I meet tonight with my writing group. The challenge is to come up with a story about the vast sand in the photo above. I decided to create a tale about 3 boys trying to bypass an admission fee to a theme park. Here’s my story:
Before the first light touched the dunes, Mikey told his friends about the cotton candy, corn dogs, and sweet iced tea that they were going to get for free. It really wasn’t free; it would be the cost of those things minus the price of admission to the theme park Big Boom. Between the three of them, bypassing the $37.00 dollars each to get in would cut the cost enough so they could afford rides in the park all day. Henry brought 3 peanut butter sandwiches and 6 bottles of water so they would have food. The water, as it turned out, would keep them from dehydrating in the vast whiteness of sand, still blue with the fading night.
“According to the map, if we cut straight through the flats instead of walking the highway loop, we save two hours,” Mikey said. We’ll get there before the gates open, when no one will be looking at us slipping in between the fenced-off areas.
“We have sandwiches, water, and a dream. Come on, bros. The rollercoasters await.”
Hours passed with the sun rising, turning the blue sand into a blazing white 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The clean trail of footprints was now joined by a second, third, and fourth set of prints.
The day burned on as the boys took the last drink of bottled water. Somewhere on the trial Henry tossed the sandwiches onto the baking sand. The desert wasn’t just hot; it felt angry, striking out with each step.
“Hey, Mikey, Henry croaked, his throat feeling like sandpaper. How much farther?”
“Just over that ridge,” he lied, but felt he had to remain positive in the chaotic mess of deep overlapping footprints. The boys walked to the ridge silently, a pact made without words as the high ridge became close.
When they reached the top of the ridge, they saw “Pops Diner,” the place where they started their journey 7 hours ago. The many footsteps in the sand were their own, as they walked in circles all day in the blazing sun.
In the cool air-conditioned diner, they ordered 3 iced teas and 1 large order of French fries. Pops, the owner of the diner, offered to call the kids’ parents to pick them up, but they declined. Pops brought a large pitcher of water to the boys’ table. They said in unison, “Thank you Pops,” while gulping down the water.
“Well, today was a bust,” Henry said, sipping a second glass of water. “What are we going to do about Big Boom now”?
Charlie, who was quiet the whole time in the dunes said, “I’m going home to ask my parents to take me to Big Boom. We tried to do this on our own. Look what happened. I don’t care about sandwiches and a dream. I’ll use my paper route money for the rides.
No more dune walking.”
The boys looked at each other and said in unison, “No more dune walking.”
Fictionista 