Her ancestors did not live in an arid land. There had been smaller cousins of the oceans spread out over the surface. Some were tiny oceans composed of freshwater, while others were stretched out into narrow strips that even fell with the terrain. #AmEditing#WritingCommunitypic.twitter.com/scIiLgSPJl
Most peculiar was the overabundance of toilets, some of which were still attached to plumbing and suspended in mid-water. Anna was curious about the role these contraptions played back in the day. After all, none of the merfolk had ever been potty trained. #AmEditing#WritersCafepic.twitter.com/NhqYloYrfp
Over time, the remnants of humanity became more pronounced as they swam over lands that had been home to tens of thousands. Not that one could tell at a glance. There was little left of the homes, buildings, streets, and infrastructure to appreciate this urban sprawl. #AmEditingpic.twitter.com/zYseJCz5PO
“Instead of standing there like a statue,” Essa said. “Why don’t you go down and see for yourself?”
She looked down at the shaft, and then at the flashlight. A smirk creeped on to those lips, before she grabbed the flashlight and dove into the depths.#AmEditing#WritersCafepic.twitter.com/NIzBpgu0qm
That sound was telling, all of that anxiety and fear contained in a singular blip. Anna looked on trying to maintain a stoic appearance, but hurting the closest thing she had to a mother was taking its toll. #AmEditing#WritersCafepic.twitter.com/YX69qL6w5q
Unlike most of the other homes in her area, this one had been built into the ground. Essa often referred to this place as Bag End, but Anna never understood the reference. Still, she lingered by the plastic doors while working up the courage to venture inside. #AmEditingpic.twitter.com/y5FRcjqlQZ
This silo was one of the few places near the village unaffected by surface wind, and currents. That’s why they measured the tides from within, because in a world perpetually aglow in blue phosphorescent light, it was impossible for them to tell the passage of time. #AmEditingpic.twitter.com/2NwerkFBXn
Her reflection was such a disappointment for her. Anna would have far preferred to have been blessed with a bald head, scaly skin, and piercing yellow eyes; these were many of the engineered traits of the highborn, designed to make life under the sea easier. #AmEditingpic.twitter.com/4JXlREgpjB
There was the reflection of her true self, rather than what she imagined herself to be. Pale skin, dark brown eyes, and wild black hair that refused to be tamed. It was that last trait that forced Anna to keep it in a ponytail, because it always got in the way. #AmEditingpic.twitter.com/97MP6h5iQH
A Girl Called Ari by independent author P.J. Sky, is a post-apocalyptic tale of two women thrust together by fate.
The first is Starla, the daughter of the leader of the last bastion of civilization in the wastes. Lastly, we have Ari, left to fend for herself in the wastes as a child. Two women from radically different backgrounds embark on a journey that is marked by peril and death.
The story is mostly focused on the points of view of Ari and Starla, giving the reader a hint of their pasts along with thoughts that only the individual character knows. This contrast in point of view work well, allowing the story to unfold at a good clip.
This book is a quick read filled with bite sized chapters to snack on. Readers will fall in love with Ari and encounter a satisfying ending that leaves plenty of opportunity to develop the world further.
Coincidentally, Ari Goes to War, the sequel to this tale, is available for preorder.