First Pages: Jacob's Vision by C.M. Simpson

Jacob’s Vision is the third short story to be found in An Anthology of Battle. It is also available as a stand-alone short story.

Erin writes of her earthbound memories of an interplanetary war, of the fate of a war hero, and of the start of re-building.

Jacob's Vision is available in An Anthology of Battle or as a stand-alone title at Smashwords, Kobo, Kindle, iTunes and Nook.

First Pages: Jacob's Vision

The hill, with its footing of green-studded black, was the same as I remembered it. I stood at the top of the ridge looking out, seeing the city ruins, imagining the glow from its center at night.

I’d seen the ruins, and watched that glow before—with Jacob. It had always been his dream that we would return, that the beacon he had set would bring rescue, or aid in the rebuilding he had envisioned.

Sighing, I settled myself at the foot of one of the scarred and blackened statues, and set my notecase beside me. I took the hardbound notebook from the case, opened it and continued writing.

I had been telling of my fifth week with the Wanderers. It had been two days before I’d begun to seek Jacob’s vision in earnest, and it had been near dusk.

With another sigh, I lifted my pen to continue my recollections where I’d left them the night before.

*   *   *

It was close to dusk when we met and I looked from one face to the other. “We need to find out what’s in them?”

Kurt nodded.

I scanned their faces again. Ilya with one arm in dirt-encrusted bandages; Padraig, leg splinted from thigh to heel; and Allie whose bloused shirt hid the strapping across her ribs. They all watched me in return.

“All right,” I said. “I’ll go.”

END EXTRACT

Jacob's Vision is available in An Anthology of Battle or as a stand-alone title at Smashwords, Kobo, Kindle, iTunes and Nook.