This is the last post before I take a blogging break and concentrate on finishing the first draft of The Ashes of Home. I ended the chapter with Randall, who comes across as a religious madman, talking about fire falling from the sky. His words hit Shayla hard when she realized he was describing the literal truth of something he’s seen, something she herself is intimately familiar with ... the systematic burning, thirty years ago, of the planet they are now standing on and trying to coax back to life. This snippet picks up the thread in the next chapter which leads on to new adventures, but I felt it was a tidy point to conclude this series of posts.
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Shayla leaned against the wall, taking in the sounds of the night. Shouts and coarse laughter drifted through the near wall, tinny and distant. Further afield wind rustled leaves, an unaccustomed sound from a lifetime ago.
Her thoughts whirled through her mind, muddy, fragmented. A survivor. From his speech he was obviously educated. What had the years alone on a global tomb done to him?
And how had he survived? She had watched the Cleansing broadcast from remote drones - propaganda to keep the peasants in line. The fleet of Swords systematically slagged large towns and cities, then bathed the remaining landscape in province-wide swathes of plasma, a gentle goodbye kiss after the fierce intensity of those first thrusts.
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19 comments:
Hi Ian - I do want to see how Shayla finds out more about that past where there is freedom ... I hope the blogging break goes well and you can achieve your goals - cheers Hilary
Wow! How did he survive that? I will miss your snippets during your break, but I'm anxious for you to finish this story. :)
Hilary, I am into the final stretch now with the draft.
Jessica, how he survived turns out to be key to the plot at the heart of this story.
It sounds horrendous. No wonder she doesn't want to revisit it!
I've really enjoyed reading the snippets from this story! Best of luck finishing your draft! :)
Dramatic, sad, powerful....quite a compelling story and snippet. Best wishes on the writing!
Christina, this event has overshadowed her whole life, as shown in Ghosts of Innocence.
Julie, thanks for the well wishes :)
Veronica, glad you enjoyed it.
Good luck finishing that first draft. How exciting it will be when you've completed this novel.
Vivid memories. I could see it through her. I'll miss your posts! Write fast.
Good luck with your draft!
If he survived... maybe other people did. I wonder how, though, that sounds pretty dang deadly!
You description of the Cleansing is evocative and chilling.
This snippet is so good. Holy cow, I wasn't ready for it to end, Ian! The description goes from poetic to rather doomsday-ish.
We'll miss you, but take your break and write faster! I can hardly wait to read this! :-)
No post for me this week. Trying to do a little writing, too!
Stephen, I'm looking forward to it :)
Cara, I'll be back later in the year.
Caitlin, it turns out he was in a rather unique position.
Ed, that's what I am hoping.
Teresa, I hope you'll enjoy it when it's done.
Good luck finishing your draft. :)
Very compelling, as usual! The only thing I don't like about your excerpts is that they end :-)
gentle goodbye kiss
Brillian line, Ian.
I have really enjoyed these snippets. I look forward to reading more
Working on it, Jean. Trying to figure out how to get Shayla out of her current fix :)
Marcia, aww, that's so sweet. Ten sentences a time is pretty brief isn't it.
Kim, I will be back :)
Beautiful prose. It's this stuff that makes me anxious for your next book. =) So speaking of which, get on break already, eh? Oh wait, you already are.
Crystal, working on it :) Just passed 100k last night, nearly there with the first draft.
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