Fireball
Page 28
I lay there for at least fifteen minutes, maybe longer. It’s hard to say. But once the shock wore off, the first thing I noticed was how uncomfortable I felt. I had sand in my hair and on my face and all over my chest and forearms. I think I even had sand up my nose. Plus, a sticky layer of brine coated my entire body. The sun latched onto me and started sucking sweat from my back and shoulders. It was terrible. I felt like a shipwreck victim washed up on some super shitty island – an island as big and empty as the entire world.
But I was alive, at least.
Acknowledgements
This manuscript passed through several sets of hands before going to press, and I’m grateful for the feedback and advice of all those readers: Nai, Dave, Emma, Rupert, Matthew, and Lucy. Without you this wouldn’t have been the same novel. I also owe props to the boys back home for the memories, fact checks, and permissions: R.A., P.C., S.C., R.C., R.G., L.M., M.M., C.O., E.R., P.S., and J.W., among others. Additionally, I’m indebted to those teachers who showed me the way, even if they didn’t know it at the time – Mrs Sandberg, Mrs Cook, and my profs at both UBC and Aber – and to my family for their support over the years: Pops for those trips to the Wee Book Inn, Mom for always being impressed, sis for showing me what it takes, and J-hawker for sharpening my edge. Thanks as well to the many editors who’ve published my stories, both over here and back home. Lastly, I’ve got to tip my hat to all of Razor’s literary predecessors: The Underground Man, Meursault, Holden, Chief Bromden, Ponyboy, Maddy-Monkey and Shrimp. And my apologies to all those frisbee fans out there.
Parthian, Cardigan SA43 1ED
www.parthianbooks.com
First published in 2010
© Tyler Keevil 2010
All Rights Reserved
This edition published in 2012
ISBN epub 9781910901106
ISBN mobi 9781910901113
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