Salty Air: 5 Minute Writing Prompt

Board Meeting, he thought. If ever there was something so accurately named--albeit, misspelled, in his opinion--it was a Board Meeting.

Janice passed him some piece of paper that he had lost interest in, and his attention drifted away from the words plopping and sinking out of the CEO’s mouth.

Darryl opened the window, and all of a sudden, everything: the itinerary, the suit that was scratching at his wrists, the empty, hollow feeling of is this all there is in his stomach was all forgotten.

Because at the opening of that window, something in his chest leapt like a rabbit. Something made his eyes focus, his mind open, and he was suddenly back on the water, the deck rising and falling under his feet like the breathing of a huge, wild beast, and he felt alive.

Somehow, inexplicably, he had caught the smell of salty air.

He stood up, confusing his boss. He didn’t even push in his chair, didn’t say anything, just walked out the door, his very skin yearning to feel sunlight, not buzzing fluorescent light. He had to get outside, to find where that smell was coming from.

It didn’t matter that there wasn’t an ocean for hundreds of miles, as far as he logically knew. All he could think about was an endless horizon, and the gentle, slow beat of albatross wings as its shadow passed over taught, white rigging.

Image from: https://www.freeimages.com/photo/waves-1-1410471

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Thanks @mariannewest. I used to write stories all the time in college--it's fun to flex those muscles again. My husband said I should try this out. I'm glad I listened. :)

If you haven't heard the rules to this challenge, check out the intro post here: https://steemit.com/freewrite/@mariannewest/writers-or-wanna-be-writers-wanted-be-free-freewrite