The Appearance of Earth

She were always his favourite. Out here, she had no other boys to make eyes at. My Mem was a hard woman, all grit and stone. I liked it, she was strong, but I knew my Da didn’t like the hardness in her. I’d heard him saying once that after the war people came together for other reasons and because the ones they were to have been with were gone. I knew most times it weren’t choice, the ones they ended up with. I weren’t thinking none of this then though, I just turned and ran. I crashed through the burning bush. I heard my Da call my name, but I didn’t stop running.

 

'The Appearance of Earth' was published in Visible Ink 24 Fleshy Husks and Brittle Bones.

You can read the full story here.