Six Sentence Stories – The Lie, Part 2
The scope of his ignorance was stultifying.
Jack could not have been more unprepared for what awaited him outside the relative safety of the shuttle…the unbearable heat, the desolate landscape, the suffocating oppressive atmosphere that made breathing practically impossible. He wouldn’t have to worry about anything else killing him if the very act of his own breathing strangled him and brought him one inhalation closer to death every few seconds. But even more terrifying was the acrid and overpowering stench that raped his nostrils as he took each suicidal breath – the stench of his own burning flesh.
Immediately Jack realized everything the dead men calculated and assumed about conditions here was wrong – dead wrong – and there was no way to rewind for a second opinion, no way to protect against the inevitable disintegration of his corporal self while his mind remained intact and aware. This has to be the worst possible way to die, he thought to himself as he moved a few painful steps forward, unaware that before long he would wish for the relative comfort of this burning self sacrifice.
Missed part one? Read “The Lie” here.
Want more? Read “The Lie, Part 3” here.
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This has been a Six Sentence Story.
Each week, the lovely Ivy Walker hosts a link-up challenging writers to spin a tale in six sentences – no more, no less. Click on the link right here to find out more and link your own post. While you’re there, click on the blue frog button to find more stories from some wonderful storytellers.
This week’s prompt was RANGE.
In editing, I opted to remove the word “range” and substitute “scope” simply because I liked how it sounded better. Creative license.
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Lisa A. Listwa is a self-employed writer with experience in education, publishing, and the martial arts. Believing there was more to life than punching someone else’s time clock and inspired by the words of Henry David Thoreau, she traded her life as a high school educator for a life as a writer and hasn’t looked back. She is mother to one glorious handful of a daughter, wife to the nicest guy on the planet, and reluctant but devoted owner of three Rotten Cats. You can find her adventures and thoughts on living life deliberately here on the blog.
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FRIST
Frist you are.
Boooooooom baby! 😀
Ohhh BUT BUT BUT THERE’S MOOOOOOORE!?!?!?!?
There might be. Do you think there should be?
You said “before long”…I need to know before long WHAT!
Before long as in it will be only a short time before he wishes he felt as lousy as he does now because things are going to get so much worse. Poor Jack.
WHY though?
Because it makes an interesting story… Am I not understanding your questions?
I want more story 🙂
It will come…I’m thinking of doing a full short story.
OMG THIS MAKES ME FEEL UTTERLY, SOOO INTENSLY CLAUSTROPHOBIC AND PANICKED!!! Masterful writing!
Yes that’s pretty much how Jack feels…good!
I’m so glad you’re continuing. Can’t wait to see what happens.
I may turn this into a short story.
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I’m sweating. Good story, Lisa.
Heh. Yeah, so’s Jack. 😀
A terrifying development, a shocking conclusion. Very well done indeed!
I wouldn’t want to be him right now!
Yikes! I feel like I am reading this accompanied by suspenseful music!
Hehe – that’s great!
[…] Want more? Read part 2 of “The Lie” here. […]
[…] Want more? Read part 2 of “The Lie” here. […]
[…] The Lie, Part 2 […]
Oh my I could picture Jack’s flesh smoking from exposure such a great story and it just keeps intriguing me. 😃
Well, perhaps Jack has “smoking” flesh in more ways than one. 😉
[…] The Lie, Part 2 […]
[…] The Lie, Part 2 […]