Today I’m offering another original flash fiction. I’m using this to help me work on a new novella, set in my home state, Wisconsin. It follows my novella, “For Sophia’s Heart.” So consider this scene one…or thereabouts. What do you think? I’M NOT GETTING MUCH ENCOURAGEMENT–IF YOU WANT MORE OF THIS STORY, I NEED SOME! Leave a comment so I know if I’m going in the right direction. Pretty please!0
New Face in the Logging Camp
by Lyn Cote
“He’s just a boy,” Beau Moore objected mildly. “He can’t lift that log. It must be near two feet across.”
Surrounded by towering pines, oaks and maples, the logging crew was working deep in the heart of the snowy far northwoods of Wisconsin in the year of our Lord 1903. In bright sunshine from a true-blue sky, the cold temperature nipped Beau’s nose. But after swinging the axe for an hour, he’d already shed his wool jacket and hung it on a low branch.
The crew boss had just ordered one of the young logging camp boys who did odd jobs to pick up one of the seasoned firewood logs on the wagon and split it for the cookfire.
“If the kid can’t do the job, he can go back to where he came from,” the crew boss growled back at Beau, then turned away.
The boy looked scared.
“Come with me, boy.” Beau hefted the log onto his shoulder and strode over toward the wagon where the cook was keeping coffee hot for the men and making venison stew for their noon meal.
“Thanks,” the boy said, running beside him to keep up with Beau’s long legs.
“You’re new. What’s your name?” Beau asked, setting the log on end, positioning it for cutting.
“Delaney.”
The boy’s voice hadn’t even changed yet.
“Thanks,” the boy mumbled, facing the log to split. He picked up a smaller ax and took aim at the log. He sunk the ax in but couldn’t draw it out again.
Beau turned back. Without a word, he stepped behind the kid and put an arm on both sides of the boy’s. He closed his hands over the boy’s smaller ones and wrenched the ax from the log. Then he lifted the ax, still with the boy’s hands within his, and slammed the ax blade through the log, splitting it in two.
“Thanks,” Delaney said again, shying away from Beau. “I can do it by myself now.”
The boy’s insistence and pride amused Beau. “I know you can. That was a big one though.”
“Yes, sir.” Delaney reset the log and deftly split the half log into two.
“You don’t need to call me sir. I’m just Beau.”
The boy bobbed his head and pushed one strand of his too long dirty blond hair around his ear.
“Hurry up, boy,” the cook said. “Don’t want this fire to go out.”
Hearing the boss bellowing his name in the distance, Beau strode away, not worried about the man’s temper. The crew boss knew the secret of who Beau was and he wouldn’t fire him.
Then something came to mind–the way the boy had tucked that strand of hair behind his ear. Why did that make Beau think of his sister Anne?
copyright 2015 Lyn Cote All Rights Reserved.
So the story begins! What did you think? Did I catch your interest? ENCOURAGE ME IF YOU WANT ANOTHER!–Lyn
PS-Crazybooklover won Jessica Keller’s THE FIREMAN’S SECRET! And Deanna S won my copy of Robin Lee Hatcher’s Love Without End. Congrats!
Here’s more about the early logging history of Wisconsin if you’re interested.
For more http://youtu.be/NyK6k_HgbQ8
