Genre: Drama
Location: Forest
Object: Hammer
Words: 1,000
Days: 2
Rotten Wood
Synopsis: In the solitude and beauty of an Oregon forest, from 150 feet, everything can change in an instant.
The ancient forests of the Oregon Coast rose above the Pacific like stacked green cathedrals, and was as hushed as any place of worship. High above, glimpsed between branches of emerald spires, three ospreys soared in a widening spiral; feathered angels with lethal talons, seeking prey.
On the ground, sinews of fog still floated in the deeper hollows, where night had discarded them. The sweet smell of dew, mold and vegetation hung in the air. The only sound was the thud of hiking boots against a dirt trail.
At eight o’clock in the morning, Jason and Ana reached the base of the fire tower, which stood as an old sentinel, 150 feet above them.
The tower had long ago been abandoned by the forest service. No longer used to fight fires, its main purpose now was to reward any hiker determined enough to reach it. But there were complaints of its safety. From the upper deck, rotten wood had made the old structure dangerous.
Jason took off his backpack, pulled out his work belt, and fastened it to his waist. Then he grabbed the wood they’d use to replace the old railing.
“They say the top deck railing is loose?” Ana said as she tightened her own work belt and looked up, squinting. “That’s a pretty good hike up there.”
Jason couldn’t help himself. He stared at her, the tautness of her bare legs. Her figure seemed to glow in the early morning sun. Her voice had an infectious joy that lifted him. For the last six months they’ve worked together at the Forest Service. Each month he’d recommit to asking her out. Each month he chickened out. “You’ve never been here?”
“No, never.”
“Ahh. You’ll love it. But we’ll want one of these,” Jason said, holding up a flashlight. “It’s a little dark in there. The last thing you want to do is trip on something going up that staircase.” He pointed ahead to the doorway. “I’ll lead and light your way.”
The creak of each step echoed hollowly through the enclosed framework. As they ascended, their rhythmic breathing increased in pace. Aside from a few cobwebs, a musty and moldy smell, and loose balusters, it seemed to be in good condition.
Sweat pooled on Jason’s brow. He stopped, swung his flashlight around and peered down the stairs through the dancing shadows. He had become increasingly uneasy since he stepped foot inside the tower. He expected someone to be following him from behind. But the two were alone, with only spiders to keep them company.
“What is it?” Ana asked.
“Sorry, nothing,” he said, shaking his head and turning back around.
The steps became shorter and steeper as the diameter of the tower shrank until they reached the door that led to the observation deck.
Ana gasped when they opened the door. Jason leaned against the doorway, wiped his brow, and pulled out a bottle of water. He then took off his pack and started unloading the new railing.
“It’s spectacular,” Ana said.
A carpet of treetops spread out to the east toward the sleeping volcano, Mt. Hood. On the west, cascading pines pointed down to the blue waters of the Pacific.
Ana walked out with her eyes toward the ocean and rested her hands on the railing. It bent, and she stumbled forward but caught herself before she crashed through the decaying wood and pummeled to the floor below.
Jason leaped forward and grabbed her shoulder. “You alright?”
Ana turned around, her face turning pale. “I’m fine. But it looks like the rail does need to be fixed.”
“I almost lost you.”
“What? What does that mean?”
Jason let her go and took a step back, embarrassed. “It means we gotta get this fixed, Ana, before someone gets hurt.”
She smiled and turned around. “I’m not done with this view.”
Jason grabbed some wood, walked over and dropped it by the weakened section of rail. He pulled out his hammer with his right hand and a box of nails with his left. Ana walked over and reached down for the wood.
Jason shoved her so hard it lifted her off her feet. Her eyes flared as she crashed into the railing.
In a clatter of rotting wood, Ana disappeared over edge.
Jason thought about trying to catch her. But, instead, he just watched, and listened until her scream stopped. He walked over and stared straight down five stories below. Ana’s inert and contorted figure looked small on the forest floor.
The hammer swung slightly in his finger tips. He dropped the nails, which scattered across the wooden planks. A handful dangled on the precipice near the jagged gap in the railing. Jason stood there for ten minutes, hypnotized by the sudden event. Who knew he could be capable of such a violent act? Against someone who he cared for?
He backed up and fell to the floor and shook as he cried. He closed his eyes and mentally tried to turn back time, to change the events. How would he explain it? How would he live with himself? What would he do? How could something that happened in an instant change everything?
He walked out to the edge and closed his eyes. He put his foot out into the air. Then he stopped, with suicidal thoughts reeling, a smile broke across his face.
He reached down, grabbed a piece of wood, secured it against the tower, picked up a nail and hammered it into place.
Jason reached down for another nail. “We gotta get this fixed, Ana,” he said, a smile again wrinkling his face, “before someone gets hurt.”
