That moment is just exquisite. Don’t you agree? Just before lips connect, you can almost feel two mouths vacuuming in the universe.
Much of SEETHINGS is written around a kiss — and a lightning strike.
There’s a storm, literally and metaphorically.
In chapter five, Mitchell explains the moments before a kiss, comparing it to a moment just before lightning strikes the ground.
Our photographer, Mitchell, is not just obsessed with photographing lightning; he’s obsessed with understanding kisses. While chasing the perfect lightning photo, he discovers a special sound the lightning makes a split second before it strikes. It’s subtle — easily missed — only heard when close.
Mitchell describes this mysterious sound as the moment before a first kiss, when lovers take an intimate leap of faith and move towards each other for the first time. Lightning produces a zipping noise. Emotions in a kiss create a nervous mind-buzz that sounds similar. It causes the same sensations in the body.
And then our lovers lean in, not knowing whether crossing the gap will ruin or rescue them. A deep breath is taken.
It’s emotional.
Dangerous.
Exciting.
Electric.
Their mouths connect.
A bolt of charge is felt.
Tasting another’s breath is highly enticing, but its flavour provides no certainty. A kiss can go two ways. It could lead to disappointment or joy. No one knows until the kiss has done its job. It takes more than touching lips to know.
She won’t tell him. He won’t speak either — not in words. Their lips talk in other ways.
Something else is needed to generate the right power to make another lightning strike. A tongue tip, a parting of lips, a shutting of eyes, a groan — something that lets the electricity really flow.
If it works, their bodies will synchronise. Arms will wrap around each other, closing the gap and sealing the unspoken agreement. Here is where lightning flashes again, and the thunder is felt a second later.
Mitchell’s passion for photographing lightning stems from his search for romantic affirmation in his relationship. Although misguided, his quest is well-intended. And he is not the only one seeking something from these nightly electrical events. Another is moving around the darkness whose intentions aren’t so innocent or misguided. When the sun rises, its rays will reveal the damage done during the night. Another lifeless victim’s body will be found.
Did Mitchell see something while he was out there with his camera? Did his lens capture a mysterious shadow in a place where it shouldn’t have been?
Read SEETHINGS to find out more.
–Michael (Dark fiction. Author of SEETHINGS (the first book), free for a limited time)
SEETHINGS promises a gripping psychological thriller that blends murder, passion, and secrets of a sexless marriage. Forman’s vivid prose draws readers into a world where lightning illuminates the skies and hidden truths. As the storm clouds gather, Mitchell’s journey promises to unravel more than just the mystery of the murders.
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Discover more from Michael Forman – Author of Dark Fiction & Drama
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