Under Anesthetic, I Dream That We're in Space

by Emma Phillips

We’re astronauts, floating. I’m the stronger swimmer. Hey, you say, it’s as if we could reach out and pocket the Earth. Like a marble, like God. I grin at the contrast in colors. Every single star feels like mine.

There’s unexpected joy in weightlessness. You release a cape from my hospital gown, pull back your hands and make superhero arms. Out here, constellations are strung to fairy lights. Where are we going? you mouth. I shrug. In recovery, gravity will do its work. Enjoy, I whisper. It’s a long way down.

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EMMA PHILLIPS lives by the M5 in Devon, which sometimes lures her away in search of adventure. Her words appear in print and online, and have placed in competitions such as the Bath Flash Award and NFFD Microfiction Competition.

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