Paige Hanson wakes up to a question that turns her stomach; “Where is your husband?”
As she struggles to grasp the wisps of memory returning to her she begins to realise that there’s more at stake than Leo’s whereabouts.
With no other leads in their investigation the State turns on Paige, painting her as the number one suspect in her husbands disappearance.
She’s left with no choice but to turn towards the teachings of the one person she swore never to become in order to prove her innocence and, along the way, begins to realise that some questions are best left unanswered.
The Diseased by S M Thomas was published in paperback on 20 August 2022. I'm delighted to share an extract from the book with you today as part of this #RandomThingsTours Blog Tour.
Extract from The Diseased by S M Thomas
“We were drowning. That’s the last thing I remember.”
The light was harsh in her eyes as she rubbed them, removing the crust that had embedded across the lids. How long had she been asleep?
“And do you remember what happened to your husband?” a voice loomed out from the unfocused room around her. Without her glasses, they were nothing but a blurry shadow.
The panic in her stomach as the water poured into the car.
Reaching over into the backseat to unbuckle her son. Exchanging one last nod as they pushed the doors open and made for the surface.
Legs tangled in seatbelts.
Losing her grip on their child.
A strong current dragging her down as she watched him float away in dirty water.
This couldn’t be happening.
This couldn’t be real.
“No. Like I said, we were drowning. That’s all I can remember.” Her tongue wouldn’t formulate the truth, something inside of her needed to hold back.
A soft moan came from the cot next to her bed. His small body still seemed blue as he lay beside her on a ventilator.
“He’ll be okay.” A kind voice now. A nurse. Someone who cared. “He’s a fighter your boy.”
“The vehicle you were in wasn’t government- sanctioned,” the voice came again, professional and clipped. Feminine.
“An anniversary present from my husband’s friend. He had the permit.”
“And who was driving the vehicle?” Yet another question.
Her hands on the steering wheel turning white as she gripped tightly, trying to correct their path.
“My husband.”
“She needs to rest now,” the kind voice said. Her only protector.
The light turned off. Darkness returned. She was drowning in it all over again.
I enjoy writing, reading, drinking, terrible television and dancing around my living room to Beyoncé or T-Swift.
I studied script writing a long time ago.
I stumbled into a life of administration even longer ago.
I’ve wanted to be a writer even before all of that.
I self-published parts one and two of ‘The Light’ over the last few years and it was without doubt one of my proudest and most terrifying experiences. Putting your work out into the world always is.
Now I’m preparing to do it all over again in 2022 with ‘The Diseased’.
Thanks for joining me in this madness.
Twitter @SMThomaswrites
.jpeg)
.jpg)
No comments:
Post a Comment