Sunday Scribblings initiator of these story prompts is hosted by peckapalooza – the Confusing Middle

Paper

Rock Paper Scissors. Her brother’s favorite decision-making method.

Jared’s wife called Jenna in a panic. Jared and his best friend Daniel were hours overdue. They had planned to be back from their afternoon hike in time for dinner. He promised. Said they would be a couple hours, tops.

Jenna was pretty sure this would turn out to be another event where logic would have been the better choice.

One more time, she was grateful for her search and rescue dog Nadia. who’d had lots of practice finding Jared. Jenna had no doubt, this time would be the same. They would find him. Alive or dead – that would be the question.

Her search and rescue team had a good track record for bringing him home too. They knew from experience they’d better bring every piece of equipment they owned or they’d be sorry.

Actually, dealing with Jared and his friend was better than trying to stage simulation exercises. Between Jared and their other occasional rescues they didn’t need much extra practice.

As they were suiting up the guys were taking bets on what kind of pickle Jared had gotten himself and his friend into this time. No one was betting against a pickle of some sort, they knew for sure they’d lose. Some of the guys were getting pretty good at getting it right, they won the pot more often than anyone else. Now even that was getting to be predictable. Maybe they should start taking bets on who would win the pot, just to change it up a bit.

The lighthearted fun of guessing helped reduce the worry and the not-again thoughts. How many times could one guy get himself in trouble and still have it turn out OK?

It wasn’t long before they knew for sure there’d been a Rock Paper Scissors moment. The guys were following an old animal trail through the woods and it split. Veer right or left. Which way?

Nadia’s nose said go right.

At first this looked like an okay choice but it wasn’t long before the trail started to peter out. Trouble could be close.

It was a good thing everyone felt the same sense of caution. Who would have known the trees were hiding a deadly drop off. One wrong move and a person could end up splattered on the rocks hundreds of feet below.

Daniel had good hearing and started yelling about the same time the team discovered the hazard. Peeking over the edge, they found Jared had landed on a ledge and Daniel was beside him. The guys had no way to get back up without a rope. A rope wouldn’t have been much help to Jared anyway. He’d had a bad landing and his leg took the brunt of the force. The only way they’d get him out would be a helicopter rescue.

Pulling Daniel back up after Jared was gone was no big deal.

As they trudged their way back home Jenna couldn’t help feeling miffed with her brother.

He takes all of this stuff in stride. He thinks it’s funny.

“Just think of the stories I’ll have to tell my grandchildren” he says.

If he lives long enough to have grandchildren.

So-help-me, next time I think I’ll just leave him there.

I think his wife might even thank me for it.