An Extract from This Month's Release: Climbing 'Til Dawn

 

I've decided to celebrate each release with a series of extracts that run for the month it's released in. This month saw the second edition of 366 Days of Flash Fiction released. Links to the collection can be found at Books2Read at: https://books2read.com/u/b6MrN0. Today's extract is:

Climbing ’Til Dawn

Written on October 17, 2015, for the March 5 entry of 366 Days of Flash Fiction, this piece looks at how trolls might fit into the urban landscape.

The skyscrapers cast long shadows, the canyons between them as black as black. That didn’t matter so much to those of us who were climbing to the moonlit upper floors. What mattered were the swarming shadows following in our wake.

Every now and then one of us would look down into the seething darkness, and catch a glimpse of glittering teeth or claws, or the shine of light reflected from blue-black eyes. Every time we did, we’d climb faster.

“How long til sunup?” the nearest climber asked.

I risked a glance to the east. White lined the horizon, and dawn’s colors were fading.

“Can you last another five minutes? I asked, looking down.

“I think so.”

“Then climb faster.”

Five minutes was a big ask, but that was how long it would take for the sun to hit the walls this side of the alley, and the alley trolls were gaining. Most of us made it to the light.

 

Cover art is by Jake at JCaleb Design, and links to 366 Days of Flash Fiction can be found on Books2 Read at: https://books2read.com/u/b6MrN0