Wind Tossed

It's been a while, but it is Flash Fiction Friday.

I've been working on a full novel that I plan to have out by the end of the year:

Archeologist meets lady sheriff, roughly, over the missing sheriff's truck and a query about the dead body they found in his basement. He wants to find and stop whoever is looting and destroying Utah archaeological sites, and she wants to find the missing sheriff without too many entanglements. Needless to say that isn't quite working out as planned- for either of them.  It is a southwest, murder-mystery, killer-thriller, and if all goes well, the first in a series. I already have some great ideas for the next 4-5 stories in the series.  Lee McEuen is the archaeologist - he's half Goshute Indian and proud of it. She is Jackie Kincaid - the only non-son in a family that have been Texas Rangers for generations. The desert can kill you, hide you, or even sustain you....your choice.

Oh, also.... it's finally motorcycle season here in Michigan. I've been gathering the sun's vitamin D rays on my face and arms for the last week in and out of work. It sure makes the world feel and smell nicer. Except for that strange day last week that I kept smelling spiced peach jam all along the way to work, except for one stop that smelled like doughnuts.  It inspired me to grab a dozen this morning and squeeze them gently into my side-bag for me and my work mates. Kind of a "have a great long weekend" kind of morning.

Now, here is Flash Fiction Friday... Thanks to the ladies over at Eight Ladies Writing, because I decided to participate in their Friday Writing Sprints.... want to try your luck and spin some random words? Drop by over there and add some. It can be a lot of fun. It definitely loosens the up the old brain cells - waky waky little brain! :D  Here's my entry for the day:

Wind Tossed

by PR Henriksen

Picture from Morgue File

"Brother, am I gonna regret this!"

Truly epic adventures and the most stupid of hell-bound ideas both start with a statement like that. So, my odds were 50/50. Could be worse... 

It was. 

After my chute shot unexpectedly sideways in a near hurricane wind blast,  I'd gotten myself tangled up in a tree.  I was hanging upside down, like some sort of floofy, artist's dream of a cloudy, forest chandelier.  I also mentally reset my odds of accomplishing this mission at about 75/25 - against.  

When I first came back to consciousness from the possessed wind and tree knock to my, apparently, only average-thick noggin. I thought I was blindfolded.  After a cheerful heartbeat of panic, flailing, and perhaps a small squeak or two. I wrestled some of the silk and lines from my face.  Voilà! Still not free at last, but at least it wasn't my grand finale, I was still breathing, flailing, and now seeing! 

I looked down. There were no stars out tonight- just pirouetting pinecones, pro-flexing  pine boughs, and a distinct breeze up my pine-scented backside. Gravity was sure to want the rest of her due shortly, but she would have to wait for Bill.

"Katherine Maria  Boracchio, what in the hell are you doing up in that tree?"

I looked up, it made my left eye twitch as gravity and the moon tides pulled some extra blood into it and swirled it around.

"I don't know Bill. I think I might be having a personal adventure at the moment. Could you come back after I've had a chance to pass out again and come into some new existential realizations or an aneurism of some type?" 

"Very funny. We've got work to do! Do I have to send you an official invitation? " 

"Do I have to send you some pee-mail?  I could use some critical assistance here, unless you want to break into that facility, by yourself, and hump back here with the payload, by yourself and then maybe you'll find your ride still waiting for you, or maybe you'll be by yourself."

I heard laughter on the wind, and I don't think it was the leaves. The altitude was too high, just lodge pole pines and cool, aka frigid, breezes.  I felt some extra tugging on my lines and body. 

"Hey, I wasn't kidding about the pee-mail."

There was more tugging, and some ripping noises.  I was keeping my eyes closed to ease the throbbing, while trying to breathe calmly through the now noteworthy nausea.  And I really did have to pee. Gravity didn't care if you were upside down or right side up. Every tug on my harness, tugged at my bladder.   Then there was one final tug, and down went my heart.

I didn't have time to squeak or flail, I just fell, rapidly, and poof! I was floating on a cloud.

"I would have told you to hang on, but that would have defeated the purpose."

I rolled over, out of the silk remains of my parachute, and promptly puked.  I wiped off my mouth on a stray shard, patted and kissed it. "You got me down safe baby. Thanks."  

"Hey, I had something to do with it."

I got the harness off and gave my bladder some relief.  It was good to be working with gravity again.

"This is going to cost you a fortune my friend."

"It always does, Kate, but you're worth every penny of it."

I went over to give Bill a pukey kiss too, but he decided to pass.  His loss. 

I cut a piece off my parachute, wrapped it around my waist, and tied it in a knot, giving me a makeshift skirt-wrap. 

Bill raised an eyebrow, and gravity got his jaw. "I hired you for all your assets." 

"I know. That's why I remembered to take cover. " My smile lifted with the wind. "Rule number one, don't forget to cover your ass."

Bill's smile was like a solar flare combined with a black hole- it tugged and got my heart all tangled and sideways again.  "I thought we had a job to do?"

My bottom caught some more pine-scented free-breeze, and I waited a moment for gravity to kick back in. 

"Lead on. I think the winds have shifted in my favor."