# Read the first page of The Law of Lines by Hye-Young Pyun Read the opening of The Law of Lines by Hye-Young Pyun free, no signup. A grieving daughter suspects her father's death is no accident. - Page: https://uncovered.ink/read/the-law-of-lines-hye-young-pyun - Genre: Literary fiction - Year: 2020 - ISBN: 9781948924979 - Read it blind (cover and title hidden): https://uncovered.ink/?b=9781948924979&s=read-page - Buy: https://bookshop.org/a/125786/9781948924979 - Borrow: https://search.worldcat.org/search?q=9781948924979 ## The opening Their house was small and run-down. It had been built just two years after Se-oh was born, but already the construction was outdated, the timbers swollen, hinges rusted from years of wind and rain. Fine cracks had appeared on the outsides of the walls and were cemented over. With every summer and winter, the utility bills grew higher as the old house grew worse at keeping out the heat and cold. But despite its flaws, it was still the coziest, warmest world for Se-oh Yun. Whenever Se-oh's errands took her far from home or kept her out for too long, she broke into a nervous sweat. It was the same now. The long subway ride had left her drenched; when she finally stepped out onto the platform, the air was cool and refreshing. But the effect was momentary. Soon she was shivering. She blamed the new coat. Though the news claimed it was getting warmer, the coat was still too thin for the weather. The end of March wasn’t so much the start of spring as it was the last gasp of winter. Se-oh stopped and took her old, padded coat out of the shopping bag. She’d worn it on the way to the department store. The coat was nice and heavy, but what warmed her more was the thought that she was nearly home. Traffic was at a standstill, the cars blocked by a crowd of pedestrians in the middle of the street. Their voices were nearly loud enough to drown out the blaring of horns. What had happened? She could feel everyone’s eyes on her. Could sense them stopping mid-sentence to stare at her. Stepping back to open a path before she could get too close. Turning their heads when her eyes met theirs. Whispering to the people next to them. Of course, if she’d actually found the courage to lift her head and look, she would have seen that the others barely registered her presence, but she couldn’t manage it. Se-oh let her head drop further and further. Any moment now someone was going to recognize her and grab her by the throat or curse at her and demand to know where she’d been hiding. She hurried away from them. She didn’t get far before she saw the smoke. A thick column of it, which she would have seen immediately if she’d only kept her head up, loomed over the neighborhood. She heard sirens. The fire trucks weren’t just pulling up; they’d been sitting in one spot, blaring away, for some time. The ominous wail seemed to fade, as if exhausting the last of its strength, and yet it wasn’t moving away from her. She was headed directly for it. When she realized the sirens were in front of her house, she felt her stomach turn. The crowd was getting louder. Se-oh pushed her way through. The air smelled acrid. Someone ran toward her and shouted for her to be careful. The black smoke struggled to distance itself from the earth. She walked slowly past the real estate office at the head of the alley. There was usually a yellow dog sitting out front, but she didn’t see it this time. The dog belonged to #153. After the owner moved away and abandoned the dog, the neighbors had taken turns feeding it. In return, it kept watch over their alley. She wondered where it had gone. But when she looked back, the dog was right there, as always. It was strange how the dog did not bark at the throngs of people, or wag its tail at Se-oh, or sprawl on the ground and laze about. The dog stood quietly, like a grown-up, among the loudly chattering people. Se-oh stared at the unbarking dog and shivered with renewed force. ## Books with a similar feel - [The Possession of Mr Cave by Matt Haig](https://uncovered.ink/read/the-possession-of-mr-cave-matt-haig.md) - [We Are the Light by Matthew Quick](https://uncovered.ink/read/we-are-the-light-matthew-quick.md) - [The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi](https://uncovered.ink/read/the-death-of-vivek-oji-akwaeke-emezi.md) - [The Mothers by Brit Bennett](https://uncovered.ink/read/the-mothers-brit-bennett.md) - [Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty](https://uncovered.ink/read/apples-never-fall-liane-moriarty.md) - [Where the Dead Sit Talking by Brandon Hobson](https://uncovered.ink/read/where-the-dead-sit-talking-brandon-hobson.md) --- Source: Uncovered (https://uncovered.ink). A short sample shown for reading and discovery. Rights holders can request removal at https://uncovered.ink/takedown.