Image: Barbara Beacham
Finish the story begins with: “When the team heard the dam explode, they knew they had limited time to make it to safety.”
It became a matter of the calm before the storm and each man knew his role was the paddle like never before.
John and Phil up front screamed for the guys to paddle, they increased the tempo, navigating with great skill.
Bill and Will the middle men concentrated on the front guys and made every effort to maintain the stroke being given up front each man secretly wetting themselves at the possibility of the danger they were in.
Harry in the back was a rather sanguine character who believed the adrenaline rush the whole experience was providing him was something he didn’t want to miss.
Harry was hanging on, guiding the raft through the rapids with skill and precision, surprised at the inner calm he felt and all the time hearing behind him the gathering roar of the dam surge when….
Written for: https://mondaysfinishthestory.wordpress.com/2015/03/23/mondays-finish-the-story-march-23rd-2015/
Well, that certainly is a cliff hanger! LOL
Thank you Joy I appreciate you stopping by….
It was good!
. . . . . and . . . .
Ha…..maybe an extension of the prompt could be to write what you think happens next???
Possibility. I have Mallard making his decision, I could tell what happens to Harry as the damn surge approaches. Or, we could switch — you make Mallard’s decision, and I’ll see what happens to Harry! 🙂
When…what happens next Michael? I want to read more! Well done, and thank you for participating again. See you next week? I hope so! Be well… ^..^
Thanks Barb. Well next what happens is………..gulp!
And, then….
You know years ago I read a short story in which the tale was that at the local library the librarian discovered a whole heap of books with the last page missing. They investigated and discovered a possible suspect and just when you were about to turn the page to discover who did it there was nothing there. When kids read it there first reaction was to ask who’d ripped out the last page, the editors had even placed the story as the final one in the anthology as well to make it look more real.
Good one, this one. Really good. Thanks.
Thank you so much for your comment.
Harry seems to have made his mind! Everything for adrenaline!
He does much to his peril. Thanks so much for your comment.
a good way to end the story, Michael. Leaves the reader hanging. We’ll probably not sleep tonight 🙂
I hope so Lyn, we all need our beauty sleep, well I know I do…
oh the cliff hanger, leaving us all wanting to know..were they safe..were they in danger.. Good write Michael. ☺️
Thank you Jenny, always love having you drop by.
Good one!
I just noticed, the rock formation on the bank behind them (or to their left, I guess) looks a little like a dinosaur coming after them. More excitement ! 🙂
What a vivid imagination you have. Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
Well, at least he wasn’t stressed like the others before the water caught up with them… Well done 🙂
Yes calm to the very end. Thanks Sonya.
You paint the calm before the storm really well here, Michael – and then comes that cliffhanger … The mind boggles at the possibilities. Will we ever find out, I wonder? Nice one! 🙂
Well Millie I could ask you what you think happens next? Though you are right the mind does boggle.
Ooh, I do like a good cliffhanger – I want to know what happens next! I love the character of Harry, sitting at the back, enjoying the adrenaline rush. It was looking at the calm posture of that rear figure that gave me the idea for my story this week.Great flash fic! 🙂
Thanks Louise I shall go and read what you have made of this image. Thanks for stopping by.
I can imagine Harry, sat at the back with big smile as the adrenaline takes over.
Will there be a continuation?
Only in your imagination Francesca. Thanks so much for your comment.
I agree, Michael, that was a real cliffhanger at the end. Good action and reality in description. Well done. 🙂 — Suzanne
Thank you so much Suzanne for stopping by.
…and then the dreamer woke drenched in sweat. Swearing to stop falling in front of the TV for the umteeth time! 🙂 Well that is one possibility.
Just posted for this prompt and it’s just…entertainment. 🙂
That’s supposed to be falling asleep in front of the TV… eesh. Maybe I need to take a nap!
Thanks Jules, yes that is a possible solution….
Ah come on!! now what happens??!!
I am tempted to ask readers what they think and acknowledge the best suggestion. But I would think a big breath and hang on.
Good idea …I have always been too scared to go white water rafting, I just see myself falling and hitting my head on a rock and bye bye
A very interesting cliffhanger that has so many possibilities to continue ~ Nice work Michael 😉
When what???