The Crystal City (Flash Fiction)

There once was a city shaped like a star made out of shimmering crystal and it floated through space.

It was beautiful.

However, the inhabitants of the city just couldn’t see how beautiful it was and spent all their time fighting wars; the East side of the City in constant violent conflict with the West side of the city and every day thousands of precious innocent lives were taken away by the war.

But then, however, Runtingen Worble one of the West side’s most distinguished scientists made a startling public announcement.

“A great catastrophe is about to befall us!”, he said, addressing a group of important state ministers, “I have checked and double checked my calculations thoroughly and there is no doubt about it; our floating, crystal city is destined to collide into an enormous object and be shattered into a trillion pieces and that is why I urge the government of the West side to make peace with the East siders. What is the point in all this hate and conflict? We should be using what precious little time we have to be happy; enjoy living and love one and other”.

It was at this point in his speech that several secret agents in suits and dark glasses entered and forced poor Dr Warble into a sack before carrying him away, struggling, out of the room and that was the last that was ever seen of him.

Not that it mattered much however, for sooner than even Dr Worble had expected, the end came, the crystal city crashing down, cataclysmically, onto the palm of Jennifer Tindle, a five year old girl.

“Look Mummy”, said Jennifer to her Mother, showing her the snowflake that had just landed in her hand.

But then the little girl looked down again and saw that the snowflake had melted away.

“Ohh”, she said, disappointedly, “It’s gone”.

“Things go all the time”, said her mum, smiling, and kissing the girl upon her forehead, “That’s why we have to cherish every moment we have”.