Ellie Potts's Blog, page 23

Writing Books

I have a few favorite writing books, and I know most writers do. I have 2 that I love so much and you can see the wear on them. One is Building Believable Characters by Marc McCutcheon. This book is awesome it has a character thesaurus. Covered is face and body, personality/identity, facial expressions, and so much. If you can get a copy of it I would suggest it.

Another favorite is Writing Science Fiction and Fantasy by Crawford Kilian. My copy is falling apart lol. You can go through it and see the notes I have made. On top of great info there is a part which the author talks about developing efficient work habits. Which I struggle with even now. The biggest thing though is keeping a project bible. This had been so helpful. Even more when you write a series. This is a list of your characters and their info, your research for your book goes in there, your world notes, and so much more. I usually use a notebook which i mark off in sections. But recently I have also created a writing bible. Stuff I have found on the web regarding writing. Which now has become a binder. It is worth having a copy of this book.

What are some of your favorite writing reference books?

Chapter 1 of Among the Stars out now

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08RWVVW8G

Chapter One 

TWO MONTHS AGO 

The hotel room was the perfect temperature, a brisk 77 or 80 she’d guess, a chill that formed goosebumps over her skin. She only thought about the air because her nipples were hard. She had been turned on and chilly all at once, and he was making it difficult to concentrate. The flicker of the candle lights made the shadows of their bodies dance on the wall adjacent. Alisa whimpered as she grasped a handful of his hair in her hand. Her other hand was on his bare shoulder, scratching at his skin with her nails, leaving small, short welts trailing over his shoulder blade.  

His head was between her legs, his warm breath brushing over her skin. He flicked his tongue at her lips and clit. Alisa’s thighs and glutes were tight as she bucked her hips with each lick, the sensation taking her to a new place of unfound ecstasy. His hand glided over her skin on the outside of her thighs. He pulled back teasingly, pressing gentle, wet kisses down the sensitive skin along the inside of her legs, down to her knee and back up again. She gasped when he licked her again, this time trailing his teeth over her sensitive flesh.  

She needed him badly, wanted to feel him inside of her. The soft velvet couch beneath her brushed over her skin, enhancing her need for him even more as he teased her. 

He had blue eyes; she knew that much because she saw them when he looked up at her, a little devil behind there ready to move this from foreplay to something more.  

Good, she thought. She was ready. 

* 

“Alisa?” Evan was shaking her gently, his hand on her shoulder. “Wake up, sleepyhead…” 

Her eyelids fluttered open. She took a deep breath, the sour stench of circulated air tasted in one regrettable inhale.  

It was a dream. 

The foul smell, the ambient noise of the engines rumbling beneath them mixed with the muffled chatter of the other patrons in the jet. There was slight turbulence in the vessel that further nudged her to reality. They were still aboard the flight back from New York. First-class seats were always spacey and comfortable. After their month-long stint on location, the comfort of the metal cabin felt like a sleeping bag, quick to lull her to sleep. 

Evan was sitting beside her, wearing a bemused grin. “You have a little something on your face.” 

She pulled the paper that had stuck to her face. It was a loose-leaf of her notes, scratched with her handwriting. The small papers came in handy since she’d lost her charger for her laptop somewhere between the hotel and the airport. 

“Have a good dream, I take it?” 

Alisa fought the urge to blush, but it was inevitable. “Sure.” She tilted her head up, with no clue that her hair had also adhered to her face. When Evan tilted his head at her, she embarrassedly wiped her cheek, pulling the strings of unruly hair to the side and patting it down to tame it. 

Evan snickered. “Well… good morning, sunshine.” 

Still a little out of it, she unceremoniously wiped her eyes, braced herself on the armrests, and pulled herself up, since she’d slumped down in her sleep. As she stretched out, she heard the pop and crack from her settled joints. The overhead lights were out, indicating that she couldn’t yet stand, even though others were impatiently unbuckling and trying to reach for their bags in the bin. Alisa could see a faint light peering through the slits of the windows. 

