Castaways

“The inaudible explosion lit the void, expanding from the pinprick remnants of the listing shuttle and ripping through space, a silent ballooning mass of light and colour and photons skittering apart in an instant as the plasma fusion reactor overloaded. The gnawing blue-green fire burnt away hardened plasteel and ceramic fibre - and about thirty passengers who hadn’t been quick enough to make it to the escape pod.

From the window of the little lifeboat, three figures stood shoulder to shoulder to waist, watching the fleeting, fading, display unfold with wide eyes and blank faces, their skin and fur dappled with warmth, before the cold of space started to push back and the last thing visible between the all-too-thin glass of the window and the distant twinkle of the intergalactic backdrop died a silent death.”

The only thing worse than being trapped in a plane with people you despise is being trapped in an even smaller plane.

Emotions are high, everyone’s tired… and someone might be responsible for the explosion that just ripped the transgalactic bus apart.

But I’m sure it’ll be fine. Everyone just needs to stay calm and try not to panic…

2,993 Words

Submitted to the Exeter Writers Short Story Competition