We were within a mile-and-a-half of the service roads when we found it. After hours of exhaustive searching and following the energy signatures through the mountains, Marilyn literally stumbled upon the debris covered entrance to the cave. Once we’d cleared enough earth away, we were left with a portal into a dark tunnel.
The EMF meters were going wild as Alex lowered himself down. Once in the cave I had to shield my eyes from the intense light of the glowing inter-dimensional rift. One by one we all plunged into it, not knowing what we’d find on the other side. I was the last to go.
Pure radiance bathed my body as I traversed time and space. And then I was standing. The scent of greasy food filled my nostrils before my eyes adjusted. Blinking, I took in the scene around me. Crowds of slightly sun-burned humans wandered around in shorts and silly T-shirts emblazoned with a sailor hat wearing duck. Round, mouse-eared caps adorned the heads of children. Swirling teacups carried whole families around in circles.
My heart sank. Instead of an alien world, I found that corporate commercialism had spread to the far reaches of the galaxy.
Word Count: 199
[This is my entry into the Flash Fiction Challenge for Flash Fiction for the Purposeful Practitioner by Roger Shipp. Write a story based on a photo prompt and introductory sentence in 200 words or less.]
~V
The Well of Fiction 