Frost Begins on the Lawn
By
Martyn
What I’m seeking here is the usual critique, plus a close look at how the two distinct voicings work. The idea is that Ayanda’s chapters are slow and leisurely to convey thoughtful academia, while Johnson’s chapters are faster to match the sense of impending doom.
Chapter 1
Professor Ayanda Nkosi would not have wanted the end of the world to be woven from the threads of her life’s work any more than she would have wanted it to be braided from the pattern of what she failed to do. She didn’t know it when she rose that Tuesday morning in May, but those would be her only choices.
At ten minutes past four, Ayanda reached out and touched the empty bed next to her. Wincing at the emptiness—both inside and out—she closed her eyes for a moment and allowed the memories to fade. Sipho.
She had woken before the alarm again; just as she did every Tuesday morning in term time. Tuesdays took her away from her work, or at least from what she considered her real work; an inconvenience that was becoming increasingly burdensome as she homed in on her goal.