BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISH FOR [A cautionary tale]
It was a beautiful day along the river. The spring time sun was warm on his face and the smell of sweet ferns and cedar mixed together in a most satisfying manner permeating the air with a pleasant aroma. The first mayflies of the season had briefly brought the trout to the surface but he had not been able to find a suitable match.
Neil,
Your story has shades of “Theodore Castwell”, by G.E.M. Skues but luckily your character wakes up and has a second chance.
Not really a take-off on the olf G.E.M Skues story but it has some similarities. Many of us have wished that we could find the ‘perfect’ fly that would always produce the desired results, but what would happen to the sport if that happened? Part of the challenge of fly fishing is figuring out the individual situation that each fishing situation presents and failure is part of the challenge. “Theodore Castwell” as presented by Skues was an egotistical fishing snob - my character was just a normal guy wishing for what many of us have thought might be nice. Fortunately he found out that what he anticipated might be worthwhile would in fact be a curse.
The Chronicler
I remember a “Twilight Zone” TV episode, where this man wakes up to find himself, in the room which as faded pattern of wallpaper on the walls from a bygone era, the furniture all looked like it was all at least 50 years out of date, and all these people that he did not recognize, sitting around on the furniture, looking as slide show of pictures from someones (don’t know whose) family vacation being shown on a screen in the darkened room…
Bottom line of the shows story…"One person’s “Heaven” is the other person’s “Hell”! So be careful for what you wish for…or you might find yourself in the “Twilight Zone”. ~Parnelli