Heavy Soul

Raiden Lang and Callan Arrington come from two separate worlds, but in the face of grief, both see the cracks in the foundations of their own houses. The same grief that unites one house but tears another asunder.

Raiden's grandmother's dementia is worsening, the stress of caretaking takes its toll on her estranged family. Callan's grandfather has just been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, and all his family seems to care about is getting the best cut of the palatial inheritance. Grief is the only thing they have, even if their grandparents aren't dead yet. But in the freezing Scottish sea, they're in the world of their own ─ a world where this ambiguous loss makes sense.

Granted, it's only a matter of time before the strain and the flaws of their families threaten to tear them apart, too.

OPEN NOVELLA CONTEST 2025 ╱ PROMPTS 52, 56 & 130

© taryn