Monday, September 19, 2011
Excerpts Up
Thursday, November 12, 2009
NaNoWriMo - Day 12
The three of them crouched in the bushes behind Argan’s house.
“Do you think they will leave?” Seth whispered.
“No,” Argan answered flatly.
Seth sat down in the dirt and crossed his legs. “So what do we do?”
Sepheira looked through the bushes at a small, fat male faery barking out orders to the others. “We go to the Cove,” she said.
“What’s the cove?” Seth asked. His eyes were staring up at the trees above him, crowding his view of the sky. He thought he had seen movement, but it was probably just the wind.
“The cove,” Sepheira said, keeping her gaze on the fat faery, “is where the other rebels are. It will be the safest place for us all. At least, until they find it.”
“Does that mean they are looking for it?” Argan asked.
“They will eventually. It’s only a matter of time.” She sat back hesitantly, not wanting to tear her gaze away from the awful scene at Argan’s cabin.
Argan turned his view to his right. “Did you hear that?”
Seth jumped to his feet in a panic. “Hear what?!”
Sepheira grabbed his left wrist roughly and yanked him back down. “If you don’t stay down and shut up, the faeries will be the ones hearing things,” she growled close to his face.
Seth slowly removed his wrist from her grip as a feeling began to bubble in his stomach - a feeling he had never felt before. “Sure,” he said, his voice cracking. He cleared his throat. When he spoke again, his voice was much deeper. “Sure thing.” He looked briefly at Sepheira and then back up to the trees. “Uh, is that what you heard?” He asked, pointing above him.
Sepheira and Argan followed Seth’s gaze. There were at least eight faeries, no larger than lawn gnomes, hanging from the trees above them. Their beedie yellow eyes stared down at the three of them.
“Run!” Sepheira screamed.
Seth didn’t hesitate. He was the first out of the bushes and sprinting through the woods.
Argan and Sepheira weren’t far behind him, but neither were the faeries.
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
TGF Update & Excerpt
Dis looked lonely from where I stood. The top of the highest tower was at least one hundred stories tall. It loomed over everything.
“Do you believe you have made the best decision bringing an Umbra into this?” Dyntai stood on my right with his hands perched on the short, stone wall surrounding us.
I addressed him with my eyes on the black horizon. “Dyntai, tell me. The Consilii has developed feelings, as well as the others. How is that so?”
He began to pace around the platform. The regular guards had been dismissed for the time being. Privacy was an issue at the moment. I couldn’t trust anyone, especially the new additions to my army.
“Diabulus’ hold has weakened, thus punishment has weakened.” His hands were clasped behind his back as if what he was telling me was common knowledge.
“Dyntai, you know as well as I do that Diabulus is a mere pawn.”
He ceased his pacing and stared into my soul. “Exactly.”
I hesitated briefly before standing tall and confident.
So, Hell was falling apart because of me.
“Why was my replacement not informed? He was supposed to rule Hell upon my reincarnation.”
“Devastation learned this knowledge regarding Diabulus and surpassed as leader of Hell.”
“He was named Keeper?”
“No, the one named Keeper was also a pawn, thus the escape of the Conterent.”
My voice remained confident. “That’s impossible.”
“Devastation has many followers, Morealis. Many are loyal to him. Devotedly so.” The tone in Dyntai’s voice warned me of the new danger to my army.
I had claimed Devastation’s loyal followers. There was no telling what they would do to me.
“We need someone on the inside who is loyal to us, but pledges loyalty to Devastation.”
Sunday, July 5, 2009
TGF Excerpt & Update
With the Book still in my hand, I covered it with my other hand and it disappeared back to its rightful place.
As my army stood around me, my entire past life came flooding back to me automatically. I was amazed at how much my human memory had suppressed. Who knew that the human mind was so extremely powerful?
I especially remembered who had wronged me.
“Jester.” After I spoke, one of the demons stalked forward and stopped five feet from me. “Lead me to Diabulus.”
