Chapter 1
Jay stood at the edge of the world. Waves crashed far beneath, though she couldn’t see them. A bank of clouds had swarmed over the land, blanketing the cliffside and the water below. She’d been standing there for some time, though she had already made up her mind. She held onto the rickety fence before her, it was all that separated her from her fate. How funny it was. How could she have come all this way, yet be held back by what amounted to not more than a few sticks roped together with twine? The drive had taken several hours. She’d made the trip white-knuckled, sitting in silence.
A woman approached from behind her, appearing out of the cloud cover like an apparition.
“Hello,” she said, and Jay started. Jay turned with wide eyes, caught like a child with their hand in the cookie jar of fate.
“Can I sit here?” the woman said, looking at the saltworn bench behind Jay. She held two paper cups, and steam rose off them.
“I was just leaving,” Jay said, unsure if the lie was for the stranger or herself.
“Oh,” the woman said, taking a seat. “I noticed, you’ve been here for a while. It’s cold, I thought you might like a coffee.” She held one lidded cup out in offering. Jay took it, and sat next to her. She held it, warmth seeping into her flesh, and realised her hands were shaking.
The women sat and sipped their coffee in silence, enjoying the distinct lack of view as the cloud cover was still dense and heavy. It limited the extent of their existence to only a few feet. Waves crashed below, a continuation of the endless symphony that had no doubt lasted for eons and would last for eons more after they women had gone. This thought brought Jay a strange sense of comfort.
