Sunday, May 5, 2013
Still developing Book #6
I may have to go over 40 chapters- not sure yet. Getting the good dead souls back to their bodies is taking some explaining- but I think I got it. They couldn't get what they needed as living beings but, now that they have it- they need to be in the real world again to face the enemy and use the object against him.
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Book #6
I have tentatively titled my 6th Book Into Darkness We Go- Up above and Down Below- Too long? Not sure yet, taking more time with this one. In the 6th book I have Braccus in control of all the worlds surfaces with all the good guys hidden below. The Keepers and the few remaining good souls have retreated to underground caves with every evil thought that Braccus ever had- entering the dead and dying bodies of those that thought they were safe. As a result, some of the refugees, without realizing it, are about to serve as Braccus' instruments of destruction. When the life finally does leave the bodies, the good souls stayed behind, not realizing they are truly dead, until the evil parasites that latched on to them force them out. What is left is a shell- that at first mingles quite well with their living couterparts until the decay becomes noticeable and then they attack. The battles occur all over the 7 worlds- as corpses try to create more corpses. The evil can only enter the dead or dying and after awhile, their current body becomes useless, destroyed by time;it rots awayand a fresh one is needed. The Keepers have to travel from world to world through the only portals still open to them- helping people who do not know or trust them. All in all, the situation becomes quite interesting. While they are engaged with the enemy in the living world, Sara, James and Thomas- having died- are traveling in the afterworld-looking for;the object that will bring Braccus down. This book is more detailed than the others with more and more of the Keepers history being revealed. You have to read the previous books to have an idea of who's who, but it answers alot of questions and I hope, continues to prove entertaining.
Saturday, April 6, 2013
yeah!!! I managed to finish chapter 35. This book is the longest yet, but it is seriously good- Moving toward a conclusion and so it had to be all tied together. I think I finally got it though and it makes sense, for the few people that are actually following the story line, it will totally be on point. I think it's actually harder to get to the end of a book when you have to put sumarize the point to a logical ending. So now I can check the weather and plan my run and I still have alot of painting to do. That's my day.
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Book #3- A lapse in judgement.
Chapter 27
The six travelers wavered back into view, their feet landing with a soft thud on the sandy beach on Olie's Island. The view that greeted them was disturbing, choppy waves rolled restlessly toward the shore, having reached a level much farther up the shoreline then they ever had before. They were now standing close to the small rain forest normally two miles from the beach, now barely five feet away from the lapping water. The water carried a foul odor with it; the smell reminded Finola of chemistry class and the experiment she did with Sulfur. Darned stuff bubbled out of the beaker and spilled all over her shoes, she didn't like the smell then and she liked it even less now. Eyes wide with disbelief, she surveyed the place that had been her home for several years. What was happening here? It looked like the landscape was changing, landmarks that she was familiar with were suddenly shifting; there were land formations off the shore that she didn't recognize, they were new. The very sand upon which they stood was different, gray and gooey in some spots; they had to side step past to keep from getting stuck. The beach occupied a much smaller area, having been shifted back by rising waters.
The rain forest behind them was smaller, the trees shorter as if they were trying to avoid contact with the sky. And the sky, what was going on up there? Finola squinted to try and make out the shapes moving up there she pointed upward, drawing Franklin's attention there.
The sky was dark, the sun obscured by dark funny looking clouds, clouds that flapped about like wings. Franklin squinted at the swiftly moving objects, trying to reassure himself that they were just clouds, but somehow fearing that he was wrong. A loud shriek issued from the sky followed by a rush of wind as a large black bird swooped down to pass close to his head. He ducked, feeling sharp talons pull at his hair as the creature struck and rose into the air once again; okay, they weren't clouds, he got that now. The dark carrion flew back to join his flock, becoming part of the light obstructing mass once again. Its raspy caw sounded loudly in the air as it bobbed and weaved back to its place in the flight pattern, fighting the wind all the way.
Alice threw a barrier up over their heads to prevent another attack from overhead, she had a feeling that there were other things that they had to watch out for; this was just the beginning. Then the wailing started, low and mournful, it hung in the air, its origin uncertain. Wherever it came from it had its intended effect, it carried the message of fear and death to its listeners. The heroic band of fighters looked each other, doubt clouding their eyes for a moment before they steeled themselves against it. Joining hands to give each other comfort, they waited for what was to come next.
The tops of the large palm trees bent westward by the force of the wind breaking off palm fronds and sending them sailing out toward the water. Several loose objects followed, twigs, an empty bird nest, small seashells became projectiles that the group had to dodge.
Alice squinted, trying hard to see the land around her in the dim light. Despite the night-like setting, she was sure that it was mid afternoon. A quick look at her glow in the dark watch, confirmed that it was about two o'clock p.m. Goosebumps broke out on her arms as the wailing sound got louder, the place that had served as refuge for them all felt like a scene from a horror movie. She scooted closer to her friends, jumping slightly when a strong hand squeezed hers. She smiled sheepishly at Randall when she found the hand to be his. He smiled back, turning expectantly to look at Robert for further instruction.
"We must make sure they know we are all here," Robert said pointing to the sky and across the water to a neighboring island that Finola was sure had not been there when they left the last time. Large figures moved restlessly back and forth and even though they couldn't see their faces, she knew they were being studied closely.
Facing whatever was out there to announce their presence to, the small band of fighters raised their hands and let her rip, so to speak. Sparks flew out of Randall's hands and made contact with three large forms, the current arcing from one creature to the next causing a loud shrieking followed by the smell of burnt flesh. As the burnt flesh smell mingled with the sulfur it created quite an interesting and nauseating odor, causing quite a bit of dry heaving but thankfully no-one tossed their cookies, Finola was pleased to note.
For the first time in years, Randall did not experience a nasty after shock, so he continued to unleash his powers on the shadowy figures across the way. While he was occupied zapping the competition, Eric sent out waves of sound that intensified the movement of the waves, reversing the current so that the water rippled up and pushed against the shore of the other island. He smiled as he saw the high white caps slap onto the beach knocking down several of the figures on shore. While he was doing this, he also managed to silence the annoying wailing sound, giving them a blessed silence. Alice murmured a quick thank you before zapping out of view to travel to the far shore.