Jester looked up at me slowly as his face went blank. Anger briefly touched his eyes and then he hesitantly nodded in complains.
Satisfied with my command, I looked around to the rest o my command. “Go regain your posts.”
“Morealis,” one of the demons called.
I nodded my head. “Dyntai.”
“Devastation’s men have taken over our posts. They guard Dis.”
“Do not concern yourself with Devastation’s men. Reclaim your rightful place in Dis. All who stand in your way shall answer to me.”
Dyntai nodded once in affirmation and then his head reclaimed its bow in reverence.
“If any of you have further concerns I should know about, seek me out anon.” I paused as my inside shivered with power. “I have returned as your Keeper.”
My army sneered and swayed on their bony, strong feet in satisfaction. Drool made its way down their faces, causing their optical terror to increase.
“Now go!” I yelled.
They stalked off as blood thirsty demons as they went to reclaim their rightful places in the city.
No wonder the city had been almost empty when Devastation had summoned me. Apparently he had been supplied with an army and they had taken over Dis. Hell had suffered greatly with my reincarnation. If Devastation, an earth-bound mercenary, had been given an army, I wondered who had been appointed my position.
“Jester, come.” I walked past the demon and straight toward the south wall of the city.
I didn’t turn around to make sure Jester was following. I could feel him. If he had disobeyed me, well, there was no way that he could. It wasn’t in a demon’s nature to disobey, unless they were a Conterent. In that case, Diabulus and myself were the only ones who could control a Conterent.
When I reached the wall, I placed my left hand on the black stone and my eyes closed briefly and reopened. I stood there, waiting, until Jester stepped through the wall.
It was the same effect as when I had gone through the crushing air with Hannah, except that this time there wasn’t any pain. I couldn’t follow Jester of my own free will because I was being guided, although this time I knew where I would end up.
Coming out of the wall, we entered into Judecca. My feet walked on top of a frozen lake and beneath the surface, sinners lie frozen. These sinners were traitors to their benefactors. Contorted in different positions, these traitors were frozen for all eternity.
Scattered along the ice the entire way through Judecca lie single mounds of frozen lava. They held no purpose, but that of punishment.
In the midst of our path ahead hovered a mist-shrouded shape. Walking through the fog, my human heart leapt in my throat with fear, but my Keeper confidence and strength kept that fear at bay. This was an opportunity in more than one fashion.
Having an audience with Diabulus could allow several things to happen. Most importantly, I could barter for Hannah’s life, as well as Ellie and Bill’s. Then I could figure out how to control the Conterents once more. It shouldn’t be too difficult, but I needed the information only Diabulus held. I was the only one he would give it to.
Stepping into his presence was intoxicating. There was nothing like the experience in all the worlds. Diabulus was enormous. He towered over every other creature in Hell and then some. There was no way to measure him. His size was unexplainable.
He is the ultimate punisher. No one can compare to his methods. This level of Hell holds the most dishonorable men in the history of mankind.
Diabulus has three heads and therefore, three mouths. His left and right mouths eternally eat Brutus and Cassius, the conspirators to Julius Caesar’s assassination. They are stuck in feet first and in constant agony, yet never allowed to die. His middle mouth constantly chews on Judas, Jesus’ betrayer. Judas is placed head first into Diabulus’ mouth with only his legs free to kick the air that will not save him. He is constantly torn to shreds, yet never allowed an end to the suffering.
Agony rips through the lowest level of Hell through the betrayals’ agony and screams, and also through the constant wind by Diabulus’ wings, which keep the Cocytus lake frozen beneath him. Any human who traveled down here would be killed almost instantly if they were not in favor with the gods, although, pure fright might kill them first.
I looked up at Diabulus and then back to Jester. “Thank you for your guidance.”
Agony leapt through his face and seemed to engulf him from within. He tried not to scream, tried to keep his pain at bay, but it soon become too much. There was no use in trying to control it when it was designed to control you.
