DAY 27 OF FLASH AUGUST FICTION. What a cool day here in this usually hot region. It has been threatening rain and cool breezes are in the air. I think I’ll write about desert rain. Again, I want to thank everyone because my podcast has made a stride in the last month. It’s cool. It makes me feel good. Thank you. If you are a non-corporate truth-teller, Journalist type, who does the important work, DM me for a free “paid” subscription.
Desert Rain
Not Much to It
791 WORDS WRITTEN IN ABOUT 45 MINUTES.
Sam Miller and his son Jack are waiting for the swell of rain to shrink enough to be able to continue on the State highway. It’s pretty dry around here, and there isn’t a lot of absorption. The rain water flows according to gravity, and that is the purpose of having dips in the road. They were the first to hold up, and the line of traffic behind them is building. It’s not their fault, there’s nothing they can do about it.
One by one, cars come up alongside them to check the level of the swell. Even little cars, less than half the size of their truck, have to come and check. Then they have to reverse their way back, risking accidents. It’s so dumb.
Suddenly, the rain picks up again, the swell is only going to increase. They’re going to have to wait longer. They start the truck again, so they can run the wipers in Sam’s beloved, lifted 1989 Dodge Power Ram.
“Can you text home, so they know we’re just waiting out the rain?” Sam asks Jack.
“Already did.” Jack replies.
“What’s mom doing?” Sam asks.
“She said she’d keep dinner warm.” Said Jack.
Just then, a truck larger than theirs drives by and decides to brave the swell. It’s a terrible idea, especially when it’s raining, because the water is moving faster than it looks.
“Oh boy, here we go.” Sam says.
Jack sits up in his seat for a better view of the potential calamity. The truck pulls in front of them, all the way over to the right, halfway on the shoulder. The driver surges the truck forward and turns the wheels all the way to the right. The truck starts to be pushed to the left, but the front wheels catch the pavement on the other side, he guns it while straightening out, and pulls the truck through.
“Don’t ever try to do anything like that, you hear?” Sam tells Jack.
“No problem.” Jack replies.
The rain stops, and they shut down the wipers and the truck, but the swell is still moving pretty fast. It’s a monsoon on the other side of the valley, and that water is carrying down.
“This sucks.” Jack says.
“This is a long one, for sure.” Sam responds.
Sam and Jack get out of the truck and climb up to the truck bed, so they can get a look at the monsoon.
“It won’t be long now, that’s pretty much dead over there and the sky is clearing.” Sam says.
No sooner than they get in the truck, a pack of coyotes goes swimming by in the swell. It seems like a lot of panic, between them.
“What are coyotes doing out here during the day?” Jack asks.
“That’s a first.” Sam replies. “They must have gotten washed out of their den with the monsoon somewhere. “I have never seen that in my life.” Sam says. "I think the alphas are trying to stay with their young. The littler ones probably can’t navigate this. That’s the only reason I can think that they wouldn’t just move over, out of the swell.”
“Maybe they feel safer there, in the daylight, being where two-leggeds can’t get to them.” Jack adds.
“Could be, could be.” Sam says.
The next thing they see is a lot of refuse floating along the surface. Lots of water bottles, a cooler, some tied up bags of garbage, and some shoes.
“Campers, or migrant’s stuff? Jack wonders.
“I don’t know.” Sam says. “I just hope there aren’t some unlucky people on the other end of that.” These monsoons man. You should be up there at all, especially not during monsoon season.” It’s either campers who don’t know better, or migrants taking a chance.”
Jack agrees. “People don’t know that lightning will strike up there out of a clear blue sky, ain’t no reason tot go up there.”
The clear sky from the other side of the valley catches up to them, and the swell has slowed considerably. The vehicles all waiting behind Sam and Jack are starting up. They also start the truck.
“Let’s get home.” Sam says.
“That’s the most excitement around here in a while.” Jack says.
The End
Not much to it is right! What a boring story! Usually by the time I get to the end something interesting happens. Not this time, I guess. My head is all emptied out!! LOL. Here are the thoughts behind, and a formula regarding this type of writing. Typically it does not go like this. LOL. Oh well.Thank you to all the independent, non-corporate media people out there. I hope I can give you some light entertainment once in a while. Thank you so much for listening, or reading. This is the Smell the Inside of Your Nose. Do it Right Now podcast. I hope you might get a free or paid subscription, or buy me a coffee, or donate some bitcoin. I wish you the best. I’m Herschel Sterling, and I’m here to help.
Desert Rain