Flash Fiction Entry #3: Cool Water

The third chance to qualify to compete in the October TUFFest Ride event during the 2018 Flash Fiction Rodeo at Carrot Ranch ended yesterday at midnight.

If you missed this free-write, you have more chances to enter. You can enter more than once. Next qualifying free-writes will reveal secret prompts:

• September 19, 2018 (12:00 am – 11:59 pm)
• September 25, 2018 (12:00 am – 11:59 pm)

I had a lot of fun writing this! Here is the entry I sent:

Barry flipped through the channels on his television, settling on a reality show about vacationing in Maui. It was raining on the island and coincidentally, it was also raining at Barry’s house. Barry laughed at the fools on the TV show, attempting to do their crazy challenges in the rain, hoping to win a prize. He could just imagine the heat, the humidity, the dampness—was that a drop of water on his face?

Barry wiped his forehead. He called for the dog, expecting to find Rex drooling somewhere nearby. When you owned a Great Dane, drool had a way of getting everywhere. Barry could hear Rex get up in the next room. His nails clicked as he lumbered across the hardwood floor. Barry felt something wet on his arm. The dog settled himself on a giant pillow in a sunbeam. Sunlight streamed through the front window. Barry frowned and turned down the volume on the TV. He was certain he had heard rain. Barry felt another drop of cool water. His chest tightened as he looked up. There was an ugly dark stain spreading across the ceiling.

Barry flung himself out of his chair and flew upstairs, his socks sliding across the wet floor as he turned the corner. The sound of water cascaded like a mountain river, filling the narrow hallway. There was water—oh so many gallons of water—but it wasn’t a river. It was the upstairs bathroom sink overflowing the basin and pouring onto the floor—destroying cabinets, flooring, and the living room ceiling on its journey.

Barry frantically grabbed as many towels as he could carry. He sloshed around in the water. Suddenly, the plight of those reality show stars in Maui didn’t seem so funny and right now, he could use a cash prize.

(297 Words Carrot Ranch 2018 Flash Fiction Rodeo)

xo Juli