Jester’s hands caught fire out of nowhere and his tough skin began to melt into burning lava. There was no stopping it now. Diabulus had shown his wrath and there was no going back.
No one was allowed to disrupt Diabulus’ chamber except his right-hand demon and the gods. There were other ways to communicate with Diabulus, but that was impersonal and usually only occurred with an unimportant situation. This was an important situation and Diabulus had been expecting me.
Jester slowly melted to the black soil underfoot along with his screams. It was not befitting a demon to scream, but in this instance it was almost expected. Besides, now he had endured his rightful punishment for the wrong doings he had committed against my command before my reincarnation.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
TGF Excerpt & Update
I heard the television turn on downstairs and automatically looked at Hannah.
“Your mom’s home,” she said.
I let out a sigh and decided to go downstairs to see her so that she wouldn’t come up to my room. As I walked down the stairs, the television grew louder with a breaking news report and I stopped halfway down to listen.
“Only a few hours ago, a young boy and his nanny were gunned down across the street from Promise Academy,” the reporter said. “There were several witnesses, but no one was able to catch the gunman. Let’s go to Kristy Geller for an on-scene report.”
The television scene switched from the news studio to a woman with brown hair standing on the sidewalk.
“Thanks Troy,” Kristy Geller said. “I’m here in front of Promise Academy where only hours ago a young boy and his nanny were shot and killed. Now, you can see the police behind me working on the crime scene. They have been out here since several 911 calls were made during the shooting. As far as we know, there have been no leads on catching the gunman, but witnesses have managed to piece together a sketch of the gunman.”
Kristy Geller disappeared from the screen as a black and white police sketch appeared. The sketch was of a man with a goatee and a skinny face. His eyes were round and his left eyebrow was pierced.
The sketch remained on the screen as Kristy Geller described the man. “The gunman was said to have black hair, a black goatee, and numerous tattoos on the back of his neck and arms, along with the facial piercing shown on the screen.” The sketch went away and Kristy Geller reappeared. “The police are asking anyone who can identify this man to call the local tip hotline. Any information will be useful at this point.” A phone number appeared at the bottom of the screen.
At that point in the broadcast, my mom turned around and saw me standing on the stairs.
“Oh, Matthew, did you hear about that awful shooting? It was right across the street from your school.” She seemed troubled and scared for me.
“Yeah, I heard about it,” I said.
Her breath caught in her throat and her hand flew to cover her mouth. “Were you there? Did you see it happen?” She stood and stared at me as I decided how to answer her.
“I just saw a bunch of people running around.” I thought lying was best at this point, seeing as how my mom was really scared for me and nothing actually happened to me. No, nothing happened to me, but the actual victims were in my room.
“Oh goodness,” my mom rushed toward me as I went down the rest of the stairs. She swept me up in a hug and said, “Oh, I’m so glad you’re all right. I bet you were so scared.”
I tried to extract myself from her monstrous grip. “Mom, really, I’m fine.” She released me and I stumbled slightly. “Uh, I just came down to get some water. I have a lot of homework to do so I’ll be in my room all night.”
“Okay.” Tears were welling up in her eyes.
I left her before the flood came and went into the kitchen to get some water and then hurried back upstairs. I felt her gaze on me the whole time.
When I stepped back into my room, Hannah was sitting on my bed and the woman and child were still where I had left them.
“Are you thirsty?” I asked the woman.
She shook her head no.
The boy looked up at me and stopped crying. He nodded his head.
I walked a few steps towards them and set the glass down on the floor. He shuffled forward on his knees and drank slowly from the glass. Then he tilted the glass up to take a big gulp. Water poured out of the glass and onto the floor. The boy started crying again.
“You can’t do that anymore. Everything goes right through you,” Hannah said absentmindedly.
“Why didn’t you say that before?” The woman asked darkly.
“Because he needs to learn for himself. He’s dead now, grow up.”
