Dear reader, it’s time to go way back in the archives. While “The Deadliest Sword” is older by a year or so, “The Walk” stands as a marker in my growth as a writer. I wrote it sometime in high school, and it is, I think, the first story that others told me was really good. Here’s an author note about the story from a limited-run short story collection I self-published years ago:
This is the earliest work in this collection. It was almost published by Merlyn’s Pen when I was in high school. They sent me a letter saying they loved it, but that there were too many things unexplained. I made revisions and sent it back. Still, there were too many things unexplained. This was one of my problems as a young writer. I didn’t want to explain everything. I suppose I still write stories like that, if with more sophistication. There is a short book waiting to be written about Linny.
I suppose I can still be accused of not explaining as much as I should. Oh well. And the book about Linny is still in my head. Someday, maybe.
Sidetrack: It’s very strange her name’s Linny. I’d forgotten that. We named our dog Linny (who’s twelve today) but based off a different fictional character I created, Linova.
Anyway…. I’m still fond of the concepts dealt with in this story. It’s a distinct style of time travel, and I like it.
So, if you want to read vintage Nick, a story about a young man walking through time, or a tale of a precocious young girl dealing with her gift, why not try “The Walk”?
Here it is: The Walk by Nick Hayden