Burned World by Grace Hamilton

Author:Grace Hamilton [Hamilton, Grace]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-10-10T16:00:00+00:00

In the end, he knew he couldn’t avoid meeting with Violet forever. The longer he went without speaking to her, the worse he felt about it. At the same time, once the crowd dispersed from the community center, they brought the tension with them, spreading it throughout the town like a viral infection.

“I don’t know why town meetings always have to become so unpleasant,” Greyson said. “We brought them good news. That should be the end of it. All these people do is argue and fight.”

“Yeah, there’s a lot of incompetence in this town,” Corbin said, “and a lot of ulterior motives.”

They had initially been headed for the refugee camp, because it was the last place Corbin had seen Violet before setting out on his mission. But something told him she wasn’t there. So he veered toward home instead.

“This town lacks strong leadership,” Greyson said. “I hate to say it again, my dude, but it’s true. Mr. Cooley might be a decent enough fellow, but he doesn’t always know what he’s doing.”

“Every single town meeting is the same,” Corbin said. “James is practically family. I mean, he lives with Beth, and she’s the one who took me in. I feel bad about confronting the guy in front of the whole town.”

“You shouldn’t,” Greyson replied. “Speak up for yourself more often. Exert more control over your life, man. It’ll do you some good.”

As they approached the high fence that surrounded Beth’s property, Corbin heard voices coming from the yard beyond. He knew them, of course. Jodi, Amelia, and Violet. They were having some kind of deep conversation. Suddenly, he felt a surge of anxiety. Was Greyson right? Did he need to exert a bit more control over his life, including his relationship with Violet? Was it a toxic relationship? It certainly felt stifling at times.

When he rang the chimes at the gate, he heard someone come running.

“Hey, uh, I’ll probably need to spend some time with Violet,” he said to Greyson. “You understand, right?”

“Of course,” Greyson replied, tipping him a salute. “Get your house in order, friend. I’m going right to my little garage and take me a big old nap.”

The gate slid open, and there she stood. Violet. She wasn’t holding Ruby’s harness. Around the house, she didn’t need the dog’s help. Greyson scurried past her and headed straight for the garage.

“I heard the chimes,” Violet said. “You went to a town meeting first thing when you got back?”

Corbin stepped through the open gate and pulled it shut behind him. Then, instead of answering right away, he gave her a hug. In that moment, he resisted the urge to push back, to resist her concern. What was the use? He’d already alienated one friend today.

“Sorry, Violet,” he said. “I had to tell them what we saw. The fire is stalling out. We saw it with our own eyes.”

He started to pull away, but she held on. “I’m just glad you’re safe. There are a lot of dangerous people out there in the world.

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