Sci Fi
Final Embers
Long after the soul is cold, stay warm by its embers. When the beat is empty, and the sky is alone. The heart remembers. Long after machines cool, when the sun no longer shines warmly through the thick, oily clouds choking the sky, life remains in distant ruin. The only memory of this dark home of ruin are of dreams, a blurry image hung in the backs of minds belonging to savages. A warmth left in the hearts that still beat.
By Quentin Bonafede5 years ago in Fiction
Aphrodite Unrequited
I took Jonathan completely by surprise just when his life was about to change forever. I attribute it to the embers in the breeze and perfect sunset at the party where he laid eyes on me. That evening we talked until the morning without even holding hands. Later, he thought that what drew us together was something immutable and ephemeral, more than the sum of my parts. I guess we mingled enough that night to trade approaches. The poet sought environmental explanations, while the engineer looked no further than his heart. Humans usually mate in pairs, and often trade souls a little along the way. We call it ‘being in love.’
By Nathan Hall5 years ago in Fiction
Remember the Before Time
It was raining again. The sound of the rain drops pounding against the tin roof were by far the loudest noise I have heard in a long time. It was quiet outside. But frankly it was always quiet these days, especially in the E districts. No one hardly went outside unless it was for essential needs only. And when people did go outside, they tend to carpool. Not to help save the planet or anything, but for protection. There was safety in numbers. The E districts was nicknamed the quiet place. You never heard children playing outside, you never heard music coming from peoples’ homes or car stereos. It was just the sound of rain and an occasional car driving by. Silence meant safety. When it was not quiet then we knew there was trouble. I sat by the window and listened to the rain, I reminisced on what life was like in the before time. Before the riots, before the jurisdiction of marshal law took effect. I sat there in the attic clutching onto the heart shaped locket with their photo. Oh how I missed the before time. How I missed the laughter of my children and hearing their little footsteps running through the house.
By Whitney Monyo5 years ago in Fiction
The Equipped
I was eight when the Brass was formed. They used to protect us from the gangs. Now they’ve become the worst gang around. It all started with a breakthrough in prosthetics. About a decade ago, some eccentric engineer had the idea to upgrade robotic limbs, giving the beneficiaries powers above and beyond the average human. His test subjects suddenly found themselves with titanium arms capable of anything from crushing apples to playing Mozart, or with reinforced steel lower limbs with protractible roller blades. The possibilities were endless.
By Anthony Beaucher5 years ago in Fiction
Memories of the Encounter
Dangling from his wrist, the heart shaped locket was the last remaining artifact he had of his daughters. Both a memento and a trophy, the locket held his only physical memory of the former world; a life before they came. Although his daughter was gone, Eddie was now the guardian of his granddaughter, Ellie. Born only 8 months before the encounters, Ellie has no memories of her mother or the old life, just stories Grandpa Eddie tells.
By Kevin Dean5 years ago in Fiction
Coda
You were humming something different today. The melody had the same temperament of the calm murmurings that used to creep across the church pews, tickling the crackled glass. I had seen what was left of one on my way, a great sharp gothic beast now simmered down to dust and stone. Nothing grows here any more. You wore a smile that cracked at the edges, standing amongst the rubble in your massive coat. God had long since left this place but there you stood in place of them like a harrowing Saint, your skin so chalky and still much like all the silent statues watching you. You would never speak, only hummed Liszt or these days it was your versions of Brahms but today I couldn’t place it. The sound filtered out to me through the jagged stone. I looked away, my spine rattled without permission. I’d like to think you’re running in another life now and that maybe I’d see you there one day but you’re always here, with me. How is it to watch the world change alone?
By Jordan Grace5 years ago in Fiction
A New Leaf
A NEW LEAF Mankind’s struggles with greed and strife as a whole finally ended in a cataclysmic war. Now, the hope was that the survivors would rise from the ashes of thousands of years of conflict and relentless pursuits, and would turn over a new leaf.
By Sonja Barkley5 years ago in Fiction
The Unending Storm
One more step. Now one more step. Another step, and one more step. Isaac could not do anything save repeat this phrase in his head. Heavy rain, hail, winds of unimaginable speed collided with his stubborn body with force enough to send him flying, but It would not happen this time, he was prepared. Knee-deep in snow, in a tattered robe, a mask of carbon fiber, and an insulated, skin tight bodysuit, Isaac trudged on. Despite the cold, which penetrated every inch of his armor, and the state of his bruised and battered body, he could not help but feel heroic as he moved ever so slowly forward.
By Connor Parente5 years ago in Fiction
2123: Crittenton, Florence
Crittenton, Florence She was hungry again. It was coming in waves. She was amazed at how much the meaning of this sensation had changed. When she was a teenager, she had reveled in hunger. It was a victory. God, that was so long ago. Now, she started to cry, silently, while she thought about any possible way that she could convince them to give her food. There was no guard to offer sex to. There was no food in this building to steal. And there was so little outside left to run to. She had no leverage. There was nothing of herself to offer up; there was nothing left of her they needed.
By Sarah Svoboda5 years ago in Fiction
Orion's Locket
Orion idly fidgeted with the locket that lay on his chest. He had worn the simple gimmicky device for the better part of the last 5 years. Lucy had shown him the viral product that she found while scrolling her holos. It was a couple’s piece of jewelry that allowed you to faintly feel your partner’s heartbeat when worn. He remembered the day she had shown him as he pressed his thumb into the locket to create an imprint on his chest.
By Shannon Daly5 years ago in Fiction