She emerged behind the enemy trying to get a look at what they were facing. In front of her stood thirty of those big creatures they had faced once before, Ornose, they were called; members of Braccus' elite guard. Large bloated beings with black flesh, four arms, and many eyes in their heads, they fought to kill, the only thing they feared was their leader. The element of surprise was the only thing that helped their group in the last battle. Hoping to repeat that advantage, she moved quietly behind the row of enemy soldiers, taking note of everything around her. Still in invisible mode, Alice watched as they trod the beach, throwing clods of dirt and sand into the air. Snorting like restless horses, they beat the ground with thick wooden clubs, all the while three sets of red eyes scanned the shore of Olie's island. The burned bodies of the fallen beasts were kicked aside or thrown into the water to make room for others, large carcasses hitting the crashing surf with a dull thud before being carried out to sea. Making themselves visible seemed to be their only purpose at this time, it was as if they were waiting for something to happen. Which it soon did; across the expanse of water, she could see Franklin create a large fireball. The fiery orb rose slowly into the air, creating artificial sunlight with its brilliance. It increased in speed as it floated skyward, and slanted off to hurl itself toward this very shore. Alice watched its flight with pride, that should take down a lot of these brutes.
Then she heard it, a sound that normally would have lightened her heart and brought a smile to her face; now it only made her want to cry out in denial. Laughter rang out in the air behind her, loud enough to be heard even above the crashing waves and other sounds of battle. It was the most terrifying sound she had ever heard for it was the laughter of children at play.
Turning to see what she hoped was not there; Alice's worst fears were realized, twenty children stood behind her. The first child she saw was a boy about six years of age with curly brown hair and startling black eyes; small and stocky, he had pale white cheeks, was dressed in faded blue jeans and a patched blue shirt. What struck her the most about this boy, aside from the fact that he was here with the Ornose, was the scowl on his face; laughter was bubbling from lips twisted in a pained grimace. Despite the constant chuckling, he looked as if he wanted to cry or scream. His eyes had a blank, unfocused look to them that was repeated in the eyes of the other children that stood around him. The children varied in age from six to sixteen , all dressed in homemade clothing like the villagers she had encountered in her travels here. These must be the children taken by Braccus' people in the raids. Why were they here, what was wrong with them and what was so darned funny about this whole sick situation.
Looking closely, she noticed that each child held something that could be used as a weapon, a thick stick, a piece of metal, one even carried a long slender fork with sharpened tips. As she watched in disbelief, a Garren with gangly limbs appeared behind the group and herded them toward the line of Ornose. The children followed without resistance, their young faces raised upward illuminated by the balls of fire hurtling down from the sky.
No Franklin, her mind screamed out to her friend as she raised a protective shield to cover the zombie like captives. The flaming projectiles hit hard, bouncing upward again to land on two of the Ornose immediately in front of them. The large lumbering anomalies ignited in a matter of seconds, stumbling and shrieking blindly into the sea, their screams being quickly swallowed up by death. The remaining flame bombs hit the sand to sit there and crackle merrily, highlighting the darkness of the air. Trees fell like dominoes, their smoldering branches spreading, snapping off to fall against the next in a cascading inferno.
The Garren whipped his head around to see the source of power that had saved the children. The pasty faced fiend was sending out mental feelers to detect her energy. Franklin's frantic what's wrong went unanswered; she dared not send a message to her friends now, to do so would be like flashing a big 'here I am sign' to them. The Garren prodded the filmy barrier around the children with his arm, his cold gray eyes searching the area for a sign of the intruder. Alice fell back as his gaze moved in her direction, her breath caught in her throat as he paused and continued to look thoughtfully at her little section of sandy ground before moving on to scan the rest of the beach. A river of sweat ran down her face to her neck mixing with salty tears as she watched the children try to move beyond her invisible bubble to join the black monsters that ruthlessly walked all over the dead bodies of their own kind, blood and guts swishing between their clubbed feet to smear on the sand. Alice felt her resolve weaken watching the unbelievable scene unfolding in front of her.
She stood, frozen, unsure of what to do next. She didn't want to release the shield and risk the safety of the children but she wasn't sure how long she could stay here and keep this up. The Garren wasn't a stupid creature, he would do his best to find her and she got the impression that he wouldn't hesitate to use the children to get to her. Her heart dropped to her feet, when with an eerie grin, the gaunt figure bent toward the shield and beckoned to the brown haired boy. The youngster shuffled over to the Garren, only to stop short when he bumped into the barrier. With a flick of his finger, the evil man worked the boy's arms like he was controlling a puppet causing him to bring the sharply pointed stick in his hand up to his own throat.
"No!" Alice screamed, releasing the barrier and lunging for the boy. The Garren moved quickly, reaching his long arms out to pull her toward him. She felt his boney fingers dig into her arm, tearing at her shirt and scraping at the skin underneath. His cruel grin widened as he tugged her closer, so intent on capturing her that he failed to notice the large tree root snaking along the ground behind him. He fell to the ground, losing his grip on her, a satisfied grin still on his face as the gnarly growth wrapped around his legs and dragged him back into the thick forest. She saw his body rise up once when the root picked up his body and slammed it into the ground. This was all she wanted to see. As fireballs continued to hit the line of Ornose in front of them, Alice stood in the middle of the group of children and transported them all back to Olie's island.
The children landed in the sand around her scrambling to their feet quickly with evil little smiles on their faces and quickly turned on her, their makeshift weapons raised as if programmed to do so. With seconds to register this new situation, Alice flickered out of view to reappear next to her friends along the tree line. Not wanting her group to be harmed by this new threat she had unknowingly brought to them, she drew a protective shield around them and advised them of the situation they now faced.
Finola watched in fascinated horror as the children slashed at the invisible wall with clubs and spears. Her eyes wide as saucers, she realized that she knew some of these kids. Rebecca Flanders, a girl she had gone to class with in the village of Harthy, slashed wildly at the air in front of Eric's face with a pair of pruning shears. Long golden curls bobbed on her head as she tried to break through to the boy, she shivered as she noted the ferocity of the attack. If it hadn't been for Alice's power, Eric would be dead. Next to Rebecca stood Chance Fremont, he was punching at the air in front of Finola with a sharpened ice pick. Both Rebecca and Chance had the same slack mouth, glassy eyed look that all the children shared and seemed determined to kill the people in front of them. Alice's face flushed as it suddenly occurred to her that this had been part of the enemy's plan. She had thought only of rescuing the children but in doing so, she had brought danger right to Olie's door.
