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Off Day

0/5 ( ratings)

When the jumper appeared over the horizon, Otis was in his garden, a small red fruit in his hand. A worn reed basket hung from his other arm, with four of the fruits already in it. He stopped and stared at the thing. He had seen jumpers pass over before, but this one was headed directly for him. After a few moments he looked up to the beacon on top of the two-story house. Still smashed. Still off the grid. As the jumper touched down a few meters from his vegetable patch, blowing the dry soil up in puffs around it. He could smell the death of the soil as he looked around for more vehicles. Nothing but rocks and dust all the way to the horizon in every direction, just like every day. This clean, shiny jumper was an intruder, an invasion. It sat crouched on his sand, facing him, waiting for him to make a move, or maybe for the dust to settle around it, before it attacked. The opaque wind-screen offered up no clues, no personality, no indication of purpose. Otis glanced at his roof again. No light or faint buzz. Those had ended thirty years ago when he had climbed up on the roof, and smashed the beacon with a wrench. He finally placed the plant in the basket, and set the basket down. He needed to harvest the remainder of this crop before nightfall, but there was not much, and it was only noon. He had time.

Language: English

Pages: 24

Format: Paperback

Release: January 03, 2013

ISBN 13: 9781481810500

Off Day

0/5 ( ratings)

When the jumper appeared over the horizon, Otis was in his garden, a small red fruit in his hand. A worn reed basket hung from his other arm, with four of the fruits already in it. He stopped and stared at the thing. He had seen jumpers pass over before, but this one was headed directly for him. After a few moments he looked up to the beacon on top of the two-story house. Still smashed. Still off the grid. As the jumper touched down a few meters from his vegetable patch, blowing the dry soil up in puffs around it. He could smell the death of the soil as he looked around for more vehicles. Nothing but rocks and dust all the way to the horizon in every direction, just like every day. This clean, shiny jumper was an intruder, an invasion. It sat crouched on his sand, facing him, waiting for him to make a move, or maybe for the dust to settle around it, before it attacked. The opaque wind-screen offered up no clues, no personality, no indication of purpose. Otis glanced at his roof again. No light or faint buzz. Those had ended thirty years ago when he had climbed up on the roof, and smashed the beacon with a wrench. He finally placed the plant in the basket, and set the basket down. He needed to harvest the remainder of this crop before nightfall, but there was not much, and it was only noon. He had time.

Language: English

Pages: 24

Format: Paperback

Release: January 03, 2013

ISBN 13: 9781481810500

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