From Across Their Walls (Behind Our Walls Trilogy Book 2)

by Chad A. Clark

  The really significant juncture, though, was when Heidi stumbles across the scene that was essentially the climax from Behind Our Walls. In that moment, Sophie allows her anger to take over and she kills the man who was responsible for the murder of someone she loved, as well as many other close friends. And while we might not agree with what Sophie does, I would like to think that most understand why she does it. But in the second book, Heidi is literally watching this silent scene unfold through the scope of a sniper rifle and all she sees is one stranger killing another in cold blood. I loved the chill this added to the overall scene, how close Sophie came in that moment to being killed herself without even realizing who was lurking nearby.

  From Across Their Walls goes off from that point into a completely separate narrative. I didn't think I would deal at all with the original cast of characters but as I wrote, I slowly came to the decision that Sophie and the stadium needed to be brought back into the fold. I thought that this mis-understanding of what Heidi had witnessed would make for great tension in the story as the reader grows progressively frustrated with her for unfairly judging the people of the stadium. It was then that I came up with the concept for the third act of this play which is made up almost entirely of Heidi and Sophie alone in the dark, each mortally wounded and arguing their lives away.

  I wrestled quite a bit over this point. Should Heidi die from her injuries? Should Sophie die? Should they both die? If they live, is it going to be believable that it would be possible to treat them, from a medical perspective and what the people would have had to perform such an operation? Obviously in a world such as this, you can no longer rely on the ability of the medical field to bring you back from various injuries. So I had to toe a thin line between seeing to it that the injuries to Sophie and Heidi were serious enough that they would end up down in that underground chamber, convinced that they were near death, but also make those injuries something that the reader would believe could be fixed. Hopefully I was able to accomplish this.

  I was also nervous about the letter which Heidi delivers to Lot from her father. I'm sure there are plenty of you who would like to know more of what was written there but being completely honest, I have no idea what her father wrote. That's a cop-out to some extent on my part and I am aware of that but I think the importance of the letter was not in the specific words but what it represented for Heidi, and how in a final act of brilliant parenting, her father provided her with what she needed more than anything else.

  A reason to live.

  So, while I was genuinely worried about creating a Pulp Fiction type moment where everyone just wants to know what the hell is in the briefcase, I hope that what I was able to provide on the page is acceptable.

  As I reached the last chapter, it occurred to me for the first time that I was leading up to a cliffhanger ending. What little I can tell you about the third and final book of the trilogy is that it is currently titled (tentatively) Until The Walls Do Crumble. The character that is introduced at the very end of From Across Their Walls, Roxie, will be featured as the central character. And following a similar format, Until The Walls Do Crumble will start out largely on its own, standing on its own legs before joining up with the main narrative.

  Finally, I have to make sure I offer up my thanks to you. It's always thrilling to hear back from the readers who take the time to pick up my work. I can only hope that the time and energy I have put into these projects have justified your interest and attention. Thank you for being there and I am excited to share even more with you in the years to come.

  Chad Clark

  Cedar Rapids, 2018

  Before You Go

  While I still have you here, I would like to make one request. I sincerely hope you have enjoyed this book as it has been a pleasure to create it for you. As independent authors, our biggest challenge is to try and stand out amongst the millions of other books on the market and one way you can help us do that is by leaving a review. It doesn't have to be long or complex. A rating along with a few sentences is more than enough. But if you feel like the book merits it, I would be eternally grateful if you would consider leaving a review at one or both of the sites linked below. There is no obligation and if you don't feel comfortable writing a review, I respect that decision and I'm thrilled that you were interested enough to read this book in the first place.

  But we do love hearing from our readers so I hope you will take this under consideration. This book can be reviewed at one or both of the following sites:

  AMAZON

  GOODREADS

  Once again, thank you! Thank you for reading and I will see you again soon.

  CHAD CLARK

  Behind Our Walls ended up being thirty or so thousand words shorter than it had been, towards the middle of the project. There was an entire backstory for Fiona that I eventually did away with and the scene that follows here is one example. In this version of Behind Our Walls, Fiona has been on the run from the law for accidentally killing her girlfriend. She ends up in the town of Madrigal and picks up a temporary job working at the local diner. It is while working here that she sees the first footage of a nuclear bomb going off over Berlin.

  This entire subplot ended up being removed because I felt that it softened Fiona too much as a character. This was one scene I liked, however, and I thought that bringing it back for this book, from Heidi's perspective would provide a good opportunity to create a cameo appearance from both Fiona and Nairi.

  Out of historical interest, I am presenting the original chapter to you here. Enjoy!

  Even a few days of life in Madrigal was enough to give her the sense that it was the kind of place where things rarely changed very much. She could also tell how worried people were about the news reports and the state of the world swirling around their town. They didn't have the context or knowledge to deal with anything like this. Constants that had long become expected were now starting to shift. During the day, the town looked like it was asleep, with people only coming out for the essentials. Some shops had elected to shut down until problems in the capital could be resolved. At night, people would turn out to the diner to see if anything new was being reported and to try and offer each other support.

  Her thoughts frequently drifted back to Holly and the image of her in that closet. Surely someone would have found her by now but, as much as she had kept an eye out, she had never seen anything in the news. She supposed it was a waste of time. In cities where occurrences like this were too common, the discovery of a young woman, dead in her apartment was the kind of thing that ended up a blip on the radar for local news, desperate for material. Certainly, this far away, there would be almost no chance of hearing anything. Still, there were few moments during her day when there wasn't the tiniest inkling that the law was just on the verge of catching up with her.

