Stories tagged “disaster”
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Gomorrah, Tennessee
It looked like I was going to have to take the bus home. Where only four hours ago had sat my spotless new silver Mercedes—still proudly displaying the dealer plates—there was now a car-sized lump of rock protruding from the bottom of a crater six ...
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NOIR - Gates of Hell
It was largest port in the US, or at least it had been. Now yellow beams of light bathed faded warning signs as the wind sang through the shell of broken buildings. The land of mist and ghosts. Nick chafed against the Hazmat suit. His thoughts drifting...
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With the Fishes
You were with them in their last moments, dutifully taking heed of their plight. After months some of them were found, separated both from themselves and from one another. They were unrecognisable; burned, drowned and broken in pieces. Perhaps because ...
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Never call a candle fat
“…and the duck had a thought of genius and he died in the peaceful valley of wine and marshmallow flowerbeds.” What a strange time we live in thought Karl to himself. This was his son’s favorite bedtime story. Where did all the ...
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The Great Troubles
No one knew who fired the first shot. We do know that it came after the terrible earthquakes of 2052. The long promised “Big One” was far more devastating than anyone could have ever predicted. In a matter of seconds, L.A, San Francisco, an...
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Impact
We saw it coming for years, a long period piece of ort cloud debris the perigee whose orbit brought it almost perfectly to the orbit of Earth. But it was massive, well massive for a wandering planet, about twice the mass of Earth. As the calculations c...
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Almost Home
Ms. Ecstatic stepped out of the in-flight lavatory and took her seat next to Mrs. Jones, who had been in Japan for the past several months. She was elated to be going home, as was apparent from her incorrigible smile. She couldn’t wait to see her...
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Verily, a Ship of Fools
Captain’s Log Day 8135 The General Assembly voted to go ahead with the plan. Ideally, we could still perform a wide gravity-assist maneuver and end up where we want to go, albeit much later. Captain’s Log Day 8138 We went out to harvest the...
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Strange Bedfellows
Misfortune and Death were at it again. Some poor old lady had dropped her hair dryer in the tub, and now they were ‘borrowing’ her apartment. They couldn’t keep their hands off each other. No matter where one went, the other would fol...
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Deep Space Disaster
“There’s a problem.” “I know, I checked the stabilizer pods yesterday and they were running a little hot. I’ll look into it.” “No, I mean a real problem.” “Don’t tell me we’re leaking so...
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Rationale
“Reg!” Ana hissed, pulling on his arm. He had almost walked away when the television had distracted her. It was a news channel talking about some event in the United States. “Well, you’re not going to stop me,” Reggie whin...
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Water, Water, Everywhere
The sky was overcast, the clouds impossibly darkening the sky. Even the rain looked black. The little girl tugged on her mother’s coat sleeve. “I’m thirsty,” she whined. “I know you’re thirsty,” the mother said...
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Delayed Gratification
Nora swallowed part of her doughnut, asked, “Good news?”, and took another bite. “Yes,” Ted responded, head cocked so the telephone receiver would not fall. “GlaxoSmithKline’s willing to front us some cancer drugs. A...
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Involuntary Crash #1
The plane’s instruments had failed. Seeing as how it was in the midst of one of the worst blizzards ever recorded, this was not entirely surprising. Such was life in the Northwest Territories. The small community of Wekweètì, situated about one...
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Regrouping
The wind protested through the compromised fuselage of the plane. Craig rubbed his head, steadying his Arctic-proofed tundra jacket. “Medicine all right?” he inquired. Timothy rifled through some assorted debris until he found four small ca...
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Job in 10 Words
Through disaster, adversity, and hardship, Job refuses to reject God.
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Hang On
Shards of shattered glass rained down on me like a razor-sharp snow-storm as I ducked my head down, feeling pin-pricks of pain in my hair and on my neck and shoulders. Above, the fireball rolled out into the night sky, scorching my skin. I heard pierci...
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Doomsday
If you would’ve told me this time last year that I’d be one of 300 people left alive on planet earth I would’ve laughed in your face. I mean, the whole world had been talking about Global Warming and 2012 Doomsday theorys for as long ...
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The Wonder Drug
“Do the people know the long term effect yet?” the President asked his face in his palm. “No Mr.President, they don’t.” said the Presidents advisor. “How long?” “12 hours sir.” The “Wonder Dru...
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The Wonder Drug [2]
“Mom, I’m not feeling good.” Kyle said to his mother. “What’s wrong?” Melissa replied carrying in groceries. “My stomach really hurts, and I’m really dizzy.” “Go lie down and go to sleep.̶...
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The Library
Anno sat in the library, a book open on the desk in front of him. He scanned the page, looking at the illustrations and text. It was all about a little known world on the edge of the galaxy. He turned to the next section. Urf. That is what it was calle...
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The Alcoholocaust
He awoke with a jump, startled to find himself on a grimy couch in a strange and rustic room. A purple shag rug covered the floor. A small T.V. hissed with static from the corner where it laid on its side. “Why is this couch moist?” He slurred whil...
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Engulfed
“What’s the worst way to die?” Jacob asked me. He was sitting indian style on my bed with his elbows hunkered over crossed legs— leaning over me with sick wonder stretched in his smile. “Probably being burned alive.”...
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One Voice
The only thing that bothered her was the harsh stopper in her throat; the grating swell that wasn’t tears or hate but meant she couldn’t speak. Her voice was dust in the gravel. There was a lot she wanted to say. The man following her pretended he ...
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And Still the Water Rose
He sat at the end of a pier, his legs dangling over the edge, the sea gently lapping against the soles of his worn out combat boots. He thought about how he had come to be there, how it had all gone so horribly wrong. And still the water rose. He looke...