The quarry welcomed me like the waiting arms of my lover. As I walked it, endless heat rose from the stony ground, melting the soles of my inexpensive shoes. I saw no roses though, only old people pottering about like the living dead. The stalks of scrawny flowers snaped this way and that, serenading me as I passed. I passed here and there, in my own, lazy fashion. Time was of no interest to me. It existed on my wrist, but as soon as I placed the watch in my pocket, I was free of a pointless burden. The trees were keen on me, I could tell. They watched as I stalked the ground like a prowling fox or a slithering snake searching out the best means to reach the sun without telling anyone who and what he is. The longer I roamed, the more skin I shed. The skin came away like the stripped petals of a flower. Ever since I was a kid, the sun has stripped me of my defences. In its gaze, I am a virgin all over again.

X and I: A Novel and A Journal for Damned Lovers on Amazon UK

X and I: A Novel and A Journal for Damned Lovers on Amazon US