Skye’s Sunday Six #1

Hello again. For those of you who have been following my blog you will know that Sunday has been reserved for the Six Sentence Sunday post, and you should all know that Six Sentence Sunday has been shut down by the organisers. Quite a number of people have taken up the torch so that the weekly ritual of surfing the net reading short snippets of an author’s work need not come to an end.

I have elected to continue the tradition of sharing my Six Sentences and have signed up at Skye Warren’s site along with almost a hundred others. You can see the list of participants by clicking on the following link: http://www.skyewarren.com/six/

Also, if you’ve been a following my blog, you will be aware that I’ve been sharing an ongoing story with my Six Sunday posts. Revenant, the tale of a post apocalyptic future where the earth has become a zombie wasteland and humanity survives only on a single space station orbiting their former home planet. I considered continuing to share this story here, but given we have entered a new era I decided to return to the practice of sharing snippets of some of my other work.

For anyone who is keen to see how Revenant will end, fear not. Now that I am freed from the shackles of six sentences per week I will finish the story and post it on my blog so that you can learn the fate of our heroes.

So now that I have this lengthy introduction behind me let me get to the point of today’s post. The Six Sentences…

This week’s snippet is the opening six sentences of a short story I submitted to a competition. Sadly it didn’t end up as a winning entry but I am proud of it nonetheless. The story is called Flames of Thunder and is set in the same fantasy world as my book Bonds of Honour, my short story Forged In Blood and another WIP, The Grandfather’s Blades.

Here goes…

    Arillia blinked dust from her eyes and shoved the fallen rubble aside.
    A fire burned somewhere by her feet. She could feel the heat of the flames, but thick smoke kept its light to a dim glow. She tried to sit upright and her vision swam, bringing with it a wave of nausea that threatened to empty her stomach.
    She looked at what was left of her home, trying to piece together what happened. The last thing she remembered was sitting down to eat dinner.

Thanks for reading this somewhat wordy post. Apologies for taking so long to get to the Six Sentences. I promise that next week’s six will contain less surrounding drivel.

Six Sentence Sunday #64 – Revenant (Part 44)

The last official Six Sunday is upon us. To honour this sad occasion I toyed with the idea of posting six sentences from the WIP I used in my very first Six Sunday post but then I thought… no, that would be unfair to everyone who has been following the exploits of Ryan and Kassandra as they struggle to save humanity from extinction.

Once again, this six picks up immediately following last week’s, so if you want to catch up or need a recap then just follow this link.

Here we go…

    “Okay then,” Ryan managed, the clang from her demonstration still ringing in his ears. “Be sure and go for the head. Broken limbs will slow them, but it takes major head trauma to put one down.”
    Kassandra nodded. “Good to know.”
    “Let’s do this.”

For last time, you can find the wonderful Six Sentence writers by clicking on the image below

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Six Sentence Sunday #63 – Revenant (Part 43)

Here we are. The penultimate Six Sunday has arrived, only one more go around until this fabulous event comes to an end. Looking forward to browsing the lists once more and seeing what everyone has to offer on this second last official event.

As always, this six picks up immediately following last week’s, so if you want to catch up or need a recap then just follow this link.

Here we go…

    She threw him a sideways glance. “Be that as it may, you’ll agree that guns are less useful up close and to hit anything at a distance requires a skill I don’t possess.”
    “I can’t have you down there unarmed.”
    Kassandra rummaged about in her pack and took out a rounded length of steel.
    “I won’t be unarmed,” she said then slammed the bar down on the bench beside her, leaving a sizable dent in the reinforced metal frame. “The genetic enhancements I developed actually worked on me.”

You can find the wonderful Six Sentence writers by clicking on the image below

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Six Sentence Sunday #62 – Revenant (Part 42)

The 13th day of the 13th year of the millennium… hopefully it is a lucky one for you, and any of the superstitious among us have come up with a way to offset any negative forces out there. But its already off to a good start because it’s Sunday and that means its Six Sunday time. 🙂

As always, this six picks up immediately following last week’s, so if you want to catch up or need a recap then just follow this link.

Here we go…

    Whatever response Ryan might have made was interrupted by the pilot’s voice over the intercom telling them the LZ was two minutes away. He checked his equipment with long practiced ease, then kneeled down to check that the doctor’s armour and helmet had been fastened securely.
    “Hand me your weapon,” he said after he’d finished adjusting an reinforced panel at the base of her skull.
    “Don’t have one,” she replied. “I’ve never fired a gun before, and I didn’t think a zombie infested building was the best place for me to start.”
    “I’d argue that it’s the perfect place.”

You can find the wonderful Six Sentence writers by clicking on the image below

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Six Sentence Sunday #61 – Revenant (Part 41)

The first Six Sunday of 2013 and it’s a bittersweet one, we’re at the start of a new year but in the last month of the Official Six Sunday. I look forward to navigating the list this week and seeing what everyone has shared.

This six picks up immediately following last week’s, so if you want to catch up or need a recap then just follow this link.

