A collection of short stories on aim to engage 2020

2. Ice World.

Magnificent was the word  as I looked at the lovely white coated landscape. My eyes shifted to the magical photos  in my hand , I nodded approvingly.

I breathed in the cold chilly air and rubbed my gloved hands .

If you haven't guessed it yet , I'm in the vast icy space of Antarctica. Yes , you heard me right , Antarctica !

It was another day but you would not easily notice it because it was summer which means this plane of mother Earth is tilted towards the sun so it's constant sunlight   for six consecutive months, dear ladies and gentlemen thus the term midnight sun.

Antarctica is an interesting place definitely very intriguing to an aspiring astronaut like me, who dedicatedly every morning set up my telescope at an appropriate angle to observe the celestial sphere. You see, the altitude in this place is quite convenient for such and that is why researchers  frequent this place, but all its peaks factored in , I wanted this research to be over and done with so that I could go home.

I was alone in this mission and solitude was not my kind of thing. I , Annabell Mora , is a certified chatterbox and so you could imagine how overjoyed I was when I saw a speedily moving object through the lens of my expensive portable telescope .

Finally ! The last discovery for my project then I'd be out of this place. I pulled out my camera and that is when I noticed something strange.

Below the icy ground where I stood ,  I saw movement , blurry dark  figures   but I didn't have time to ponder over it as suddenly the ground cracked giving way then I was plunging into the unknown.

I screamed until something soft  broke my fall. Slowly , I looked up but what I saw made me shake my head to confirm that I did not lose my brain during the fall :
shiny icy road, sledges  pulled by powerful hounds , men carrying whips , women  pulling  their  gowns and old stone structures covered in snow. I never registered the raging crowd in front of me till a hand hauled me up.

" Aye ! What's this ? An odd fella ! Women don't dress like this ‘ere ! "

" Intruder ! Take her to the lord ! "

" She's from the future ! "

Such were  words  escorting me as I was dragged to some wanting old building  in front of a peculiar guy in a hat and old coats.

" My lord see what I found ! "

" My , my , interesting ! Your name ? " He narrowed his gaze .

I stared at him scared.

"  Can't talk , take her to the dungeons at once ! "

" Stop ! Let me go , I'll do anything ! " I pleaded  , the danger I was in dawning  into me .

" Anything ? " He grinned evilly.

" Yes , "

He scrutinized my appearance,"  Hang man or live here , then you can start by explaining what that thing in your hand is , "

Great ! What choice did I possibly have ? Trembling, I stood and started explaining how my camera worked.

So much for an aspiring astronaut !

True word count : 500 words.

A story from the Aiming to engage 2020 , Day 4 :  You are on a research post alone in Antarctica when you discover an ancient city buried beneath the ice. Upon further investigation, you realize the people are thriving in a pre - modern society and you are forced to make a choice: live with them or be put to death