Day 609: 5 Minute Freewrite: Friday - Prompt: canyon
Private P.I.L. Grim had a grim decision before him indeed.
While out doing reconnaissance, he had discovered that the opposing army, in the light of the moon, was going to march around Shadow Canyon to do an ambush at dawn upon Private Grim's army.
Private Grim was supposed to hold his position all night because of the big gap between the moon setting and the sun rising, but now, the only chance of his army not being destroyed was for him to go through Shadow Canyon at night, by the only road that went straight through: Shadow River itself, as shallow as a creek in the summertime.
Private Grim hesitated only a moment, and then started down into Shadow Canyon. If he moved fast enough, maybe...
As Private Grim descended, he stopped short, riveted by the sight of two dead saplings silhouetted starkly against the starry sky, apparently too far above the Shadow River's spring water line to have survived the recent drought.
Suddenly the private remembered a verse from Sunday School days, from Psalm 23: “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me: Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me.”
Private Grim reached over and broke off the two dead saplings for a rod and staff, and with them, safely kept his footing in the river even as the moon set and the stars only disclosed the sides of the canyon that blocked those stars from the private's view. Private Grim made it across the canyon so long before dawn that his commanding general was able to take his reconnaissance and surprise the opposing army before it could position itself. Dawn found the opposing army in retreat!
The war would continue for a long time yet. Yet, Private P.I.L. Grim would never forget how he and his army had come through the shadow of death and destruction over them, and never doubt again that the right would prevail.
Photo Credit: Jeremy Bishop on Unsplash