Beautiful Abomination
Page 7
But her sanctuary had finally shaken itself free of her. A lone light bulb hung from a bare cord. It swayed in the wind. It produced no light. The grand facade still stood but the church’s innards were exposed, cracked windows, crumbling upper floor, all her hiding spots laid bare. The marble woman shone in the moonlight in her little stone grotto and sadly surveyed the devastation. Stone angels mourned from their perch on the roof. How long till they tumbled from their lofty position?
After the earlier tremors there had been hope, activity, rebuilding—but no longer. They had given up. The earth had rejected and betrayed them. Even God’s house was no longer safe.
Perhaps it was time to move on. There was no reason to stay. Her pool of prey had narrowed further. There were more places to sleep but no guarantee she wouldn’t be obliterated by a rogue patch of sunlight. She felt oddly calm, like the devastation satisfied the desperation she had felt. Maybe it was the killing. She’d felt driven to do it but that feeling had passed.
It would be dawn soon. Too late to set out tonight. Time to find somewhere to rest. Time to find peace.
Tomorrow she would leave.
Notes
Dedication
This book is dedicated to my grandmother. I wrote the first draft of what would become this book at her bedside. She died a few months later. If I’m being melodramatic I could say I wrote it while she was on her deathbed.
DEFINITION OF FEMINISM
Caitlin Moran’s definition of feminism comes from How to Be a Woman which is outside of my timeline, it was published 16 June 2011.
The full quote reads:
“So here is the quick way of working out if you're a feminist. Put your hand in your pants.
a) Do you have a vagina? and
b) Do you want to be in charge of it?
If you said 'yes' to both, then congratulations! You're a feminist.”
BIBLE PASSAGES
Ruth 1:16, King James Bible
1 Corinthians 13:3-4, New American Standard Bible
Genesis 38
You may have noticed the language is different (well done you). These are from two translations which I sourced from biblehub.com. I chose the version that, in my opinion and for my purposes, suited each passage best.
THERE IS A DRAGON IN Revelations.
No, I don’t own a bible. Yes, I went to Catholic school.
Acknowledgements
A huge thank you to the strong, kick arse women who have challenged me and aided my personal growth in the last couple of years, especially while I was writing this book. In particular: Hiria Te Rangi, Cindy Gallop and Emma Morrison. You’ve helped me to be more authentically myself and care less what others think.
To Cassie, Kate and Richard; I love you guys, thanks for getting me here. Thanks for bringing me back from the edge, from two full years not writing, to being able to finish the writing project that sent me there.
My beta readers: Heather, Katherine and Pippa, thank you for your input (and for saying it was better than the last!). Pippa, hanging out with you is always an adventure and you remind me how adventurous I’d like to be.
Finally, Gareth, you were here for the short story then the first draft, through the tears and the tantrums you were my best friend. I wish you’d been around to see me complete it.
Don't miss out!
Click the button below and you can sign up to receive emails whenever Frances Duncan publishes a new book. There's no charge and no obligation.
https://books2read.com/r/B-A-ZQYD-HZYM
Connecting independent readers to independent writers.
Also by Frances Duncan
Alison's the Sensible One
Beautiful Abomination
Watch for more at Frances Duncan’s site.
About the Author
Frances Duncan lives in Wellington where she runs the Jane Austen Society of New Zealand. Jane Austen is so much a part of her life that you'll find a little bit of Austen in each of her stories. In primary school the teachers used to take her books off her and tell her to go play. It seemed a natural progression to go from reading too much to writing.
Read more at Frances Duncan’s site.