The six travelers wavered back into view, their feet landing with a soft thud on the sandy beach on Olie's Island. The view that greeted them was disturbing, choppy waves rolled restlessly toward the shore, having reached a level much farther up the shoreline then they ever had before. They were now standing close to the small rain forest normally two miles from the beach, now barely five feet away from the lapping water. The water carried a foul odor with it; the smell reminded Finola of chemistry class and the experiment she did with Sulfur. Darned stuff bubbled out of the beaker and spilled all over her shoes, she didn't like the smell then and she liked it even less now. Eyes wide with disbelief, she surveyed the place that had been her home for several years. What was happening here? It looked like the landscape was changing, landmarks that she was familiar with were suddenly shifting; there were land formations off the shore that she didn't recognize, they were new. The very sand upon which they stood was different, gray and gooey in some spots; they had to side step past to keep from getting stuck. The beach occupied a much smaller area, having been shifted back by rising waters.
The rain forest behind them was smaller, the trees shorter as if they were trying to avoid contact with the sky. And the sky, what was going on up there? Finola squinted to try and make out the shapes moving up there she pointed upward, drawing Franklin's attention there.
The sky was dark, the sun obscured by dark funny looking clouds, clouds that flapped about like wings. Franklin squinted at the swiftly moving objects, trying to reassure himself that they were just clouds, but somehow fearing that he was wrong. A loud shriek issued from the sky followed by a rush of wind as a large black bird swooped down to pass close to his head. He ducked, feeling sharp talons pull at his hair as the creature struck and rose into the air once again; okay, they weren't clouds, he got that now. The dark carrion flew back to join his flock, becoming part of the light obstructing mass once again. Its raspy caw sounded loudly in the air as it bobbed and weaved back to its place in the flight pattern, fighting the wind all the way.
Alice threw a barrier up over their heads to prevent another attack from overhead, she had a feeling that there were other things that they had to watch out for; this was just the beginning. Then the wailing started, low and mournful, it hung in the air, its origin uncertain. Wherever it came from it had its intended effect, it carried the message of fear and death to its listeners. The heroic band of fighters looked each other, doubt clouding their eyes for a moment before they steeled themselves against it. Joining hands to give each other comfort, they waited for what was to come next.
The tops of the large palm trees bent westward by the force of the wind breaking off palm fronds and sending them sailing out toward the water. Several loose objects followed, twigs, an empty bird nest, small seashells became projectiles that the group had to dodge.
Alice squinted, trying hard to see the land around her in the dim light. Despite the night-like setting, she was sure that it was mid afternoon. A quick look at her glow in the dark watch, confirmed that it was about two o'clock p.m. Goosebumps broke out on her arms as the wailing sound got louder, the place that had served as refuge for them all felt like a scene from a horror movie. She scooted closer to her friends, jumping slightly when a strong hand squeezed hers. She smiled sheepishly at Randall when she found the hand to be his. He smiled back, turning expectantly to look at Robert for further instruction.
"We must make sure they know we are all here," Robert said pointing to the sky and across the water to a neighboring island that Finola was sure had not been there when they left the last time. Large figures moved restlessly back and forth and even though they couldn't see their faces, she knew they were being studied closely.
Facing whatever was out there to announce their presence to, the small band of fighters raised their hands and let her rip, so to speak. Sparks flew out of Randall's hands and made contact with three large forms, the current arcing from one creature to the next causing a loud shrieking followed by the smell of burnt flesh. As the burnt flesh smell mingled with the sulfur it created quite an interesting and nauseating odor, causing quite a bit of dry heaving but thankfully no-one tossed their cookies, Finola was pleased to note.
For the first time in years, Randall did not experience a nasty after shock, so he continued to unleash his powers on the shadowy figures across the way. While he was occupied zapping the competition, Eric sent out waves of sound that intensified the movement of the waves, reversing the current so that the water rippled up and pushed against the shore of the other island. He smiled as he saw the high white caps slap onto the beach knocking down several of the figures on shore. While he was doing this, he also managed to silence the annoying wailing sound, giving them a blessed silence. Alice murmured a quick thank you before zapping out of view to travel to the far shore.
She emerged behind the enemy trying to get a look at what they were facing. In front of her stood thirty of those big creatures they had faced once before, Ornose, they were called; members of Braccus' elite guard. Large bloated beings with black flesh, four arms, and many eyes in their heads, they fought to kill, the only thing they feared was their leader. The element of surprise was the only thing that helped their group in the last battle. Hoping to repeat that advantage, she moved quietly behind the row of enemy soldiers, taking note of everything around her. Still in invisible mode, Alice watched as they trod the beach, throwing clods of dirt and sand into the air. Snorting like restless horses, they beat the ground with thick wooden clubs, all the while three sets of red eyes scanned the shore of Olie's island. The burned bodies of the fallen beasts were kicked aside or thrown into the water to make room for others, large carcasses hitting the crashing surf with a dull thud before being carried out to sea. Making themselves visible seemed to be their only purpose at this time, it was as if they were waiting for something to happen. Which it soon did; across the expanse of water, she could see Franklin create a large fireball. The fiery orb rose slowly into the air, creating artificial sunlight with its brilliance. It increased in speed as it floated skyward, and slanted off to hurl itself toward this very shore. Alice watched its flight with pride, that should take down a lot of these brutes.
Then she heard it, a sound that normally would have lightened her heart and brought a smile to her face; now it only made her want to cry out in denial. Laughter rang out in the air behind her, loud enough to be heard even above the crashing waves and other sounds of battle. It was the most terrifying sound she had ever heard for it was the laughter of children at play.
