Mushrooms sprouting in the sky. Clouds of doom. People running. Screaming. Praying. The scientist opens her eyes. Blinks away the ancient image. Keeps digging. Bottles another sample. The team hovers over the dirt. Hazmat suits. Plutonium isotopes still linger in the soil. Chemical fingerprints mark the scene of the crime.

Leigh Therriault writes and wonders from Ottawa, Canada. Her debut novel for young readers is forthcoming from Orca Book Publishers in September 2027. Read more at leightherriault.com.