“The local time here is 7:48 a.m., and I’d like to welcome you all to Los Angeles. Thank you for flying…” The captain’s voice droned through the speakers. 

“Oh, we’re home.” 

Evan laughed. “Come on, sleeping beauty. We have a car waiting for us outside, and you’ll be home faster than you can say: lights, camera, action.” 

“Cute,” Alisa said, as the dream came back to her, followed by a swarm of guilt. However, it faded when she thought over what he said. His “director humor,” though generally at her expense, she found to be downright corny. It never got old. 

She was already antsy, itching to get home; It was about time for her to get back to Los Angeles. They’d wrapped production on Gateway II. Having sent everything to post-production a while back, they’d been traveling back and forth for some interviews and appearances along the way. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much leisure time. Whether it be a quick podcast for her author circuit or a short soundbyte for the independent film network, the interviews were spread out and altogether exhausting.  

On the upside, Alisa found a normal rhythm traveling first-class now, and she loved it. She was so spoiled with it now; she thought about the cramped torture of coach. The new lifestyle Alisa was squeezing into came with this beautiful luxury. It was quiet, comfortable, and she had enough room to stretch without worrying about space.  

Los Angeles was their destination, and Alisa was thrilled to kiss the life of hotel-hopping, paparazzi dodging, junk food binging, and Red Eye flights goodbye. She had a book to write, and a new proposal to go with it. All she’d need to do was kick back with a glass of wine and relax, which was her main goal as soon as she got home. 

 It suddenly dawned on her that she wasn’t going home. The place she’d return to would be a room inside the home of Ray Day, his husband David Holmes, and their adorable children. She convinced herself that living there was to assist with Ray’s recovery. Still, there was this quiet acceptance between her and the boys that they understood she needed her space from Logan. It was quiet there, since it was more of a den, and separate from the main house where the family spent most of their time, but she made sure to keep busy and earn her keep. Alisa babysat for them when the boys were working, or if the two just needed some alone time. There were times she wanted to make good on her word to move to some Air BnB or move out to a place of her own to stay out of the way. Being how they were—accommodating and persistent—Ray and David insisted that it wasn’t a problem.  

Alisa reached into her pocket and turned on her phone, and a sigh of regret followed. It had barely blinked to life when the buzzing started, notifications rolling in from almost every app she used to communicate. There were several missed calls and texts, including a couple from her best friend and talk show host Evie Lewis, who was waiting impatiently back in Los Angeles to meet up and catch up on some production (and personal) details.  

The voicemail icon lit up with a small “2” beside it. Alisa figured her friend could wait just a few more hours until she got home and unpacked before diving into the drama. Shaking her head, Alisa slid her phone back into her jacket pocket. 

“Are you alright, hon?” Evan asked softly.  

She must have admitted to herself a dozen times that Evan Gable had such beautiful eyes.  

“Yeah. We’ve flown how many times in the last few months? Yet, it still makes me nervous.” 

“I know, I saw you take the Dramamine before we boarded, probably what helped you zonk out so fast. But toward the end—you just seemed to be enjoying yourself in there.” He gently pressed his finger to her forehead, which made her sit back. He leaned in close and whispered into her ear, “Hey, whatever it was or whoever it was, your secret is safe. Oh, actually, me and the folks around us. They kind of heard a little bit of that action too.” 

Alisa went wide-eyed and couldn’t stop the heat spreading in her face, and intentionally slid down into her seat. “Oh God, no…” 

“Aww, don’t go hiding now—it wasn’t that bad.” Evan tried to pull her up, “Even though I’m pretty sure that would rate pretty high for mature content on the rating board.” 

“Evan.” She groaned, working against his strength to stay as low as possible in her chair.  

