Third Campaigner Challenge - Show Not Tell

Write a blog post in 300 words or less, excluding the title. The post can be in any format, whether flash fiction, non-fiction, humorous blog musings, poem, etc. The blog post should show:

• that it’s morning, 

• that a man or a woman (or both) is at the beach

• that the MC is bored

• that something stinks behind where he/she is sitting

• that something surprising happens.

Cheesy Feet

Even this early the sun is so scorching hot, my sweaty nose itches with the heat. Every breath tastes salty. The twins run down to the sea and fill their buckets.

“Look at my castle, Daddy,” says Milly, water sloshing onto the sand as she lurches towards me.

“That’s great, sweetie. Don’t forget, castles always have four turrets.” I don’t know what makes me say that, I have no idea how many towers a castle has.

Nobody ever listens to me, and I used to be fine with it. I never offer an opinion at work, I know they don’t care what I think. Back at school, I’d never raise my hand, even if I knew the answer (which I usually didn’t).

 “Dad, I’m hungry,” says Billy.

Flat on my back, the sand squished between my fingers and toes, I can’t move, I don’t want to move. There’s no point, there’s nothing to do. “We just had breakfast.”

“Can't you get something to eat from the house?”

“Not now, Billy.”

“I asked Mummy, but she’s sleeping.”

I sit up on my elbows. “Billy, I told you not to bother Mummy, she’s not feeling well.”

“Mummy smells funny." Billy wrinkles his nose. “She smells like cheesy feet.”

“Cheesy feet, cheesy feet,” sings Milly.

“And her head looks bendy.”

A broken neck will do that.

My whole life nobody listened to me. Then I had kids and everything changed. They listen. I don’t know how, but as soon as they ask me something, I know exactly the right thing to tell them. I’m their expert on everything.

“Okay, kids, let’s start digging. A big hole, really big. Six big steps that way, and three this way. And deep, really deep.”

“Hurray,” yells Milly. “Digging with Daddy, digging with Daddy.”


No. 79 on the linky list here