“He’s still a little boy! You have no right to talk to us this way,” the woman yelled.
“Okay, okay! Can we just move on?” I turned to the woman and boy. “What are your names?”
The woman gave one last long look in Hannah’s direction and then turned to face me. “I’m Ellie and this is Bill.”
Hannah laughed.
“Ellie, I’m Matthew and this is Hannah,” I said. “How did you guys find me?”
“We were drawn here. I don’t know why. Just were,” Ellie answered, stroking Bill’s hair.
“The same as me,” Hannah commented.
I looked around the room, looking for something I knew wasn’t there. I felt like I was melting. Like someone was stirring me in a glass, trying to blend me with other liquids. It was weird, but I had felt that way before.
“Hannah,” I said nervously.
“Oh my god. Matthew, what’s going on?” She said nervously as she stood slowly to her feet.
“I … I don’t know. I feel weird.”
“Matthew, you’re … you’re disappearing!”
“What!”
Friday, January 16, 2009
Last BD Excerpt
Go over to Sarah's blog and read her excerpt from Empyrean. It's a highly entertaining story and I'm hoping she'll enter it into ABNA.
Anyway, here is the excerpt and I think this is a fun scene. Enjoy!
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After a few minutes, a group of guys walked out of the club to grab a smoke. Andria poised her stance flirtatiously and stared at one guy in particular. He caught her gaze in the midst of lighting his cigarette and stopped dead. His eyes appraised her short jean skirt and silky tank top, which clung to her body perfectly.
She beckoned him over with her poise and one motion of a finger. That was all it took.
He took the cigarette out of his mouth and threw it on the ground, jamming the lighter in his buddy’s chest. His friends watched him walk toward her and then they began to hoot and holler.
“Wanna take a walk?” Andria asked him.
“Yes,” he responded.
She took his hand in hers, leading him towards the parking lot.
“Which car is yours?” She asked, giving him a mischievous smile.
All he could do was point.
She made her way to where he pointed, still dragging him along. Upon making it to the car, she leaned against the passenger door and pulled him close to her, her eyes locking into his.
“I’m sorry to steal you away from your friends, but you looked like you could use a little excitement.” She said to make sure her hold on his mind was strong.
“I don’t mind. I’d like some excitement.” He said in reply, obviously entranced.
She leaned in toward the guy and around the side of his face. She breathed lightly, yet seductively, in his ear. It worked.
He grabbed her waist and pulled her even tighter to his body. “The backseat is big enough,” he said, obviously from experience.
“Okay.” She said, that being her initial plan, yet for different reasons.
He opened the car and was in the backseat before she could even turn around. She crawled in after him, taking her delicate time to keep his mind focused. She closed the door behind her and sat next to him, her body angled toward his.
Abruptly, he leaned in to kiss her, but she caught his face. Instead, she smiled at him and ducked her head once more to blow in his right ear, completely scattering any thoughts of reality. Then she slowly moved her lips down his jaw line and to his throat.
His pulse was escalating in anticipation and so was hers.
She cradled the other side of his face with her right hand and once more lightly skimmed the side of his neck with her lips.
The anticipation wearing off, her fangs extended and she easily bit into the nearly exposed vein in his neck and at once felt the intense aroma of human blood flowing over every inch of her body.
He moaned in pleasure, his body completely at her will. His blood flowed in her mouth like life water, fulfilling her need and desire. She took her time in the moment, knowing his friends weren’t expecting him back any time soon, if at all. But she knew he had to go back, eventually. She wasn’t a murderer, but she had needs to fulfill. Then again, this wasn’t a full meal, just a perk to an experiment.
Minutes passed and she was beginning to feel the satisfaction, her pulse slowing. She lifted her head away from the side of his neck and licked the puncture closed. He moaned in delight once more.