“Come on. We have some luggage to claim.” Evan took her by the hand and led her through the aisle. Keeping her head low enough to hide the blush on her cheeks, she followed Evan once they were permitted to leave. 

Alisa found baggage claim to be a pain in the ass, which is why she almost always traveled light. However, they were on the go long enough to convince her to take a check-in bag for extra clothing, so she wouldn’t have to recycle wardrobe on their trip. After leaving the plane, Evan and Alisa stood, patiently waiting for their luggage to come around at the carousel.  

Evan tugged down on his baseball cap and slid on his sunglasses. It was enough to keep those piercing blue eyes hidden, a little disguise to buy them enough time to get to their car. Alisa followed suit, putting on her shades.  

“Right over there!” She spotted her printed suitcase and matching duffel, sliding out right after his plain black bag. She sighed in relief that they weren’t going to be stuck waiting for hours (as they did back at LaGuardia), and made a beeline for the exit. She hoped they managed to dodge the media. It was wishful thinking, and she tried not to look directly at the cameras and camera phones that might have been walking alongside them. They were far from A-listers, and the crowd could’ve been worse, but Alisa still hated having her picture taken by random people. 

So much for hoping for a clean getaway… 

“Where to, Darlin?” Evan adjusted the rearview mirror after buckling in.  

“Home, please. Well—not home home, but you know,” Alisa responded, already breaking out her phone to check her messages and email. “Wow, Ron sent four emails about—” 

“Nuh-uh.” Evan confiscated her phone and put it into the small drink compartment in his door. 

“Hey!” 

“No work!” he said. “You’re still technically on vacation.” 

“Vacation?” She arched an eyebrow and examined her surroundings. “We’ve been on the go for over 24 hours, and I’m gonna be locked away in a car for even longer until we get home…” 

Evan snickered. “Listen… We just got back, and you still have a couple of days to unwind before we gotta worry about call time or scripts or whatever. I’m exhausted, you’re exhausted, we’ve all been busy and traveling and interviewing and—” 

“Celebrating?” Alisa grinned.  

There were a few post-film celebrations they’d attended with cast and crew, nothing too grand scale, just friends getting together for some drinks. Many drinks and a whole lot of fun. 

Evan grinned and nodded, clearly recalling those parties. “Exactly. The next few days are reserved for some relaxation. Time off, take a breather. And don’t you dive into the books or show business. It’s vacation time.” 

Alisa sighed, “You know that I don’t know what vacation means.” 

“Yep!” Evan teased. “Just relax and enjoy the ride.” 

“Mm-hmm, because the 405 is so exciting.” 

“Pending traffic,” Evan added. 

They laughed. 

When Evan kicked on some of the classic rock tunes set in playlists, her heart fluttered. She was transported back in time; summer road trips out of central California with Joann and a few other girlfriends. One of them had a convertible, and there was a lot of time spent on the coastal highway singing in and out of tune to Queen, Journey, and Boston, and taking in the sweet Pacific air. Presently, the two had a blast singing to the same, memory-inducing music down the highway. Sure, work was thrilling, but this drive was probably the most fun she’d had in the last few months. The best part was her destination, anticipating the comfort of her bed and a bottle of wine waiting for her. 

When they arrived, Evan and Alisa discovered that the two weren’t present. The house was so quiet without David cooking, Ray chatting on his phone or belting out show-tunes to practice, and the kids running around, playing superheroes and shouting at the top of their lungs. 

There was a post-it on the inside of the front door: Took munchkins to the zoo, dinner at the in-laws tonight. Hope you had a great trip. Smooches, Ray. 

Once they made it through to what had become her part of the house, Alisa saw the red flashing light across the room. She was already kicking her shoes off as soon as she made it through the threshold, and Evan was close behind, hauling in their luggage. (It was mostly her luggage, but he happily obliged). 

