A: Acid Rains Of Enzor- Flash Fiction

photo credit: IMG_3640 via photopin (license)

Jody walked along the creaking halls of her ship inspecting the damage. She wasn’t sure how much time she had left but she knew it wouldn’t be long. The engines were damaged beyond repair in the crash and the acid rain in Enzor’s atmosphere was quickly eating through the hull. Jody knew her suit would offer her some protection from the acid but it wouldn’t last long.

To be burned alive by rain. Jody shuddered.

Ahead of her the metal of her ship had twisted and deformed before rending itself in two during the crash. The rain fell like a haze through that gaping maw and sizzled as it ate away the metal floor below. She eyed the damage warily and used the light on her suit to make sure she was well away from the rain.

I could make a run for it and try to find some caves somewhere. Jody thought.

She reached out and gently touched the side of her ship, the sensors in her gloves allowing her to feel the walls as though she wasn’t wearing any gloves at all. She could feel the sensations of the ship sizzling through the walls as the acid ate away at the metal outside.

Yeah, that sensor would have to be shut off if I ventured outside!

Making one last sweep of the hall she headed back up towards the cockpit of the ship where the least damage was. The airlock and the environmental controls still worked there. Even still, in the center of the ceiling a rusty colored circle was starting to form over one of the dents. The roof here wouldn’t last much longer, and when it gave way there wouldn’t be many other spots on the ship to hide.

Jody sat in her seat in the cockpit and unlocked her helmet, pulling it off and shaking her hair free in one movement. She yanked a metal box from under the console and unlatched the top. Inside lay a days worth of rations. The rest of her rations had been destroyed when the rust collapsed the living quarters a few days ago.

Jody eyed the rusty circle above her head and noted with dread that condensation had already started to form. She decided to pack the rest of the rations in the pockets on her pants leg just in case. She tore open the last ration pack with her teeth and hastily ate the ration bar.

No sense in good food going to waste.

Another ominous groan from the ship around her was joined by the airlock failure and the hull breach alarm.

Crud! Jody hissed between her teeth as she hurried to lock her helmet back on her head.

Jody backed away as the acid droplets fell from the ceiling with a sizzle.

A pinging sound on the console told her that her buoy had been received.

“If they get here in time,” Jody mumbled, “I will never complain about the rain again!”

Click the A to join the fun!

Today's post was inspired by the letter A. A is for: Acid  as part of the Blogging from A to Z April 2015 challenge! Click on the letter to join on in the fun!

Every day (excluding sundays) I will be writing a post about something that begins with the letter for that day. Most of the time you will find a sci-fi flash fiction piece here.





For Readers: Would you make a run for it and try to find better shelter or try to wait it out on the ship like Jody?

Blog posts I visited today:

A: Arizona Sunset

On Art

A Man For All Seasons

http://www.birdcagefreelance.com/ But they didn't have their challenge up yet- looks like an interesting blog though.

A: All About Dog Shows

Stop by and leave them a word of encouragement... posting every day can be a big challenge!

The Burning Emblem- Flash Fiction

photo credit: lanterns via photopin (license)

Angela’s hands slapped against the cold steel wall as she ran headlong into cobblestone alleyway. Shoving away from the wall, she barely managed to evade the light from her pursuers lanterns.

Just a little farther!

She turned down another alleyway to her right just to be met with total darkness.

Wait, what?

Angela’s breath froze in her throat as she peered into the inky blackness in front of her.

A dead end!

She whirled around. Two men illuminated by a single lantern now blocked her only means of escape.

“This’ll teach you to run!” A voice behind her jeered.

Angela heard the swish of the rope seconds before it coiled itself around her legs and pulled taunt sending her sprawling to the ground. Rough hands surrounded and restrained her despite her best efforts to yank herself free.

“Check her ankle for the mark!” A venomous voice commanded from the darkness.

