Forest Bathing: 99 Word Flash Fiction

Posted on April 23, 2018 by Irene Waters 19 Writer Memoirist

With difficulty Aaron place rollers under the cast iron tub then heaved  it from behind.  Imperceptibly it moved. For three days he pushed until eventually it sat in a small dell surrounded by the green forest which towered above him. He sank to his knees. Collecting wood for the fire he’d burn underneath the bath was the next chore. Then water. A big sigh showed his exhaustion. He stripped and stood arms stretched to the sky, legs akimbo, his body bathed in sunlight. His head tipped back, tall trees looming above him he said  “Bath for barbeque. Shinrin Yoku.”

In response to Charli’s prompt where she asks:

April 19, 2018, prompt: In 99 words (no more, no less) write a story about forest bathing. You can use the Japanese term, Shinrin Yoku, or you can make up your own ideas about the phrase. Go where the prompt leads.

Respond by April 24, 2018. Use the comment section below to share, read and be social. You may leave a link, pingback or story in the comments.

If you want your story published in the weekly collection, please use this form. If you want to interact with other writers, do so in the comments (yes, that means sharing your story TWICE — once for interaction and once for publication). Rules are here.

 

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.
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16 Responses to Forest Bathing: 99 Word Flash Fiction

  1. Miriam Hurdle says:
    April 23, 2018 at 4:07 pm

    Haha, let me think if I like a barbecue bath… Humm. It might be fun…

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  2. Sharon Bonin-Pratt says:
    April 23, 2018 at 6:13 pm

    Aaron has worked too hard to appreciate this moment of serenity. I’ll step into the tub instead. Aaaahhhh.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  3. goroyboy says:
    April 24, 2018 at 12:01 pm

    I can hear the crackle of the cedar kindling.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  4. anuragbakhshi says:
    April 24, 2018 at 7:56 pm

    Ha ha ha, if the forest will not come to the bathtub, the bathtub will have to go to the forest!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  5. robbiesinspiration says:
    April 25, 2018 at 3:31 am

    Very nice response, Irene.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  6. Pingback: Forest Bathing « Carrot Ranch Literary Community

  7. Charli Mills says:
    April 26, 2018 at 2:12 pm

    Ah, that would be nice, like a hot tub in the woods. Where I grew up, we had a hot spring outside of town and I loved soaking, looking up into the trees. Nice one!

    Liked by 1 person

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