Aphelion

Wicked little bit of fun. A "what if?" story, very simply presented, but one which invites a lot of speculation.

Nice job. I'd be happy to see more form this writer.

This is the second version of this story I received. I had already picked it as the lead tale for this month, when the author sent me a new version. The new one had the author becoming something quite malevolent by the end, but in the first version, he was expecting to die from the heart attack (because he crossed off his own name), and that's where the original version ended.

I like this version, but I have to admit, I liked the first one more. The fear he felt was a lot more human to me, and I thought would "reach" more people, touch them on an emotional level. In the current version, we can admire the evil, but it distances the reader a little. At least, in my opinion.