Plasma Frequency Magazine: Issue 11 by Zachary

Author:Zachary [Zachary]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Plasma Frequency
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

D. Thomas Minton recently traded the tropical Pacific Ocean for a valley in the northwestern United States (and he thinks he got the better end of the deal). His fiction has appeared or is forthcoming in Asimov's Science Fiction, Lightspeed Magazine, and Intergalactic Medicine Show, among other respectable (or otherwise) publications. His idle ramblings hold court atdthomasminton.com, and always appreciate visitors.

Bittersweet

By D. A. D’Amico

The first shot grazed the cup. It sliced through the marshmallow topping, ripping into the plastic Santa behind. Tinsel flew everywhere. I dived to cover the cocoa, snatching a plastic lid from the floor as I slid behind the beige linoleum counter.

"Hold up!" I screamed, more from the scalding liquid than the bullets whizzing overhead. "I'm human! Stop shooting already!"

My mouth watered. The aroma of fine Dutch chocolate wafted through the aromatic steam.

"Is it safe?" The voice, tense, feminine, echoed through the empty cafe. "Tell me you didn't spill it."

"I'm okay, thanks." I growled, grabbing a quick peek over the counter.

She stood beside display racks long emptied of donuts, muffins, and a sweet selection of seasonal cookies. Her dark hair had been tied back, hidden behind a thick furred hood.

"Put it on the counter, then step away." She sighted down the barrel of a semi-automatic rifle, a scowl on her thin lips. The gun twitched. "You have ten seconds."

I cradled the cup closer, enjoying its warmth. I couldn't remember a single day since the comet hit and the Siidi invaded that I'd felt this happy. I wasn't going to give this up.

"Sneaky trick, dropping a giant ice ball on the planet. Think they're out there, in town? I haven't seen one of the squid-faced bastards in weeks."

Steam rose into the icy air like smoke from a genie bottle, conjuring fond memories of a life before suffering. I missed the hustle and bustle of humanity. I missed the daily grind, the crowds, and even the lines where I'd read the paper and wait for some pimple-faced kid to pour me a cup of cocoa to take the chill off a late December morning.

"I thought the city was empty." Her tone sounded cautious. "You from around here?"

I laughed, hard and long, the tension exploding out of me. It'd been months since I'd spoken anyone. "That was the worst pickup line I'd heard since doomsday."

She fired a round into the counter above my head. "Better?"

"Sorry!" I ducked, the humor gone. "My social skills are a little rusty."

"The cocoa, give it up." She wasn't any smoother.

"I was visiting when it happened. My name's David."

"Maria," she said. "And I want that drink."

"I didn't expect to see anyone. The ground fighting's been rough, but it's moved out of the northeast. The Siidi are smart, but not as sneaky as we are."

"I've been here too long to leave, invasion or not." The barrel of her gun dipped a few inches. "You got people?"

"No... Not anymore." I tried not to think of what I'd lost.

"Me neither."

It suddenly felt colder in the little shop than the impact winter falling outside.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.