C.M. Selbrede's Blog, page 3
January 5, 2020
Poem: Pufferfish
Round as the Earth, he matches the shadow
That lived forever in his nightmares.
Gutteral gasps gape inside
As into the mirror, he stares and stares.
Is this forever? Or just a moment
Of suffering and embarassment and self-loathing.
It’s a matter of growth, and it’s a question of
Strength
And you can collapse if you’re brave enough but don’t forget to breathe.
December 31, 2019
ACC 20/20: January
It’s a new year which means brand new content for Electric/Eccentric! Look forward to all-new poetry, memoirs, and a behind-the-scenes look at the upcoming webseries Cedric Clarke and the Unsettling Dark! Two new series begin: Behind the Camera and the Toys That Made Me. And of course, Starlight and Anna Farmer keep chugging along!
Monday, January 6th – “Pufferfish” (Poem)Thursday, January 9th- Starlight #12: E.T. (Starlight) Monday, January 13th- “Pre-Production” (Behind the Camera: Cedric Clarke) Monday, January 20th- “TBD” (Poem)Thursday, January 23rd- “Chapter IX” (Anna, Farmer)Monday, January 27th- “The Toys That Made Me, Part One” (Memoir)Friday, January 31st- “ACC 20/20: February” (ACC 20/20 Inventory)
December 26, 2019
Ghosts Territory (Anna Farmer #8)
When Anna had first heard Bartholomew name “The Ghosts”, she had envisioned a sort of amateur bowling league, probably comprised of senior citizens as they were the nearest to death. Anna wasn’t quite sure why Jake would join a senior citizens’ bowling league, but she was prepared to respect his choices and commend him on the positive impact he was clearly having on the community. However, Bartholomew shortly elaborated, and it became clear that Anna was not dealing with a bowling league – but rather, a gang.
“Oh, I see,” Anna frowned, nodding carefully. “Quick question: What on Earth is a gang?”
“It’s a group of people,” Bartholomew explained.
“That doesn’t seem so bad,” Anna relaxed ever so slightly. “Do they go bowling with senior citizens?”
“No,” Bartholomew shook his head. “But my father told me about a gang that beat up senior citizens in order to welcome new members.”
Anna blinked, unable to quite fathom this. “So a gang is a collection of… mean people?”
Bartholomew shrugged. “I guess.”
“Well, then, I’m very disappointed with Jake and his new bowling friends,” Anna huffed. “In fact, I think I should give them a piece of my mind!”
“Oh, dear, that’s a terrible idea, no,” Bartholomew shook his head with much conviction.
“Your opinion has been noted and disregarded,” Anna informed Bartholomew. “Have a wonderful day!”
Anna expected it to take some time to find the Ghosts, but she hadn’t counted on the graffiti which had popped up all over Weary Winds. Some simply said “Ghostz”, while others proclaimed “Ghostz Territory” or spouted some confusing language and imagery Anna didn’t understand, or care to understand. Being a clever girl, Anna linked together the various “Ghostz Territory” signs in her mental map and was able to approximate what exactly was “Ghostz Territory”. From there, it was a simple matter of wandering the streets until she came upon somebody doing something mean.
As Anna wandered through the dilapidated town, she found herself humming a quiet song to herself. Passing shuttered storefronts and broken down homes was fairly depressing and so the song was a helpful way to keep the little girl’s spirits up.
As she hummed along, walking, a shadowy figure ducked through the shadows behind her. Abruptly, a scrawny teenager leapt in front of her, brandishing a sharp-looking object threateningly.
“Stop right there,” he grimaced.
“Okay,” Anna smiled, and stopped right there. “My name’s Anna. What’s yours?”
“Give me your wallet,” the teenager snarled.
“I don’t have a wallet, I’m only a little girl,” Anna pointed out, though she felt this was quite obvious.
“…Oh,” the teenager wavered, looking confused and then embarrassed. Feeling badly that she’d disappointed the stranger, Anna quickly spoke back up.
“I could ask my father to borrow his wallet, if you wanted?” Anna offered. “He’d probably say no, though.”
“Th… that’s true,” the teenager breathed out a sigh of relief. “I could ransom you!”
“I don’t know if I like the sound of that,” Anna frowned. “What’s a ransom?”
“Come with me,” the teenager grinned, stepping towards Anna.