  She supposed that what cops were left had other things to occupy them now.

  Despite the clear stress that everyone was feeling at what was happening in Washington, she could still detect the inherent hospitality of the town. Working with Hank as a boss was certainly a far cry from the specimen she had worked under at the last job. It was actually the first experience she had at any job where her boss actually listened to her and took an interest in her life. Part of her wished that she could just stay here but she knew that considering the trouble she was in, she couldn't afford to stay in one place for too long. She thought there was almost no chance of anyone tracking her down here but even so, she didn't want to risk getting him in trouble, just for trying to do the right thing.

  It was also in Madrigal that she met Nairi, a local, several years younger than Fiona but in terms of her exposure to the world, it was like she was even younger than that. Fiona imagined that she had spent a great deal of her life under the protective wings of Mommy or Daddy and had grown used to the presence of an authority figure, always there to swoop in and save the day. Nairi had latched onto Fiona, almost from the moment that she started working at the diner. Fiona i
magined that she must represent some kind of mythical creature to the girl, someone who had drifted in from the outside and told wild tales of adult responsibilities and independence.

  Fiona had never been one to crave the idea of settling down in any one place but the way things were going now, she was starting to get used to the notion of blending in to this small town and just existing, going to work, going home, going back to work and then back home. She supposed that if she actually started entertaining thoughts of staying here, she would have to look for more permanent residence. She certainly couldn't expect Hank to just keep footing the bill for her hotel room. Besides, it was likely pointless to think about it anyway. Nothing lasted forever, it was the one truth in life and for her, it was even more so when she seemed to come across anything that was going well. She would enjoy it while it lasted but there would almost certainly be something eventually that would drive her away from this place as well.

  And maybe that was what she deserved.

  She was working the dish-washing station, keeping her head down as much as possible and avoiding as much human contact as she could manage. She didn't want to wear out her welcome and lose out on more money but she also didn't want to have to force herself to be friendly with a bunch of regulars that she didn't really care about.

  The diner was slow that evening, and Nairi leaning up against the prep table, picking at her fingernails. It was like a still image, put into motion as time stretched out into an indeterminate length.

  It would be this, of all days and moments that she would experience as her last little bit of normalcy before everything would be turned upside down and the inconceivable would become the norm. She heard the cries first from the dining area and immediately thought she had heard the sound of someone being rear ended out in the street.

  Fiona ran out to see everyone gaping up at the television in various states of shock and disbelief. She turned to the screen and saw a live shot over Berlin. Vaguely, she heard the sound of a plate shattering as it slipped out of her hand and crashed to the floor. She tried to steady herself as she started to feel dizzy, hearing nothing but the ragged inhalation of her own breath, and the sensation of that first tear, making its way down the contours of her cheek.

  About The Author

  Chad A. Clark is an author of dark-leaning fiction, born and raised in the middle of the United States. His road began in Illinois, along the banks of the Mississippi and from there he moved to Iowa, where he has lived ever since. From an early age, he was brined in the glory that is science fiction and horror, from the fantastical of George Lucas, Gene Roddenberry and Steven Spielberg to the dark and gritty tales of Stephen King and George Romero. The way from there to here has been littered with no shortage of books and movies, all of which have and continue to inform his narrative style to this day. For more, check out www.cclarkfiction.net

  Acknowledgments

  No book comes to completion on its own. There are any number of people on any given project who come together and help things happen, in order to bring you the best book possible.

  I need to extend my thanks to A.M. Yates, David Foreman and Patrick Loveland for being willing to read earlier versions of this story and provide feedback. As the author, it can be difficult to see things that for others are as plain as can be. I appreciate the both of you for taking the time to offer your perspective and to help me smooth the rough edges off of this.

  Thanks also to Jeff O'Brien for providing some essential editorial input.

  And of course, thank you to all those out there who have picked up this book and made it a part of their lives. You're all awesome.

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  Also from Chad A. Clark

  A Shade For Every Season (short story collection)

  Behind Our Walls (novel)

  Down The Beaten Path (novella)

  Utopia (short story)

  Falling To Dark (short story)

  Tomorrow's Memory (short story)

  Yesterday, When We Died (novella)

  Two Bells At Dawn (short story collection)

  Mist On The Highway (short story)

  Through The Slip (short story)

  The Child At The End Of Time (novella)

  Winter Holiday (novella)

  Winward (novella)

  Copyright 2018 © Chad A. Clark

  Published by : Darker Worlds Publishing

  Edited By : Jeff O'Brien

  ASIN: B07DF39KJ2

  ISBN: 9781983029806

  Darker Worlds logo design by:

  PETER FRAIN

  77studios

  www.77studios.blogspot.com

  All rights reserved.

  This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced, copied, shared Online, transmitted or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author, Chad A. Clark. Quotations may be used for the purposes of a book review, so long as they are used with attribution.

  This book is a work of fiction. All names and locations presented are solely the work of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, events or locations is unintentional and coincidental.

  Image used for cover art :

  Stock Photo - Gloomy apocalypse landscape

  Used with permission via - www.123rf.com/

  Created originally by : www.123rf.com/profile_isoga

  Inquire at : cclarkfiction@gmail.com