Free Short Fiction by Annie Bellet
by
For no particular reason, except perhaps to namedrop and let everyone know that I knew Annie Bellet way back when, I present to you a story I bought and published in 2012 while I was still editor of GigaNotoSaurus: “On Higher Ground.”
One moment there was snow beneath Kayi’s skis, the next just sky. Her wingsuit snapped in the sudden wind as she dropped off the south face of Annapurna. Her eyes watered despite her mask and the pressure shift of falling thousands of feet in seconds popped her ears with a painful squeak.
Kayi angled her body, tucking her poles in along the line of fabric between her arm and torso and angling her skis up, fighting the air that wanted to push them down and twist her legs up. The land beneath her was black, rust, and white; snow and stone blurring into one as she gained speed. Proximity flying, going so close to the steep slope that she could almost touch the snow, was dangerous. Doing it with ski equipment on was even crazier.
If you’re not familiar with GNS, it’s a webzine I founded to publish longer short fiction. I still own it, but it is now edited by the fabulous Rashida Smith. One new story monthly, check it out!