SHORT STORY
An In-Between Christmas Part 4 of 6
A young woman tries to contact her comatose father on a mysterious spiritual plane between life and death
Previous Parts
Part Four
The journey through the barren, fire-blasted wilderness proved tough going. The day stretched interminably, as did the miles, and all the while the mountains seemed to take forever to get closer. Often, they were forced to clamber over steep piles of rock, slipping and sliding in the scree. With every sinking footstep, Sophie’s ankles complained, and soon her feet were swollen and covered in blisters.
Despite occasional halts for refreshment, Sophie felt her strength draining the nearer she got to the mountains. The heat increased. A grimy film clung to their faces and beads of sweat formed on their foreheads. The smell of sulphur grew stronger too.
‘I reckon we must be near a volcano,’ said Yousef. ‘Please tell me you didn’t write about one of those.’
‘Not exactly,’ said Sophie. ‘There is a place like this in my book, but the lava streams are underground, and the volcano is dormant. However…’