Anna was about to scream, kick the boy, and run, when she noticed the spray paint staining the scary boy’s hands. He was a Ghost! How lucky. Anna was so happy she’d been attacked.
“Okay!” Anna chirped amiably, grabbing the teenager’s free hand before he could react. “Lead the way!”
The teenager frowned. “…You’re not very smart, are you?”
“And you’re very mean! Perfect!” Anna let out a delighted laugh. “I can’t wait to meet the rest of your mean friends.”
“Whatever you say, kid,” the teenager sighed, and jerkily pulled Anna into the Shadows.
Next: The Ghosts!
December 12, 2019
Starlight #11: Ignition
Starlight is a series I started writing for fun in 2016, written in the “style” of a comic book. As such, this is not my best writing, but it’s something I had fun doing.
We begin in a mansion in the countryside: huge, luxurious. Two siblings, Malcolm and Millie, kids maybe 5-10 years older than Cadmus and his friends, sit in a small room, watching the stars.
Malcolm: I wish they’d let us in.
Millie: I know.
Malcolm: I want to know what’s going on.
Millie: Me, too. Dad shouldn’t be keeping us in the dark
They pause, a silence, taking over.
Millie: Remember when we were little, and we used to wish on the stars?
Malcolm: Yeah, of course.
Millie: I think we should do it right now.
Malcolm: Really?
Millie: Really.
Malcolm: Well… what would you wish for?
Cadmus (Narration): It’s easy to say you want something.
We cut to a car speeding along in the small town of Ridge Hill, going way over the speed limit.
Cad: Getting it? That’s a lot harder.
A kid is in the front seat, whooping, as Cadmus follows in costume as Starlight.
Cad: Stop, uh, citizen.
Kid: !@#$ off!
Cad: For example, earlier today I said I wanted some time away from everything, away from football, my friends, even the superheroing, to really start to think things through. I mean, come on, things are really spiraling out of–“
The wheel locks and the kid lets out a yelp as the car careens forward, out of control.
Kid: $#*!
Cad: $#*!
Cad: Control!.
An earpiece in Cadmus’, well, ear, springs to life. We cut back to a computer lab in Hunter’s house, where Hunter is crouching alongside a computer with Parker.
Hunter: Cad, we might’ve caused a bit of a problem.
Parker: We?
Hunter: Okay, I might’ve caused a bit of a problem.
The car veers into the wrong side of the road. Cad flies down behind it and presses up against the vehicle, grunting. He struggles to push it in the right direction.
Cad: I thought you were… tracking… his GPS…
Hunter: Okay, so I was, but the car was brand new and had so many fancy features that I got distracted and–
Parker: Hunter! Short version! Now!
Hunter: I’ve somehow screwed up the car and the situation is worse than before!
Parker: Wow, man. Excellent work.
Hunter: I don’t see you doing anything!
We cut back to Cad and the car.
Kid: Please, help! I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I–
Cad: I don’t think this “Team Starlight” thing is working out.
He lets loose a bolt of star energy into the car and the engine sparks, and gives out. The car keeps hurtling forward.
Cad: None of us know what we’re doing, frankly, most of us barely know each other, and we have a tendency to make things worse.
Cad takes in a deep breath and pushes the car sideways with all its might. It powers steadily off of the road and Cad flies around to the front of it, ignoring the screaming kid, he pushes against it and slowly, steadily, it comes to a stop. A convertible pulls up along the side of the road, containing Eliza. Cad grins.
Cad: Then again…
Kid: Thank you so–
Cad: Yeah, sure.
Cad: It’s not all bad.
Cad takes flight and alights down on the road, showing off slightly.
Cad: Hey.
Eliza: Hey. The boys really did a number on this one, huh?
Parker (Voice): Hey! Just–
Hunter (Voice): Just me. We get it.
Cad: Yeah, we have a ways to go before we’re an elite crimefighting team.
Eliza: I don’t know. You did okay.
Cad: You know what? I did–
Abruptly, Cad is hit by a speeding truck. The issue title, “Ignition” is shown on the side of the truck. We cut forward to a black screen.
Cad: The only person who seems even a little bit competent is Nala. And, well…
We cut to the mansion, where on a different balcony, Nala and a new, polished boy sit, talking.
Cad: She’s not exactly an open book.
Nala: Locking his own kids in for the duration of the conference? It’s excessive, Castor. Even for him.
Cas: I know. At least we don’t have to hang out with Millie.
