Dad gave his life to see me safe, to get me to this pod headed for the orbiter. Safe from the feathery brutality of the Kohl with their ripping talons and hollow eyes. They arrived after us and wanted it all.
This planet can be terrible and dangerous, but it’s full of color too: sunrise skies like lavender fields, quaking leaves that burn with orange, and Quelon Bay, with water like the Cerulean Nebula. I grew up playing in the sand along its shore.
“Computer. End launch.”
If I’m not willing to fight, how can I ever find a home?
Sam W Pisciotta currently lives in Colorado in the United States. He likes his coffee strong, his beer hoppy, and his dogs springy.
Find his words in Analog Magazine, Tales to Terrify, and Wyldblood Magazine. Follow him on Instagram and Twitter at silo34. And www.silo34.com.
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