cabin complete with deck, a humming generator, grill, and satellite dish. Josh could not believe his eyes. Three days of painstaking, methodical hiking to arrive at the back door of some rich guy’s cabin built upon the only pristine paradise he knew. It wasn’t fair. This was wrong – the last straw. Encroaching upon this kind of sacred ground was akin to heresy, and he wasn’t going to take it.

Josh marched up to the deck with a new found fire in his soul, his mind churning about what he would say to this man. He knocked on the door.

The door swung open to reveal a raven-haired woman about his age. Her voluptuous lips glistened in the sun, as her curvy body hugged a silky dress.

“Uhhh. Hi. I’m Josh. Would you... care for some company?”


298 Words
Flash Story Must contain: charcoal, echo, straw