Gray Skies (16 page)
When his feet were under him, and he began an ascent to stand, he was no longer crying; he was laughing. As he stood atop the ledge, balancing with his arms stretched out, he heard the rapid pummel of feet hitting the balcony floor, and the holler of the guards’ voices shouting for him to get down. After all, standing on the balcony ledge was against Commune rules. He’d written that one, too.
His stomach jumped back into his throat when he peered over his belly to the courtyard below him. The pace of the executive guards quickened, and their words became more urgent, yet he only heard mumbles, and the beat of his heart. The beating wasn’t a rapid explosion of thumps set in fear; instead, it was both rhythmic, and calming. It was satisfying.
Though his eyes had aged, and his sight was at times blurred, James could see the remains of the index card lying on the courtyard floor. A few of the children had picked up the pieces, taking them to their parents, surely with wonderment and questions of the strange material and the printed numbers.
He heard the executive guards yelling from behind him as he leaned into the last step of his life. He said little, mumbling aloud a dribble of loosely connected words, confessing what he’d done to Sandra and her daughter, and to the Commune. And as he confessed, his mind emptied, thinking even less, while his foot leaped into a void of space, and his body began the rapid descent to the courtyard below.
A lot of time seemed to pass before he reached the ground. He kept his thoughts to a minimum, leaving the imagery in his mind to those of Janice’s beautiful face, and to the names of the children they’d never had. Once or twice, he mouthed the words, “I love you, Janice,” and before the dense and unforgiving concrete floor finally met him and took his life, there was one final thought he’d regretted having.
What if they bring me back?
Thank You
Thank you for reading
Gray Skies
. To continue reading the story please visit my web site for Book Two of the Gray Skies series,
Blinded by Sight
.
If you liked the first book in the
Gray Skies
series, please take a moment to leave a review on
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Look for some of my other novels and upcoming novels:
Gray Skies — Gray Skies Book 1
Blinded by Sight — Gray Skies Book 2
Union — Gray Skies Book 3
The Return — Gray Skies Book 4
Glass Horses
Fallen Pages
Cradles In Prison
The Sound
Even Monsters Need Love
The Devil Orders Takeout