Turning to see what she hoped was not there; Alice's worst fears were realized, twenty children stood behind her. The first child she saw was a boy about six years of age with curly brown hair and startling black eyes; small and stocky, he had pale white cheeks, was dressed in faded blue jeans and a patched blue shirt. What struck her the most about this boy, aside from the fact that he was here with the Ornose, was the scowl on his face; laughter was bubbling from lips twisted in a pained grimace. Despite the constant chuckling, he looked as if he wanted to cry or scream. His eyes had a blank, unfocused look to them that was repeated in the eyes of the other children that stood around him. The children varied in age from six to sixteen , all dressed in homemade clothing like the villagers she had encountered in her travels here. These must be the children taken by Braccus' people in the raids. Why were they here, what was wrong with them and what was so darned funny about this whole sick situation.
Looking closely, she noticed that each child held something that could be used as a weapon, a thick stick, a piece of metal, one even carried a long slender fork with sharpened tips. As she watched in disbelief, a Garren with gangly limbs appeared behind the group and herded them toward the line of Ornose. The children followed without resistance, their young faces raised upward illuminated by the balls of fire hurtling down from the sky.
No Franklin, her mind screamed out to her friend as she raised a protective shield to cover the zombie like captives. The flaming projectiles hit hard, bouncing upward again to land on two of the Ornose immediately in front of them. The large lumbering anomalies ignited in a matter of seconds, stumbling and shrieking blindly into the sea, their screams being quickly swallowed up by death. The remaining flame bombs hit the sand to sit there and crackle merrily, highlighting the darkness of the air. Trees fell like dominoes, their smoldering branches spreading, snapping off to fall against the next in a cascading inferno.
The Garren whipped his head around to see the source of power that had saved the children. The pasty faced fiend was sending out mental feelers to detect her energy. Franklin's frantic what's wrong went unanswered; she dared not send a message to her friends now, to do so would be like flashing a big 'here I am sign' to them. The Garren prodded the filmy barrier around the children with his arm, his cold gray eyes searching the area for a sign of the intruder. Alice fell back as his gaze moved in her direction, her breath caught in her throat as he paused and continued to look thoughtfully at her little section of sandy ground before moving on to scan the rest of the beach. A river of sweat ran down her face to her neck mixing with salty tears as she watched the children try to move beyond her invisible bubble to join the black monsters that ruthlessly walked all over the dead bodies of their own kind, blood and guts swishing between their clubbed feet to smear on the sand. Alice felt her resolve weaken watching the unbelievable scene unfolding in front of her.
She stood, frozen, unsure of what to do next. She didn't want to release the shield and risk the safety of the children but she wasn't sure how long she could stay here and keep this up. The Garren wasn't a stupid creature, he would do his best to find her and she got the impression that he wouldn't hesitate to use the children to get to her. Her heart dropped to her feet, when with an eerie grin, the gaunt figure bent toward the shield and beckoned to the brown haired boy. The youngster shuffled over to the Garren, only to stop short when he bumped into the barrier. With a flick of his finger, the evil man worked the boy's arms like he was controlling a puppet causing him to bring the sharply pointed stick in his hand up to his own throat.
"No!" Alice screamed, releasing the barrier and lunging for the boy. The Garren moved quickly, reaching his long arms out to pull her toward him. She felt his boney fingers dig into her arm, tearing at her shirt and scraping at the skin underneath. His cruel grin widened as he tugged her closer, so intent on capturing her that he failed to notice the large tree root snaking along the ground behind him. He fell to the ground, losing his grip on her, a satisfied grin still on his face as the gnarly growth wrapped around his legs and dragged him back into the thick forest. She saw his body rise up once when the root picked up his body and slammed it into the ground. This was all she wanted to see. As fireballs continued to hit the line of Ornose in front of them, Alice stood in the middle of the group of children and transported them all back to Olie's island.
The children landed in the sand around her scrambling to their feet quickly with evil little smiles on their faces and quickly turned on her, their makeshift weapons raised as if programmed to do so. With seconds to register this new situation, Alice flickered out of view to reappear next to her friends along the tree line. Not wanting her group to be harmed by this new threat she had unknowingly brought to them, she drew a protective shield around them and advised them of the situation they now faced.
Finola watched in fascinated horror as the children slashed at the invisible wall with clubs and spears. Her eyes wide as saucers, she realized that she knew some of these kids. Rebecca Flanders, a girl she had gone to class with in the village of Harthy, slashed wildly at the air in front of Eric's face with a pair of pruning shears. Long golden curls bobbed on her head as she tried to break through to the boy, she shivered as she noted the ferocity of the attack. If it hadn't been for Alice's power, Eric would be dead. Next to Rebecca stood Chance Fremont, he was punching at the air in front of Finola with a sharpened ice pick. Both Rebecca and Chance had the same slack mouth, glassy eyed look that all the children shared and seemed determined to kill the people in front of them. Alice's face flushed as it suddenly occurred to her that this had been part of the enemy's plan. She had thought only of rescuing the children but in doing so, she had brought danger right to Olie's door.
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Book 4- Transporting to a small island
“Why did we leave,” Randall yelled as he turned to face Franklin, not caring at the moment that they had been transported to this strange place; that was becoming an every day occurance lately. He advanced toward Franklin, forcing the younger man to the island’s edge. Water sloshed onto Franklin’s shoes, his feet sliding down a narrow strip of pebble strewn sand before he recovered and leaned back inward to face the red haired man in front of him.
“You heard what he said,” Franklin yelled back. “Olie said that Sara had to die to finish this whole thing. They want to sacrifice her to get rid of Braccus, I am not about to let that happen to her. I knew something wasn’t right today. They were so secretive, trying to get us to move apart, not telling us what they were really up to. You felt it too didn’t you,” He asked with his hands raised, shoulders shrugged as he gestured questioningly to his three companions, trying to convince himself as well as them that he had done the right thing.
“I heard,” Randall answered. “But. I don’t think they were going to kill her. Maybe he meant something else, but now we’ll never know, will we? You don’t really think they would give her up to Braccus do you; if so, you are less loyal than I gave you credit for. We only have that rambling warning sent to you by this Thomas, are you sure he knew what he was talking about? ” He paused to stare at Franklin expectantly, whose complexion paled at this comment and he wasn’t able to maintain eye contact; his gaze straying to the ground at his feet.
