Ashes Left Behind

The anticipation of the launch filled the room as everyone waited with bated breath.

The tanks of the rocket were full, and the countdown had begun.

This damned rickety control station, hastily constructed, rocked to and fro as everyone concerned focused on the impending launch. Somewhere, two solid objects of the control platform were thumping together in time with the rocking.

We can all feel the intensity of the moment… success or disaster… breath is held as the rocket is thrust into the air with mighty forces, jutting the tube out into space in search of life.

Exhausted, Daph falls limp from atop him, saying, “I need a cigarette.”

Tapping one out, he hands her one, then proceeds to light it for her.

“Thanks, Frederik. You’re a doll.”

Similar Posts

  • Going Nowhere

    The book lay open on the desk, the cigarette in the ashtray still trailing smoke. The soft murmur of the television barely covered the incessant ticking that filled the room with audible angst. The darkened room filled with a flickering puddle of light from the movie being played. The oasis of light from the desk…

  • Perfect Subject

    Reviewing the painting, I smiled. “No,” Timmy said, looking me square in the eyes. “I would rather you didn’t.” “You seem to be my perfect subject, though.” “Yes, and your first painting came out perfect, did it not?” “I suppose it did.” Timmy reached up and poked at his cheeks and twisted his fingers, exaggerating…

  • Just In Time

    The fog-laden evening chilled him to the bone as he stood beneath the street lamp. “I am getting too old for this,” he mutters. The juxtaposing hard-soft glow of the lamps created an eerie duality of light on the street. The longshadows dancing in the wind-blown lamplight. The headlights shine on him briefly as the…

  • Unique Little Egg

    The intricacies… independent and unique. He sent the order in this morning. The letter next to her only specified: “Something intellectual and creative.” He often let her have the reins with the eggs, long ago realizing she was more than capable. She sighs, but a smile spreads across her face. She loves this… sort of…

  • It’s About Time

    “This damn clock—why are they always so difficult when he is around?” The old, haggard clockmaker hunches over a bench. The man in the dark cloak sits in the corner, waiting. The clockmaker struggles with this piece. He must get it working. It is no longer a matter of payment, but one of pride. He…