Thank you for reading and sharing my daily #Storygram short stories! Vote in the sidebar (at the bottom on mobile devices) for which story you want to become next month’s short film! Be sure to subscribe to the newsletter and check out my film Portfolio!
The Story:
He never missed a clear night. Pulling on a light jacket and strapping his telescope to his back, he set out for the old smoke stack.
They had sealed the top off years ago—too many jumpers thought of it as a tunnel to freedom. But the seal provided the perfect platform, where he could be above the horizon and fog that threatened to obscure the sky’s wonders. At such a height, he felt like the stars reached for him as much as he for them.
He slipped through a hole in the chain linked fence just under the “NO TRESPASSING” sign and began his defiant climb to the top, using a rusted ladder that striped the side of the structure. It squeaked and creaked as he begged each rung to accept his weight.
Thirty minutes of climbing later he reached the platform. He set up the legs of his telescope and bolted the wide black tube atop. Looking upward, he surveyed the sky, hunting for the perfect target.
The moon had become a boring subject over the years, so it was usually not even under consideration. He could observe a planet, like Mars, which mankind had finally stepped on a few years ago. Venus wouldn’t be visible for several more hours.
He decided to study his favorite wonder—Jupiter. Setting his telescope’s location, direction and tracking speed, he twisted the focus until the planet’s eye stared sharply back at him. He imagined its moons performing their orbital ballet as Jupiter held them close to her side.
He rubbed his eye, which was getting a little dry. When he looked back through the eyepiece, another object had entered the frame. It moved quickly until it collided with Jupiter, which burst into chunks of debris that appeared to fan out in every direction.
There was a delay, of course. The events he was witnessing would have actually occurred several minutes ago.
He pulled out his phone and placed a call. A man answered.
“You saw it?”
“Yeah, I saw. I’m coming in.”
“Put on some handcuffs so they don’t freak.”
His favorite planet was destroyed, and Earth was now in danger of being pummeled by the debris. If humanity was to survive, they would need his help. He had to go back.