Nala: What’s wrong with Millie?
Cas: She’s spoiled.
Nala: We’re all spoiled.
Cas: Well, she’s spoiled most of all.
They laugh.
Cas: So? What’s up with you these days? Still slumming it with the peasants?
Nala: Of course, and you can bet my father isn’t thrilled. But I prefer it. That world… it’s just so much more real.
A wry look crosses her face.
Nala: Or it used to be.
Cas: Used to be? Did something happen?
Nala: Well, let’s just say…
We cut to Cad’s room where he is lying, dinged up, on his bed. Parker looks him over.
Nala (Narration): …things have gotten a little strange as of late.
Parker: Well, you’ll live.
Cad: Gee, thanks, Park.
Parker: You’re welcome.
Hunter: Why is he doing the medical analysis again?
Parker: I practically live at the athletic trainer. I know the human body pretty well.
Eliza: Gross.
Parker: You’re gross.
Cad groans and sits up. He pulls on a t-shirt.
Cad: Look, guys, today…
Hunter: Was all my fault. I’m sorry guys, I–
Eliza: Oh, come on Hunter. We’ve all made mistakes these past few days. I let that little old lady get away during the bank attack.
Parker: And I… tackled the wrong little old lady.
Hunter: Not our finest hour.
Cad: Yeah.
There’s silence.
Cad: Maybe we should…
Hunter: Yeah…
Eliza: Just for a bit.
The others stand up and start to go their separate ways.
Cad: Just a breather.
Eliza: Sure.
Parker: I have some games to catch up on.
Hunter: So do I, but probably different kinds.
Parker: Fortnite?
Hunter:…this is embarrassing.
Parker: Wait, do we have something in common?
They walk out together. Eliza and Cad regard each other.
Eliza: Still weird.
Cad: What?
Eliza: Seeing your face, hearing your voice, but having you be someone else. Not to mention, sometimes, a superhero.
Cad: Yeah. ‘S a little weird.
Eliza: Just a little.
They regard each other.
Eliza: But, hey, while we have the night off, maybe… do you want to go out?
Cad: Yeah! Uh, sure.
Eliza: Great. I’ll see you then.
We cut forward to the night, where Cad is dressed semi-formally in front of a mirror. He adjusts his bow tie.
Cad: Looking… well, good enough.
Cad: The more I think about it, the more I’m sure: it’s time to lay Team Starlight to rest. In the end, we cause more harm than good. Nobody needs us. Nobody wants–
He steps down the stairs, speeding up as the doorbell rings.
Cad: Coming, Eliza, I’ll be right–
He opens the door to reveal Nala, frantic.
Nala: I need Team Starlight.
Three Hours Ago…
Nala and Cas lean into each other.
Cas: Hey, normally I hate these family get together but today…. it hasn’t been so bad.
Nala: It hasn’t.
They lean in, and are about to kiss when a scream sounds.
Cas: Nala–?
Nala: Millie!
Nala sprints down the hall and across the mansion to the locked room where Millie and Malcolm are. She pounds on the door. Guards rush along.
Guards: Ma’am, they’re not to be–
Nala: Something’s wrong, you morons, now open the door before–
Guard: Fine, fine…
He pushes open the door to where a tear-streaked Millie stands, huddled, away from the large shape on the floor. Shards of class fall in, indicating someone broke in, even as she shudders at the corpse of some sort of shape-shifting alien in her brother’s clothes.
Millie: Help.
NEXT: Whodunit?
November 30, 2019
ACC 20/20: December
Our last month of off-season arrives as we celebrate the coming of the new year!
Thursday, December 12th- Starlight #11: Ignition (Starlight)Thursday, December 26th- “Chapter VIII” (Anna, Farmer) Monday, December 30th- “ACC 20/20: January” (ACC 20/20 Inventory)
November 28, 2019
Back to School (Anna Farmer #7)
It was with great sorrow that Anna trudged back to school the first day following her suspension. She got up early that rainy morning, visiting Oinky and Baby Lion in the barn and tearfully explaining that she would be absent again for a while.
Oinky and Baby Lion hadn’t the slightest clue what Anna was going on about as she blinked back water, but they figured it was very important, and so solemnly insisted on cuddling their friend to make her feel better. They were caught off-guard when Anna wrenched herself away from them, earnestly saying her goodbyes, and departed back towards the main house. Oinky rounded on Baby Lion, certain that whatever had just occurred was his fault. But it took one look from the drooping lion to remind Oinky that her friend was just as much affected by this as she was.
