Walk: A Novel

Stephen had seemed enthusiastic about the walk, when Benny first invited him. He kept going on about how amazing it’d be, the two of them out in the wilderness – the landscape shots, the pubs, etc., etc.

Benny didn’t interrupt this stream of enthusiasm. They were in the car park of the Miners, and Benny was too busy concentrating on his own stream of piss. He didn’t think about it at all until the next morning.

When he remembered inviting Stephen, Benny laughed out loud – a single ha – then spent three minutes silent-screaming into his pillow.

****

Benny thought that it would be him and his dad doing the walk. Just him and his father, hiking through the Welsh countryside, like they used to.

Only, when his dad got ill, it became obvious that this would never happen. So Benny was forced to consider other options.

If Benny is honest, him and Stephen haven’t been close since school, but once Benny had drunkenly blurted out the invitation, he couldn’t take it back.

Now Benny and Stephen are on the walk. A walk Benny has vowed to finish, no matter how hard it is. But as food runs low and money runs out, Stephen and Benny find themselves stranded on the edge of the world, far from home, where the possibility of return is becoming increasingly distant…

James Rice lives in Liverpool. In 2011 he completed an MA in Writing at Liverpool John Moores University and has since finished his debut novel, Alice and the Fly - the first chapter of which won the Writing On The Wall Festival's novel-writing competition 'Pulp Idol'. He also writes short stories, several of which have been published, and writes songs with his friend Josh, which he sings in a very high-pitched voice people have charitably referred to as 'unique'. He is currently working on his second novel. Follow James on Twitter: @James_D_Rice #aliceandthefly