SFFS - An Excerpt from "Ever Dark"

With a stay in the hospital (not for me) this week, I almost didn't make it in time for Science Fiction Fantasy Saturday, but did finally get home and get signed up. So, this week, I'm offering up an excerpt from my published Aston West short story "Ever Dark" (one of my favorites).

I stepped down the hall and the hairs in my nose curled. As I turned the corner, a pile of light gray ash lay on the floor along the left wall. A handheld energy weapon rested next to the debris.
Disintegrator cannon fire was one of the more horrific ways to die and not something a decent person would wish on even their worst enemy. Out of paranoia, I lifted my wrist.
“Jeanie, let me know if you see anything inside or outside the freighter.”
“Acknowledged.”
A hatch in the right wall split apart as I approached. Three more piles of ash lay at various spots around the rectangular bridge. Only one energy weapon was nearby, which told me someone had disintegrated unarmed victims.

If you liked this excerpt, feel free to head on over and read the full story in Ray Gun Revival (archived over on Scribd). And of course, several free stories can be found under the Shorts section of AstonWest.com.