Nightlands (2001) Post 168
Nightlands is the story of a kidnapping. Or is it an alien abduction? The narrator, whose name is never given, goes to his cousin Simmo's place while his mum and dad are at a reunion. Simmo has a new CD by the group Diamond Drill (hey... it's 2001!) and wants to take it along to his friend Marty's party. Aunt Didi is reluctant, and so is the narrator, but Simmo prevails and Aunt Didi says the boys must wait at Marty's place until she collects them at ten.
The party is loud and messy, and comes to an abrupt halt when Marty's mum turns up and throws everyone out. She does make Simmo call Did to collect them early, but Simmo speaks to the answering machine.
The boys set off walking, Simmo realises he's left his CD behind and they turn back to get it. A light looms up and next thing the narrator knows, he's being dragged away, blindfolded and gassed. Later, he wanders the place he calls the nightlands, seeking a way home. He keeps hearing his dog Mixer barking, and his parents and great-grandfather calling.
Finally, he learns the truth about what really happened, and the significance of the single light and the narrator's black clothing become clear.
This odd story is credited to Patrick Farrell, a pen name based on my second name and maiden name. Oh, and I still think Diamond Drill is a fine name for a punk rock band!
About the Blog Nightlands is the story of a kidnapping. Or is it an alien abduction? The narrator, whose name is never given, goes to his cousin Simmo's place while his mum and dad are at a reunion. Simmo has a new CD by the group Diamond Drill (hey... it's 2001!) and wants to take it along to his friend Marty's party. Aunt Didi is reluctant, and so is the narrator, but Simmo prevails and Aunt Didi says the boys must wait at Marty's place until she collects them at ten.
The party is loud and messy, and comes to an abrupt halt when Marty's mum turns up and throws everyone out. She does make Simmo call Did to collect them early, but Simmo speaks to the answering machine.
The boys set off walking, Simmo realises he's left his CD behind and they turn back to get it. A light looms up and next thing the narrator knows, he's being dragged away, blindfolded and gassed. Later, he wanders the place he calls the nightlands, seeking a way home. He keeps hearing his dog Mixer barking, and his parents and great-grandfather calling.
Finally, he learns the truth about what really happened, and the significance of the single light and the narrator's black clothing become clear.
This odd story is credited to Patrick Farrell, a pen name based on my second name and maiden name. Oh, and I still think Diamond Drill is a fine name for a punk rock band!
Sally is Sally Odgers; author, manuscript assessor, editor, anthologist and reader. She runs http://www.affordablemanuscriptassessments.com and Prints Charming Books. (Sally is me, by the way, and I am lots of other things too, but these are the relevant ones for now.)
The goal for 2017 is to write a post a day profiling the background behind one of my books; how it came to be written, what it's about, and any things of note that happened along the way. If you're an author, an aspiring author, a reader or just someone who enjoys windows into worlds, you might find this fun. The books are not in any special order, but will be assigned approximate dates, and pictures, where they exist. If you enjoyed a post, or want to ask about any of my books or my manuscript assessment service, leave me a message.
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