Joel stared out the window, wondering if he’d be able to fix things this time. It wasn’t a matter of whether he’d screwed up, Lisa had told him. It was how badly he’d done so.
He huffed, fogging the glass, and wiped it away, careful to use his flannel sleeve so he didn’t smudge the glass. Then ruined it by leaning his forehead against the porthole. He jerked away when the cold sunk into his consciousness.
Didn’t matter. The view was incredible, and he might as well enjoy it. He certainly wasn’t going to enjoy Lisa for much longer, the way things were going.
It’d be easier if they weren’t in a confined environment, but they’d gotten through training so easily. Laughing at the issues other couples had, the barbed commentary helping them get through the selection process. They’d passed with ease, thinking the multi-year journey couldn’t be worse than what they’d experienced in the dome.
But now, here on the Endless Road, decisions tended to have more impact than they used to back on Earth.
There was no turning back again, but Joel suspected the stars cared little whether the travelers made it to their destination without tearing themselves apart.
***
Short and sweet this week. My odd prompt came from Cedar Sanderson: The endless road calls to the traveler, but once they set foot on it, there is no turning back again.
Mine went to nother Mike, who wrote about the real reason the road sings. Check it out at More Odds Than Ends!
