Inside 'Quantum Physics,' Part 9

We continue today with the story behind the story on the ninth and penultimate piece of short fiction from my upcoming collection, Quantum Physics and the Art of Departure. To read previous installments, go here.

SAD TOMATO: A LOVE STORY

Backstory: This entry will be very brief. Very brief. This is a continuation of an earlier story in the collection, Alyssa Alights. Beyond that, there's almost nothing I can say about it that wouldn't be a spoiler. It's quite unlike any story I've ever written before.

Here's an excerpt (a single paragraph, the first one):

The first time he cut her, she felt the endorphins rush her head and she thought, just for a moment, that she was going to die. It felt so fucking good. The blade sliced a clean, straight line above her ankle, and the blood held back until her heart beat again. It came first in a trickle and then a pour. He handled the knife like he was born to do it, the tip of his wet tongue hanging from his mouth as his eyes, immovable, focused on the target and the line. She looked at him and she wanted him so bad, and after he cut himself, too, she had him. She rode him until they collapsed together into the drying blood that stained the sheets. She didn't wake up until after noon, and then the metallic smell of what they had done with the knife turned her on all over again, so she woke him.

Trivia: The real-life event that inspired this story happened on the week of my birthday in 2008. How's that for a teaser? Once you read the story, feel free to write to me at amindadrift at gmail dot com and inquire about it. I'll happily spill.

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Quantum Physics and the Art of Departure will be officially released on Dec. 6, 2011. Between now and Sept. 15, advance signed copies can be purchased here for only $10.50 (plus shipping). These copies will be sent out well ahead of the release date.