This is an excerpt from my 9,000 word novelette “Arches”, which has been nominated for the long-list of this year’s Theodore Sturgeon award.

Excerpt from “Arches”
By Gareth L Powell

When he arrived, she was waiting in the yard in front of the house. She had a shotgun in one hand and a backpack in the other.

‘Nice car,’ she said, throwing the pack onto the back seat. There were wind chimes on the farmhouse gate. The night air smelled of cut grass, and the stars above were hard and sharp.

‘Where’s the arch?’ he said. Alice slid in beside him with the shotgun across her knees. She pointed across the yard to a rutted dirt path leading down through the fields.

‘It’s down that way,’ she said.

He let the handbrake off and they started rolling.

‘Is it far?’

Alice leaned forward. Her jeans squeaked on the leather seat.
‘It’s in the paddock at the end of the track, by the river,’ she said.

About a mile later, at the bottom of the valley, they bumped off onto a patch of wet ground. Caught in the headlights was the arch she’d promised him, four metres wide at its base and six tall.

He killed the engine.

‘Does anyone else know about this?’ he said.

She shook her head. ‘This is all private property. The only footpath’s on the other side of the river, behind the trees.’

Ed popped the door and climbed out. It was midnight.

‘Stay here,’ he said.

He walked over to the arch. Its sides were purple, and smooth like candle wax. He stroked one, and then walked over and stroked the other, being careful not to step between them.
He found it hard to believe that the first arch had appeared only six months ago. Now there were at least a dozen of them scattered around the country, more than a hundred worldwide.

‘How long’s this one been here?’ he said.

Alice stood holding the shotgun. ‘About two hours – I called you as soon as I found it.’

He walked back to the car and slid into the driver’s seat. His fingers drummed on the wheel.

‘What do you think?’ Alice said, getting in beside him.

Ed stopped drumming.

‘I’m going to go through,’ he said. The authorities had the other arches blocked off – if he passed up this chance, he knew he’d never get close enough to try again.

Alice bit her lip. Her knuckles were white on the shotgun barrel.

‘I knew you would.’