“I still can’t believe they let you bring that thing here.” He snickered, jutting his head toward the landline hooked up in her room. Evan often called her ‘grandma’ or ‘cavewoman’ for it, but she didn’t care. Sure, the relic was already on its last legs, since they didn’t make them as much anymore, and if she wanted to toss it, she could. Aside from her laptop, Alisa was pretty traditional, humble, and old-fashioned. Having this was a security blanket of sorts, and she preferred having this backup in case her phone took a dump. Despite everyone’s mockery, she still loved having it. 

“I’ll be back. I’m going to grab the rest of our bags—nay, your bags.” He made a swift exit, leaving her to handle what they’d already brought in. She hoisted her carry-on suitcase onto the bed, and something must have loosened the zipper because something fell out of the small front pocket. It was a card from one of the many bouquets she received in New York. 

Alisa smiled and hit the button.  

“You have 2 new messages.” 

Alisa let the machine run and started to unpack. 

“Alisa, call me, please!” 

BEEP. 

“Alisa, why aren’t you picking up? It’s Evie, your best friend? Okay, call me as soon as possible…” 

BEEP. 

“Geez, how long was the flight? You don’t message for a second, and she freaks out?” Evan returned with the rest of this luggage and had that judging look on his face. “Clingy much?” 

The machine beeped again. 

“Hellooo, Alisa? I sent you like ten texts! Alright, fine, you’re probably in flight, or maybe you’re just screening me like a crazy person, so I’ll just tell you. Christian proposed just now! I’m getting married! Call me, ‘kay? I love you, mwah!” 

BEEP. 

 The purse and tote bag Alisa had fetched from the pile of luggage fell at her sides. She locked eyes with Evan across the room, the two of them stunned and breathless.  

“Holy shit.” They both said at once. 

Read the series!

Seeing Stars https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00M68SVIW Falling Stars https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00V33LKD

Binge What…

So new year new stuff right?

Anyone reading anything good? I picked up the Duke and I by Julia Quinn. The weekend that Bridgerton came out I binged the show on Netflix. I will have to say I enjoyed the series over the book. There seemed more substance in the series that we didn’t get with the book. I did wish they put the part when Simon and Anthony fell into the river though that would have been fun. I might pick up the next book but I have been lazy reading. Okay not really I got a somewhat were addiction the the Dreame app and these werewolf rejected mate books.

Next up is Battle Ground by Jim Butcher, which I have put off because I am know bad stuff is going to go down for Harry. My guilty pleasure is Edward Lee’s Creekers books and White Trash Gothic III is out! You have to like weird gross crazy stuff to read these books. But I think they are fun. Hammer Wives by Carlton Mellick III. And the last one I want to finish up this month is Riley Thorn and the Dead Guy Next Door by Lucy Score. Her and Sienna Blake are new writers I discovered last year and I am so glad I did. Lucy Score has great lol moments, where Sienna Blake pulls on heartstrings. You can check out what I read by them on my good reads read list.

I am open for book suggestion. Is there something coming out that you are excited about let me know. I am open.

I also started hitting Audible last year. I was listening to some of my favorites that are available. Like the Harry Potter series, Stephen King’s The Stand, and The Joe Ledger books. I could listen to them at work when I was inputting stuff. Right now we are working mostly at home, so it depends on the project. If it takes more brainpower I am on Spotify, but if it is just mindless stuff I can listen to an audio book. I finished Nora Robert’s Year One and that trilogy. Um if you haven’t read Stephen King’s The Stand you might not have issues with it like I did. I also highly recommend Andrew Mayne his Jessica Blackwood, Naturalist and his newest Underwater Investigation Unit books are both great read or listened too.

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5829944.Ellie_Potts

My hubby and I are binge freaks, Last night we binged the whole Miracle Workers Season 2. If you haven’t watched these you need too. Each season is different kind of like American Horror Story. The first season was a group of angels stopping God from destroying the Earth. The second season takes some of the same cast and put them in a medieval setting. The second season is my favorite so far, and it is silly AF but it worked. Daniel Radcliffe, Steve Buscemi, Geraldine Viswanathan, and Karan Soni are great together.

