Prompt: mud | Word Count: 250 words exactly | Genre: flash fiction
May 11, 2020
As Spring took hold of the region, water and ice receded and paths and trails that littered the nearby mountain range dried up and became passable. The Governor had reopened the wilderness, and Shannon was determined to take advantage. She pulled on her double-thickness hiking socks, laced her boots, filled her water bottle and placed snacks in her day pack.
From the trailhead parking lot, she could tell that she was not the only local interested in some quality time in the great outdoors. She managed to squeeze her car into a spot at the end of a row. She noticed that her left wheel had found a patch of mud and sunk several inches. Since her other wheels were anchored on solid ground, she didn’t worry.
After several hours traversing the mountain, she’d noticed that wildlife had taken full advantage of human’s absence. Bear scat, deer tracks and an abundance of rabbits and squirrels littered the path. Still the quiet of the woods was welcome solace after endless days inside. Her PB&J had never tasted better. She gulped her water then packed the remains into her pack and headed out.
When she returned to start her car, the wheel spun out, spewing mud everywhere, but the vehicle remained stubbornly ensconced. A fellow hiker came to her aid with a flat piece of cardboard that they shoved beneath the tire. Carefully she eased her car from the spot, she waved thanks and goodbye, pleased with her day out.
cecekay 