Adventure, Phrase Prompt, Short Story, Writing Challenge, Writing Prompts

Driftwood

Nancy's Notes 🖊️♬

Written for Fandango’s Story Starter:

“The river had been serene so far, but ahead,
their simple raft faced some serious rapids.”

Image by Me & Gemini

Biscuit was a good dog. Responsible. The kind of golden retriever who checked twice before crossing a street and rarely did anything out of character. Pepper was not a good dog. Pepper was a terrier with the impulse control of a firecracker who had decided that the old wooden raft tied to the dock looked like an excellent place to nap.

Biscuit had gone after her …. of course. Someone had to supervise.

Neither dog had accounted for the knot coming loose.

The river had been serene so far, but ahead, their simple raft faced some serious rapids. White water churned between two boulders like the earth was arguing with the water and losing. Pepper’s ears went flat. Biscuit planted all four paws wide, nails scraping against wet wood, and let out a bark that was less an SOS and more a general protest against this very unwelcome and very wet turn of events.

The raft hit the first wave sideways, spinning it around. Pepper slid into Biscuit, who braced herself against the edge of the raft. The current screamed as spray soaked them both to the bone. Then the raft caught an eddy, spun once more …. and thumped gently into something soft; it was a net, strung loosely between two low branches by a fisherman who had rigged it that morning to catch driftwood before it snagged his lines downstream. The raft slowed and rocked to a gentle stop in the calm water just past the rapids.

The surprised fisherman blinked at the two soaked dogs staring back at him.

“Well,” he said, reeling them in, “you’re not driftwood!“

Pepper immediately tried to lick his face. Biscuit, dignity fully intact despite being drenched, looked at this strange human as if to say “What happens now?”

The fisherman retrieved his tackle bag and slowly began the walk back to his lines downstream. When he looked back, Biscuit and Pepper were sitting where he left them, heads cocked to the side, watching him walk away. With a big sigh of resignation, the man declared, “Well, c’mon then. I just hope you two are better at fishing than rafting!”

Image by Me & Gemini

NAR©2026
#FSS

This is  “Boondocks” by Little Big Town

Fandango’s Story Starter #258

Everything on The Elephant’s Trunk was created by me, unless otherwise indicated. Thanks for your consideration. NAR©2017-present.



30 thoughts on “Driftwood”

  12. I absolutely adored this story, and I love happy endings my friend …
    Lost on The River

    Rain is pouring down
    Like a river from the sky
    Ground is becoming drowned
    I am lost on the river
    I cannot be found
    A wall of water is pulling me out to sea
    How will I ever reach high ground
    Then a tree branch grabs me
    A man’s voice yells, “Stick around”
    In the blinding deluge, I cannot see
    The man’s saving hand guides me
    Drenched, shaking, I am dragged aground
    I feel secure with his arms around me
    “Don’t worry little fella, you’re safe and sound”
    I pant, and lick his face from ear to ear
    I was lost on the river, hell-bound
    But now he has saved me
    And beside him, this will be my town

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