“You’re right,” He murmured softly, his eyes raised to reveal a bewildered expression. “What was I thinking? It’s just that Thomas sounded so convincing; he was so sure that they were going to do something to Sara. It was Thomas, I am sure of it. Wasn’t it Finola? I just don’t understand what this all means.” The consequence of his hasty action suddenly hit him and he felt sick to his stomach. Thomas message had been so erratic, maybe they hadn’t gotten it all right, maybe he had lost the battle with Braccus and had given into the evil side he had mentioned; no, it couldn’t be possible. He had been in a lot of pain, maybe he wasn’t thinking straight, there had to be some kind of logical explanation for this.
“We should have stayed and listened to what they had to say. As it is, we have no clue what we are supposed to do next. Alice’s missing and so are Sara and her circle-mates. Now we are told that we are supposed to find two more people, not one to complete our circle, I never felt that at all, did you Eric?”
“No I didn’t, but Olie said it too, so I’m guessing it must be right. There was something strange going on. I mean, I find it kinda hard to believe that you two would turn on the Keepers like that, leaving before Olie could finish his sentence. I thought you knew them really well.” Eric was forced to sit down suddenly as the heat from the sun began to affect his sensitive skin; without Alice’s shields to protect him, he was quite vulnerable to its damaging rays; he didn’t feel so well right now. Hot, humid weather dinky little island exposed as it was to the full heat of the day and nothing but miles and miles of endless blue ocean equaled torture for his pale skin. Despite all that had just happened, he hadn’t been outside his cave long enough to build up an immunity to the outside elements.
Finola let out a startled cry as she fell to her knee beside the pale boy. Raising her arms up, she summoned a small palm tree, which took up even more of the already limited land mass; they were forced to crowd around the tree to stay away from the water. Touching his face, she soothed the sunburn and looked anxiously up at Franklin.
“Why did we leave anyway? I know what I felt when we were in the room with them; for some reason I didn’t trust them. I was reading something negative into everything they did, now I wish we had stayed because I’m not really sure what happened. Not sure why Thomas said what he did, he couldn’t have meant it, maybe we misunderstood him.” She shook her head as she recalled his urgent message. “After that, I was looking in to the eyes of men that I would have trusted my life with one minute and fearing they would kill me the next. I was just so sure that they were plotting against us, ready to put us out into the field and let us fight while they ran away. But that can’t be right, can it?” She asked, wanting someone to offer her certainty when there wasn’t any left.
The hurt expression on Olie’s face haunted her, she couldn’t believe things had happened the way they had. Then when he said that Sara must die in order to see this thing through, she had picked up an image of an exit from somewhere and then it was just there behind them. The next thing she knew, Franklin was throwing up a wall of fire and urging them through the portal. She was so sure that they had been doing the right thing by leaving, but now she was afraid that they had done something incredibly stupid. The Keepers were protectors of all that was right and good and they were merely students; students that had suddenly turned against their teachers. What a mess this was; how where they ever going to get back to Olie’s island now?
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Paranoia
I have been hard at work on my 6th book and the entire time I was at the computer today I’ve had the strangest feeling I was being watched……
So I decided to take a break and move into another room, hoping I was just tired. But I couldn’t seem to shake the feeling that I was still being closely watched…..
Okay, so I went ahead and called it a night. Went to take a shower because I was getting more than a little bit freaked out, and still felt myself being closely scrutinized……
Maybe I’m paranoid…….
So I decided to take a break and move into another room, hoping I was just tired. But I couldn’t seem to shake the feeling that I was still being closely watched…..
Okay, so I went ahead and called it a night. Went to take a shower because I was getting more than a little bit freaked out, and still felt myself being closely scrutinized……
Maybe I’m paranoid…….
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Excerpt book 3
The warm light of the portal washed over her as they approached, melting some the anger that was simmering in her head. She stole a quick glance at James as he neared her side, moving along with her and Alice. The look he gave her was determined yet filled with regret; it was the closest they were going to get to some kind of momentary cease fire. He wasn’t sorry about what he said, just how he said it; asking her to forget about Thomas, as if that could ever happen. She knew they were talking amongst themselves now; Thomas had wasted what little strength he had left to argue with her and persuade James to continue with the bullying. He had retreated into the pagoda and refused to respond. It was all so stupid, she knew what she had to do and she wasn’t about to let them talk her out of it. Thomas was not going to walk out of her life like that and she wasn’t going to let James help him.
They were three, connected so closely at one point it was hard to tell whose thought had originated in whose head. It had changed over the time she was gone, they had changed, but whatever made them as close as they were, was struggling to keep the connection strong, remodeling itself to accommodate the changes that time had inflicted on them. She still loved James in the same way she had before, it hadn’t changed for her, but it had for him, he had felt the bond between her and Thomas deepen and it bothered him. Despite the pain, he understood that they were joined forever in a way that only those like them could ever know and he was determined to keep her safe. He and Thomas were working against her, trying to stop the inevitable. What they both failed to realize however was that she understood that sometimes love required sacrifice and she was willing to sacrifice to make this right. That’s exactly what they did not want her to do.
James, for his part was pushing at her just as hard to get his point across, wanting only to keep her safe and focused; trying to honor Thomas’ last request of him. He fought with his need to comfort her and the desire to get through to her, stubborn girl. In the past he would have found dealing with her like this to be a bit more intimidating, he knew she was stronger than him, her gifts were enhanced yet not operating at full capacity. But he was growing stronger too; he felt it the moment the shift had begun. When the Keepers had left, warmth had spread through him, like the presence of a thousand souls passing through his body. They were whispering to him, imparting wisdom as they left, telling him that the world was going crazy and that he was the voice of reason; capable of calming and controlling those left to deal with the insanity. His voice was all that was required to hold back the evil instincts that now resided in all those occupying the surface. There were still those that could resist, but he could get through to so many of them. Sara was the key to finding Braccus’ weak spot and it was now his job to make sure that she stayed safe, whether she liked it or not.
Not, she shot back before turning to Alice and holding out her hand. Alice in turn took James’ hand and they moved slowly through the opening.
