Rachel sat, staring at the wall but only seeing what was inside her mind. Her surroundings faded, dissipating like some forgotten dream as the radio broadcaster spoke with a panic stricken voice. Soon, the radio was playing to itself.

   Rachel couldn't even clear her mind enough to notice the young girl pulling at the frayed hem of her top. The world had gone cold and was only getting colder; her child needed warmth. "Mama?"

   Snapped out of her trance, Rachel's greying mind was full of colour again, though blurred by fear and worry. She took Emily's hand, welling up at the frigidness of her daughter's touch. The Dark Star, having replaced the sun, not only removed all natural light but also the kind warmth that kept the planet hopeful. Now, Rachel couldn't rely on the shine of the sun or the beauty of the flowers. Her only hope lay within the life inside the living, and the glow of her daughter's small smile.

   She lifted Emily onto her hip and ran up the seemingly increasingly large staircase.

   She tucked her pale, ginger-haired beauty into bed, turned the heating up and closed the window. Emily's night-light provided enough light to read by but also allowed her restful sleep.

   In Rachel's panic, she tried to think of any possible solution for this impending doom.

   When Rachel had been a young girl herself, she had stumbled upon a mine that had been closed a century before. Being the adventurous type, she had walked up to the boarded entrance and peered between the rotting wooden planks. What she'd seen had confused, even terrified, her. However, now she saw reason for it.

   Darting from the house with a hope burning so bright inside her chest that it took over her completely, she sprinted the path she'd since walked with her daughter.

   The sudden burst of an idea exploding with clarity in her blurry mind caused her to forget everything else. Leaving behind her coat, phone and keys, she powered on through what shouldn't, but did, look like midnight. The once-familiar plants lay dead around her. She raced through the dark, heart pounding in her aching chest. Her lungs were burning, trying to work against the harsh, freezing air. Her muscles stung and threatened to collapse as she sprinted off track toward the mine's entrance.

   Flinging herself against the wooden barricade, she tore at the wood with her nails. As the rotten wood fell apart, her blood and broken nails littered the floor. She stumbled past and landed in a crumpled mess beside the transparent door. Ignoring the protective suit, she charged in to face the manufactured, smaller, more efficient sun.

   Scanning the room, she found the launch button. The man-made sun's heat pierced her skin. She threw herself towards the button. She slapped her hand down and the Earth opened above her. She watched the new sun rise as she leaned back against the dusty wall, closed her eyes and let her head drop forward.

   The new sun was extremely hot and incredibly powerful. Momentarily, Rachel thought of her daughter and prayed for her safety.

   And then her world went black.

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This is not one of the short stories I told you I'd post. It's actually one I was writing for a Wattpad challenge but sadly, I never got round to finishing it in time (about 3 months ago) and I couldn't get it under 500 words. It's 530.