I found myself waiting for the end of infinity…

Stars cut across my path with reckless abandon as my mind staggered at the beauty before me within the galaxy of my gaze.

Up here everything was different. Gravity paid me no heed.

The ferocity of the sun at this distance was dauntingly striking.

I was drawn toward it, helpless since my ship and I became detached, all I could think about was nothingness. My mind was completely at ease in the moment of peril.

It was an unusual tingling sensation that caught my attention first, a gentle insistence that demanded nothing from me, yet I could not deny it attention.

Slowly I became more aware of the intensity that was quickly engulfing my form.

The pain became extreme in nature, excruciating in the most exaggerated sense, then suddenly…nothing…no pain…no tingling…nothing.

I looked down at myself and could still make out a silhouette of what I believed to be my lower portions through the raging flames that engulfed me.

I shut my eyes and gave words to my maker, at this distance surely He can hear me, and then I awaited the inevitable moment of octagonal truth…this is where my life would stop.

Much to my surprise I remained…in flames…

Hours…days…seconds…they all equalled each other in this period of time that accepted to deny me knowledge.

THUD!!

Without warning an immense pressure projected itself against my chest!

Before I could comprehend anything I was speeding towards the earth at an alarming rate.

I could now sense the flames gathering around me, in this intensity.

I fell to the earth with a monstrous crash, decimating trees and rock in my path.

As I stood to my feet and surveyed the destruction and fires around me, and marvelling at all I had seemingly just survived, I knew very little of the ‘why’, yet I unmistakably knew one thing.

Dust and water were laid to rest and I was reborn…in FIRE!

Every aspect of my being was aflame; from head to toe I was an inferno.

With every inhalation the flames grew stronger all throughout my form and with each exhalation eased.

I could hear the unmistakable sounds of emergency helicopters and vehicles heading towards my direction, I knew I had to get out of sight.

A quick look around assured one thing…

I was cornered.

If I went forward there was nothing but forest, and going through there would easily cause more mayhem and draw unwanted attention to myself. Unfortunately my other option left little to be desired either, an incredible body of water lay behind me. Unsure of what would happen if I extinguished myself I was in a full blown dilemma.

Do I risk being discovered this way and possibly harm others in the process of what happens next, or do I turn against everything I have become and risk a possible second death in one day?




- and again, another short story attempt by none other than J.G. Smith (06/29/06)