I'm so excited about our upcoming Spirits in the Water anthology! It will be released in October, but I wanted to share a snippet of my story with you today. It's called, You Can't Go Home Again.
How many of us have wished to go back and change something from our past? I imagine all of us. It's human nature to want a do-over. Be careful what you wish for, though...
You Can't Go Home Again
an excerpt by River Fairchild
“Don’t
look so glum, dear.” Clara leaned in closer, invading Alex’s space, and gave
her a wink. “You have your whole future to look forward to. Wait till you’re my
age for that sort of nonsense.”
She
settled back into her own seat, soft gray curls bouncing with the gentle sway
of the train as it negotiated a bend in the tracks. “Always look ahead, child.
As my mother used to say, you can’t go back home again.”
“What?”
The phrase struck Alex as odd, even sinister. “What does that mean?”
Clara
put her knitting needles down in her lap and stared out at nothing with a
dreamy smile on her face. “Mum had a saying for everything. It means you can’t
go back and change the past. She used to say that nothing good ever came of
worrying about what was already done and gone so you should only look forward
and not repeat your mistakes.”
Changing the past…
Alex
closed her eyes, ignoring the beauty of the countryside as her throat
constricted. She’d give anything to undo the mistake she’d made five years
ago—the mistake that allowed her younger sister to die. To stay with her that
day at the lake—like she was supposed to—instead of getting into an argument
and stalking off. If Alex had stayed, maybe she could have talked Liz out of
sledding across the frozen lake on an overloaded sled.
Oooh, I want to know what Alex does! Awesome teaser.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Christine!
DeleteFantastic teaser, River!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Cherie!
DeleteIntriguing. I'm trying to imagine where this is going.
ReplyDeleteProbably somewhere dark, Jeff. ;)
DeleteGreat excerpt.
ReplyDeleteYou know, I thought a lot about the why's of "You can't go home again once you move on and the realized that even going back and finding comfort or satisfaction it is not the same because something has change. Time is linear, tho flexibility like a circle, for the living are always moving forward.
' Juneta @ Writer's Gambit
Hi, Juneta! Yes, the whole "changing the past and its repercussions" has long been a favorite theme of mine. The problems are endless!
DeleteYou are the mistress of the tease. Wandering off wearing my pouty face (which sours milk).
ReplyDeleteEC - I'm always glad to hear that my tease worked! :)
DeleteWhere's the rest of it? Whaaa! Can't wait for new words from River Fairchild.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Mary! Yes, there are more words. I can't wait to read the rest of the stories, either!
DeleteTalk about a cliffhanger! Now I need to go edit the story so I can find out what happens asap.
ReplyDeleteCatherine - You'll be the first to know!
Delete