I kept staring at the huge flying ship hovering in the dark twilight sky. The ship appeared to be of a vintage design, but extremely hi-tech compared to the most advanced spaceships on Earth. It shone magnificently with lights emanating from its rim clearly defining its perimeter amidst the dark night. But what it did to all the residents of my town was far more appalling than its magnificent appearance. For I was the lone survivor who had managed to escape from its destructive weapons that had blown every nook and corner of our remotely situated town. The otherwise beautiful skyline of our town near the placid lake was now razed down to a ruin.
I was shocked and in complete despair. The once visibly active streets, markets and houses were all empty. I could see death all around me. Wherever my vision fell, I could see only dead mutilated bodies. I was the last human standing alone in this town that was burnt down to dust. I gathered all my courage and stood firm on my ground. I wanted to meet the aliens boarding that damn ship and get into a dialogue. Despite all the anguish and pain, I decided to end this game with some hope. I put on the jet pack device and strapped it around my waistline. I switched on the device and the jet engines started to hum. I began to gain height with a tiny jet force propelling me into the sky towards the ship with the help of my navigation system. As I got closer to the ship, I waved my hands to signal peace. The ship turned towards me. For some time, it did nothing. I guessed that was probably because the aliens had not yet seen a human flying on Earth. The army and air force of our nations were yet to trigger an offensive in
retaliation to this surprise attack. I was now very close to this unfamiliar ship, when I saw a bright streak of light coming towards me. Expecting the inevitable, I tried to dodge myself against the attack. The powerful beam hit my jetpack and I was shaken with a jerk. I managed to jump and hold on to the deck of the ship. But my hand was slipping off its smooth surface made from an alien metal.
My struggle to hold on lasted only for a few minutes as I fell off the ship and started to descend on the ground. I tried to maneuver myself in the sky, when I realized that the attack had caused a leak in my jet pack fuel. I was descending slowly but gradually. As I hit the ground, another streak of powerful beam fatally injured me. I was struggling with my breath. I began to sink. I could realize that this was the beginning of the End Game for all the humans on this planet.
Copyright © Sambitt Dasppatnaik. All rights reserved.
The story was first published in Authoropod magazine (Oct 2022 edition), which has many such wonderful articles by esteemed authors. The magazine is free for all those who subscribe to it.
Link: Authoropod-Magazine/Podcast
Image Source. Pixabay
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