Relu shielded his eyes from the sun as he stood over the bodies in the sand. The couple and their little girl had been at the bazaar, bartering for parts for their vaporator. Those parts were gone now, stolen by whoever killed them.
I can’t help her, he thought. His own vaporator barely provided enough water for him. More of a mercy to leave her.
Tiny hands reached for Relu.
Well, I can always pray for rain.
He sighed and scooped her up.
__________________________
Matt Krizan is a former certified public accountant who writes from his home in Royal Oak, Michigan. His short fiction has appeared or is forthcoming in various publications, including Factor Four Magazine, Daily Science Fiction, and Martian Magazine. Find him online at mattkrizan.com and on Twitter as @MattKrizan.
This time The Pete Wood Challenge was to write a flash fiction story of up to 150 words in length using the prompt, “rain.” To see the previous winners of previous challenges, click this link.
If you’d like to read more of Matt’s stories, we have lots more on this site, all at this link.
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Beautiful piece. Thanks!
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