The Twisted Presents Kickstarter is delayed for stupid logistical reasons. It will launch, but not on time. Still, here’s a chunk from Heart of Coal in that collection.
Glitter’d been in the Pit for longer than I’ve been alive, and he’d loved every day of it. He was shorter than me, but his muscles had grown muscles and he didn’t bother trying to wear a shirt even off-shift. He had his own pickaxe that he sharpened himself, this monstrous thing with a giant head and a long handle that he whirled into each seam like it had personally affronted him. I liked his snarl—no. I admired it. He didn’t seem angry, but he had no trouble showing the world his fire by whacking out enough coal for all the children in Des Moines in a single shift. Not that the Pit could handle that much. We don’t even have a real train to carry our harvest back to the Workshop. If the choo-choo hits a strong headwind, the passengers have to get out and push. But the swelling heap around his feet testified that Glitter didn’t care. He lived to sweat.
If you can’t wait for the collection, you can get Heart of Coal standalone in my store.