Flash Fiction Friday prompt 143: As Good As There. 223 Words.


He closes his eyes.

He can see it. Smell it.

Rock peaks, lush green. Glass. Water.

The sun is rising over the ocean, bathing the sky with a peach-gold light.

There are birds in the distance. So small that they are just 'V' shapes.

He can see a couple of stars winking in the high sky where there was still some midnight-blue night clinging.

He breathes in.

The villa. The pool. The loungers that they are forever putting back.

The doors open and a tall, lithe figure appears. He pauses by the pool before setting off down the steps, across the beach and disappearing into the jungle.

The next to appear is another boy. He never even pauses but runs and jumps straight into the pool, splashing water everywhere, before tearing through the water lap after lap after lap.

He breathes out.

It's lunchtime.

There is a thin trail of smoke wafting up from the kitchen. At the table sit five boys and one girl. They are laughing and eating and clowning around. In the doorway stands an older woman. She is smiling wistfully.

It's as good as being there.

He just wishes he was.

It's been at least six years.

But this is as good as it gets.

Jeff picks up the replicated charcoal and continues the sketch on the pod wall.