Stranded – Flash Fiction

Stranded

Trisha wondered how long they’d been there.  Probably ages.

They were lost because, as usual, Andy refused to follow the map.  It’s much more adventurous, in his opinion, to follow the sun. 

“Oh God, you’re such an idiot” she mumbled under her breath.

He looked up and she thought he might have heard her. 

Hurriedly she said, pointing to the setting sun, “Thanks to you we haven’t a clue where we are and all we know is that west is that way.”  

“We still don’t have a phone signal either”.  Her voice quivering, scared of being on the ridge in the dark.  Angry at the wasted time while he stood pontificating the meaning of life quoting Rilke.

What was that quote?  “Only mouths are we. Who sings the distant heart which safely exists in the center of all things?”

Well, it certainly wasn’t Andy.

Copyright © 2021 Christine Bolton – Poetry for Healing All Rights Reserved

Sanaa is hosted Prosery Monday at D'Verse Poets tonight. She
has promted us to write a piece of Flash Fiction with no
more than 144 words using this line “Only mouths are we.
Who sings the distant heart which safely exists in the
center of all things? – from Rainer Maria Rilke, “Heartbeat.”

Image by StockSnap from Pixabay 

  15 comments for “Stranded – Flash Fiction

  1. May 11, 2021 at 3:40 pm

    Poor Andy… he seems lost in more ways than one…

    • Christine Bolton
      May 11, 2021 at 4:19 pm

      Haha! Yes he is 🤣

  2. Helen L Dehner
    May 11, 2021 at 2:53 pm

    I love the wonderful humor in this ~ well done!

    • Christine Bolton
      May 11, 2021 at 4:18 pm

      Thank Helen. I think we all know Andy. Like most men he doesn’t like to follow written directions LOL ☺️🤣

  3. sanaarizvi
    May 11, 2021 at 1:52 pm

    Bwahahahaha 😀 I so enjoyed this one, Christine! You have done wonders incorporating the line by Rilke as well as setting the atmosphere for it. I too could feel the frustration towards Andy, pontificating the meaning of life while they were stranded. You made my day. Thank you so much for writing to the prompt. 💝💝

    • Christine Bolton
      May 11, 2021 at 4:17 pm

      Thank you dear Sanaa ☺️💕 I apologize that I did not really do your beautiful prompt justice. I was stuck and decided to do the best I could 😦

  4. Tom
    May 11, 2021 at 10:16 am

    The quote was a great way to highlight the loss of faith in Andy.

    • Christine Bolton
      May 11, 2021 at 11:54 am

      Aww thanks Tom! Happy you liked it. ☺️

  5. May 11, 2021 at 8:56 am

    Lovely 👍

    • Christine Bolton
      May 11, 2021 at 11:53 am

      Thank you! ☺️

  6. May 11, 2021 at 8:48 am

    Hahaha! Just what you don’t need when you’re lost: an Andy 😅

    • Christine Bolton
      May 11, 2021 at 11:53 am

      Thanks Ingrid. My silly little piece was not a match for your beautiful homage to Spring. I just didn’t know where to go with that quote – and neither did Andy! LOL 🤣

      • May 11, 2021 at 11:54 am

        Oh I thought it was great! I could just imagine this know-it-all spouting Rilke, oblivious to the situation unfolding around him 😂

  7. Christine Bolton
    May 11, 2021 at 7:43 am

    Thanks Marianna ☺️ Andy was a pain! LOL

  8. May 11, 2021 at 1:16 am

    I can sense her frustration at Andy, philosophizing in the midst of grave situation, lol. That would probably tick me off, and I would miss Rilke’s quote

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