Excellent 500 word flash fiction lost Unforgiving by frogbook Lost - Flash Fiction writing prompt entry

The desert is an unforgiving place and so is my wife... unforgiving, I mean. Left me here without so much as a look back. Took off my blindfold and kicked me out into the sage. Oh, sure, I did do something bad, but does this punishment really fit the crime? I did love her, I do love her. It was an idiotic one-night stand after the office party. At the time it seemed worth it, but not now... not even five hours after, when I woke up with a pounding headache and wondered where the hell I was. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- When Karen dropped me off here, she said I could find my way back. Well, I guess that may have been a figure of speech, because I'm hopelessly lost, even after two, or is it three days? Honestly, I thought she would be back. That was the first five hours, before I became convinced I was on my own. There is no shade here, my skin is fried. I found one cactus and tried to get water out of it, like you see in the movies. Tore my hands to shreds for a drop or two. Not much edible here. I'm looking at a lizard but I'm so weak, how would I catch him? I'll just keep heading toward the sun-must be west that way. It's my only chance. Hard to believe the night can be cold after baking in the heat all day. I try to cover up with sand, but it keeps sliding off. Once I felt something slither over my feet, screamed, but it came out more like a croak. Dammit, now I'm crying again, but there are no tears, not enough moisture left to make any, I guess. The sun's been up for an hour. I'm retching when I finally see the little stream. I can't believe I have the strength left to run, but I make it there quicker than I ever thought. Where did the water go? Now my mouth is full of sand. I realize it was never there. I am going to give up, that's it. I have been laying here for 8 hours and blisters cover me like bubble wrap. It's dark now. I turn my head. What Is that light over that hill? I roll over to my hands and knees and crawl. The blisters open and begin to bleed, but here I am at the top of the rise. Good Lord, I can see our house over the ridge. I start to laugh, but a sharp pain pierces my chest. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Morning's Headlines: Man Lost in Desert this Week, Found Roger Bell, missing since last week, after saying he was going for a walk in the desert behind the family home, has been found less than a quarter mile from the house. The coroner believes his death occurred just hours before the body was spotted. His wife, Karen is grieving with family members who have arrived from neighboring cities. Writing Prompt Write a flash fiction story under 500 words about being lost

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