By Gloria Mazza
It lay quietly in wait, gaining strength, deep inside the unsuspecting host. Its consciousness was limited to its own existence and its sole reason for being—to surprise and wreak havoc upon an alien world.
Countless others had gone before it and many more would follow in due time. The correct combination of momentum and timing ensured optimum success—a burst of brilliance, an angry explosion spewing its very energy and life force into the unknown beyond.
The eruption occurred in a matter of seconds, accompanied by a hearty “Ahhh choo!”
The hapless host sighed and reached for yet another tissue.
Love it. Ironically, I had a very loud sneeze before reading this. Creepy.
Love this one Gloria! Great build up, and enjoyed the juxtaposition of the ordinary tissue ending against the sinister, alien imagery of the story. Bless you!
I just love when my imagine gets ahead of the story. I thought birthing a baby at first and enjoyed the self-induced surprise twist at the end. Thank you! ~J
I always enjoy a surprise ending, and you did it very deftly. Good story.
I also was thinking it was a human baby, but was pleasantly surprised when I realized you were writing from the POV of a virus or allergen causing a sneeze. Very creative! 🙂