3-Part Weekend Free Write [9/26/20] THE FALL

As has become their routine, they seated their morose and silent selves on logs and stumps by the campfire. This was one of their traditions. It used to be a pleasurable event until... it happened.

Years ago, they had gone down here to fish with their father. The two brothers rarely caught anything and neither did their dad, but that didn't stop them from trying.

"Do you remember when we caught that sunfish..." Ben asked his brother, Steven. He had a solemn look on his face.

"Ya..." Steven answered. A light smile cracked onto his lips. It was almost forced. It was as if he was doing it for someone who might be watching - but he just couldn't be sure.

"Hey?" Questioned Ben, as he looked at Steven. His face turned to a visible scolding. "You know dad wouldn't approve of those doubts... He's up there, watching us... and you know it!"

Steven paused before answering, "I know..." But he still wasn't so sure.

"Alright... enough of this sadness!" Said Ben. He was the older of the two, and he was often the one doing the 'cheering up.' That's the way dad would have had it... Thought Ben.

"Don't confront her," Mandy advised. She was on her cell phone as she walked up near the two brothers. She eyed them cautiously as she looked at them, wondering how to react.

Seeing the solemn look on their faces, Mandy realized she had walked into the middle of something very important. Feeling terrible, she lipped the words "I'm SO sorry," turned, and started to leave.

Steven immediately got up and walked to her, catching her, and tapping her on the shoulder. She looked to him, startled.

"It's okay... We're done here anyway..." Steven mouthed the words to Mandy, reassuring her.

Mandy was Steven's new girlfriend, his fiance to be more accurate. They had fallen in love and decided to get married after only six months. There is so much more she needs to know about our family, Steven thought, as he looked into her big blue eyes.

"Eyes... got... heavy..." Mandy said to Steven, looking at him as she dropped her cell phone and fell to the ground. He tried to catch her, but she had fallen to fast and hit her head on a rock. She was bleeding.

"Hello? Mandy? Hello??" Said a scratchy little voice through the cell phone speaker as Steven kneeled down to check on his fallen fiance. He picked up the phone.

"Hello?! Who is this?!" Steven yelled at the person on the other end. Ben jumped up to help in whatever way he could, rushing to Mandy and Steven's side as she laid on the forest floor.

"This is Mandy's sister... is this Steven? What is going on!?!?" Mandy's sister asked.

"I don't know! She just fell!" Answered Steven. "She hit her head... she is bleeding... I need you to call an ambulance RIGHT NOW!!"

"Where are you? I'll call... just tell me where you are... QUICK!" Said the voice on the other side.

"Here... you tell her!" Steven told Ben as he thrust the phone into his hand.