‘I told you not to step off the path.’ Agnes stormed away and left Archie standing in his socks on the wooden walkway.
Archie cursed and knelt down. He felt the warm, moist mud squelch around his hand, then his lower arm and passed his elbow. He moved his hand from side-to-side. Somewhere in there were his shoes.
He pulled his hand out and sat back up, taking a rest. Only then did he notice his wristwatch was now missing, the one Agnes had given him for their thirtieth wedding anniversary.
He plunged both hands in. He strained forward, just a little further. He felt his balance shift, he couldn’t stop it. He toppled slowly over and his head plopped into the mud, sucking him under.
Panic gripped him until he felt hands around his waist and he was pulled free.
Agnes sat next to him on the walkway, panting for breath. She looked at the shoeless Archie covered in wet dirt.
She would enjoy reminding him about this, and telling all their friends.

Written as part of Flash Fiction for Aspiring Writers. The challenge is to write a flash fiction story or poem in around 150 – 175 words, based on the weekly photo prompt. Thanks as always to the challenge host Priceless Joy. For more information visit HERE.
To read other stories based on this week’s prompt, visit HERE.
Previous stories featuring Agnes and Archie can be found here: THE AGNES AND ARCHIE STORIES
At least she fished him out. The way things have been going, I wouldn’t have been surprised if she let him go under! LOL
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I bet she thought twice, even just for a brief moment… But she loves him really 🙂
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You took an awkward photo and made it hilarious! ❤ 😀
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Thanks Liz! 🙂
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Agnes must be really strong.
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She is, I wouldn’t mess with her.
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That is something she will love teasing him for life
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For several years at least 🙂
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Entertaining!
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Thank you Reena!
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LOL. Very cleverly done.
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Thank you 🙂
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Haha! very funny!
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🙂
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Surely this one elicited more than a laugh. Cheers, Kelly.
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I’m glad, thanks Neel
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I liked the build up. I knew he was going to fall still, I was intrigued to know what happens to him.
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Thank you
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Humorous tale (in retrospect for Archie and Agnes.) Thank heavens for Agnes. I do like a happy ending.
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Thanks Irene 🙂
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I’m sure she will exact the appropriate mileage from all this.
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Oh definitely, years and years of it!
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Jealous, I liked what you did, especially as you did not kill Archie.
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I couldn’t kill him off, not yet anyway! Thanks Michael.
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Hahahaha! She isn’t going to let him live this down for a very long time! Cute story, Iain!
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No chance at all! Thanks PJ 🙂
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I’m quite certain she’ll never let him live that down. Any chance she’ll post the pictures on Facebook? Fun story. It perfectly matched the photo. Way to write!
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I’m sure she must’ve snapped a picture on her smartphone 🙂
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Silly man,,, now it I dropped my fishing pole Hah. Nice one Iain
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Thank you.
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Throwing good watches after bad shoes. Funny story!
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Haha, indeed. Thank you.
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Ha ha ha, just another day in the life of a happily-married couple 🙂
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It’s what memories are made of 🙂
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Very good, Iain. I remember losing a shoe to the mud once.
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We’ve all done something like that.
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Archie is lucky Agnes bothered to save him. Now I suggest he leaves her where she is and rushes to find a metal detector before he loses his watch forever. He can do with a barefooted walk to remind him to listen in future. 😉
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He’s going to get a lot of punishment for this one, that’s for sure! 🙂
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I love that the ending shows the reality of their relationship, not the beginning.
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Thank you – whatever they argue about, they can’t imagine being without each other.
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