David Ratledge

Sometimes he didn't know how to #start, or what to do if he did, or how to finish if these events ever occurred. But he did know that the point of life is living and not an ever-growing list of completed beginnings and endings. Smiling, he went about his day. #vss365

"If time #travel were possible, why do we see no evidence of it?" She turns to face him, then looks around in confusion. "Julian? Hey! Julian! Where did you go?" #vss365

He tried to #taper off the drug, but each time, he began to change. It was the only thing keeping him human. What will he do now, with insurance and the government refusing to pay for it? What will the world do when he and the others like him fully turn? #vss365

#Miles above, he is alone in his capsule. He thinks of nothing. But sometimes he thinks about the lack of fuel for his return. Then he thinks of nothing again. As his orbit begins to decay, so too does his sanity. He begins a scream that fades to a flaming streak across the sky. #vss365

No #doubt remained. He was going to die on this lifeless moon. He had three hours of O2 left. His greed had demanded that he break the rules and come alone. Just like it had demanded the same of the thirty-two skeletons in lifeless suits scattered around him on the crater floor. #vss365

"Jen, before you step through the portal, I need to be certain of your #commitment. You will never be able to return to this universe." "Don't worry, I'm sure." She turned and stepped through. Seventy-two seconds later, she reappeared. "Jen! How? This is impossible!" "Who are you?" #vss365

Its offspring were #malformed. It was a genetic mistake, but in 300,000 years their offspring ruled the planet. In 225,000 more, they ruled the galaxy. #vss365

You #reek of sweat and fear, but it can't be helped. For days you have run and fought, barely avoiding their deadly, snapping jaws. Thankfully, they don't hunt by scent. But what does it matter when they can sense the radiant life burning inside you? #vss365

It was just another day filled with gray skies, boring errands, and other #mundane things. An impossibly loud roar split the sky. The ground shook and windows shattered. Across the flat fields at the edge of town, a lidless eye rose above the horizon. #vss365

The strange metal from the recovered ship began to #seethe as the intensity of UV light was increased. They were creatures of darkness whose mistake was coming too close to our star. And their desperation was obvious, knowing how risky a landing would be. We can use that to our advantage. #vss365

His relationship was failing. He thought something #bionic might fix all his problems, so he bought the best his life's savings could buy. Friday night he surprised her with it. She left him the next morning, lamenting there was too much of it and not enough of him. #vss365

The rhythmic sound of boots in the streets. The faint smell of distant smoke. Living in #abject terror of what would come next became the norm. There was no rescue coming, and no escape. The only choice left was to fight. #vss365

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It began as a cough which grew more persistent by the hour. The #mycelium quickly spread through the lungs and beyond until reaching the spine. There, it connected to the central nervous system. After a brief seizure it opened its new eyes to see a world ripe for conquest. #vss365

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The #train of asteroids slipped silently through the black at regular intervals. The Confederation of Worlds rarely took such a step, but humanity was too dangerous. The threat they posed was too great. The first asteroid entered the atmosphere over Europe. #vss365

They were approaching the event #horizon. They wanted to get close enough that a day onboard meant a hundred years had passed on Earth. If they can pull away, they will have traveled to the future. Star positions indicated that almost ten thousand years had passed. They sat in silence. #vss365

It was just like the ancient song. The #rain, it was purple. It was a fitting end to the worst day of his life. Hours earlier they had argued, then she died in a freak accident. Now he was stranded alone on this miserable planet for the rest of his life, forever wanting to apologize. #vss365

With humanity destroyed they no longer had to hide. One by one the #trolls came down from the mountains to pick through the burnt remains. So many years in hiding. So separated and alone. They looked around at the destruction, then at each other, and began to smile. #vss365

"All the #sightseeing has been great fun, but it's too bad it doesn't show us what it was really like. You know, before." "Yes, it's a beautiful place now, but it will never again be like before the bombs fell. All the years of radiation and nuclear winter changed everything." #vss365

The Geiger counter screamed. Whatever was in the #suitcase was radioactive as hell. She called in a hazmat team to investigate. To everyone's surprise, inside was a body. It appeared vaguely human but wasn't. As everyone stared its eyes flew open and it began to unfold itself and stand. #vss365

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The #postcard was written in a strange language. It was printed on a durable material that was like a blend of paper and metal. The photo was clearly a landscape, but like no landscape on Earth. "Was this from the crash site?" "Yes, it was in a belt pouch on one of the bodies." #vss365

Faster-than-light #travel was no longer a dream. Human civilization could now expand across the galaxy. But there was a price. At the end of every jump someone always died. It was impossible to predict who it would be. As the countdown reached zero, he could only hope it wouldn't be him. #vss365

I may pronounce the word “microwave” this way from now on. I can no longer hear it in my head any other way. This is a clip of Nigella Lawson, an English food writer and TV cooking celebrity. www.threads.net/@flowlikesea...

She promised she could #raise the dead. True to her word, she did it! What she didn't promise was that she could control them. #vss365

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After forty years of research Dr. Blix was at the #pinnacle of his career. In moments he would complete his final lecture with a demonstration of travel into the recent past. He concluded his talk and pressed a button. He pressed a button... He pressed a... He pressed... He... #vss365

Sitting on the alien shore they watched as the suns slipped beneath the waves. To their right something moved. It resembled a #lobster until it began drawing symbols in the sand with its claws. Symbols that meant death, if only they had known how to read them. #vss365

Aurora in Knoxville, Tennessee.