Bluffing

A short story about a young adventurous couple who unknowingly run into some trouble in the woods and find great danger is "Bluffing" by Gail Helgason. Gabriella and her boyfriend Liam are on a hike to have some lunch by the lake. After Liam is attacked by a bear the story switches back into the hospital. Throughout the story the setting switches into the past of what happened at the lake and the present of Gabriella visiting Liam. When he's finally awake long enough to speak to her, he claims "[he] meant the bear to come after [him] instead of [her]." It's hard to tell if this is the truth or not seeing as how they don't have the most honest relationship. Liam insists that she use a homemade cleaning solution while Gabriella decides she doesn’t like it but she doesn’t bother to tell him "she'd stopped using it." Liam is a liar and will say anything to get his way. If he doesn’t want to share a destination with other hikers, he lies to scare them off with an imaginary "elk carcass" that’s clearly from a grizzly. Another reason Liam isn’t telling the truth would be how excited he is to "get by for three months over the winter" and live in a van all so him and his friend Clive could head down south and explore some "good, technical rock." Why would he give that up now to save Gabriella when he would be leaving her for a long time anyways. The final reason that Liam’s bluffing when he told Gabriella "[he] wasn't trying to run up there" is that he is incredibly selfish. He has a keen eye for his future and has many goals not involving his beloved girlfriend, who happens to have the same interests and goals. All he wants to do is explore with his friend while Gabriella waits and tries to set up a future with Liam. Why would he bother to risk his life that he planned so many great adventures for a girl who wanted a commitment.

Stories Untold

As she inhales another breath of her cigarette, a look of serenity covers her face. At the age of sixty three you can tell she’s had a good, long, adventurous life. Each wrinkle on her forehead tells a tale, an experience she had many years ago. The deep grey tan left on her face, showing she spent her time in the sun. Skin dark and worn out sags down from her face. A hat to hide her eyes that are full of mysterious stories she dares not to tell. Her body language, the way she carries herself shows her lifetime of elegance and etiquette. Through her perfectly perched lips, a bitter expression comes while releasing some  smoke. The necklace overlaying her wrinkled neck matches perfectly with the rings on her fingers. Gems that appear to be as old as she is. A soft breeze blows and her thin, brittle hair is brushed away from her face. She is an untold story dying to be read.

 

Physical Soul



As the heat of the stage lights illuminates her nervous smile, it reminds her that these are the moments she lives for. This is why Lexi spent the last fourteen years of her life hidden in her studio. The next three minutes are it. The only time she has to show everything she's worked for, for the past year. She must show every detail of how she's grown and changed. As the music starts all her inner emotions and thoughts flow throughout her body. Expressing herself the only way she knows how. Movement. When Lexi is on stage it is clear that this is all she wants to do. The beat of the music takes control of her body and carry's her throughout the stage. As the music stops she engulfs the feeling and realizes she has never felt more like herself. Dancing is her physical soul.