Sliding her tongue across her lower lip, she did away with any leftovers and her horror-movie fangs. He looked at her with an endorphin-induced smile. She smiled back, knowing he was utterly seduced.Exiting the car together, they went their separate ways.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Dude ... Really
So here is my predicament at the present time. I'm trying to figure out what job field I am going to pursue next year when I graduate. Believe me, I really need a job upon graduation because I HAVE, keyword, HAVE to move out of my parents' house. It's utterly ridiculous that I am still living here. Well, kind of ridiculous. They don't want me to work during school, which is awesome because I can write a lot, but not awesome because I'm stuck living here. Oh well. But really, I need to find a potential job. My B.A. will be in English. I'm looking into being a literary agent, although not right off of course. Or maybe in the publishing area? Dude, I really don't know. Anything to do with the book publishing process. Of course I wish I could live off my writing, but that's not going to happen unless I can convince people I'm really J.K. Rowling. No, that probably won't work. Any ideas?
Okay children! (Don't worry, I call everyone that, even my parents.) Here is the next excerpt from Beautiful Disruption, although not related to yesterday's. I was re-writing this scene just now because it's super fun. Apparently, A & E have made up and it's been about a month or so actually. Now, just so you aren't confused. At this point, he knows that she's a vamp. Hope you like it!
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Andria entered Evan's room, finding him sprawled across the bed playing video games.
“I guess you haven’t grown bored of your old interests.” She said, standing in the doorway.
“Hold on, I’m almost finished.” He said.
Andria thought about his response for a minute, wanting to wait as he said, but she remembered that before she had overheard Marcus and Josh, she had been dying to see Evan. Needing to see him really.
She walked towards him and sat down right in front of him, facing the television.
“Andria, I can’t see.” He said, moving to look around her.
“Oh, I’m sorry.” She moved in front of him again. “Is that better?”
“Not really, no.” He said, still intent on the game as he craned his neck to see around her. He was about to win, but he couldn’t see with her sitting in front of him.
“Okay, let me move over.” She said, again moving in front of him.
Finally he realized what she was doing and didn’t even bother to finish the game because he was going to lose anyway. He threw the controller on the floor and grabbed her around the waist. “Oh well, that games sucks anyway.”
She looked at the screen. “Only because you lost,” she said comically.
“I only lost because you were sitting in front of my face.” He retorted.
“Oh really, well I’m sorry. Maybe I will just leave then.” She said, standing up.
“Andria, don’t leave, I was only –“
She jumped on him, cutting off his sentence, and pinned him under her so he couldn’t move. “You were only …?”
“I was only … “ He started to say, but the closeness of her body was too much to ignore. He reached up and kissed her hard on the mouth.She lowered her body fully on top of his, feeling all of him under her, and making his mind do flips and jumps as it contemplated her closeness.
“This was your plan wasn’t it?” Evan said, barely able to pull away from her lips.
“I’m a sly little vampire, aren’t I?” She smiled at him mischievously.
He returned her smile, not able to remove the seductiveness from his face. One side of his mouth was higher than the other. “You sure are, and I love it.”
She laughed at him, sensing that she was overpowering his animal instincts, so he pulled her in for a deeper kiss, needing to taste all of her. She started to unbutton his shirt as his hands roamed up under hers. He sat up with her sitting on his lap as he took off his shirt completely, throwing it across the room. He pulled hers over her head also. Underneath she wore a silky red camisole that flowed over her skin and stomach like a seductive waterfall, causing him to want her even more. He didn’t hesitate, throwing her down on the bed before he covered her with his body.
She pulled his head toward hers, locking their lips together again and again. Then she wrapped her legs around his, securing their bodies together, as his hands felt her soft skin under shirt.
“Man, you guys are hot!”
Evan pulled away from Andria abruptly, propping himself up on both of his hands, and looked at the doorway, wondering who had interrupted such an amazing moment.
“Sarah!” Andria yelled, closing her eyes as her body went slack in embarrassment.
“You told us to come over. I was just following orders.” Sarah said, laughing. “Kelley, come here.” She motioned down the hall.