SHORT STORY SOUP EXCITING NEWS:
I’m thrilled to announce to you Soupers, that I have been published for the first time! A long running, spooktacular podcast called Tales To Terrify has published one of my short stories on their 480th episode. In concordance with their podcast episode, I will be posting my story here so you can read and listen along!You can catch the special episode on Spotify, Apple podcasts, or their website; just click the links in here, or search ‘Tales To Terrify’, episode 480, aka the one with my name on it!
Without further ado… “The Catch".
As she approached the secret fishing hole, the woman could see an elderly man dressed in a bright yellow and white flannel shirt leaned up against a tree, pole in hand, line dragging lazily in the water. She hadn’t been out here in about a year. With the new job and the move, life had proven too busy for a bit of fishing. Part of her was disappointed and surprised to see someone else at her best spot, which was her closely guarded secret for the past four years or so, but the old man’s face looked pleasant enough.
“Anything biting?” The woman asked in friendly earnest, lifting her tackle box over some thick weeds.
The old man lifted his head slowly and gave her a slight tip of his head and a genuine smile.
“Nothing yet.” He looked at the sun, which dipped lower in the sky. “Soon enough though.”
“Dawn and dusk, it’s when they’re hungry.” She said, continuing pleasantries as she set her tackle and gear down at the water’s edge.
“You mind?” She asked politely. She knew he wouldn’t say no, but her Southern manners and fisherman’s etiquette required her to ask permission to intrude on and share the fishing hole since the man was there first.
“Not at all. I’m glad for the company.” He responded warmly.
She tipped her head now in acknowledgement and went about setting up her gear.
After she had finished tying her line and hooking the bait, she took her first smooth cast and release into the water and sat down on a nearby stump.
She audibly sighed in relief. Stranger or no, she had needed this. It was the perfect way to relax.
“Bass or bluegill?” The man asked, breaking the peaceful silence.
“Hoping for a large mouth, but I ain’t too picky. I mostly catch and release these days. More about the destressing if you know what I mean.”
“I do. I’ve been coming out here every night for…oh...awhile now, can’t seem to recall how long.” His face crinkled in contemplation.
“It’s a good little spot, isn’t’ it? Scenic and serene.” She chatted. “I live up near Sugar Creek. Too much expansion these days. Seems like it’s harder and harder to find a little nature.”
“Sugar Creek was nothing but cow pastures in my day. Me and my wife would ride down those little dirt roads for hours.”
His face grew fuzzy in a kind of soft remembrance. The woman watched as a bit of sorrow drifted into his eyes.
“Your wife like fishing?” She suspected she knew the answer but wanted to inquire out of respect.
“She’s passed. Cancer. About six months ago.” His lips wrinkled and pursed together as if trying to swallow some sadness.
“Sorry to hear that. Must’ve been a good woman, you seem like a decent fellow.”
He smiled somberly, “Oh well she was a good woman for putting up with me, that’s for sure.”
There was a moment of silence. Spring peepers croaked their songs back and forth to one another. A bullfrog splashed into the water from the embankment.
“To answer your question. Yes, my Nancy loved to fish. Actually, this was our spot.”
“Oh, how special.”
“See that willow over yonder?” He pointed to the sweeping willow tree, who’s long trailing branches dangled in the water.
She knew the tree well. Willows were her favorite and this one was magnificent. It was part of the reason she fell in love with this spot when she had discovered it those years ago.
She nodded her head.
“I proposed to Nance, right underneath. It was a little smaller then,” he laughed, “but not by much.”
The woman smiled at the sweet memory.
“I take it she said yes?” She joked, trying to bring a levity to the sad subject.
“Actually no!” He chuckled again. “She was going off to college upstate and said she didn’t want to make me wait on her. She said I was too handsome to be tied down so young.”
“How progressive of her!” She laughed, truly in awe of someone from his era acting that way.
“You wouldn’t believe the half of it. She was a woman out of her time for sure. Always kept me on my toes that one.”
He looked at her with a half-smile.
“Take some unsolicited advice from an old man. If you haven’t already, you find you a Nancy. The one that keeps you on your toes. Those are the best ones, the ones that fill your life with ‘un-expectation.’ That is, the expectation of never knowing what fun or mischief or surprise they’re gonna bring you. She made life worth living. Every day I’d wake up with so much joy, ready for a new day full of loving and laughing.”
The woman felt a little tear form in the corner of her eye by his unexpected speech. She was touched, moved by the man’s love for his wife and friend. She felt a pang of loneliness for herself and for him, knowing his Nancy was gone.
“I’m glad you had that in your life. That’s really something wonderful to be had. She sounds lovely.”
“She was. I’ve been spending my days here just waiting to see her again. Shouldn’t be too much longer now.” He looked into the sunset once more. The brilliant pinks and purples streaked the warm glow of the burnt orange sky.
She didn’t know what to make of that statement, let alone how to respond. She fell silent and the two sat in the stillness for a while, fishing poles in hand.
He closed his eyes and seemed to be taking in the coolness of the burgeoning night air. The frogs still sang and a few crickets and cicadas joined dusk’s tune.
She felt a tug on her line.
“Oh, I think I’ve got a bite!” She exclaimed aloud.
“Looks that way.” He beamed with a smile that stretched ear to ear on his worn and wrinkled face.
Her line gave another tug and she tugged back this time, setting the hook, reeling in her catch slowly and patiently.
“Thank you.” He said as she reeled. “Don’t forget my advice. Life is worth it all when you’ve got someone to love and love you back. I’ve been waiting here awhile for someone to show up. I’m really glad it was you.”
The woman felt confused. She kept reeling but looked over at the old man as he was seemingly saying goodbye to her.
Her mouth went agape. She watched as the old man, fishing pole and all, started to fade from existence. His figure slowly dissipated into the backdrop of the colored sky. With one last shimmering effect, he disappeared completely.
She sat wide eyed for a moment. Rubbing her eyes several times in disbelief.
The gentle tug on her fishing line pulled her from shock. Instinctively she looked at the water, towards the source of her tugging. Following her line, there on the top of the water, floated a body. It was man wearing a bright yellow and white flannel shirt.