Anna cradled his arm, as she had so many times before, and guided him out into the evening air. They strolled onto the landing pad where the Milky Way painted the sky above them. The engine glow faded into the distance, racking them with a punishing surrender. A cool breeze swept across the platform, lifting a smile on Anna’s face.
“Reminds me of home,” she said.
“I would give anything to be back there.”
Anna closed her eyes and bowed her head, content with her final view of the world she knew. She fought back tears as she stepped out in front of Jonas and turned to face him, taking his hands into hers before meeting his gaze. “I would rather be here with you than without you anywhere else.”
His chin quivered. “I love you so much.”
She pulled him into a tight embrace as the finale loomed behind them. “I love you too,” she whispered.
Jonas cradled Anna’s head one last time and pinched his eyes shut, squeezing tears down his cheeks.
Moments later, a blinding flash erupted high in the sky, blanketing hundreds of miles under a flare of solar fusion. The sun itself had fallen to Earth, then vanished as quickly as it appeared. Millions of frightened beings lost their lives in an instant, reduced to a smog of ash that would powder the streets for weeks to come.
The city was dead.
Jonas opened his eyes.
The weight had departed his shoulders, leaving a yellow blouse in his trembling arms. Her favorite color. The evening breeze returned to carry her ashes into the night.
About the Author
Zachry Wheeler is a science fiction novelist, screenwriter, and java junkie based in Toronto. He enjoys English football, stand-up comedy, and is known to lurk around museums and brewpubs.
Works by the Author
Transient (Immortal Wake #1)
Thursday Midnight (Immortal Wake #2)
Max and the Multiverse (Max #1)
Max and the Snoodlecock (Max #2)
Max and the Banjo Ferret (Max #3)
The Item of Monumental Importance (Max Short)
Find More Online
www.zachrywheeler.com
twitter.com/zachrywheeler
facebook.com/zachrywheeler
instagram.com/zachrywheeler
Before You Go
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