We will not be afraid Alice heard Sara’s voice in her head, trying to convince her of this but knowing that they already were. Thankful for the effort, she squeezed her friend’s hand and walked through the opening in front of her. The narrow opening only allowed for them to enter single file, each grasping the hand of the person in front. Somehow Sara had managed to angle herself in front of Alice and had to listen to James giving her a good verbal thrashing for her efforts. He inserted herself into her head, looking at everything as she saw it, his powers of persuasion ready to go through her if necessary to protect her. She was angry with him, but grudgingly accepted his pushy behavior, sure that she could have ejected him any time she wanted, well almost sure. He was putting out a little bit more energy than she had felt from him before, causing a stir of protest from Thomas indicating he had noticed something too.
She felt his anger for just an instant and then it was gone, as if he remembered that he wasn’t going to interact with her at all and retreated to the place he had been relegated to. He wasn’t supposed to be here, she should have let him go but James was going stronger, getting closer to her and even though he resented being here, he resented James being where he was more. Thomas paced restlessly across an ornate tile floor; the patterns embossed on the smooth surface were very beautiful. He knew she had something to do with that. The pictures were all of growing things, very realistically created to bring pleasurable memories of his youth and doing what he loved so much. Needing to connect to her somehow, despite his resolve not to, he looked through the window of the pagoda and froze. The landscape he was familiar with, the one he had created for her years ago, with the pleasant green grass and large trees had been replaced with a land stripped bare of all living things.
Blackened earth was all he saw, littered throughout with large gaping holes and filled with black goo; the earth was bleeding from vicious wounds, inflicted upon it by someone filled with hate. Dead trees lined the ground, their bare limbs sticking up in the air like arms reaching for the sky seeking some sort of assistance from above, assistance that had not been granted. Where was this place? Thomas surveyed the scene, looking for a clue; reaching outward with his senses, trying to connect with the land, make it tell him what he was seeing. As if responding to his query, a hazy object shimmered into view and his gaze was drawn to a large structure looming in the distance. The building, an eerie three story monstrosity with a peaked roof bordered by some kind of fancy wooden trim, only this trim moved, making a tinkling sound in the wind. He squinted to get a better look at the house, and was surprised, well not really, to note that his vision adjusted quite quickly. It was like wearing glasses with some kind of super zoom lenses, he could now see clearly that the trim was constructed of bones. Human leg bones hung neatly next to a row of slender finger bones, arm and ankle bones. Among the grisly connection, a skull hung directly in the center of the top most peak of the roof; it hung there with a permanent grin, swinging in the breeze, empty sockets staring out at the desolate land.
The hulking construction, painted a strange color of black and red, squatted in the center of a field. The lower level boasted a large covered porch on each side of the building facing north, south east and west with a bright red door sitting dead center of each of them. Each subsequent level had a row of windows that covered the entire side of the grotesque abode, each of which was filled with panes of dull red glass, glowing in the semi darkness like pools of old blood. His vision was astoundingly acute now, it was as if he were rotating above the house, taking in every detail in a three dimensional panorama, seeing each side of it and the land below.
The house itself appeared to be resting on a mountainous pile of dead tree trunks, limbs, broken stone, and various other pieces of refuse from the land around it. A path of crushed black stone descended from each entrance and ran the length of the field, disappearing into darkness past piles of rubble and pacing forms of enemy soldiers. He noted with interest that each of the four roads descending from the structure was patrolled by small groups of Ornose; their fat bloated gray bodies shared space with one or two pale stick thin figures he knew to be Garren, all turned toward small pools of light just to the right of each path, staring at them fixedly as if waiting for something to emerge.
Thomas shook his head as the vision changed and he was looking directly at Alice’s lovely face. He was glad to see her again; it was then that he realized he was seeing all this through Sara’s eyes. She turned her head and he was facing James, jealousy flared up, burning painfully through his stomach, making him a little bit sick. He turned from the window, took a deep breath and looked up again, facing the scene with tear filled eyes. At first the picture he was receiving was a little hazy and he felt a sudden jolt, as if she were just returning part of herself to her physical form. He had been part of the storm with her, watching what he knew to be the remnants of one of the worlds. He felt her sorrow at seeing the changes that had occurred to what had been a beautiful place. She had never been here but she knew it intimately through memories passed on to her from Shalsar. This was the Land of Sherin, one of the worlds next to the Land of the Keepers and it, like all the other worlds was suffering through the shift in power.
Thomas had visited Sherin many times, he had a feel for places and even before he picked up Sara’s thoughts, he recognized what little was left of this one. It had been the home of wonderful creatures called the Surrens, little pale rose colored creations with light purple hair and soft cherubic features. Plump rosy cheeks and big pink eyes with long dark lashes gave them the appearance of innocent young children, an impression that was soon dispelled once they spoke. They were highly intelligent, acting swiftly and often ruthlessly to do their intended task. Adept at moving in and out of the different worlds, they were charged with watching, much like the Keepers did but with a slightly darker purpose. Their mission was to watch evil’s comings and goings and limit its access through the portals. A mission they accomplished by attacking their enemies with the wickedly sharp daggers carried at their sides, sending their bodies back into the abyss they had emerged from as Iam dictated, or if it was to be allowed, letting a few pass through to their intended destination.
Evil was an understood companion to all that was good, its presence was acknowledged as part of the balance; it was to be tolerated only to a certain extent and then allowed to advance no further. Iam had charged the Surren with keeping the tide of evil from becoming too heavy in all the worlds. Sherin was in fact, the center point of entry between worlds and had served as a watch tower and major fortress against the shadowy figures that spread hatred and discontent by slipping through the portals to infiltrate the populations of various creations. Several tall ivory towers had stood in this spot overlooking the portals, joined by a wall of thick stone, where the deceptively mild looking inhabitants had tirelessly kept watch, going into action to remove a threat when the need arose.
The buildings were gone now, as well as the lovely blue grass that used to carpet the countryside. The black barked trees with golden leaves were flattened; pieces of the glittery foliage visible beneath the ugly building now blocking the crossroads. He continued to observe this world through the window, feeling his friend’s nervousness as they stood cloaked by Alice’s bubble, not sure which direction to take, every movement fraught with uncertainty. James was sending out mental feelers into the heads of the guards that watched the roads at various points, standing just outside the shimmering portals of various colors hanging in the air just a few hundred feet from the huge building. They were watching for any signs of entry, just as the Sherin had before but their intent was to kill anyone that came through.
