Tourist Trap • 4

 ___________________________

This week’s Pete Wood Challenge was pretty simple. In keeping with this being the first week of summer here in the northern hemisphere, and therefore of summer vacation season, the challenge was to write a 100-word story centered around the concept of “tourist trap” without resorting to any of the ideas that have become shopworn and threadbare horror movie clichés in the past 60 years. With that as preamble, here is this week’s runner-up, by Zack Lux. 

___________________________

 

 

 

“Far Side of the Moon” • by Zack Lux 

“So, what do you think of all those conspiracies?” Mia asked the tour guide. The other passengers unclipped themselves and floated to the aluminum silicate windows. They oohed and ahhed as Earth grew smaller, the Moon larger.

“Conspiracies?”

“You know, how the grays on the far side want to infect our brains, force us to always tell the truth. Basically, turn us against each other.”

“Uh,” he stammered. “Well, what do you think?”

 Mia regarded him, then flashed a badge.

“Tell the pilot to turn us around… and that I think he’s smokin’ hot,” she gasped and covered her face.
 

¤     ¤     ¤

 

Zack Lux lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. When he isn’t writing stories, he enjoys exploring the many natural wonder of Northern California. Find him on Twitter @ZackLuxSF

______________________

 

“Do you miss Firefly? Do you like The Expanse? If so, then The Privateers of Mars is exactly what you need. [...] Structured as three loosely interconnected short stories, it reads like three episodes of a great science fiction show that you wish someone would make.”

—Amazon reader review