Sunday Photo Fiction is a weekly challenge to write a 200-word story based on a photo prompt. Thanks to Mike Vor for providing this week’s challenging photo.
“Oliver, stop!’
Geri’s command was to no avail. Her 6-month old Chocolate Lab had disappeared around the curve in the path. This was their first outing since Geri moved to Alaska in search of adventure. A co-worker recommended the nature trail, claiming it was safe. “Just keep your eyes open,” her friend told her. “You never know what you might run into.”
As Geri rounded the curve, she saw Oliver standing in the middle of the path, tail wagging. Relieved, Geri jogged toward her dog, then frozen in terror. Oliver was nose-to- nose with a small black bear cub that, to her dog, resembled a lab puppy. An instant later, the mother bear emerged from nowhere, barely 20 feet away. Bile filled Geri’s throat as she tried to remember what to do if the bear charged.
Seconds later, the sound of a loud air horn startled the mother, causing her to retreat into the woods, her cub close behind. Geri turned to find the park ranger.
“Black bears hate noise. You might want to invest in a whistle.”
This was not the last piece of good advice Geri would receive while living in Alaska.
word count 195
Participating in Photo 101 has given me a new perspective on photography. Gone are the days of a non-thinking ‘point and shoot’ mentality. Going forward, the photos I take will be more thoughtful and deliberate. Although I wasn’t able to create a new photo for every assignment, just going through my old photos with a specific theme in mind helped me see them in a new light.
Redbuds and Roserocks 