The Book of Macabre

The Space Funeral

The woman forgot she was alive. She felt stunned. Small and insignificant. She was alive and surrounded by chaotic beauty. She forgot she had a mission to accomplish. Before she got utterly lost in the scenery that surrounded her, she buckled her safety rope to the side of the spacecraft. Once she heard the click and tugged the rope for safety, she let out the breath of air that she had been holding.

She held on tight to the side of the craft and turned around and...

She could not believe she could be this lucky. She was in outer space! There were two planets in her view. One was a lilac color with white swirls. It was perfect. It slightly covered the sight of a world behind it. The planet in the back was even more giant and orange. It was a pure orange with an asteroid ring orbiting around it. How could this even exist?

The static of her radio went off and interrupted her. "Mads?" the radio crackled, "Mads, can you hear me?"

"Yeah, I hear you." The woman replied, "Sorry, I got sidetracked by the view."

"The best damn job in the universe, ain't it?" The man chuckled in reply. "Time to get to work now. We need you to make your way to the rear and take a look at the gearbox that spreads out the solar panels."

"I am on my way." said the woman.

She started to slide her way down the spacecraft. she was sliding her buckle down the railing until she got to the gearbox. "I am at the gearbox," she reported. She manually pulled the solar panels from the spacecraft. "The hydraulics are snapped. They need to be replaced."

She was somewhat vulnerable at the tail of the craft where she was. She was not pressed flat against the ship. She needed to suspend with the solar panel base so she could begin removing the hydraulic assembly. The view was incredible here, though! As she looked up, some sand forcefully slammed into her suit and helmet. The sounds with this scenery were like she was observing an alien rainforest planet and could hear the rain up here in space.

"Mads, there seems to be some space dust we didn't notice earlier. You will need to find a place to brace yourself against the craft until the storm passes. Pull the solar panels back in. We can not afford to get them damaged." The radio voice directed.

"Okay, pulling back in now." The woman replied. As she gripped the panel base, She heard some loud metal knocks. This was not just space dust. These were big rocks. These were dangerous. She needed to hurry.

"Mads!" crackled the radio. "Ma..time..l....no.....!" There was too much interference to understand a thing. The woman saw a skull-sized rock coming quickly towards her. It was all happening too quickly to react. There came another loud crash. Something was pushing her. Forcefully. Fast.

. . . 

Spacecraft. Black. Lilac. Orange. Black.

She was spinning. She could not focus on anything.

Spacecraft. Black. Lilac. Orange. Black.

It is okay her safety strap should catch her soon.

Spacecraft. Black. Lilac. Orange. Black.

Any moment now.

Black. Lilac. Orange. Black.

Something is wrong

Black.

. . .

She needed to stop the spinning. She released her hand thruster and pointed it in the opposite direction that she was spinning to slow down. She was finally able to stop and float forward, and she looked out to absolutely nothing. There was only blackness. How long has she been out here? Did she pass out?

Fuck.

. . . 

The woman was moving quickly through space. There was nothing there. It was only her. Floating. Silence. Alone.

"FUCK!" She screamed as loud as she could. Her ears in desperate need of sound found her scream intoxicating. She realized she needed to talk. She needed to use her senses. She needed to remember she was alive.

"Maddison, you fucked up. You are going to die out here. You are going to die completely alone. No one is here." The woman mumbled out loud. She reverted to thinking. I guess everyone dies alone. Alone with our thoughts. I had a good life. I am in fucking space! That is a good life.

She looked down at her oxygen tank. She had about an hour to go before she would run out of air. "I miss you, mom and dad! I wish I could say goodbye. You guys may not know I am dead for years."

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. I need to get out of here. I can not be in here. I need to get out of this fucking suit. I need to go home. They are waiting for me. I can't die like this! I am not supposed to die like this. I have never been married. I have never had kids.

Fuck.

The woman felt her heart beating faster. She couldn't breathe! Was this a heart attack?! Her skin was on fire.

Fuck!

Maddison. Calm down. You are having a panic attack. Breathe. Stop using up all of your air!

At that moment, a distant sun's light from somewhere reflected off those planets that she was looking at earlier—that beautiful lilac planet sitting in front of that giant orange one. Everything was so lovely. The woman just stared. How can this exist?

She stared, and she floated. She was so small. So insignificant. She noticed the edge of the orange planet was getting fuzzy. It was moving like a wisp of smoke. It seemed so close. It was as if she could reach out and touch it. She raised her hand and pinched the edge of the planet. The planet stretched with her fingers.

"It is cotton candy!" she said. Was her voice repeating? Reverberating! It was bouncing around the inside of her helmet.

She could hear it!

CANDY.

She could taste it.

CANDY.

I must be losing my mind. The woman thought. She was floating through the planets now. Swimming in purple and white and orange. She felt so warm and free. It is time.

. . .

I am dead.