Sara and her friend’s entrance had caused a slight ripple in the west portal but James had convinced them that it was just an energy fluctuation while Alice’s shield had hidden them from view. Alice had managed to warn them with her vision of what lay beyond the barriers, preparing them somewhat for what they were walking into, but it was still shocking to see the changes that had occurred because of the shift. Sara was using Shalsar’s memories to find out what they needed to do next, scared to make any sudden moves lest they be detected. They stood frozen on the path as enemy eyes turned toward the flickering doorway, the faint ripple and sparks that accompanied their entry had created a sudden interest in the area around it.
Twelve red eyes glowed in the poor lighting as two Ornose moved toward them, trodding heavily on the ground, lips pulled back in grins of anticipation as they scanned the surrounding area looking for potential victims, only to stop short when James’ suggestion took effect. Three very relieved travelers sagged against each other, stifling sighs as James directed the watchers to turn and walk away, gazing intently on the ground for signs of movement.
As they stood perfectly still trying to decide which way to proceed, Thomas looked toward the porch, his eyes drawn there by the movement of a door swinging outward. A tall dark haired figure moved slowly onto the porch and into the dim lighting that was standard for this new world. A shaft of sunlight so weak it barely penetrated the wall of clouds in front of it, shone down onto the figure illuminating the face clearly causing Thomas to catch his breath and turn away. He couldn’t stand to see his own face staring straight at the spot where his friends stood hidden, smiling as if he just won the lottery.
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Book signing and radio interview this weekend
Thursday, January 10, 2013
This is a Hateress
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Excerpt book #5
Swirling puffs of white fog drifted slowly upward gradually revealing a surface that looked like a glass mirror, shiny and smooth with a faint glimmer of silver. Sara, James and Thomas looked downward and were surprised to see not a reflection, but images of grassy hills, trees and blue sky. Bright, clear and clean, this land had not been touched by man yet. Anmals roamed freely about the land, plants grew tall and beautiful in neat rows ready for use. No buildings occupied space there, no people walked around on the surface. It reminded them of a place they had been once before when seeking Braccus’ hidden object.
They had gone back to a time before the Keepers arrived on the surface of the land that bore their name. The very first world Iam had created, it had been untouched by anything dirty or mean, but hadn’t stayed that way for long. Even way back then Braccus had found a way to ruin what Iam had made, quickly killing animals and plants as he arrived to experiement on Braccus’ world in secret.
Unpleasant memories of that meeting with Braccus came to mind as the group stood surrounded by a place filled with nothing, but overlooking everything. The scene below them was filled with an explosion of lovely color but the air around them was a pale washed out white, much like the pasty muted color of their skin. Death had brought some extreme changes in their appearance.
Sara noticed that her own hand had the appearance of not coming into contact with the sun, ever. She was so pale that she was sure that Finola’s new friend Eric, even as white as he was, would have appeared a shade or two darker than she was; she was dead but she had a sense of humor. She glanced over and saw a small smile pull Thomas and James’ lips upward as they read her mind. She smiled too for just an instant before realizing they were all probably just having a nervous reaction to their recent deaths, because really it wasn’t that funny. Remembering the reason they were here they tried to be more serious but Sara still had to fight the urge to giggle long and loudly while she watched the worlds move along inches from the sneakers she had been wearing when she died. The companions tried to become serious again by squeezing each other’s hands tightly and concentrating on what they were seeing at that very moment. Doing this helped a little but it was still a minute or two more before the Keepers were able to wipe the silly smiles from their faces. It was either laugh or cry and it seemed for just a short time, the laughter took over until they were able to focus in their surroundings once again. The beauty of the lands they saw, calmed them, drawing their eyes downward toward the remarkable landscape, it helped to look at something besides themselves and the view certainly was interesting.
As they continued to watch in fascination, the scene below them shifted and it was as if watching the world develope below them. The things they were seeing were not holding still like a pretty picture, they were moving. Clouds floated across the sky clearly visible just below their feet, and they could see people now. Human beings moved along in sturdy work clothes farming and building, laughing and playing.
Since their view was so good and they could see for quite some distance ahead of them, it seemed that the scenes they were seeing constantly changed. It was like watching time pass as they looked down upon it. The people and landscape they saw shifted, little children grew up and older; mountains rose and wore away with the passage of time. Buildings rose and fell, trees grew and were chopped down. Events that took many years seemed to be occurring over a matter of minutes and before their very eyes.
And it wasn’t just the land of the Keepers they saw, it was other places too. Exotic places with blue grass and purple skies was visible on one section of their unusual flooring, while swampy ground and deserts with orange sand occupied a section farther ahead to the left. The occupants of each section were different too; though closely resembling your average everyday person, each resident boasted the slight changes Iam had made with each new world he created.
These changes allowed their bodies to survive in the atmosphere he had made for them to live in. Some had blue skin others were pale white; still others had orange hair or green hair with features that suited the changing environments. Little differences, large muscular chests built to house the bigger lung capacity, nostrils a little wider allowing them to breathe the thicker air that was part of their world. Another area revealed villagers with eyes just a tad larger than your average person, with colors that weren’t seen in the normal earth type atmosphere, red, pink and orange. Thomas guessed somehow these colors made it possible for them to see in the dense maroon fog that passed for air in their particular piece of the universe. Still others were very short with heavy legs made for keeping them grounded because the gravity of their world was not as powerful as that in the regular world. Tossing large boxes into the air as effortlessly as a piece of paper, they went about their daily routines with ease only those born into that kind of atmosphere could. Each species was different but so beautifully made the differences were not disturbing at all. Braccus, with all his experimenting on Iam’s original works wasn’t capable of making living things this wonderful.
Forgetting for a moment that they were not in here alone, they moved on, watching the areas below as each world progressed from the point where it was first created to several different decades later. As different as the places were, they all had something in common, at the end of all that progress they saw the same thing, the utter destruction brought upon them by Braccus. Every scene in every place they saw seemed to undergo the same changes at the same point in time. The skies, whatever color they were, all became darker and they witnessed a terrible struggle between the braver ones of the world and Braccus’ horrible mutations.