When Anna arrived at school, she moved to take her usual seat next to Bartholomew, who regarded her with something like shock.
“What is it?” Anna asked, perking up somewhat at the sight of her friend. “Bartholomew, are you okay?”
“I’m fine, Anna,” Bartholomew bemoaned. “I just didn’t expect to see you again, that’s all.”
“Why?” Anna blinked. “Suspensions are just a few days.”
“Yes, well, Maxine said that you had switched schools and were never coming back,” Bartholomew explained.
“I did not,” Anna huffed. “I’m perfectly happy being miserable at this school, thank you very much.”
“That’s what I said,” Bartholomew shrugged. “And then everyone called me a liar and I got in trouble for causing a ruckus.”
“But you didn’t cause the ruckus,” Anna pointed out, puzzled.
“Ruckuses seem to find me anyway,” Bartholomew drooped. “Without you, things have been awful, Anna. So awful I forgot the Very Important Thing I had to tell you.”
At first Anna’s fight or flight instincts were activated, as her first thought was of the Very Important Visitor who had come by her farm. But then reason came knocking and Anna remembered that Things were very different from Visitors which meant she had no reason to be alarmed.
“Oh, dear,” Anna told Bartholomew. “Can you try to remember what you’ve forgotten?”
“I’m trying right now,” Jake frowned, looking somewhat offended. “Can’t you see me thinking?”
“I can now,” Anna mediated hastily, although Jake did not look any more pensive than usual.
“Anna,” Mrs. Martinez smiled at the young girl as she passed out the worksheets for today. “It’s so nice to see you!”
“It’s nice to see you, Mrs. Martinez,” Anna turned to her teacher and smiled widely. “Although I am utterly and completely crushed to be back here, I have no hard feelings towards you or your presence.”
“Crushed?” Mrs. Martinez laughed nervously. “Why, I’m sure it’s not that bad.”
“You’re right, it’s worse,” Anna furrowed her brow. “Maybe ‘devastated’ would be a better word.”
“Well, maybe you’ll feel better once you start the assignment,” Mrs. Martinez lied, handing Anna a worksheet and moving on awkwardly.
Anna did not feel better once she started the assignment. In fact, she felt worse. The numbers and names seemed to jump off the paper, doing a little tap dance and swimming around Anna’s head the more she tried to focus. Try as she might, Anna couldn’t stop her thoughts from wandering back to Oinky, and Baby Lion, and all the things she’d rather be doing than this practice test for the practice test they’d be taking this month, which, itself, was also a practice test for a state-mandated larger test which tested the ability of the students to take tests.
By the time Anna emerged from the classroom at the end of the day, she was dizzy, stunned by the depths of boring and soul-crushing data points she’d been exposed to over the course of the lesson. She was so shaken that she staggered right into Maxine Marks, who paused her livestream long enough to say “Hey!” and call Anna a nasty name. Anna said nothing, merely fumbling on until she reached the front of the school for dismissal.
Outside, Anna paused, taking in the fresh air with deep, shaking breaths. “I’m okay,” she told herself. “I am perfectly okay.”
The fresh air did wonders for the little girl, and soon she was starting to feel like herself. Rejuvenated and ready to begin the day anew, Anna straightened her back, and then her overalls, and began to march home…
…only for a breathless Bartholomew to emerge from the school frantically, wheezing.
“Anna!” Bartholomew cried. “You’ll never believe it!”
“I’m not half bad at believing things,” Anna informed Bartholomew. “But shoot.”
“I’ve remembered my Very Important Thing,” Bartholomew told her. “It’s Jake! I’ve heard he’s joined the Ghosts.”
“Oh, wonderful,” Anna was so pleased to hear her customer had been found. She just had a single question. “Who are the Ghosts?”
Next: Jake’s Story!
November 16, 2019
2020 Round-Up: Webseries, Novels, & More…
Hey guys! So this blog has been on hiatus for a bit, only pumping out Starlight and Anna Farmer, and starting 2020 that… probably won’t change. Between school and my other projects, I’ve been too busy to create sustained content for this medium. What other projects, you might ask?
