Read After the Winter (The Silent Earth, Book 1) Online
Authors: Mark R. Healy
After the Winter (The Silent Earth, Book 1) (40 page)
Even in the deepest sands my footsteps were light. The road was never steep and the way never hard to find.
Those days passed by in a rush, the kilometres eaten up as if they were nothing. I kept to the south, where the Marauders seemed to have been driven away, and they didn’t trouble me. In the daylight I’d make my way swiftly across the earth and the sand, through the ruins, and by night I’d find somewhere safe to wait out the darkness. With my spirit soaring and my path firmly in mind, it seemed like no more than a handful of days passed before I found myself home once again.
Now in the final few paces of my odyssey, I moved through the darkness in the upper reaches of M-Corp, my fingertips trailing along the rough concrete of the stairwell, guiding me along. I took my time, feeling every groove and chip as it slid past.
At the top floor I made my way out of the stairwell and into the rubble-strewn space beyond, and that was where I found her. Silhouetted against the darkening cityscape in the evening breeze, she stood with her back to me, unmoving. Broken cables seemed to sway hypnotically around her, and yellow moonlight spilled across the floor. I stood at the back of the room, absorbed the serenity of the moment, and began to understand why she came up here so often.
I opened my mouth to offer a greeting, but it was Arsha who spoke first.
“Wasn’t sure if I’d see you again,” she said softly, without turning around.
I paced over slowly and stood by her side. Out the window, the moon was bright and full, creating a contrast of shadows and silhouettes below in the city.
“I guess I needed some time to think. To process.”
She looked over at me, anxious. “You must hate me now.”
I shook my head. “Why would I hate you?”
Her eyes searched my face. “For all the things I said. For taking everything from you, and then leaving you down there.”
“No,” I replied, “you did what you had to do.”
“I tried to pull you out,” she said, anguished, “but you were like a dead weight. I couldn’t budge you. The fire was closing in and I panicked. I thought if both of us were lost in there....”
“Listen, Arsha,” I said gently. “You don’t have to explain anything. I understand now. I understand it all. You don’t need to feel guilty about what you did. You tried to help me and I know that.”
She nodded, still uncertain. “Are you sure?”
“Yes.” I could only see the faint outline of her in the gloom. “You weren’t hurt, were you?”
“Me? I’m okay.” The wind curled a strand of hair across her face and she brushed it away, shaking her head in wonder. “I still don’t know how
you’re
okay, though. I thought for sure I’d lost you in there.”
“The lab held together long enough for me to get out. I should be thankful for that, at least.”
“We both should be thankful.” There was a vulnerability in her face I’d never seen before. “I need you here, Brant. So much.”
“I’m here now,” I said reassuringly. “I’m here.”
She gave me that appraising look, staring at me intently. “There’s something different about you.” With an uncertain little half-smile, she added, “Something happened to you out there, didn’t it.”
“Yeah, it did,” I said simply, returning the smile.
She looked at me curiously. “So where did you go?”
“East. I had... unfinished business out there.”
“Did you end up finding what you were looking for?”
I thought about that for a few seconds. “No, I didn’t. But I finally understand where I need to start.”
I closed my eyes and imagined looking out over a city bursting with life, full of noise, lights, movement and colour. The pulsing of beacons, the sound of shuttles and people walking the streets, of trains and birds, and the laughter of children. It was the same exercise I’d always done before, but now with a different focus. In the past I’d been intent on wistful recollections of the old days, mournful that they’d gone, never to return. Now, I saw this as a vision of the future. It was no longer something that was lost, but now something that could one day be real again. It was here within my grasp, if only I would reach out and touch it.
The future was waiting, and we had the power to shape it however we wanted.
I opened my eyes, blinking as if seeing the world for the first time. In the distance, the Grid spire gave off a pulse, a wave of luminescent energy that swam across the city like a ripple in a pond. Coating the world in ephemeral light, it winked out as quickly as it had appeared.
“Do you think the Marauders will get that spire working?” I said.
“I don’t know. They’re going to keep trying, that’s for sure. We need to be ready if they turn their attention our way. And something tells me they will.”
I nodded. “So what now?”
Arsha smiled and held out her hand, her face filled with hope and a sense of satisfaction. “Now, we begin.”
THE END
Author’s Note
Hello and thank you for reading. This is my first novel, one that’s very close to my heart, so I hope you enjoyed it. I’d love to hear what you thought, both the good and bad, as I’m still learning the craft of being a writer and feedback is very important to me. You can reach me at: [email protected]
As an independent author, it’s not easy for me to get my name out there and build an audience. I rely heavily on the community, on people like yourself, to help spread the word. So if you enjoyed this story, please let someone know by posting a review on Amazon, on your blog, on Goodreads.com, on Facebook, or wherever you
can.
Good reviews and word of mouth help to inspire people to take a chance on a new author like me, so even a few minutes of your time would be an enormous help to me.
The Silent Earth Series c
ontinues with the next volume, The Seeds of New Earth. Find out more at:
markrhealy.com
Thanks again, and all the best.
About the Author
Mark R. Healy is an author and musician from Brisbane, Australia. He lives with his wife Nic and children Elise and Hayden.
Mark’s Website:
markrhealy.com
Facebook:
http://facebook.com/hibernalband
Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/author/markhealy
You can find more of Mark’s stories through his project ‘Hibernal’. This project features professional voice actors, original music and Mark’s own sci-fi stories to create a cross between audiobooks and movies. The result is an atmospheric, immersive and unique theatrical experience for the listener. This project is available to hear online at
http://hibernal.bandcamp.com
and can also be purchased through iTunes and Amazon. Just search for ‘Hibernal’.
Contact Mark by email: [email protected]
Acknowledgements
I started writing novels over 20 years ago but never published one until now. During that period I’ve given up more times than I can count, tossing many manuscripts, story ideas, and characters onto the pyre and watching them go up in flames, only to be lured back to writing by the incessant urge to create. To tell stories.
There are many people I need to thank for helping me to finally achieve this lifelong goal.
Firstly my partner, Nic, who is always the first person to read my stories and who always gives the most valuable kind of feedback - the honest kind - even if she knows I probably won’t like what she says.
She also happens to be an incredible wife and mother and I’m blessed to have her.
Rowan Salt and Pete Turner, two great mates who have also made a huge impact on this story with their suggestions and corrections and their fresh perspectives.
Hayden Wright for digging up and correcting a bunch of errors and for providing some valuables insights into the narrative.
My editor, Eliza Dee at Clio, for helping to hone this story into the final product with her valuable insights, and for making me think about the story in ways I hadn’t considered before.
Donna Rich for her legendary proofreading skills.
Faleena Hopkins, who worked with me on my Hibernal project ‘Replacements’ as a voice actor, and who helped to give me the confidence to really go after my dream of publishing a full length novel.
And finally, thanks to everyone who took the time to read this book. With so many authors out there, and so many books being published, I feel privileged that you would give me a few hours of your time to hear what I had to say.
Mark R. Healy, Oct 2, 2014
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