Here we go…

    “The station’s not the only thing that’s important; you could have sent one of your assistants.”
    “Perhaps, but unlike me, they’re not immune to the contagion.”
    “I spent a good many years looking for you, Doc. Having you down here with me now makes me wonder if all that effort is about to be wasted.”
    Kassandra let out a long breath. “Yeah, about that… I’m not sure if I should thank you for bringing me back, or shoot you.”

You can find the wonderful Six Sentence writers by clicking on the image below

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Six Sentence Sunday #60 – Revenant (Part 40)

I hope everyone is enjoying the festive season. Christmas is behind us for 2012, but 2013 looms large as New Years celebrations are being readied around the globe. Unfortunately for Ryan and Kassandra they’re about to find themselves in a world of trouble. Sure there’ll be plenty of fireworks, but it probably won’t end with a kiss at midnight when the ball drops in Time Square.

As usual this six picks up immediately following last week’s, so if you want to catch up or need a recap then just follow this link.

Here we go…

    “It’s not too late for you to change your mind, you know. I can collect whatever you need and bring it up to Purgatory.”
    She shook her head. “The station is far too important to risk bringing in contaminated samples. You need me to make sure they’re clean, and that’s not something I can do remotely. It looks like you’re stuck with me.”

You can find the wonderful Six Sentence writers by clicking on the image below

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Six Sentence Sunday #59 – Revenant (Part 39)

Here we are, the first Six Sunday after the failed Mayan Apocalypse. In keeping with the tradition of forging ahead in the post apocalyptic world we have the next snippet of my story.

This six picks up immediately following last week’s, so if you want to catch up or need a recap then just follow this link.

Here we go…

    “I suppose that’s true,” she said, leaning back until her head rested against the wall. “It all still seems so unreal to me though.”
    Ryan knew exactly what she meant. Only five months ago, this woman had been entombed in a derelict colony ship floating in the middle of nowhere. It took guts to do what they were attempting and, despite his reservations, he had to admire the woman’s courage.
    “Things’ll get plenty real soon enough,” he said, his tone somewhat harsher than he intended.

You can find the wonderful Six Sentence writers by clicking on the image below

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Six Sentence Sunday #58 – Revenant (Part 38)

Welcome back to my little corner of the Six Sunday universe. After Kassandra’s chilling realisation that the fate of humanity rests on her shoulders its time for another shift in POV. This week is the opening of the run home. The final section of the story… sadly I think I left this run too late as there is no way I can reach a satisfying conclusion by the end of January when Six Sunday officially ends.

This six picks up immediately following last week’s, so if you want to catch up or need a recap then just follow this link.

Here we go…

    The mechanical whine of engines replaced the roar of re-entry as the drop-ship breached the atmosphere. Ryan looked across the cramped compartment to the Doctor, who sat with her eyes fixed on a spot on the floor, idly scratching her arm where the nano-machines where injected. She must have felt his scrutiny, because she lifted her head and gave him a kind of half-smile.
    “Explain to me again what we’re doing here?” she asked. A slight quiver in her voice betrayed her anxiety.
    “I was told this was your idea.”

You can find the wonderful Six Sentence writers by clicking on the image below

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Six Sentence Sunday #57 – Revenant (Part 37)

Hello Sixers. Thanks for stopping by again this week, your comments and feedback are an continuing source of motivation to keep writing this story despite the glacially slow pace at which it is being revealed. I am very glad I don’t write ahead because it keeps the work fresh for me. I don’t think I could handle serving this up in six sentence blocks if it was something I’d completely written months ago.

This six picks up immediately following last week’s, so if you want to catch up or need a recap then just follow this link.

Here we go…

    “Which is why we need you.”
    Not only had she caused the apocalypse, she was now the only one capable of fixing it. The realisation settled like a weight on her chest. Breathing became difficult as the burden of responsibility threatened to drain what little strength she had.
    She forced herself to breathe. “What do you need me to do?”

You can find the wonderful Six Sentence writers by clicking on the image below

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Six Sentence Sunday #56 – Revenant (Part 36)

This weekend has been very special. It marks the last free weekend before the festive/silly season kicks into gear and our weekends are no longer our own. Yesterday we put up the Christmas Tree and decorated the house in readiness for the arrival of the big jolly guy in red and today will be spent doing as little as possible.

It was really hard for me to keep to just the six sentences this week. We are at a crucial stage of the conversation and I struggled with the urge to keep on writing, even toying with the idea of trying to sneak in an extra sentence or two… but rules are rules so six sentences is all I can share. Though I may have stretched the bounds of good grammar with the semi-colon… 🙂

As always, this six picks up immediately following last week’s, so if you want to catch up or need a recap then just follow this link.

Here we go…

    That made no sense, knowing how a contagion spread is crucial for containment; it was biology 101. “What have your scientists been doing all these years?”
    “They died,” the man said simply. “The fact is, we no longer have anyone with sufficient skill or experience to tackle it.”
    Now she understood. “Which is why you need me.”

You can find the wonderful Six Sentence writers by clicking on the image below

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