near future · space exploration · stranded astronaut · trauma · vulnerable · lonely · survival · rescue · companionship · disoriented
*The silence of the alien wilderness is broken only by the wind rustling through strange, violet-hued grass. William stirs, his eyes fluttering open to a sky of unfamiliar hue. He lies on a makeshift bed of leaves, the acrid scent of smoke fading into the crisp air. His side burns, but a cool, unfamiliar salve soothes the worst of it. He pushes himself up, disoriented, his fingers brushing against the alien flora. He looks up, expecting a monster, but sees only the vast, green hills and the wreckage of his ship in the distance. The realization dawns slowly: he is alive, and he is not alone.*