The lantern bobbed closer, allowing Angela to recognize the rough twisted faces of the very men who had burned her parents’ estate to the ground just weeks ago. A bearded man snatched back the cuff of her stocking revealing the royal shield and burning arrow emblem branded into the side of her ankle. Angela tried to twist her foot free from his grasp only to be met with pain in her arms as the men at her sides tightened their grip further.

“Don’t let the criminal escape!” The venomous voice spat.

“It’s her, Argyle.” The bearded man announced.

“Congratulations men! This flailing cur has a price on her head that outweighs any of the traitors we have caught this month! Bag her up, we’ll deliver this one back to Urshelon tonight!”

Urshelon? The platforms must be active again if they’re taking me off planet! Angela’s mind wheeled in alarm.

“I’m no traitor! I’ve lived on Erasted all my life!” Angela shouted.

One of the brute’s slapped a film across her mouth sealing in her protests while they pulled a scratchy burlap bag over her entire body. A hiss and sting in her arm told her that she wouldn’t be conscious for the trip.

Angela woke on the floor of a dimly lit room. The man with the beard shredding the last of the ropes around her legs with a sharp dagger. Angela eyed the dagger warily.

“Good, you’re awake!” The man whispered.

His trembling hands hurried to cut through the ropes binding her ankles and wrists.

“You don’t have long. The clothes on the chair may not be in fashion for a lady of your station, but they will help hide your identity well enough. Leave through the window, hurry and you won’t be noticed!”

The bearded man yanked Angela to her feet and pushed her in the direction of a chair on which a mans tunic and pants lay. The man left quickly and a key clicked in the lock. Angela looked back at the pants and beyond those, the cracked open window beyond which lay her freedom.

500 word Flash Fiction
In the world of Sword Of The White Knight

Do Aliens Exist?- Flash Fiction

photo credit: PhoTones Works #2996 via photopin (license)

“How can you be a Christian and not believe that aliens could exist!”

Crystal remembered rolling her eyes at her brother’s sermon. He was a man of great faith, the leader of the Jupiter station congregation. She, well she just knew that she believed that God existed and didn’t really want to think very much further about it all.

She stepped closer to the inhuman drawings carved into, and covering the entire length of the cave wall, every step sending tiny billows of lunar dust rippling away from her.

“How come?” She remembered demanding in defiance. “The bible doesn’t say anything about aliens!”

“The bible doesn’t say anything about airplanes either, or space ships, now does it!” Jacob had argued back.

He knew she would just see that as him deflecting from her comment.

“You know what I mean Jacob! Be serious. If God created aliens why have we not seen them?”

“Crystal, we aren’t supposed to know why God does what he does. Perhaps the aliens are so far out there that they can’t reach us. Perhaps God wants them to develop without us influencing them. Perhaps he doesn’t think we are ready yet.”

“Huh! That’s a lot of perhaps’ Jacob! More fact and less speculation! Our scientists have been hunting for signs of intelligent life out here for eons and still nothing!”

Her triumphant yet combative tone from that comment rung in her memory and left a bitter taste in her mouth now. Crystal reached out and touched a portion of the cave image that seemed to be carved in a much harsher method than the rest.

Suddenly the walls lit up around her, and the dust blew away to reveal a perfectly smooth glassy black floor. The hair on her arms tingled as though she was covered by static electricity. Terror coursed through her as she realized that she couldn’t move.

The last words from her brother’s sermon echoed in her mind, “If God created us, who are we to say that he didn’t create other beings on some other far away planet?”

Footsteps echoing from somewhere deeper in the cave sent Crystal’s mind whirling and her heart pounding.

What do I say?
What could I say!
There’s no possible way they could know earth standard! You just HAD to go exploring on your own didn't you Crystal!

Crystal gasped for air.

Come on Crystal! Get a grip! You know your space suit still has oxygen. Breathe! 

The approaching footsteps suddenly sounded so close and they changed from dull thuds to clinks from the newcomer’s feet touching the now smooth floor. Crystal’s lungs finally gave up when the newcomer placed a blue four fingered hand on the shoulder of her suit. She static field released her before she was ready. She crumpled to the ground...

