A Breath So Sweet

by Stephen Coghlan

Oh, The Horror!

I must escape!

I must flee!

But sanctuary is so impossibly far.

I gag!

I gasp!

I weep!

It is brimstone, It is cadavers, It is lethal gasses and deadly pollutants.

Hands claw at my throat, tear at my mask to no avail.

Can I not travel faster?

The airlock grows so slowly through the mist.

It burns, I blink away the pain, but my eyes refuse to focus.

There, numb fingers open the hatch, I crawl inside.

Watch the light.

Wait for it to turn green.

Rip off my helmet.

.

.

.

Advice: Never fart in your spacesuit.

Stephen Coghlan

Stephen Coghlan is an ever-expanding, multi-genre author who writes out of Canada’s National Capital.

His works include the Genmos series and the Dreampunk novella, URBAN GOTHIC.

If you like Stephen’s work, you can find him on Twitter as @WordsBySC or check out his website at scoghlan.com.