The Marionette

‘What’s that one doing?’ said Hannah, pointing at the marionette.

It had twisted around with its face towards theirs, its hand stretched out towards them.

‘Let’s go,’ said Fin, his throat tight.

‘Why? I liked that one, I want to play with it!’

‘No you don’t, let’s go in for lunch, come on.’

      ‘I’ll tell dad you hit me if you make me go!’

‘Fine, tell him, I’ll tell him, just come on!’

Her expression changed when he said that, but she kept her feet planted. Fin glanced back at the marionette.

It had moved closer, was on one knee, stretching for them. Fin’s stomach dropped into his guts.

When Fin arrives at his grandparents' island home he finds his granda sick and weak, and the old man's puppets dangerous and alive. After the violence in his new school and his dad's new girlfriend's attempts to push her way into the heart of his family, this might be more than he can deal with: but the marionette is trying to tell him something, and the rotting figure in his dreams is getting closer. Things are going to happen soon, he realises, and he's beginning to understand just what that means... 

The Marionette is a novel about death and growing up and family and stories. As soon as there is any news about its progress to publication, I'll post it here!