... by the skin of my teeth! Woo, sliding in here.
OK, so. I'm planning on putting my baby out there soon. The book that started it all. One of my oldest works that's been worked and reworked and work again. This is the story that I hope people love most of all. This bad boy has gone change after change after change, but through all of it, I've saved this scene and tweaked it.
So without further ado...
"Penumbra: The Equinox"
~By J. Rose Alexander~
*this material is unedited and subject to change*
*thought at this point, it's been like this for 25 years so I highly doubt it will*
Alia woke up the sound of a perversely happy bird
chirping in a nearby tree. She was soaking wet, and miserable,
though no longer cold. She was not in the mood to listen to happy
little birds whose only purpose in life was to tweet infernally
pleasant tunes to those people of the world who could wake up at the
crack of dawn.
She had a blanket and a pillow with her, though her
choice of bed was apparently a cold hard surface that was in no way
comfortable. She adjusted the blanket and rolled onto her back to try
and find a more comfortable position.
"Do you often sleep in cemeteries? 'Cause if you
do, you're weirder than I am."
Alia’s eyes shot open at the voice coming from behind
her. She sprang up from her cold slab, and found the source of the
voice. Coray was leaning against a headstone. She looked at him in
disbelief for a few seconds then realized she was standing like she
was ready to strike him dead. She relaxed a little. "Where am
I? How'd you find me?"
“You’re at Green Knoll Cemetery,” Coray answered.
“Apparently napping with the dead. As to how I found you?… I was
at Vincent’s last night when you busted in," Coray said,
walking towards her. “We tried to run after you, but the sky opened
up on us as soon as we walked out the door. I ran up to your house,
where your mother was standing in the doorway. The front door glass
was shattered, and your mother was just standing there, shaking her
head, going, ‘no, no, no. No. It’s not possible. No.’
“Your dad came up behind her and saw me standing
there. He looked panic-stricken, and confused. ‘She ran away Coray,
and we all felt her breakthrough,’ he said to me. He wanted to know
if I knew where you would go.”
"So, I guess the rest of them will be here in a few
minutes," Alia said, wrapping the dry blanket around herself.
"Nope," Coray said. "They don't know I
left to look for you. They only think I left and went home. They
have no idea you’re here."
Alia sighed. "Thanks, Coray." She sat down on
the tomb.
"You're welcome," he said.
Alia looked at him. “Why did you tell me to tell my
parents about the hogrodan’s wound?”
“I knew your parents would know how to take care of
it,” Coray said.
Alia shook her head. “I’m not buying it. Dad was
really upset that this thing was after us. And you said something
about stopping this.”
“Yeah, I did,” he said. “Well, since I was the one
who forced the hand, I guess I should explain what’s going on. And
I would guess a damn sight better than the half explanation you got
last night.”
“The half explanation?” Alia asked. “You are
joking. All I got last night was really confused. A brother I never
knew I had claimed he was somewhere around nine-hundred years old
just appeared in the middle of the living room. My mother has been
lying to me my whole life, though why that
should surprise me…”
“What did you get out of the talk last night?” Coray
said.
“That I’m a witch, and have 4 siblings,” Alia
said. “There was something about wolf’s bane? Hen’s bane? And
some royalty. By the time they got to that I wasn’t really
listening. I also know these mysterious siblings are about as fond of
my mother as I am. Especially Jacob, who really seems like a nice
guy.”
Coray nodded. “Ok. So now I know where to start.” He
sat down next to her. “Well, they have lied to you your whole life,
but I wouldn’t blame them for that. It’s some sort of stupid
tradition that has gotten them in trouble before. You are a witch,
Alia. A full-blooded, natural witch. Just like I am.”
Alia sighed. “For some reason, I didn’t think they
were lying about that part.”
“Pissed me off too,” Coray said. “Here.” He
produced a cup of steaming tea, complete with tea bag still steeping.
“Earl grey, I believe you like.”
Alia looked at the cup as though it were a poisonous
snake, and after realizing how cold and thirsty she was, and took it
from him. “You too, hunh?”
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28 Days until "Shadow in Glass"!
Don't forget about
Faction, either!