Perhaps Jacob was right, we aren’t ready yet. Was Crystal’s last thought before she fell unconscious.




This post is part of the 52 week flash fiction challenge on facebook
Week 2 word prompt: Sermon
Word Limit: 20- 500
This one tops out right at 487 words.

Readers: How do you think you would react if you were suddenly faced with real life aliens? Would you be shocked? Scared? Would you panic? How would you communicate with them?

Trying out Disqus

Hey guys, I WAS trying out Disqus comments on my blog (which is what this test post was for). Long story short... I've taken it down. I much prefer to allow bloggers that don't want to sign in a way to comment using their name/e-mail ALONG WITH their url.

• This helps because I like to go check out and follow their blogs too!
  
• That added url ability is also a way for google to see that you, the commentor, are trusted because I am allowing you to post your link to your site on my blog. Just another way I like to share the love!

 Disqus, so far, only lets guest commentors (those who don't want to sign in) comment with just their name and e-mail. (Buzz kill)


On an added note: I also just realized that if you are viewing this post on the main blog thread it isn't very clear how you can add your own comments to the post.  You will need to click on the blog title to bring up the stand alone blog post page in order to find the comments.

For those that visit my main blog thread instead of getting here through a direct post link, perhaps it would be better for me to go ahead and drop the direct post link at the end of the post:

  Click to comment.

Conventions In The Carolinas

Annual Wine And Sign Arts and Literary Festival Set up

I am putting together a list of conventions that I would love to travel to. As I live in the Carolina Area, many of these will be from GA up to NC. Because I am looking at places to attend as an author I will be listing the table fees beside it for my own future reference (and for that of my fellow author friends). We'd love to see you there though! Write down these dates in your calender, pull up the websites and pre-order your tickets! I have visited many of these as 'just a civilian' (not promoting my books) and have found them to be great fun with something for even the youngest of family members!

Convention List:

• Illogiccon  January- Raleigh NC
• AnachroCon - Atlanta GA. End of Feb (Dates Change)
• Legends Comics Florence Comicon SC. Feb 12-13 Artist Table: $80, Vendor Table: $100
• Captains Comic Expo in Mt. Pleasant SC, Mar 7-8
• Wizard Con Raleigh NC ( Last one was in Mar) Table fee: $325
• Wizard Con Greenville SC (Date TBD)  Table Fee: $250- Link to Registration form
• SC Comicon  in Greenville SC, March 21-22. Table fee: $100
• Myrtle Beach Comiccon, SC.  March 28-29
• Retromegacomicon Pooler GA- April and October- $50
• XCon World in Myrtle Beach SC,  May 15-17. Half Tables Start at $100
• Con Carolinas - Charlotte NC, May 29-31. (Artist alley spots go fast- registration starts in September)
• HeroesCon- June 19-20 Charlotte Convention Center, NC- $300 for Artist table
• ATOMACON November 13-15, 2015 at North Charleston, SC -$25 *MUST have business license to sell, but may buy table just to pass out promo materials. There is also the option of just requesting a $10 panelist badge.
• DragonCon- September 4-7, Atlanta Georgia. (registration opens for guests Oct 1st)
• NC ComicCon- November 13-14-15, NC Raleigh (registration info for guests here)
• Oak City Comic Show- August and March- NC Raleigh

Other Events:

• Kaboom Underground Arts and Crafts- Every second sunday of the month- Garner NC (12:30-5pm)
• Folly Beach Wine and Sign at Folly Beach SC April 25th
• South Carolina Book Festival in Columbia, May 15-17 (fills up fast) Submissions details
• Portalico Point South Festival in Yemasse SC September 4-5th
•  Arts and Literary Festival now in Yemassee SC October 24th 10-6pm 

If you know of  an event that you would like me to consider adding to my list please drop it in the comments section! I am always looking for new places to check out!