Image by The Reclining Gentleman at http://thereclininggentleman.wordpress.com
‘2040,’ he reads aloud, ‘last living bird, the common sparrow, dies from avian influenza.’
He moves along to the next panel and taps the touchscreen.
‘2078: the last female crocodile in captivity, and last reptile known, dies of old age.’
He shakes his head in disbelief.
‘2123: rising water temperatures lead to the death of all oceanic fish and mammals.’
He takes a deep breath before moving to the next screen.
‘2236: last mammal on earth, male human living in southern China, dies age 98.’
He taps his antennae together thoughtfully.
And with a flutter of wings he is gone.
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I felt a little sci-fi this week since my short story ‘Meet the Martians’ was recently published in the StringyBark Future Times Short Story anthology (hard copy and ebook). It’s an exciting moment to see my name in print, especially in a genre I’ve never attempted before. But bring it on! There’s something rather exhilarating about predicting the future, especially a future that’s been taken over by insects…
Follow @jessieansonsFriday Fictioneers is a challenge set by Rochelle Fields where writers around the world create 100 word stories inspired by the one image. For more information see: http://rochellewisofffields.wordpress.com/2014/10/22/24-october-2014/
Jessie Ansons 