When the Lonely Walk

Ever since she turned eighteen and moved from an adolescent mental health ward to an adult one, Heather’s life has felt isolated and grey. She’d never attempt to suggest that climbing over the back fence of the hospital in the middle of the night is her sanest decision, but with a life that feels empty and a head full of memories that she doesn’t want to think about, she doesn’t feel like she has a choice. Heather is barely over the fence, however, when she meets Maeve.

While, at first, Heather only allows Maeve to accompany her to keep the younger girl out of harm’s way, events soon lead to the lives of the two teenagers becoming increasingly entangled. As the night goes on, Heather is soon forced to consider who will be saving who.

Originally from Bath, Abi Payton is a writer and social work assistant living in Bristol with her wife. A recent graduate from university, where she studied Health and Social Care, When the Lonely Walk is her first published novel, and draws on her own experiences of the mental health system.