The battles they witnessed were fierce and it was hard to watch the good people fall to the evil things they were fighting. Large numbers died on both sides, before, being overwhelmed in numbers, the forces of good were forced to retreat. They were guided out with Sara’s help; she remembered that part when she was alive. Thomas’ spirit was with her then and James had been watching from the place where he was keeping Alice safe. But now, as they continued to stare helplessly while the worlds were being destroyed, they felt the pain of all those poor souls trying to survive below them; they felt rage at the way the worlds were being ripped apart. But all this had already happened and they couldn’t stop it, just watch helplessly while it played out again in front of them, just as the Keepers had and they understood what frustration and anger they must have felt.
Still they watched until the last good creature disappeared into the underground, hearts heavy with the change in the fortunes of the surface dwellers, wanting to help in some way, but not sure how. Being not alive they could affect anything at all down there anymore. Sara, James and Thomas stood staring downward until the darkness below made it difficult to make out much of anything, turning slowly to look behind them as hands grasped their shoulders.
They had gone back to a time before the Keepers arrived on the surface of the land that bore their name. The very first world Iam had created, it had been untouched by anything dirty or mean, but hadn’t stayed that way for long. Even way back then Braccus had found a way to ruin what Iam had made, quickly killing animals and plants as he arrived to experiement on Braccus’ world in secret.
Unpleasant memories of that meeting with Braccus came to mind as the group stood surrounded by a place filled with nothing, but overlooking everything. The scene below them was filled with an explosion of lovely color but the air around them was a pale washed out white, much like the pasty muted color of their skin. Death had brought some extreme changes in their appearance.
Sara noticed that her own hand had the appearance of not coming into contact with the sun, ever. She was so pale that she was sure that Finola’s new friend Eric, even as white as he was, would have appeared a shade or two darker than she was; she was dead but she had a sense of humor. She glanced over and saw a small smile pull Thomas and James’ lips upward as they read her mind. She smiled too for just an instant before realizing they were all probably just having a nervous reaction to their recent deaths, because really it wasn’t that funny. Remembering the reason they were here they tried to be more serious but Sara still had to fight the urge to giggle long and loudly while she watched the worlds move along inches from the sneakers she had been wearing when she died. The companions tried to become serious again by squeezing each other’s hands tightly and concentrating on what they were seeing at that very moment. Doing this helped a little but it was still a minute or two more before the Keepers were able to wipe the silly smiles from their faces. It was either laugh or cry and it seemed for just a short time, the laughter took over until they were able to focus in their surroundings once again. The beauty of the lands they saw, calmed them, drawing their eyes downward toward the remarkable landscape, it helped to look at something besides themselves and the view certainly was interesting.
As they continued to watch in fascination, the scene below them shifted and it was as if watching the world develope below them. The things they were seeing were not holding still like a pretty picture, they were moving. Clouds floated across the sky clearly visible just below their feet, and they could see people now. Human beings moved along in sturdy work clothes farming and building, laughing and playing.
Since their view was so good and they could see for quite some distance ahead of them, it seemed that the scenes they were seeing constantly changed. It was like watching time pass as they looked down upon it. The people and landscape they saw shifted, little children grew up and older; mountains rose and wore away with the passage of time. Buildings rose and fell, trees grew and were chopped down. Events that took many years seemed to be occurring over a matter of minutes and before their very eyes.
And it wasn’t just the land of the Keepers they saw, it was other places too. Exotic places with blue grass and purple skies was visible on one section of their unusual flooring, while swampy ground and deserts with orange sand occupied a section farther ahead to the left. The occupants of each section were different too; though closely resembling your average everyday person, each resident boasted the slight changes Iam had made with each new world he created.
These changes allowed their bodies to survive in the atmosphere he had made for them to live in. Some had blue skin others were pale white; still others had orange hair or green hair with features that suited the changing environments. Little differences, large muscular chests built to house the bigger lung capacity, nostrils a little wider allowing them to breathe the thicker air that was part of their world. Another area revealed villagers with eyes just a tad larger than your average person, with colors that weren’t seen in the normal earth type atmosphere, red, pink and orange. Thomas guessed somehow these colors made it possible for them to see in the dense maroon fog that passed for air in their particular piece of the universe. Still others were very short with heavy legs made for keeping them grounded because the gravity of their world was not as powerful as that in the regular world. Tossing large boxes into the air as effortlessly as a piece of paper, they went about their daily routines with ease only those born into that kind of atmosphere could. Each species was different but so beautifully made the differences were not disturbing at all. Braccus, with all his experimenting on Iam’s original works wasn’t capable of making living things this wonderful.
Forgetting for a moment that they were not in here alone, they moved on, watching the areas below as each world progressed from the point where it was first created to several different decades later. As different as the places were, they all had something in common, at the end of all that progress they saw the same thing, the utter destruction brought upon them by Braccus. Every scene in every place they saw seemed to undergo the same changes at the same point in time. The skies, whatever color they were, all became darker and they witnessed a terrible struggle between the braver ones of the world and Braccus’ horrible mutations.
The battles they witnessed were fierce and it was hard to watch the good people fall to the evil things they were fighting. Large numbers died on both sides, before, being overwhelmed in numbers, the forces of good were forced to retreat. They were guided out with Sara’s help; she remembered that part when she was alive. Thomas’ spirit was with her then and James had been watching from the place where he was keeping Alice safe. But now, as they continued to stare helplessly while the worlds were being destroyed, they felt the pain of all those poor souls trying to survive below them; they felt rage at the way the worlds were being ripped apart. But all this had already happened and they couldn’t stop it, just watch helplessly while it played out again in front of them, just as the Keepers had and they understood what frustration and anger they must have felt.
Still they watched until the last good creature disappeared into the underground, hearts heavy with the change in the fortunes of the surface dwellers, wanting to help in some way, but not sure how. Being not alive they could affect anything at all down there anymore. Sara, James and Thomas stood staring downward until the darkness below made it difficult to make out much of anything, turning slowly to look behind them as hands grasped their shoulders.
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Book #6
Working on Chapter 28 of Book #6- Goin very slowly- I have to be more careful with the storyline as whatever comes now must explain what came before and must bring the whole series closer to a logical conclusion.
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