The stench was overwhelming. It filled his nose and stuck to his clothes, setting him to retching as he covered his mouth. The gulls didn't seem to mind, though, as they picked merrily away at the rotting meat and blubber hanging from the putrid carcass. Another one. He'd gotten the call, and arrived to find … Continue reading Stranded
Flash Fiction
Terrarium
"Do we really need umbrellas?" "We always walked with them back home," Melissa replied. Lana never seemed to appreciate the value of tradition. In this strange place, it was all they had to tie them to what they'd left behind. The two walked side-by-side along a stone path, as the sea of green around them … Continue reading Terrarium
Stolen
These were not the lands of his ancestors. Long ago, his people had been men of the forest. They'd foraged and hunted in peace for generations in woodlands far to the east. Then, men with guns had taken their land, marched them off through tears to the empty places in the west they did not … Continue reading Stolen
Ice
"Amazing!" Trina gushed. As she watched, a puddle of water behind the fume hood rose elegantly, its surface undulating as it spun as though a spindle, finally resolving itself into a distinct shape before freezing solid. The result was a tall, slender crystal perched delicately on a flashed base. "And that's water?" "Just water," Parker … Continue reading Ice
Green
"Do you think there will be fountains there?" "I don't think so," Dina replied. "They said there isn't enough water. Everything's recycled." It was the day before their departure. The following morning their parents would take them to the spaceport at Canaveral, and they'd leave the only home they'd ever known behind them, shuffled … Continue reading Green
Away
Where could they be going in such a hurry? He wondered that every day, as he stood in the soaking rain on slick tarmac. Every day was spent under a murky sky, pelted by rain as he hoisted filthy hoses that pumped gallons of J1-A into the planes. There were so many: sleek 737s, stark … Continue reading Away
Air
"Hey!" The call echoed through the cavernous hold. Lowering his tab, Will turned to find Devin waving from the distant platform. "My stylus broke. Can you pass yours?" He shouted across the gap. "Sure," Will replied. "Might take a minute." "Well I'm in no hurry. Are you?" Of course Will wasn't either. The ship … Continue reading Air
Growth
Amid all the new technology, it was amazing that nature could yet produce beauty man could not replicate. Darrel was tired, but happy. As daylight faded, he wiped the dried salt from his brow with hands caked in grit. The machines did almost everything, but he still liked to get his hands dirty. Now, as … Continue reading Growth
Michael T. Kuester 