{This is in response to a Pegman prompt for a 150-word piece, based on a caving experience in 3D with Google Earth. Thank you What Pegman Saw for the prompt and Rochelle Wisoff Fields for alerting me to it in her blog! }
The slit in the red cliff had a rock canopy overhead. Exhausted from their hike, the two archaeology students and their partners slunk into the shade, rubbing their stinging eyes.
“Water break!”
Marshall tilted his head back, gulping. His outback hat slipped to his shoulders. The chinstrap lodged at his Adam’s apple. Lying back, he closed his eyes.
Tiny Ophelia perched beside him, brushing dust off her legs. Her eyes darted, searching for scorpions. Suddenly, she pouted. A broken nail.
At the blinding opening, Nell braced one sandal against the cave wall, and leaned back. A profile of Scrooge jutted from that same wall. But Marshall, peeping through his lashes, preferred Nell’s curvy silhouette.
Charles, beside her, swiveled, and thrust his wrist into darkness. “Getting late. One hour till our rehearsal dinner.”
Nell’s expression flattened. “Let’s show ‘em we were here,” she said, pulling out a knife.
I love the details you divulge.
Thank you, Camie! Been doing a lot of flash fiction challenges lately. It’s lots of fun! Hope you are enjoying your summer!
Intriguing story! Especially enjoyed how each character is sketched by the last character. So great to see you on Pegman!
Krawson, I hope it was an inviting catalog of characters, something like what Elaine on Seinfeld might write. But I did start off with nothing more than four names, etched in the rock, so it was bound to be character-centric. Thanks for the comment!