The aim of Words for Wednesday is to use one or all of the prompts to write something – ie, a story, a poem, an essay or any forms of writing, fiction or nonfiction – basically write anything you want.
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Fiction: Bungee Jumping & Maybe Merfolk
As he jumped off the bridge's deck, Hawken Decker had a vague idea he might be heading toward his death. All his life, Hawken had been blessed. His family always supported him no matter what he did. But this was to be his last stunt, the last time he did anything this stupid. As he barreled through his unwanted thoughts, he wondered if his sister would miss him.
Moments ago Hawken stood on the bridge's deck and peering down at the water and drenched in sweat. He had removed his brand new baseball cap and wiped his forehead about five times. Everyone had been orbiting around him like he was a star except there were only twelve people including two professional bungee jumpers who set up the equipments. A few passerby had paid Hawken some glances but they didn't linger, not in the 95°F heat. Maybe Hawken shouldn't have invited Bethany Price since she kept chatting on her phone. His best friend Stella Prickling's insistence grin made Hawken wanted to smack her. She had held a thumbs up and lifted the camera to her eye. Stella was always gaming Hawken into believing every stunt was the greatest thing Hawken would ever do but Stella had no stakes in them except earning a few bucks for posting the videos online.
Bungee jumping wasn't dangerous but if the rope somehow failed, Hawken might just crush his brain against the side of the bridge or he might drown in the river below and if not, he might be unable to swim to safety.
Hawken was a fool. Twenty-six years old and what did he have to show for? Just some dumb stunts. Hawken could blame Stella for living like this but he chose to do these stunts. Sometimes Hawken wanted to go back and unmade the decision to be friends with Stella in second grade. When Hawken had tripped and fell over his tray of lunch, Stella had helped him cleaned up and even shared her lunch. Hawken still could remember the ham sandwich that had caused him a stomachache but Stella's kindness stayed with him.
Flying through the air, Hawken was surprised how heavenly it was before he started dipping into the water. He didn't hear a snap but he was certain the rope had broke and he was loose in the water. The freezing liquid was soothing to his hot body but as he sank farther down, he cursed. A strange power surged through him and he swam upward only to slow down as his arms and legs ached while tangled in some rope. Unable to hold his breath any longer, he slacked his mouth. His vision started darkening and then he blacked out.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Hawken jolted awake and felt a nip on his left arm. A tingling bursted through his whole body and filled him with renewed energy. As he started swimming upward, leaving the ropes behind, the tightness in his chest slowly ebbed away. A large shadow loomed on his left side. With his heart thumping away, he sped off with a hand pressed to his head to hold the cap in place. When he thought it was safe enough, he slowed down.
Sunlight filtered down and lighted all the plant life and sea creatures in their beautiful visage but he couldn't identify a single one. If only he had paid attention when his parents and sister tuned into the animal channel. He wanted to see more but then he remembered Stella was waiting for him. Let her stew for bit, thought Hawken.
He swam upward and broke through the water's surface. He swiped his face and saw the bridge was far enough that he gleaned its whole span in a glance. How had he moved so quick? He checked his waist watch but it had stopped. Just like Stella to gift him a waterproof watch that wasn't waterproofed.
He turned around to make his way toward the shore. When he tried to stand, he smacked forward into the water. His legs were fused as one and ended in a blue-green fluke but the top part of him was still human. How could this happen?
Fearful someone might see him, he looked around at the sand and the scattered large rocks but there was no one. Slowly, he crawled out of the water. He wasn't sure if it was true that merfolk had legs when dried but he pulled off his cap, put it on the sand and took off his shirt, squeezed the water out and tried to dry his tail with it. A tingling started but only a small section of his normal skin was showing.
A sound of clanging glasses made Hawken paused and looked up. A man wearing dirty clothes and pulling a shopping cart piled with glass bottles was coming near.
Hawken put his cap on and slid back under the water. After he heard the last fading sound of the glasses clanging, he re-emerged but his shirt left on the sand was gone. The man must had taken it.
Hawken was sure his underwear and shorts that came off when his legs changed into a tail were sitting in the river bed. If he waited until the heat or the sun dried his tail, there was still the problem of having nothing to wear.
Then he remembered his phone. Stella had thought Hawken should have a phone in case he fell into the water and nobody could find him. He pulled off his cap and laughed when he saw still taped there his small phone inside a sealed plastic bag. Quickly, he got the phone out and turned it on. He swiped through his contacts. Not Stella - she would probably turned Hawken into a circus show. Not his parents - he didn't want to worry them. As he strolled through more names, he returned to one: Wren, his sister, five years older than him but most thought she was younger with her youthful face.
On this Wednesday, Wren would likely be at one of her children's charities. After a sigh, he made the call and waited. He watched the sky turned orange as the sun began to set.
"What do you want, Hawken? I'm busy." Wren was probably still miffed at him for mocking the mermaid costume she wore to one of her summerween charity party last month. Ever since she was a child, Wren had obsessed over merfolk and even now that she was married.
"I need your help. Can you come pick me up at the beach back where we used to build sand castles?"
"Why can't your friend Stella give you a ride?" Wren disapproved of Stella since she mostly got Hawken in trouble.
"I can't. You're the only one who can help me. I can't explain over the phone but please, Wren, I'm asking for your help."
"Fine. I'll be there. And Hawken, you have better think up a good reason for me to drive all the way out there." She hanged up.
It was night when Wren arrived. For a long moment, she stared at Hawken and said, "You know, if you grow your hair out, get some muscles, you would make a lovely merman." She grinned. He merely glared at her.
"Wait a moment." She returned to her truck which was parked a bit away since you cannot drive on the beach. She returned with a beach towel and threw it at him. "Dried off with this."
The towel had patterns of singing mermaids and gave off a new-laundry scent. Quickly, he rubbed his tail. Tingling started at his fluke and up the rest of his body. Soon he had his legs back again. He stood up but had to steady himself. He wrapped the towel around his waist and walked toward the truck. Since it was dark, people couldn't see him too well.
Soon, they were on their way to Wren's house. Hawken was sure Wren had a thousand questions but she must had felt Hawken's apprehension because she remained silent as she drove.
Sitting in the passenger seat and wrapped in the mermaid towel while cool wind whipped at Hawken through the open windows, his mind returned to why he turned into a merman. More worrying was what if it happens again? But no matter what, he was going to fight anything and everything to stay the way he was.
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"To practice any art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow. So do it."
- Kurt Vonnegut