Dating : The Cliff and the Cleft

A Short Story of 200 Words

The beauty of the spring day only accentuated the poisonous nature of the concoction brewing inside of her.

With a sudden inner drive to go nowhere, Cara began to run wildly. Mentally exhausted, she reached the very outskirts of the town of Wit’s End.

There a sign read: TURN RIGHT FOR HELP.

Looking left, she found herself atop a cliff, peering into the mesmerizing waters below. Within moments, the jagged rocks came into sharp focus.

What was she thinking? Sinking to a seated position, legs dangling over the rocky edge, she wept and prayed for help.

Without warning, she felt herself plunging toward destruction still seated atop her fragment of cliff. She had no more begun to cry out, “Save me!” when she felt the grasp of a strong hand pulling her mid-fall into a cleft of rock.

Looking into her rescuer’s eyes, a blanket of hope calmed her raging thoughts.

“You are safe here, Cara, and always welcome.”

She clung to his side, sobbing with gratitude.

“Just one thing. Next time, it would be best if you take a right when you get past Wit’s End.” He pointed to the path leading down to the refuge.

They both smiled.