Cast Aside - My entry Into @carrieallen's Writing Contest

By: Rickie O. Pauley (@Lymmerik)

"Bryan, wait for me. Damn these crutches!" Phillip hop-skipped on the crutches trying to catch up.

Brian shouted back down the path, "come on gimp, you can do it."

Phillip stopped and sat down on a big rock by a culvert. "I can't keep up with you on these crutches. I knew this was a bad idea. My leg hurts!"

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Brian hesitated for a moment, flipped Phillip the bird, and kept going. "See you at the par-tay!"

Phillip watched Bryan disappear into the tree line. He rubbed the full-leg cast as if he could soothe the pain through the cast. "Hold on Bry! I'm coming." He stood up on his good leg, lost his footing, and did a face-dive into the center of the ditch. He let go of the crutches and surrendered them to the embankment.

"Holy shit, that hurt! I knew this was a bad idea. BRRYYYAAAANNNNN! HELP!" He rolled over onto his back and tried to stand. "I CAN'T GET UP BY MYSELF!" He heard his scream echo off the canyon walls.

"It's getting dark, what the hell am I supposed to do? I'll never make it to the party."

He could feel a warm trickle of blood running down his cheek and wiped it away with his shirt sleeve. "I hate after-Halloween, Halloween parties in the middle of the woods. Shit!"

Phillip blinked and wiped his face with his other shirt sleeve. "Was that a drop of rain? Perfect! Now my cast is going to get soaked." He flinched with every drop of rain, and soon he was drenched. "BRYAN...BRYAN...HELP! IT'S RAINING!" His echoes were drowned out by the pitter-patter of the shower. "BRY-AA-NNN!"

Phillip could still feel blood running down his cheek; it tasted salty. "SOMEBODY! ANYBODY! HELP!" He shivered as the shower turned into a deluge.

Phillip managed to sit up and lean back against the opening in the culvert. "No way! The ditch is starting to run. "BRYAN! HELP! DID YOU REALLY LEAVE ME OUT HERE IN THE RAIN?" He felt the running water intensity. He shivered again as the water rose up onto his legs, around his butt, and drain into the culvert. He could only see the silhouettes of the trees up the path through the liquid darkness.

"When I get my hands on you..."

His cast began to soften and he could bend his leg a little. "If I keep working it, maybe I can get my cast to break and get my ass out of this ditch." He bent his leg over and over, but the pain was too intense for him to continue flexing it. "BRYAN!" He picked up a rock to bash the cast, but thought better.

"I have to get out of this ditch." He rolled back over onto his stomach and tried to crawl out of the ditch. He realized that he couldn't even crawl with one leg out of commission. He curled his lips and tried to whistle as loud as he could, but only a swish of air passed from his lips. "BRYAN!"

He heard the distinct roar of rushing water coming at him down the ditch. "BRYAN!"

***

Bryan picked up his cell phone at ten o'clock in the morning to call Phillip and rub it in that he had missed a great party.

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"Hello..."

"Phillip, what happened..."

"...gotcha! Leave a message."

Thank you for taking the time to read my ramblings!
@Lymmerik

If you would like to enter @carrieallen's Writing Prompt Contest: CLICK HERE TO ENTER