There are some new and old shows popping up. Season 3 of American Gods just started on Starz. I missed Shadow and the sassy All Father. The Watch on AMC is fun. I am not liking the remake of The Stand. There is somethings I like about it like Owen Teague as Harold and Odessa Young as Frannie. The time jumping sucks. And the last ep with discovering what Hemingford Home was I was not happy. I am only watching because King wrote a total different ending.

https://www.tvtime.com/en/user/15571856/profile

Oh yeah I should shamelessly add that remember I have a new release out!

The final book in the Alisa and Logan story is out now!

Happy New Year News!

I hope everyone has a great New Year! Author Krys Janae and I are celebrating with a new release! Today we released the conclusion to Alisa and Logan’s story, Among the Stars! It seemed fitting that we did this last book together.

Among the Stars

He was supposed to be her Prince Charming.
She was supposed to get her HEA.
But when rumors tore the Hollywood couple apart, would they be able to find their way to each other again?

Alisa and Logan are back in Hollywood, living separately to heal from the damages done to their marriage. Busying themselves with work and other distractions to pass the time, they are cordial with one another, and professional–since they have a show to work on, after all.

Resisting the urge to dive back into the life they promised one another, and feeling the obvious magnetism that still lingered, they agree to meet with a counselor. Airing out their problems seemed a lot easier on paper, but when alleged infidelities, and jealously of new colleague threaten them…

Will Alisa and Logan overcome the many obstacles on their path to find each other again?

Ellie Potts and Krys Janae team up to write the grand finale of the Rider’s story.

Get it now!!

For this weekend to celebrate the release of Among the Stars you can pick up Seeing Stars and Falling Stars for free!!

Seeing Stars

Can one secret stop two broken hearts from mending?

Alisa, bank clerk by day-self published writer by night, gets a phone call that will change her life. Hollywood wants to make one of her books into a movie. The news comes on the day she starts vacation, excited, she leaves work early to surprise her husband. To her surprise he is already home, and well even more surprising he is sexing up the neighbor in their bed.

Heartbroken and angry she makes a decision to head off to Hollywood on her own. Before the meeting she meets her TV crush Logan Rider. Logan has not only read her book Gateway, but he wants to direct the movie. The offer is almost too good to be true! Alisa is thrown into a whirlwind of Hollywood as she sees stars, learns the movie business, and uncovers a few secrets. Secrets that prove actors are just as flawed as regular people. But there is one secret that can destroy Logan’s career. Will Logan be devoured by this secret, or can he find the strength to conquer it with Alisa’s help?

Falling Stars

You met them in Seeing Stars, and now they’re back. After celebrating the success of their movie Gateway and a leap into wedded bliss, Alisa and Logan Rider separate for a few months as they each venture into their own new thing: Logan is cast in a high-budget action film which is the stepping stone into the next chapter of his stardom, while Alisa has become a writer on the TV show Family Insurance, showing great interest in not only producing the show but casting as well. Since Logan will be busy with his movie, the studio hires Evan Gable, an up and coming director in the independent market, to help on the Gateway sequel.

Alisa’s first impression of Evan leaves a sour taste in her mouth, but when she is sent on a scouting trip to New York City with him, she sees a different side of him. Feelings begin to develop, but Alisa is determined to keep him at a safe distance. She’s in love with her husband, Logan.

When she gets back to Los Angeles, Alisa discovers a terrible secret her husband has been hiding, leaving her an emotional mess. She thought she had it all. She thought she was finally content. After finding her Prince Charming, and expecting a happy ending, Alisa becomes torn between loving him and leaving him. Can she forgive him a second time?

Falling Stars is the sequel to Seeing Stars by Ellie Potts.

