Going below: A fifty-word short story
Going below
(Source: Pixabay image by Michel van der Vegt
Her mother, father and siblings had gone down through the hatch. Mother reached up with one hand.
“Come on. It’s okay. Climb down the steps.”
Emily sat near the maw of the submarine. She sniffed and shook her head. The hole gaped, dark and cavernous, like death. Mother turned away.
This is a true story. As a child, approximately age 4, I accompanied my family on an educational trip to tour a submarine. Everyone went down inside.
I was terrified at the thought of going down into that scary, musty-smelling thing and refused to go. My parents got frustrated and simply left me there near the entrance into the sub while they continued the tour.
All of my life, I have been afraid of depths. For example, I love to snorkel, but am extremely afraid of the idea of scuba diving. By contrast, I love climbing. As a child used to get in trouble for running around on the rooftop of our family home. I've always loved climbing up to heights to see panoramic views. And I once went skydiving, which was the thrill of a lifetime.
Just don't make me crawl down below the surface of anything. I could never be a coal miner!
Thank you for reading! As always, I appreciate your support.
Here's my collection of 50-word stories:
What remained
In that moment
The space between
Elsie's view
Just a tree in a field
Nathan’s waterfall
A walk in the forest
The church mouse
The farmers' market
The tiny hunter
The map
Ghost fair
Departure from Castle Island
Conspirators and lies
Getting to know you
The man in hiding
Mermaid dreams
Time to say goodbye
Scary!! I'm scared of heights. But going down, i enjoyed that. Once, i went into a digged well.
In an odd paradox, I'm only scared of small spaces if I'm trapped in them. Submarines don't bother me, unless they're below the surface and I can't escape. THEN I'm scared and trying to freak out. I can understand your child self.
For me it's the fear of heights. Everything else I can fight. Okay, snakes too!
You are not alone! A lot of people fear heights!
Wow, that’s a neat way to use hatch. You know opposite story for me when I boarded a U-505 (Uboat) in Chicago. Really was a giddy kid.
When it comes to heights, I'm with you, Jayna. There's not much I would relish more than being able to simply float up above any and every setting and see it from an aerial viewpoint.
However, I also love delving down into the depths of things... spelunking is a rarely experienced, but in my adventurous imagination, huge delight.
Your story captures the moment perfectly. Even without the background you shared, I immediately sensed what was happening.
Nicely done!
😄😇😄
I think I would be immediately claustrophobic. I can see how a kid might be afraid, but I'm pretty sure I'd be afraid too, even in my old age.
Nice way to bring back a true story from your past!