Cosmic Crust by Alex Sherman

Author:Alex Sherman
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Tom Doherty Associates

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In the morning Lucy stayed on her pillow, bleary-eyed and lethargic. Her breath came in quick, shallow snorts. Bhu took her in his arms and carried her outside. The air was clear of flies and the sky was a deep cerulean blue. The plague had passed, but in its wake the sidewalks, the streets, the cars still parked sloppily on the street, everything was coated in a dark grey ash, as thick and heavy as snow. It crunched underfoot and left behind a sticky, rotten residue. Bhu sifted through a pile of it with the toe of his boot and groaned. It was composed of the tiny bodies of dead flies. He wondered if there would be more.

The strays chased each other through the streets, mouths wide, tongues lolling. They rolled joyously in the insect ash. They stood and shook themselves, coated with black grime that clung to them like sap.

Lucy took notice of them, a rare fascination. She barked at them, and howled weakly. The dogs stopped and stared, ears vertical, tails flat. Bhu set Lucy down, and she tottered a few shaky steps to the edge of the sidewalk. She knelt to pee and could not stand again.

Bhu swept her up and carried her back inside.

Lucy trembled and huffed gently in his arms, her eyes moving rapidly under closed lids. Her skin hung on her like a heavy coat. He wrapped her in blankets and left her snoring on her bed.

Bhu went to wash his hands and wept quietly into the sink.

There was nothing for her to eat.

Outside, the dogs began to howl.

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