certain character which intrigued her. She had never sat by a tree so long and seemed to be bonding.
“This is silly Josie.” She spoke to herself. She placed her hands flat on the tree and rested her ear on the trunk. The tree didn’t make a sound, but Josie’s mind created a narrative for the tree. She thought of the tree’s development over the hundreds of years, how other trees fell down, or were burned in fires besides this one. The tree swayed peacefully. How easy our lives would be if we could shut off our inner-voice.
She lied back down and the daydreams turned into deep sleep. When she awoke the next morning, the sky was dark blue and turning lighter. The fog spiraled up from the lake. The tree was still peaceful. She thought about that logging rally in college. She had guts and purpose then, and Vinnie – his actions changed his life forever. . .
Josie walked off the mountain down to the main trail on the waterfront. She wanted to see Devil’ s Punchbowl, afterword she’d turn around. It had been twenty five years. She wanted to compare notes with her memory.
Devil’s Punchbowl was a half-circular part of a rock formation. A bridge went across it. The half crater was full of crystal clear water and the bottom seemed bottomless. There were cliffs that crazy kids jumped off , their bodies hitting like a rock thirty feet below. Every couple of years someone would die, their head would hit the cliff wall before landing paralyzed in the azure stillness. The cliff sides could be seen fifteen feet down in the water, like a menacing sunken ship.
Josie approached another one of many sharp corners on the trail where she couldn’t see the other side. She heard laughter. She stopped and listened. The laughter didn’t register as familiar as she walked forward. She stepped up a few rocks and was on the point of the corner where she could see both sides of the trail now. She saw the rust colored bridge.
There were two young guys leaning against the railing with their shirts off. They laughed and pointed at the cliff. Josie approached and placed her left foot carefully onto the bridge. The guys looked at her. Their stomachs were tight from leaning back on the railing, as Josie could see the lines of their stomach. She tried to smile as she got closer.
All of a sudden there was a huge splash, like a boulder had slid off the cliff into the water. Josie grabbed the railing for fear of falling in. The guys looked at her again then smiled towards the spot where bubbles were rising and the water was stirred white. She looked in their direction. She looked over the railing closer to the white bubbling spot. She could see a body swimming upwards like a frog doing a breast stroke. It was another man. His hair flowed behind him as he became more visible, then he broke the surface with a gasp and a shout. He whipped the water out of his hair and turned to see Josie staring at him. His eyes were light blue and reflected the sun.
Josie couldn’t believe her eyes. It was Vinnie. He looked the same the day he was handcuffed in front of her. He smiled:
“Josie?”
She grabbed the railing by the two guys. She laughed awkwardly and felt dizzy.
“Is he for real?” She asked them. The guys laughed.
“Josie, it’s me!” He said from the water. “Watch this!” He got onto the cliff and climbed its ridge to the top. It was nearly fifty feet up. He lunged o ut and formed a cannonball. He opened his body and did three rotations until slicing beautifully into the deep blue. There wasn’t a sound of him hitting the water. He surfaced.
“Vinnie, do the gold medal special.” One of the guys said.
Vinnie climbed up again and sprung backwards and did twists and turns that were executed so fast that Josie couldn’t comprehend what happened.
“That was five front flips and four Jack knives.” Vinnie said.
He got out of the water and climbed onto the bridge. His wet black hair hid his muscular neck. He hadn’t aged a day,
“This is silly Josie.” She spoke to herself. She placed her hands flat on the tree and rested her ear on the trunk. The tree didn’t make a sound, but Josie’s mind created a narrative for the tree. She thought of the tree’s development over the hundreds of years, how other trees fell down, or were burned in fires besides this one. The tree swayed peacefully. How easy our lives would be if we could shut off our inner-voice.
She lied back down and the daydreams turned into deep sleep. When she awoke the next morning, the sky was dark blue and turning lighter. The fog spiraled up from the lake. The tree was still peaceful. She thought about that logging rally in college. She had guts and purpose then, and Vinnie – his actions changed his life forever. . .
Josie walked off the mountain down to the main trail on the waterfront. She wanted to see Devil’ s Punchbowl, afterword she’d turn around. It had been twenty five years. She wanted to compare notes with her memory.
Devil’s Punchbowl was a half-circular part of a rock formation. A bridge went across it. The half crater was full of crystal clear water and the bottom seemed bottomless. There were cliffs that crazy kids jumped off , their bodies hitting like a rock thirty feet below. Every couple of years someone would die, their head would hit the cliff wall before landing paralyzed in the azure stillness. The cliff sides could be seen fifteen feet down in the water, like a menacing sunken ship.
Josie approached another one of many sharp corners on the trail where she couldn’t see the other side. She heard laughter. She stopped and listened. The laughter didn’t register as familiar as she walked forward. She stepped up a few rocks and was on the point of the corner where she could see both sides of the trail now. She saw the rust colored bridge.
There were two young guys leaning against the railing with their shirts off. They laughed and pointed at the cliff. Josie approached and placed her left foot carefully onto the bridge. The guys looked at her. Their stomachs were tight from leaning back on the railing, as Josie could see the lines of their stomach. She tried to smile as she got closer.
All of a sudden there was a huge splash, like a boulder had slid off the cliff into the water. Josie grabbed the railing for fear of falling in. The guys looked at her again then smiled towards the spot where bubbles were rising and the water was stirred white. She looked in their direction. She looked over the railing closer to the white bubbling spot. She could see a body swimming upwards like a frog doing a breast stroke. It was another man. His hair flowed behind him as he became more visible, then he broke the surface with a gasp and a shout. He whipped the water out of his hair and turned to see Josie staring at him. His eyes were light blue and reflected the sun.
Josie couldn’t believe her eyes. It was Vinnie. He looked the same the day he was handcuffed in front of her. He smiled:
“Josie?”
She grabbed the railing by the two guys. She laughed awkwardly and felt dizzy.
“Is he for real?” She asked them. The guys laughed.
“Josie, it’s me!” He said from the water. “Watch this!” He got onto the cliff and climbed its ridge to the top. It was nearly fifty feet up. He lunged o ut and formed a cannonball. He opened his body and did three rotations until slicing beautifully into the deep blue. There wasn’t a sound of him hitting the water. He surfaced.
“Vinnie, do the gold medal special.” One of the guys said.
Vinnie climbed up again and sprung backwards and did twists and turns that were executed so fast that Josie couldn’t comprehend what happened.
“That was five front flips and four Jack knives.” Vinnie said.
He got out of the water and climbed onto the bridge. His wet black hair hid his muscular neck. He hadn’t aged a day,
Similar Books
The Doctor Is In
Carl Weber
The Phantom Lover
Elizabeth Mansfield
Keeper of Keys
Bernice L. McFadden
The War Chest
Porter Hill
Alice Fantastic
Maggie Estep
Tracker’s Sin
Sarah McCarty
To Summon Nightmares
J.K. Pendragon
Laughing Wolf
Nicholas Maes
Invasive Species Part One
Daniel J. Kirk