© irene waters 2016
“Good-bye”
“Thanks for a great stay.” Our farewells rang out with empty words, belying the couple’s desperation to get back to civilisation.
The truck roared off, disappearing in the cloud of dust that rose in its wake. I heard Caleb’s sigh of relief.”Who’d wear white in this wilderness.”
“City folk. They’d…” I broke off as I saw the driver, Sherwood, running towards us.
“Burning tree,” he panted. “Down over road. Can’t get through.Bogged car.” Absently he patted the cat.
Throwing a shovel at him Caleb yelled “get digging and push’em under.” I was already on the phone arranging transport.
In response to Charli’s 99 word flash fiction prompt where she asks:
February 10, 2016 prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story about wild spaces. Is it a wilderness or a patch of weeds in a vacant lot that attract songbirds. What is vital to the human psyche about wild spaces? Bonus points for inducing something cute and furry.
Respond by February 16, 2016 to be included in the weekly compilation. Rules are here. All writers are welcome!
About Irene Waters 19 Writer Memoirist
I began my working career as a reluctant potato peeler whilst waiting to commence my training as a student nurse. On completion I worked mainly in intensive care/coronary care; finishing my hospital career as clinical nurse educator in intensive care. A life changing period as a resort owner/manager on the island of Tanna in Vanuatu was followed by recovery time as a farmer at Bucca Wauka. Having discovered I was no farmer and vowing never again to own an animal bigger than myself I took on the Barrington General Store. Here we also ran a five star restaurant. Working the shop of a day 7am - 6pm followed by the restaurant until late was surprisingly more stressful than Tanna. On the sale we decided to retire and renovate our house with the help of a builder friend. Now believing we knew everything about building we set to constructing our own house. Just finished a coal mine decided to set up in our backyard. Definitely time to retire we moved to Queensland. I had been writing a manuscript for some time. In the desire to complete this I enrolled in a post grad certificate in creative Industries which I completed 2013. I followed this by doing a Master of Arts by research graduating in 2017. Now I live to write and write to live.
Reflections and Nightmares- Irene A Waters (writer and memoirist) 
An overstayed welcome? Must learn when to make that hasty retreat more hasty. You at least have more sympathy than Caleb.
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We discovered (when in Vanuatu and on the farm) that some people (really nice people) really freaked when removed from the safety of the city. Country for most was being in a town with all facilities the only difference being that you had to drive through bush to get there. Leave them in the bush and they count the minutes until they can get back to civilisation. You find yourself counting those minutes with them.
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Your last sentence is classic! 😀
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LOL 🙂
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Ha ha! You don’t want those visitors back. Sometimes we do just get stuck with unwelcome visitors that are hard to shift. I hope you get a good response from your phone call!
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They weren’t unwelcome so much as they were petrified of the wilderness they found themselves in. Their fear made them more than keen to return to civilisation but at the last minute they were stymied. We have had visitors though that are hard to shift…. 🙂
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You certainly know your wilderness, Irene – great flash.
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Thanks Anne and we’ve seen a few different reactions to people being placed in it and unable to escape.
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Ah! I knew this was here from my email, but when I made my list I overlooked it. Some days I need to tame the wild spaces where my mind wanders! It’s updated in the compilation. And what a fine flash it is! Not everyone is cut out for the wilderness. I like the tension you create between the one character’s understanding of “city folk” and the other’s lack of empathy.
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No problems Charli. You do such a great job I feel I shouldn’t comment but then I know you don’t mind. You are right that not everyone is cut out for wilderness. You probably find that where you are that some folk who visit are a little unnerved by your isolation and grizzlies.
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I like that you let me know so I have the chance to amend it! The grizzly spray section at the sporting good store in town is a good advertisement for not venturing too far into the wild. I’m happy to live off the Canadian highway and rail…I feel connected. 🙂
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When we had the farm we felt very isolated and at times wondered if the world had ended and we didn’t know it. When we moved to small acreage outside town with a railway line at the bottom of the garden we felt we had gone to heaven. We knew there was life out there but it didn’t impinge on us. Just perfect.
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Loved your city folk in the white. I lived in Geraldton for a year in WA and we had these big city conference honchos come to town and the support staff were al dressed in jeans, blue hirts and Akubras. Hello. They were obviously from the city and looked ridiculous. I went to an al-girls’ school and despite the warnings, there was always someone who wore inappropriate shoesa nd white bushwalking!
Love the photo too, by the way.
xx Rowena
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You’ve made me laugh Rowena. We had a group of Italians come to say. They were travelling on the cheap and the group leader told me that he knew he was in for problems when his group turned up dressed in gucci carrying samsonite bags.
Cheers Irene xx
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That’s funny too. Did you hear about this on the news. A plant called Hairy Panic going out of control in Wangaratta http://www.domain.com.au/news/wangarattas-hairy-panic-problem-could-soon-be-solved-20160219-gmy8z1/ xx Rowena
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That is funny only because I don’t have the problem. I’ve never seen anything like that before although I have seen tumbleweed.
Thanks for giving me the link.
Cheers Irene xx
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It’s apparently a very localised problem but it really looked like crazy stuff. I lived in Geraldton in WA for a year and they had really strong winds there and balls of tumbleweed swept along the beach. I’d never seen anything like it before being Sydney born and bred.
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Bet you are glad you aren’t in Geraldton over the last few days where they had temperatures 43.9 and 44.something. That would be hot.
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Great photo, loved your flash. I can just picture the guests’ faces, all dressed in white, desperate to leave, probably thinking they never will… great imagery Irene
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Glad you enjoyed it Sherri. Yes that fear of being trapped can be overpowering. One day you will read the real story that the seed of this bit of fiction came from. You’ll love the imagery you will get then.
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I can’t wait to read it Irene!
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Soon I promise.
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🙂
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LOL. 🙂
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