To say thanks to everyone who has read my book Dernketh the Broken Island so far I will be sharing the first few chapters here plus some behind the scenes and extra bits. You can read the entire book right now on Amazon either as a paperback or eboo...
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The island was watching.
It had been all morning, almost like it knew what I was going to do.
My mother was holed up in her room, so no one stopped me as I creaked open the cabin door and crept onto the dark sand. Usually, the wind would be upon me in seconds, dragging me the length of the island on my face, or maybe dropping me on the ruin at the top of the Tor like one memorable birthday – but today, nothing.
The sea rocked back and forth, singing a discordant lullaby while the wind picked innocently at some seaweed. But I knew it was listening, I could feel it, that icy presence clinging to my skin like a wet shawl.
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"Come on then," I muttered. "Eat me."
I stumbled across the beach, closer to the sea edge, my eye twitching like a moth in a web. If my mother glanced out of our cabin's window. If she saw me...
I ground my teeth. If she saw me she'd probably sigh with relief and go and sleep with whatever man was left in the village.
Another step. If I –
The sea moved. Faster than a flash flood it devoured the black sand and was at my feet in seconds. I staggered backwards, falling to the sand with a cry. Its foaming tongue lashed out, missing me by inches – then the sea rolled backwards in a fit of giggles, leaving my thundering heart to fill the silence.
It could have dragged me under before I could scream. Or made the wind snap me in half like a brittle fishbone.
But it didn't.
It always left me.
"You too?"
I swirled around as the teenage boy spoke, and quickly whipped my head away, but it was too late – his face branded itself into my mind. Even though I'd only caught a snatch of his tear-stained face, I knew. He was one of them. Which meant it was time to go.
I stood up but I must have shuddered or done something that showed I cared, because the sand shifted beneath me and gripped my feet. Cold water settled in my stomach.
