Everlife 01 – Part I, Chapter 1

A Serialized Novel / Science-Fantasy / 180 words

< Previous Chapter | First Chapter | Next Chapter >

Reader Advisory Warnings

1) There are elements of horror in this story. Not enough to warrant tagging it as a genre, but enough to warrant this warning.

2) There is ONE rather graphic scene, toward the end.

3) There is some mild nudity, but NO sexual content. I'm not even sure it's worth mentioning, but when in doubt, I prefer to err on the side of caution.

NOTE: Chapters in this novel vary greatly in length. The first chapter (below) being the shortest (180 words) and the last chapter (#68) being the longest (4400 words).

Part I

Chapter 1

He woke up to the realization that he was falling. The experience was unexpected and somewhat unsettling.

His senses were numb, and his vision was blurred. There was a bitter taste on his tongue that he could not identify. He tried to move his legs and arms, but all refused to budge—not that they would have been of much use, all things considered.

From the symptoms, he guessed some poisonous drug coursed through his bloodstream.

He saw the ground approaching fast, but there was no fear in him.

Only a pressing need to understand.

He closed his eyes to focus on the last things he remembered: the soft hum of a paused TriVid screen, the swirling colors of an approaching ship, and the warmth of the Exudian sun on his skin.

Someone was there with him, too. He could see the blurred outlines of a smiling face, though he could not put a name to it. A woman, he felt.

And in a flash, it all came back to him...

“Damn!” he said as he hit the ground.

< Previous Chapter | First Chapter | Next Chapter >

This was the first of five free chapters of my novel Everlife. If you don’t want to miss out on the rest, use the button above to select your preferred plan.

Want to read more of my free stuff? Check out these titles, if you haven’t already:

• Through the Stars, Darkly – Chapter 1 (weekly space opera serial)

• Letter to Tya (science-fiction short story)

If you enjoyed this story, please feel free to forward it to your friends or to share it on social media.

And don’t forget to like by clicking the little heart below this post ;)

Thank you!

—

Text (c) 2022 by Alex S. Garcia.

Header: royalty-free stock images, edited by me.

—

Want to read more free stuff?

Sign up to The Sample for a large selection of nonfiction (and some fiction.)

For free genre stories, click on the banner below.