December Short Story Prompt

[image error]

Happy last month of 2020. This month’s prompt is going to be fun. This contest is open to anyone and any genre. Best story with the most likes will get a $25 Amazon gift card. The deadline is 12/31/20. Short story word count needs to be under 10K. Questions please contact me.

Death by Citrus by Linda Bloodworth

This is Linda’s short for the November writing prompt. See post below.

Two months ago Karl Walker planned the perfect suicide. He had maxed out his credit
cards to fly from New Mexico to the suicide forest of Japan, Aokigahara. The whole journey
had him smiling from ear to ear. Not only would he give a proverbial middle finger to
everyone he disliked, but he’d die fulfilling a dream of being surrounded by others who had
done the same. Hour after hour he had poured over articles about the forest, it’s history,
folklore, and the messages of love that people left to be found by those who wander far
enough. In Karl’s eyes, everything about this trip was perfect.

The flight had been exceptional, the food was delicious, and everyone he had met along the
way was more than kind. Heck, even the convenience store clerks bowed when he
approached. This was something he could get used to. Could. But he had a mission to
complete.

His life was nothing to write home about. A drab apartment with gray walls, an abandoned
art project that collected dust next to a treadmill that had become a clothing rack. Growing
up, every foster home had been the same; eyes down, mouth shut, and chores galore. At
least the food had been decent.

The only good thing to ever happen to him occurred thirty years later. Karl had been
promoted at work to senior accountant. For one month Karl couldn’t stop smiling. Has grass
always been this green? Was the sun really that shiny and bright? At the end of that month,
Karl walked away from his desk for the last time. Banker box in hand, shoulders down, he
dragged his feet to his car. Every newspaper box he passed blared the bad news.
CompanyX. sold in a hostile takeover. What would he do now?

“Hey, Karl, hold up,” a voice came from behind him.

Karl lifted his head and turned to see Patsy Combs waving at him, her brown Farrah Fawcet
curls bouncing as she moved on stiletto heels.

“Hi Patsy,” Karl muttered.

“I heard what happened. You’re too good for this place anyway,”
The compliment earned Patsy a half hearted smile as Karl gripped his banker box tighter.

“Thanks,”

“If you need a reference, here’s my card, I’m happy to help.”

Without a reply, Patsy tucked her business card into the box top.

“I’ve got to get back, but give me a call if you need someone to talk to. I’ve been in your
shoes.”

Karl smiled and watched Patsy until she was swallowed up by the revolving door of his
former workplace. There it was again. That old familiar sting of being passed up had found
him even in adulthood.

Despite Patsy’s good intentions, Karl never gave her a call nor did he think about her offer.
This time, things were going to be different. This time, Karl was making the decisions
around here. His heart had told him it was time to take matters into his own hands and
elevate the stress of life. No more worries. No more loneliness. No more anything for that
matter. A simple gunshot would solve all of his problems. If he couldn’t find a firearm then
rope would be just as good. The thought of stepping away from all of his problems almost
made Karl giddy with excitement. One foot hovering off of a stool and the next foot would
take him to a journey where no one could touch him.

“Aokigahara!”

The bus driver yelled out the destination and opened the tour bus doors. This was it. This
was where Karl was going to finally find peace. Karl waited until the bus was all but empty
to depart. As the last tourist stepped off, he lifted a duffel bag off from under his seat and
made his way to the bus doors. Head and shoulders above the crowd, Karl moved against
the tide of tourists like a salmon upstream. The laughter, the smiles, the happy energy of
the crowd couldn’t touch Karl. Back against a wall, Karl surveyed the area till he found a
spot among the tree line where no one was standing, where no one would notice if he just
slipped away forever.

Ever so casually, he made his way over until he was mere steps from the edge of the forest.
One more step and he could make it. Lips pursed in anticipation, Karl firmly planted his foot
on forest soil and walked calmly, as if he belonged there, as if no one could question him.
The earthy smell tickled Karl’s nose as he stifled a sneeze. Birds called out as he disturbed
their routine, going further and deeper off the path. So, this is what all those before him saw,
Karl thought. Greenery as far as the eye could see. A calmness that inspired poets. The
forest enveloped him and almost seemed to move behind him covering his tracks.

