Three Eight One

In January 2314, Rowena Savalas a curator of the vast archive of the twenty-first centurys primitive internet stumbles upon a story posted in the summer of 2024. Shes quickly drawn into the mystery of the text: Is it autobiography, fantasy or fraud? Whats the significance of the recurring number 381? In the story, the protagonist Fairly walks the Horned Road a quest undertaken by youngsters in her village when they come of age. She is followed by the breathing man, a looming presence, dogging her heels every step of the way. Everything she was taught about her world is overturned. Following Fairlys quest, Rowena comes to question her own choices, and a predictable life of curation becomes one of exploration, adventure and love. As both womens stories draw to a close, she realises it doesnt matter whether the story is true or not: as with the quest itself, its the journey that matters.