Fauxpocalypse Teaser

In the run-up to the release of Fauxpocalypse on the ebook world, we are each posting teasers and little snippets of information on our various blogs. I’ll be doing a proper, informative you-can-buy-this-here (!) post when I have the definite release date. For now, here’s an extract of my story from the collection about the not-end of the world, titled ‘Revelation’.

~

“Outside?” whispered the man from the pew in front. He crept out of the chapel and into the foyer, halting a metre from the front door.

“Careful!” cried his companion, a woman with tearstains across her cheeks, but the man ignored her. He stepped into the street.

I edged to the door, too. Comet phenomena hadn’t the habit of being late. Ergo, the chance of the comet striking was less. As I put a hand to the glass door, my heart thumped. Every logical possibility never accounted for the random. I might die – but what much had I to lose?

I pushed through.

Outside, the sky rested as dark as ever. The light previously from the comet had faded, but a dull hum still resonated through the air. The early-morning chill had remained, and I wrapped my arms around an ill-chosen t-shirt.

“Come on,” called the man. “It’s safe out here.”

He gestured to the other Christians crowding the entrance. Hands reached out to him, but he drew away. I knew this game: he’d only celebrate with his friends if they joined his side. Before tonight, I would have said the same thing about religion.

I smiled at the woman in the burqa and she, after the fragile moment of hesitation everyone took, stepped outside. The wind threw back her headpiece and her long, jet hair whipped at her face. Eyes in wonder, however, focused too much on a world not burning to fiddle with her garment.

People trailed out after that. Even the priest donned a coat and stepped into the street.

~