[Bananafish] A New Contest:

[Yocum, Daniel R Civ USAF AFSPC 21 CES/CEOE]

The spring melt comes on after an especially high snow pack on Mt.
Ascutny.  The soil is saturated, the runoff pours into the Connecticut
River.  The water rising, Hank down at the Powers' Country store closes
early so that he can make it home across the old covered bridge.  Jerome
stands on the bank of the river, soaked in the downpour watching the
banks erode away carrying trees down with the flow.  It reminds him of
the Hurtgen forest and all those blasted tree tops.  He climbs behind
the wheel of his idling Jeep and fish tails as he climbs up the bank
onto the road.

The old covered bridge is shuttering under the force of the bulging
river.  "Beautiful" he whispers under his breath as he accelerates
towards the bridge.  A large mat of stripped tree trunks approach the
pilings.  The bridge shutters as the island of Pines hit the bridge; his
knuckles whiten as the bridge is washed away in the rear view mirror.

The Jeep stalls in the wheel high water overflowing the roadway bar
ditch.  Jerome climbs out and draws up the collar of his camel hair coat
and slips on his khaki green wool gloves.  The current staggers him and
he goes down two, three times before reaching the front door.  His
breathing is ragged and shallow, every intake of breath lights his lungs
on fire.

The door won't close; the water is too high and rushing too fast.  He
abandons the door as he sees the water rising in the house towards the
steel door of the vault.  Without another breath he staggers into the
vault pulling the door closed behind him. The water continues to rise in
the vault despite the closed door.  The cardboard bank boxes from the
lower shelves start to float.  They tip and rock in the swirling water
as it rises.  The files float out of the boxes covering the surface of
the rising water.  Jerome shoves the sodden papers away, they cling to
him taking possession of him, the water rises. Layer upon layer of white
bond paper, each passed through a Smith Corona cling to him like heavy
wet snow or thick ashes.  The water rises to his chin, gasping he
inhales full size spit balls.  Gagging he goes under at about the same
time the water reaches its high mark.


Three days later they find him entombed, covered full body in a paper
Mache Death mask.  The paper Mache Mummy is on display in New York, a
roadside attraction with small caged animals, an ice cream stand, and
some carnival rides. Behind a thick piece of gouged and nicked glass, it
is set near the carousel. On the concrete base written with a red
sharpie someone scribbled "Fuck You".

Daniel




Write a scenario imagining the most ironic death J.D. Salinger could
suffer...

Jim