Cold (games & toxins) 1


The small figure tumbled out of the hatch at 30, 000 feet
And fell crazily through the freezing air towards the mountain,
landing neck-first on the rotting, disease-caked horns of the corpse of a mountain beast.

Separately, let alone together, the cold of the drop or the infection from the horns would have been fatal -
Except for the fact that the person who fell was BrinzaK, champion horn-diver from the alien world of Kren, horn-diving championships.

The prize was a box of Strintallian braaks, and a book token.

Or was it?

No it wasn't

In fact this was the last conscious thought of Eric Masterton, age 13, who'd fallen out of a tree and landed neck-first onto some railings.

Honestly, 13 year old boys are such dreamers.


Charlie Skelton