Blogflash: Day Seventeen: Graveyard

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Photograph by Lisa Shambrook (please do not use without permission)

Day Seventeen: Graveyard
Flood Part Thirteen

“Have you thought much about what’s below us?”
“I’m trying not to sweetheart.”
“I feel like a ghost…with bad hair…”
“Look at me, no look at me…in my eyes. We’re alive…barely right now, I know, but we’re alive. No, don’t sigh or shake your head. We’re not down there, we’re not amongst the ruins, we’re here!”
“I can’t even cry…look no tears left, not even salty ones. My hair’s straw, my lips chapped and sore, and we’ve both lost more than a few pounds…we’re ghosts lost at sea.”
“Listen to me!  We’re not dead…yet! We’re still among the living!”

(99 Words)

Blogflash: Day Sixteen: Different World

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Photograph by Lisa Shambrook (please do not use without permission)

Day Sixteen: Different World
Flood Part Twelve

“See it?”
“Yes, I see it, but it’s too choppy to reach…”
“We have to reach it!”
“I know, but how? I don’t want to slip overboard…”
“Is there no way you can reach it, even with the pole? What about the row boat?”
“Too choppy, too rough!”
“But we need it, it’ll contain water and we’re on our last bottle…” Waves slapped the hull and sent stinging spray across the deck. “Life didn’t used to be this difficult!”
“Things aren’t what they used to be…”
And the crate, swathed in parachute silk, floated just out of reach…

(98 Words)

Back to Day Fifteen

Blogflash: Day Fifteen: Books

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Photograph by Lisa Shambrook (please do not use without permission)

Day Fifteen: Books
Flood Part Eleven

“Hold on! Hold on tight!”
“I am!”
The boat swayed violently and the squealing wind screamed across the fierce, churning waves.
“Go down below!”
The wind whipped words away. “…not leaving…”
“Then hold on to me…don’t you dare let go!”
Sea-spray soaked the deck and words had to be shouted to be heard above the crash of the ocean.
“I’m expecting a sea-serpent or the Kraken to rise out of this squall!”
“What was that sweetheart?”
“I’m waiting for a Leviathan or the Kraken!”
“Sorry dear, your literary references are going way over my head…much like this storm!”

(98 Words)

Back to Day Fourteen

Blogflash: Day Fourteen: Children

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Photograph by Lisa Shambrook (please do not use without permission)

Day Fourteen: Children
Flood Part Ten

“What are you doing down here? Thought I’d lost you!”
“Yeah right…this boat is soooo big!”
“What you looking at? Oh…”
“At least they didn’t take these.”
Album pages slowly turned in the dim corner of the cabin and a framed photograph was held in shaking hands. Tears dripped and splashed onto the inset glass, soft sobs echoed and a heavy sniff, poorly disguised as a sigh, reverberated in the claustrophobic room.
A cloak of grief encompassed the reluctant sailors.
“Do you think we’ve lost them?”
A kiss on a wet cheek was all that could fill the wordless moment.

(100 Words)

Blogflash: Day Thirteen: Forest

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Photograph by Lisa Shambrook (please do not use without permission)

Day Thirteen: Forest
Flood Part Nine

“How long does it take to drift anywhere?”
“How long does it take to drown a planet?”
“Do you know what I miss most?”
“Steak and chips?”
“Ha ha, that’s a man’s answer! You fed up with fish eh? No, I miss trees…”
“Hmmm, that worries me.”
“It does? Why?”
“Look around…no trees, the only vegetation is seaweed. What does that mean for the world? I meant it when I said the planet’s been drowned. No trees, no oxygen, no life.”
On the tranquil ocean only the light splash of rippling waves against the hull broke the imposing silence.

(99 Words)

Blogflash: Day Twelve: Celebration

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Photograph by Lisa Shambrook (please do not use without permission)

Day Twelve: Celebration
Flood Part Eight

“I’m scared.”
“I know.”
“It’s just got really scary, when we saw the other boat I thought we’d be safe, you know…other people…”
“I know.”
“…but they weren’t, they didn’t want to help…they just…”
“I know, it wasn’t what we expected.”
“Not at all! And look at me, I’m shivering!”
“It’s foggy and cold, zip up your jacket.”
“And that makes me more scared; we can’t see anything out there…”
“Please don’t cry…”
Fog coiled around the gently rocking boat.
“Come back here darling, don’t leave me!”
“I’m not, but look; I hid some of the food…chocolate?”

(97 Words)

Blogflash: Day Eleven: Greed

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Photograph by Lisa Shambrook (please do not use without permission)
Day Eleven: Greed

Flood Part Seven

“Come now sweetheart, stop crying…it could’ve been worse…”
“I don’t see how!”
“I’m okay, you’re okay…”
“What’s your definition of ‘okay’? Look at these bruises and you’ve got a horrible cut on your head and I can’t get you to hospital to see if…”
“I’m fine!  Bruises will go, at least we’re still here.”
“But with no food, no fuel and they took tools too! That wasn’t land you saw in the distance…”
“Civilian pirates and no scruples. That’s what the world is now. Dog-eat-dog.”
“…and we’re the little dog.”
“Come on, please…don’t cry, please don’t cry…”

(97 Words)

Blogflash: Day Ten: Success

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Photograph by Lisa Shambrook (please do not use without permission)
Day Ten: Success
Flood: Part Six
“No really, I can see something…”
“Where? All I can see is mist…”
“Over there…I told you we needed a dove!”
“A dove dear?”
“To send out and check for land.”
The wind whistled across the stern and the engine’s soft hum groaned, and coughed and spluttered then was gone.
“That’s that then.”
“We knew the fuel wouldn’t last…”
“Then let’s hope that’s land.”
The boat rocked, silently.
“Do we drop anchor or drift? Or lick your finger and stick it in the air?”
“I’m checking the wind…and that is definitely land…I’m positive! Oh for a dove!”
(97 Words)

Blogflash: Day Nine: Journey

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Photograph by Lisa Shambrook (please do not use without permission)
Day Nine: Journey
Flood: Part Five

“So, how’re you doing down there in the baby boat?”
“Just fine…reclining like a mermaid and dragging my hand through the water. Just keep me attached, don’t let me drift away…”
“There’s only you and me on this boat, only you and me on this whole damned ocean, I’m not letting you go anywhere!” Rippling waves lapped at the sides of the rowing boat and salty tears dripped from the taut, thick rope between both vessels. A light breeze fluttered across the deck. “Couldn’t, wouldn’t do this on my own, we started this journey together and we’ll end it the same.”

(101 Words)

Back to Day Eight…

Blogflash: Day Eight: Relaxing

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Photograph by Bekah Shambrook (Please do not use without permission)

Day Eight: Relaxing
Flood Part Four:

“I’m so bored.”
“Why don’t you go beneath deck and relax? You do look tired dear.”
“There’s nothing to do and the last time I sat watching the damned ocean I was in a deck chair…and we’re running out of supplies…”
“Our supplies are fine dear. Didn’t you take a look at the stuff we picked up the other day?”
“Oh, the box with the parachute? Yes, I s’pose we’ll last a bit longer…and the parachute does mean we’re not out here alone…”
“There you go then, go down below and take a nap. I’m going to catch some rays…”

(100 Words)

Back to Day Seven…

We’ll be following this couple for a few more days…