She’d sailed by the stars, rounding islands of moons to arrive home. Joanna leaned into the helm, her final tack bringing her ship into bayside.
Virtually all Earth’s inhabitants left to settle on these moons. First they went to escape overpopulation, then they stayed for the controlled climates. Joanna’d been an interplanetary bus driver since her raven-haired days. Now she was craggy and white as the mountainous docking station.
She ached with the blessing of witnessing of Mother Earth’s recovery. Her ears rang with the silence found only in pure nature.
Next time, she’d stage a crash and stay.
© Liz Husebye Hartmann (2021)
Carrot Ranch Prompt (04/22/2021): In 99 words (no more, no less), write a story about earthing. Put a character’s hands, feet or body and soul into the earth. Who needs recharging? What happens between the interaction? Go where the prompt leads!
Valley of the Trolls 
A brilliant take on the prompt. I love the creativity of speculative fiction. Excellent. ❤
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Thanks, Colleen!
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You’re most welcome. ❤
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I like the hope in this story, Liz!
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Retirement…whatever you gotta do to live the good life, at last!
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I wonder if post-apocalyptic stories will reconsider the heart as renewing herself as you have imagined. I think humans felt surprised by how quickly natural order rebounded when the humans went into lockdown, except for those of us who know her resiliency. I love your descriptions of the character as comparative to her landscapes, too. Great 99-word story!
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Thank you! Mother Nature really just needs an hour and a half of peace, with the kids out of sight and sound.
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Post-apocalyptic tale with a difference, Liz.
Love it.
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Gives you a lot to think about.
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Interplanetary bus driver – I like that! Great story.
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