Away from any human sounds, Karl stopped for a moment to pick out a bottle of water he
had picked up at the bus stop. A gentle breeze ruffled his hair and a citrus scent tickled his
nose. There were no such plants in this area. Surely, there was a rational explanation.
Twigs snapped under foot as he moved further and further into the forest. Overhead, the
branches swayed as if something was jumping from one tree to another, but nothing could
be seen by the naked eye. At this point, Karl had lost track of how far he’d gone. This
looked like a good enough place to die. Back against a tree, Karl’s eyes darted from side to
side. He had planned the moment out in his head many times over, but this felt so different,
so sad. In all the times he had imagined the peace he would feel, he didn’t account for the
actual going through with it. The smell and taste of the metal were suddenly very real as he
put the barrel in his mouth.

This was it. This was what he wanted. This was what he came to do. Karl’s hand began to
shake as tears trickled down his cheeks. His hand shook so much that the gun chattered
against his teeth. Even his finger began to slip off the trigger soggy from nervous sweat.
After a minute of this Karl put the gun down and covered his hands while he wept. He was a
failure at everything, he thought, he couldn’t even do one simple thing. All he had to do was
pull the trigger and poof, all of this would be gone. Goodbye forest, Goodbye people.
Goodbye world. As Karl wiped the tears from his eyes he reached for the gun, but it wasn’t
where he had placed it. He stood up and started looking around. Maybe he had kicked it by
accident?

Just then he heard a gunshot ring out ten feet away. Instinctively, Karl flattened himself out
on the ground and covered his head. Another shot rang out, this time further away. Up in a
flash, Karl ran after the sound Who the hell had his gun? Whoever they were they were
shooting up a storm and causing a ruckus Karl could easily follow. Standing behind a tree,
Karl spotted an elf-like creature running through the forest, brandishing the gun in the air.
Green attire, pointy ears, long blond hair, arrows and bow strapped to its back, the creature
was hooting and kicking up its heels as if it had won the lottery.

Before he could stop himself, Karl shouted, “Hey! That’s mine! Give me back my gun!”
Immediately, the elf turned around and stopped to face Karl. Not only was this creature
mesmerizing, but a female. Not at all what Karl was expecting, not any of this, but to be
stunned into silence least of all.

“Come and get it, human,”

With a wink and a giggle, she ran straight into a tree trunk and disappeared. Tiny yellow
sparks showered from the tree trunk. “There was a door. A freaking door in the middle of a
forest.” Karl thought, staring at the portal wide-eyed. What else could he do? He ran right
after her and swished right out of this world into the next.

“Wait till I get my hands on you!”

Karl gave chase down a long dimly lit corridor. It stunk as if all the earth worms in the world
had gathered in the walls after a summer rain. The ground was hard and dry, but almost
bouncy. With each step, Karl felt he was going faster than anytime he had run before. Just
out of reach, the elf ran on what looked like winged feet. Karl could all but feel the wisps of
her hair and the scent tickled his nose. The citrus smell, it had been her, she was the one in
the treetops. Her giggle bounced off the walls and reverberated in his head. Karl squinted
as he was heading straight for a bright light. The next step he took, he was falling what felt
like the length of a skyscraper right into the softest pillow imaginable. The comfort only
lasted a few seconds until found himself surrounded by ten pairs of eyes. Not just any eyes,
silver eyes with a black slit for a pupil. Human sized cat people? No, masked elves with
spears pointed at Karl’s throat.

“Nim, What shall we do with him?”

Casually leaning on the shoulder of the biggest elf, Nim narrowed her eyes at Karl and
smiled.

“He wanted to die. We should fulfill his wish,”

Karl shook his head and put up his hands as if that would help the incoming spears.
“Wait!”

