Poems and prose for various contests over the course of the decade. |
“So, you ready for the fishing derby this year upchuck?" a booming voice cut through stopping Chuck Warner in his tracks. He ground his teeth together as he turned to face his arch fishing rival, Tom Houston. "Tom," he said flatly. The man laughed, "Ready to lose again?" Chuck raised a brow and gave him a hard stare. Tom boomed out another laugh then turned to rejoin his friends. "That man drives me nuts," Chuck muttered through clenched teeth. "We'll do it this year, Chuck," his partner, Jackson Lewis said as he laid a hand on Chuck's back. "I can feel it in my bones." The derby was a blast. Each team managed to catch something, but it was not until late afternoon when Tom Houston pulled out the biggest pike by far. He was already celebrating his victory. Howdy behaviour and boorish laughter echoed around the grounds. With only five minutes left before the day was called complete, Chuck felt a huge pull on his line. He planted his foot on the creek's edge to get leverage and worked it. Just as the fish broke the surface Chuck flipped Tom the bird. it was clear this fish was the winner. Jackson grabbed the net and captured the mammoth pike. Winning was sweet. Particularly when Tom finally shut up. Word count = 219. Notes ▼ |