My Short Short for the Day

Sarla raced down the dirt path leaving a cloud of dust behind her. Sweat dripped down her face and soaked her shirt. Her muscles screamed at the abuse but she wouldn't slow down, she couldn't. She hurdled a fallen tree and ducked beneath low hanging branches. As she crested the hill she saw it. Finally! It looked just like Arnin had described. The beauty of it was breathtaking. Sarla gazed on it for several minutes before shaking herself.

She took a deep breath then plunged into the shrubbery and raced down the hill to the bottom of the waterfall. She reached the pond and stooped to take a long drink. With her thirst quenched she reached out and grabbed a vine. Slowly she crawled and climbed her way up the steep cliff. Just over halfway up she paused and there was the opening. Arnin told her there was a tiny ledge she'd have to cross behind the water to get to the middle.

She took another deep breath and inched her way across the little ledge. She didn't dare look down. She had no desire at all to see how high up she was. She inched forward and froze. There it was. The tiny little pink flowers with soft blue petals. She stretched out and plucked several flowers. Tucking them into her pouch she straightened and started to inch her way back out from behind the waterfall.

She scrambled back down the cliff and was about to set her foot on the edge of the pond when she heard a noise from above. The rocks tumbled down before she could move. She clung to the cliff and squeezed her eyes shut tight. Several rocks banged against her but she held strong. Finally the noise subsided and she opened her eyes.