Forty Days of Flash Fic: Day Three
"Those are not our stars," Tez said, trying not to let the worry edge into his voice. Maria was young, and still possessed the happy notion that he had all the answers, his attempts to disabuse her of the notion notwithstanding. He needed to be sure to be calm for her.
"You're sure? I mean, perhaps it's just been a long time since you looked at them," she replied, crossing her arms under her bare breasts and looking up with him. She'd made a sort of kilt out of a section of sailcloth and some rope, leaving her upper torso bare in lieu of her damp clothes. With her considerable height and the spiral horns emerging from her reddish black curls, she could have passed for the avatar of some ancient goddess.
"Once you learn the stars for navigation, you don't forget them," he said to her. "Their positions shift over the eons, but they haven't moved that significantly even in my lifetime." He pointed towards the horizon, where a small, greenish gray ball was rising. "Also, there appears to be an extra moon."
Maria's eyes widened. "We're on another world?"
"Exactly. This is a new experience for me," he admitted.
"New?" she said slowly. "For you?"
"Yes."
She swallowed hard. "I'm going to panic now, if it's all the same to you."
"Feel free. Just don't go anywhere."
"You're sure? I mean, perhaps it's just been a long time since you looked at them," she replied, crossing her arms under her bare breasts and looking up with him. She'd made a sort of kilt out of a section of sailcloth and some rope, leaving her upper torso bare in lieu of her damp clothes. With her considerable height and the spiral horns emerging from her reddish black curls, she could have passed for the avatar of some ancient goddess.
"Once you learn the stars for navigation, you don't forget them," he said to her. "Their positions shift over the eons, but they haven't moved that significantly even in my lifetime." He pointed towards the horizon, where a small, greenish gray ball was rising. "Also, there appears to be an extra moon."
Maria's eyes widened. "We're on another world?"
"Exactly. This is a new experience for me," he admitted.
"New?" she said slowly. "For you?"
"Yes."
She swallowed hard. "I'm going to panic now, if it's all the same to you."
"Feel free. Just don't go anywhere."