This is the prologue to my second novel, Into the Air. I may post further chapters on here so stay tuned and do comment if you wish to read more!
The man, coated in grey, wept ceaselessly as he flicked through the pages. A woman in yellow had handed him a fire licked book and said she had been clutching it. They were taking her away. For how long, they couldn’t say. He gazed up at an orange glow that erupted into an otherwise peaceful sky, all he loved was now floating in the air. The waves crashed but they were too far away to put out the heat. He heard her scream and wail and it beat at his heart. He flicked back and forth tenderly through the burnt pages and saw how it had all played out. He wondered then if it was his fault after all, and how long it would be until the hot, heavy giant was put out, and the village was returned to a glowing lustre of stars looking down in want of eternity.
Lily Portman 