The Valley Chronicles: Tempest
Yes, this is still coming, and it still has a beautiful set of covers by Jenette Harris, editing has just been a very different process this time around. My original editors were unable to contribute this time around and so now a wonderful family friend is taking a pass at it. It’s just the nature of self-publishing that things like this crop out, but I’m confident it’ll be out by mid-2020, and I can FINALLY move on.
The Outsiders Club
I am working on a fourth novel, a loose spin-off of the Valley Chronicles, and hopefully it’ll be done by 2021. Early editors have enjoyed it a lot, but I haven’t been working on it as much between school and…
Cedric Clarke & the Unsettling Dark
…the brand new series I’m working on, Cedric Clarke! Though this project is less ambitious than the failed “two Season 2”, it still is a complex and, frankly, expensive, endeavor. I’m confident those who loved two and Makeshift will enjoy the latest entry in the mature INKblot Press imprint. There’s a lot to look forward to with this project and as part of my new programming scheme, you’ll hear more about it soon enough.
EVerything Else
I hope to have material on this blog with a little more regularity within the new year. I have zero expectations for Squirrel Academy any more, but who knows, it could always revive. And that’s basically the breadth of the projects I’m working on right now.
Thank you all for following me through all of this, I hope to have new materials and stories to share with you soon!
November 14, 2019
Starlight #9: Skeletons in the Closet
Starlight is a series I started writing for fun in 2016, written in the “style” of a comic book. As such, this is not my best writing, but it’s something I had fun doing.
Nala, Hunter, and Eliza hurry up to Hurt House.
Eliza: Come on, guys, hurry.
Hunter: Um, are we sure this is safe?
Nala: It’s definitely not.
Hunter: Great.
Cadmus (Narration): It’s been a weird day.
We cut to the interior of the house, where Starlight is facing Hurt, standing between her and Kenny. Black tears flow from Hurt’s eyes as she takes him in.
Hurt: Move.
Cad: No?
Hurt: Now.
Hurt streaks towards him, and he leans forward to punch, only to fall right through her.
Cad: What the–
Hurt whirls around, now solid, and grabs Cad’s neck, raising him into the air with superhuman strength. She throws him and he falls through the floor and walls into another room. Hurt floats towards Kenny.
Hurt: You will–
Cad: Hey!
Getting to his feet, Cad streaks back towards her, lighting up in his star form. Hurt winces and blocks her eyes as if pained and Cad lands one punch on her, and then two. She tries to phase but Cad grabs her– her intangibility is counteracted by his star form.
Cad: Hey, that’s–
He can touch her, but she can touch him. Hurt scratches at his eyes and he howls, giving her the time to grab him by his hair and bash his head against the floor, once, twice.
Cad: Urk–
Meanwhile, down below, Nala, Eliza, and Hunter try several rooms. Finally, they throw open a door and find themselves face-to-face with the Inlet High Sharks and the Ridge Hill Hawkeyes, all bound to the walls, dark circles under their eyes.
Parker: …Cad?
Nala: No.
She rushes over and begins to work at their bonds, Hunter right behind her. Eliza hesitates.
Eliza: We have to get to Mary Beth.
The Inlet High’s quarterback scoffs from where he is bound.
Austin: Wait, this is Mary Beth? That $!%#–
Nala: Shut up.
She turns to Eliza.
Nala: We’ll stay here and free them. You go save Caddie.
Misc. Hawkeye: And Kenny!
Nala: Kenny can choke.
We return to the fight above, where Starlight has just kicked Hurt off of him. They turn to face each other, circling carefully.
Cad: What do you want?
Hurt: Hurt.
Cad: Okay, um, cool, but what do you–
Kenny: Would you stop talking and just kill this $!%#?
Cad: Woah, lang–
As Cad turns briefly to face Kenny, Hurt streaks forwards, grabbing him and sending them flying through the far wall, out of the window, and into the lake. They fall under water, but Mary keeps going, grabbing Cad and slamming her thumbs into his eyes.
Cad: Glub!
Cad: Crap crap crap she can breathe underwater….
Hurt kicks him away into a clump of foliage, which curls around him, trapping him, as he struggles to get free.
Hurt: No more.
We cut to Kenny, struggling with the door.
Kenny: Come on, come on…
He shrieks as Hurt appears beside him, burning with fury.
Hurt: Time’s up.
Kenny: N-no, please. You wouldn’t hurt me. I–
Hurt grabs his neck with a single fist, her grip tightening. He struggles to breathe. The door bursts open and Eliza runs in.
