A mind-bending novella about parallel timelines, family, and the boy at the top of the stairs who will burn down reality to be loved.
It begins with small glitches. Faces that blur. Conversations he doesn't remember. A photo on his fridge of a boy who looks exactly like him but lives a life he doesn't recognize.
As the fractures widen, Jude uncovers a truth more impossible than he could have imagined. He's not the only version of himself.
To hold on to what's real, Jude must navigate a world where memories can be rewritten, choices can be stolen, and the greatest fight is to remain himself.
Because some truths are worth any cost.
Mom and Dad are doing the thing again.
I'm at the top of the stairs with my headphones on, but I haven't pressed play on anything. I never do. The trick is to look like you can't hear them, so they don't lower their voices and start whisper-fighting, which is somehow worse. When they whisper-fight you can hear the shape of the words but not the words, and your brain fills in the blanks with whatever you're most afraid of. So I keep the headphones on and I let them yell.
Tonight it's about money, which is funny because we have a house in the hills, and the kitchen has two of every appliance, and there's a Tesla in the driveway that nobody drives. But fine. Money. Sure.
"You don't think I notice?" Mom says.
"I'm not having this conversation again," Dad says.
"You're never having this conversation."
"Because there's nothing to have."
This is round nineteen of the same fight. I know all the moves. I know the part where Dad sighs like he's the one being hunted. I know the part where Mom says his name twice, the second one quieter than the first, like she's already given up.
Hey, Jude is heading to Kindle and paperback on Amazon. Check back soon for the link, or follow Ravenwood Press for release updates.
Coming Soon to Amazon