I’ve been writing quite a lot recently, since I left
full-time teaching, and among other things I’ve revisited the 100 themes. This
was a deviantArt initiative, giving you 100 things to write about as writing
prompts. I’m going to start chewing through them; I’d done 51 before I stopped,
so 49 more to go!
Here’s the first half of #52, which is also the text for
this week’s and next week’s Pocket Fiction podcast; watch this space in a
week’s time for the second half.
052 – Deep In Thought
It was mostly dark when Jerod opened his eyes. He was on a bench
seat in the front of a skimmer, looking at the cramped dashboard with its softscreens
displaying dials for speed and fuel, its cupholder, the little trophy girl with
her hula skirt rocking drunkenly from side to side; even the little lead-glass
laser sculpture of a brain he’d stuck on with sticky tack, a memento from his
first ex. The main control panel was
alight, its sepulchral glow illuminating only the barest edges of everything.
He ran his hands over the plastic fascia, feeling in its ruts and scratches a
wealth of memories. There was the tiny smooth circle where his dropped
cigarette had melted it; they’d been at an open-air concert, just Alice and
him, and the touch of her lips on his was a welcome distraction. The music had
been terrible, but at least it was free. In the darkness, Jerod smiled sadly. It
hadn’t lasted. The sweet nothings became arguments. He was working long hours,
on the fast track to make commander. She accused him of having an affair; the
argument had escalated, and she’d threatened to get out while he was driving. He’d
pulled over, of course, and that was that.
His earpiece crackled, breaking into his thoughts.
“Commander, are you in?” The voice was female, all business.