Eliza: Mary Beth!
Hurt whirls around, surprised.
Hurt: Eliza?
We cut to the exterior of the house, where most of the football players are being evacuated. Sirens sound in the distance.
Nala: Help is coming.
Hunter: That’s good, right?
Parker: Not if they get to Cad before we do.
The three streak back into the house.
Underwater, Cad struggled against the foliage, unable to breathe.
Cad: Come on, come on…
He shakes his head.
Cad: 1… 2…
With a muffled grunt, Cad lights up again and tears apart his bonds, reaching the surface of the water and gasping for air. He glances around, sees the house, and flies towards it, careening into the room where Eliza and Mary Beth are hugging. Kenny crouches in the corner, shaking.
Cad: Eliza?
Cad: Okay, clearly I missed something.
Kenny sees Starlight and lets out a relieved gasp.
Kenny: Starlight, help! She’s possessed this girl too! You have to stop them both before–
Eliza and Hurt separate, Hurt looking defensive.
Hurt: Get–
Eliza: No. You don’t have to fight him. Just show him what you showed me.
Cad: Show me what? Show me–
In a flash, Mary Beth is on top of him, her fingers going through his head. Suddenly, Cad is adrift in a sea of memories.
Cad: I blink, and I’m adrift in a sea of night. And then I’m here.
He sees flickers of memory– Mary Beth and Kenny happy, hugging, kissing, but then it darkens as the memories show them arguing, and Kenny drinking, and arguing, and drinking.
Mary Beth (Narration): We were together. We were happy. Then we weren’t.
Andrew: I don’t know if this relationship is right for you, Mary, you seem miserable….
Mary Beth: (flatly) I love him.
Mary Beth: Over and over again he convinced me I was at fault, that he was doing his best, that I would never have someone like him. Over and over again, I believed him. And then the night came when he and his friends from the sharks had enough.
At a dingy bar, Kenny, Austin, and some miscellaneous Inlet High players drink around Mary Beth.
Mary Beth: They got rowdy. I tried to leave.
The bartender watches with disinterest.
Mary Beth: I even slipped the bartender a note. He ignored me. And then they hurt me. And nobody believed me.
We see a tear-stained Mary Beth walk to Hurt House, a dark look in her eyes.
Mary Beth: It was my fault my fault my fault I’d had enough. So I ended it.
We return to the present, as Starlight staggers back.
Hurt: I woke up.
Cad: Holy… the bartender… he was the announcer at the game. The one you killed.
Hurt: He deserved to–
Cad: I’m not arguing that he deserved to die but you didn’t have to kill him!
Hurt: I am anger. I am rage.
Eliza: But you don’t have to be! Mary Beth, what happened to you was unforgivable. But you came back. You have another chance to–
Kenny: That !@#$ is irredeemable! Just kill—
Cad sends a burst of energy at Kenny and he crumples into the wall.
Hurt: He has to die. All of his kind have to die.
Eliza: They’re not all like that. Andrew–
Hurt: Andrew is unique.
Eliza: Well, what about Cad? He changed.
Hurt: Cad.
She looks at Starlight, confused.
Hurt: Him?
Eliza: What?
She blinks.
Eliza: Oh my God, Cad?
Cad: Well, !@#$.
Cad: When I saw into you… you saw into me.
Hurt nods.
Hurt: You are… good.
Cad: So are you.
Hurt: No.
Cad: Okay, so, maybe not right now, but you could be.
The door flies open and Nala, Hunter, and Parker stumble in.
Parker: Cad, you have to hurry, the cops are–
They look around. Hurt is gone.
Nala: What happened here?
Hunter: Where’s the ghost?
Parker: Um, guys?
They turn to see Kenny’s corpse. Eliza covers her mouth.
Eliza: No…
We cut forward as the corpse of Kenny is carried out of the house.
Cad: Today’s been a weird day. I met a bad guy. Found out she was a good guy. But also a bad guy. I don’t know if I’d be any stronger than her in that situation. But I’ll never have to know.
Cad returns to school a few days later, waving weakly at a bandaged up Andrew as he heads into the building. Ewan and Ernie nod at him as he heads to the library.
Cad: Mary Beth was alone. She was abandoned. But I’m not.
He sits down at a table in front of Team Starlight: Parker, Hunter, Eliza, and Nala.
