Rachel Bennett Steury is the readers’ choice in this week’s Indies Unlimited Flash Fiction Challenge.
The winning entry is decided by the popular vote and rewarded with a special feature here today.
Without further ado, here’s the winning entry:
Plan B
by Rachel Bennett Steury
Maggie’s voice replayed in his head over and over again. Her last words to him, as he packed his bags, were so relevant as he circled a dune field, looking for a reason not to land.
“Just go with your gut John,” she began. “Your gut instinct has always been the better choice over your head or your heart when you’re up against a wall.”
Maggie said the same thing to him every time he left for a mission, and she was right. Martin’s gut instinct saved his life and that of his crew many times before. Often deemed unconventional or down-right lunacy, Martin’s instincts could be defined as nothing short of calculative desperation. Desperation to live, to save his crew. When his head and his heart complicated his decision-making, Plan B has always been to go with his gut.
He felt it deep down in his conscience; this stretch of land was his best chance. He would crash-land his weary jet and face whatever consequence was on the other side. Martin clenched his jaw, squared his shoulders and tried to steady the jet for one of his toughest landings. He was counting on the clearing to slow him down enough to soften the impact of the rocky hamada ahead. In the distance, he saw the tribesmen already in formation on both sides of the field, as if to guide him into the safest part of the brutal, unforgiving landscape.
Thank you!