The Sea of Wheat is this week’s Crimson’s Creative Challenge from Crispina Kemp. I’ve been looking at a great many wheat field pictures recently, to choose one to use as the planet Corsair on my new book cover.
Last week I did a sort of extra-curricular memoir for Lars, while he was working on planetary surveys. This week it’s Pete, thinking about his home planet. I’m enjoying coming up with some non-existent extracts for them, as in, these are not in the Quest for Orichalcum, but belong there. I might continue through to launch date, August 12. This is 150 words on the dot 🙂
The Sea of Wheat
When I think of Corsair, I’m often playing in the creek with the other kids. One side led out onto the wheat fields, the other was up against a cliff, and the whole was enclosed by trees, which met overhead, although of course they bordered the creek itself.
Our favourite game involved wriggling through the sea of wheat, trying to reach the trees in the middle before someone caught you. I was very good at wriggling through fields, especially if Evie had set off first. Catching her was my speciality. Unless…
A chuckle. Yes, maybe she had engineered it so I caught her up—but only me.
Those wheat fields have been stripped by the Imperium’s machines now. The trees are gone, and so have the border hedges beyond. They might recover, until the next harvesters come back.
Just hold on, Corsairs. Maybe I’m the one who will come back.
© J M Pett 2025
I am liking these snippets Jemima…they are great.
I see we were both drawn by the same photo from Crispina’s offerings this week 💜💜
This really has captured my imagination. But is it imagination or memory? I remember a stream where we’d play beneath the arcing may-trees. And I definitely remember squiggly through the wheat fields
Great little bit from Pete. He always was a little devil! Playing in the creek… that featured in part of my childhood, when it wasn’t the beach 🙂
Very creative, Jemima. I’ve missed a few posts (just got out of the hospital) and need the link again to the boys’ blog site. Be well and Happy Birthday!
Sad news today, Noelle. Ludo’s heart finally gave up on him, and he died in my arms <3 But he recovered from his lumpectomy ten days ago and enjoyed grass and new special hay yesterday. georgesgpworld.uk