Flash Fiction Friday: Paradise Falls

Welcome! I'm trying to resurrect Flash Fiction Friday. Otherwise known as short short stories that are made up.

Paradise Falls

By,
Jennifer E. Miller

Melinda and Craig stood at the visitor’s vantage point of Paradise Falls. It overhangs a crater, tumbling into a shallow pool, and rejoins the river to continue downstream. With a name like Paradise Falls, one would expect palm trees and turquoise water. But there was neither to speak of. This area was carved from prehistoric floods. It’s now a desert landscape with dry rock and sagebrush.

Wind blasted the two spectators, all but muffling the roar of the waterfall which overflowed with force from the springtime run-off.

“Perfect luck being the only ones here this afternoon. Let’s move,” Craig said, impatiently. He was anxious to hike to the bottom of the waterfall. The trails were rough, and generally considered unsafe, but the thrill of the challenge fueled his enthusiasm.

Veering farther from the main sightseeing area, they saw various caution signs. The first one said, “Warning: non-maintained trails.” This wasn’t anything new. They’d hiked several other places with unmarked trails. Ignoring it, they moved on.

Craig found a trailhead pinched between two boulders. They turned sideways to squeeze through.

Curving around the path, they came to an orange cone held down by a few cinder blocks. A handwritten sign, stapled to a piece of narrow lumber, stuck out of the top.

“Seismic activity reported. Proceed at your own risk.”

Melinda stopped. “What do you think this means? That isn’t normal around here.”

“The sign doesn’t even appear official. It’s probably a prank. Forget it.”

She shrugged off the warning and continued.

Narrow, steep trails with near vertical drop-offs led to the bottom. One wrong step and they would slide down the cliff side. Melinda shivered as she imagined jagged rocks tearing their skin as gravity pulled them down.

Craig was trekking fast for the conditions.

“Wait up!” she hollered. “I don’t want to lose my footing.”

“This is a simple walk. We’ve accomplished far more intense hikes,” Craig said, pausing in annoyance.

But something about it today didn’t feel right to Melinda; she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.

Soon, she caught up with Craig. She was breathing heavily.

“I sense something...uncomfortable,” Melinda said. “Maybe we should turn back.”

Craig jeered. “You can walk back up if you’d like. I’m heading down.”

Not wanting to be left behind, she agreed to stay. 

One foot at a time they tackled the switchbacks, occasionally sending rocks down the side. They tumbled for what seemed like a long time before finding their new resting place.

After about an hour, they finally reached the bottom. They stood next to Paradise Falls as it dumped its fury over the edge. Its deafening roar was ten times louder than from the vantage point. It was exhilarating. Melinda felt the strong spray of the water.

“Let’s move back some,” she yelled.

“Why?”

“The water will drench us. We’ll be freezing once we return to the top and the wind hits us.”

Walking back about a hundred feet, they hopped onto a rock sticking partway out of the water. The couple clung to each other, enjoying nature’s show.

She looked around for other signs of life such as a marmot jutting its head out of a crevice. Or a bird soaring in front of the water fall. Maybe even—

“Where are the birds?” she said, alarmed.

“I don’t know. Why do we care? We are here directly in front of Paradise Falls. Enjoy it,” Craig said.

Melinda let go of him and look up in the air and on the precipices. She examined the ground; nothing. Not even the giant beetles commonly encountered this time of year. This wasn’t normal.

“Craig, not a single animal or insect is in sight. Something is wrong here.”

This news unsettled Craig as he looked around for himself. Gazing down at his hiking boots, he felt a pulse, and saw ripples in the water. A stronger pulse followed, making the couple’s knees wobble. They shuffled their feet to keep balance.

“The sign was a prank, huh? We should get out of here!” Melinda exclaimed.

Hiking up those narrow steep switchbacks with seismic activity meant a higher chance of falling. However, there was no alternative. They must leave. Now.

But a rumble rocked them off the boulder they stood upon. They splashed in to the frigid water. Luckily, they were still in a shallow spot and placed their feet on the river bottom.

Shocked from the unexpected jolt, and shivering from the dunk, they held hands as they retreated toward shore.

They didn’t get far when more movement was felt. Steady shaking was followed by an ear-piercing crack.

There was no time to scream. A hole had opened up in the pool’s bed. Water forced its way through, causing the level to rise rapidly. Now afloat, they watched Paradise Falls shrink in height as the crater filled.

Soon, they would be level with the top of the cliff. Instinct told them to summon any unused strength and energy, and swim. Against the chop, they crawl-stroked toward the edge. They were close.

A new noise presented itself. It was like the sound of a vacuum, revving suction-like action.

The force from the hole reversed itself, sucking the water back down in a swirling vortex.

Craig and Melinda screamed as they were dragged into an abyss of the unknown. No trace of them remained.

As quickly as it happened, the hole closed and the river returned to its normal steady flow. Paradise Falls roared.

Soaring in front of the waterfall, was a lone hawk. He screeched and went about his usual business.

Copyright 2017 by Jennifer E. Miller