by John Xero
Rogan was a bad man and a worse captain, marooned on a long dead planet by his treacherous crew. He wandered between trees that swayed like dancing skeletons – dried husks of pliable alien plant matter that swung and rustled and sniggered in the warm winds.
He chewed on fingers of broken branch with a taste like salted nutmeg.
His flask had run dry. He was parched. Delirious.
He leant against a thick spongy trunk, sank into it. Rough bark-skinned fingers stroked his face, pulled him down, deeper, into cool damp darkness.
Voices whispered in his ear. Inside him. Inviting. Welcoming.
Author bio: John Xero is a husk of pliable alien plant matter who dreams of one day being a real boy. He pays too much attention to the whispering in his ears.
He tweets (sometimes): @xeroverse
Marooned is part of 101 Fiction issue 3.
Aw, don't give up, one day you *will* be a real boy Lol!
ReplyDeleteThis issue seems to be full of divine imagery. I am feeling bad for the captain, however awful he was. Maybe he'll animate the husk and strike out again for the galaxy.