Cad: I have friends. And together, we can take whatever weird !@#$ comes next.
NEXT: Starlight #11: Not of Blood! And in a few months: Starlight #10: vs. Shadow!
October 31, 2019
ACC 20/20: November
Another quiet month comes and goes as I turn 20!
Thursday, November 5th- “Issue #9: Skeletons in the Closet” (Starlight)Tuesday, November 14th- Squirrel Academy! Thursday, November 19th- “Chapter VII” (Anna, Farmer)Tuesday, November 28th- Squirrel Academy! Thursday, November 30th- “ACC 20/20: December” (ACC 20/20 Inventory)
October 17, 2019
Pleasant Days (Anna Farmer #6)
Anna fed the lion bits of beef jerky on the way home, a delightful snack that seemed to cause him to perk up somewhat. Nevertheless, he was still quite frightened of Oinky, who would snarl and oink at the stranger on occasion just to keep him on his toes. For this, Anna reprimanded the small pig, but not without a degree of amusement.
The very first thing Anna did when she returned that afternoon was report to her father, certain that he would want to know of her newest friend. He probably wouldn’t be thrilled, but he’d understand, and maybe he’d even help her understand how exactly a small, malnourished baby lion came to be in the docks of Weary Winds.
However, when Anna attempted to explain the situation to her father, he merely scoffed, turning a rough purplish color that made Anna feel just as frightened as Baby Lion.
“Anna McDermott-Rains!” He chided her. “First you embarrass me in front of a Very Important Guest, and then you have the… the gall to tell me tall tales?”
Anna bit her lip.”What does gall mean?”
“Nerve,” Mr. McDermott sniffed. “It means you have a lot of nerve.”
“Oh,” Anna blinked. “Well, thank you, but–“
“It’s not a compliment,” cut in Mr. McDermott, and Anna gave him a disapproving look.
“–But it’s not a tall tale,” Anna explained, flapping her arms the way her father had when he was chiding her in an attempt to elicit respect. “I really did adopt a Baby Lion!”
“Oh?” Mr. McDermott rolled his eyes. “And I’m sure you’ve named it Roary and introduced it to your pig and they get along famously?”
“His name is Baby Lion and I have introduced him to Oinky and frankly their relationship could use some work,” the words tumbled out of Anna like an avalanche.
“Pah! Anna, when will you learn to focus on the important things in life, like school?”
“Hopefully never,” Anna huffed and her father groaned, turning and slamming the door. Anna was left alone out in the hallway, frustrated, but not technically forbidden from officially adopting the lion.
“Good news!” she skewed the truth somewhat when she met Baby Lion and Oinky in the barn. “My father didn’t say I couldn’t keep you!”
Baby Lion sneezed.
“I agree the double negative is confusing but believe me, it’s better than the alternative,” Anna laughed. “Welcome to the Acres! We’re so happy to have found you!”
Oinky grumbled a little something to herself, but Baby Lion didn’t seem to notice. Instead he gave a pathetic little moan, padding up to Anna and flopping at her feet in exhaustion, even as Oinky rolled her eyes and oinked something unrepeatable (by nature of it being an oink).
“You seem tired, Baby Lion,” Anna observed thoughtfully. “I think you could use some exercise before you sleep though. You seem a little stringy, no offense.”
Baby Lion gave a little yawn.
“I say we go for a hike,” Anna decided. “Just a little one, up to the edge of the corn. And then we can have a picnic and sip tea and nibble on oatcakes. Do you like oatcakes?”
Baby Lion stared at Anna blankly.
“Fair point,” Anna admitted. “Maybe not the best snack for a lion. Or a pig, frankly, but Oinky is picky anyway.”
Oinky snorted.
“So it’s settled!” Anna clasped her hands together. “A hike! Off we go!”
Anna, Oinky, and Baby Lion began the long walk to the edge of the cornfields. The sun was cool that day, the breeze, flattering, and it was the perfect weather for such an excursion. Though Baby Lion occasionally wavered, mumbling unintelligible excuses and beginning to turn around, Oinky was always there to force him forward with a glare, even as Anna spoke words of encouragement. Soon enough, they arrived at their destination, and Anna laid out a small picnic blanket and took out a thermos of lukewarm tea and a packet of half-crushed oatcakes.
“Okay,” Anna smiled. “Who’s hungry?”
Next: Back to School…