The cry fell on deaf ears. Within seconds, Karl’s body was nothing more than a shredded
carcass. As the last elf cleaned their spear on the grass, a piece of Karl’s shirt caught the
wind and hitched a ride flying through the forest, back through the tunnel and nestled on his
duffel bag.

It was a month later that the Fujiyoshida Police Department found Karl’s belongings. Sun
filtered through the trees as the police carefully catalogued a well used duffel bag and a half
full plastic water bottle. Eagle eyed constable Rei Hinoshima plucked a dark red stiffened
piece of fabric and slowly placed it into a bag.

“What do you think happened here, Rei-chan?”

Rei stood up and faced her partner, her hand securely on the bag.

“Perhaps someone decided not to kill themselves? It looks like they left in a hurry,”

Mamoru Fuji, rubbed his chin. “In a hurry sounds right, but what about the footprints leading
to a tree?”

Rei shrugged her shoulders. “Perhaps forensics need to ask the elves of the forest?”

Both constables laughed and headed back down the path they came in turn passing the
search party .

Mamoru stopped and lightly touched his partner by the elbow. “Rei-chan, do you smell an
orange smell?”

The End

Linda Bloodworth is Author of A Raven’s Touch which is out now.

Hang out with her here:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LindaBloodworthWriter

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LindaBloodworth

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lindabloodworth/

WordPress: https://lindabloodworth.wordpress.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8289417.Linda_Bloodworth

November Writing Prompt

[image error]

November writing prompt is here! For those who are participating in Nanowrimo, have fun, and don’t stress out too much. For those who want to practice more on short story building here is the November prompt. The best story wins a $25 Amazon gift card. Due on November 22nd! As a reminder stories have to be under 10k words. Questions contact me.

Ever’s Judgment by Harmony Lawson (Oct Writing Prompt)

Chapter One

The Invisible Girl

Every morning, Ever Grace Henry walked the halls of her high school to glimpse Peter Gordon, her long time crush, but this morning was different. Different because she had no clue how she got to school this morning, nor could she recall what happened the night before. Something was missing. She walked down the long corridor in a daze. She didn’t know what to expect. She wasn’t in control of her steps.

Soon, she was in her first period class. A bundle of nerves surrounded her, and numb in anticipation of something she wasn’t aware of. The classroom filled and everyone took their seats when the last bell rang. The class became quiet, and the students whispered amongst each other. What happened last night? Why couldn’t she remember?

Peter walked into the classroom five minutes late and looked like hell warmed over. Both observances were out of character for him. Usually well-groomed and always had a smile on his face. But not this morning. This worried her. He took a seat next to her but didn’t glance her way. In fact, no one acknowledged her, so she sat in uncomfortable silence, and listened to the teacher give his lecture.

Unable to concentrate on anything he said, her mind swirled over the worst-case scenarios. Did someone die? She took inventory of the room. All seats were full, so she assumed that everyone in her class was accounted for. The rest of the day was the same. Everyone was present. So why the doom and gloom vibe? She tried to talk to her best friends, Julie and Tom, but they ignored her as if she weren’t there. Tears of frustration welled up and spilled down her cheeks. Whatever happened the night before had people ignoring her.

Ever skipped her last class, too emotional to endure another minute at school. She walked home instead of drive. She must have walked to school since her car was not in the student parking lot. The walk took a good thirty minutes. She lived in a small non-descriptor town. It was a place people just passed through to get to somewhere more important, where everywhere in town was within walking distance. 

Fall was in the air. The leaves of the trees were already turning crimson, orange, and gold. Fall signaled change. The season was aging to make room for something new. An eerie vibe blew in the breeze. A change was coming, and she wasn’t sure it was going to be a pleasant change. Doom and gloom hung on her shoulders and she didn’t have a valid reason for thinking this way other than that everyone acted so strange. 

Ever put her head down and wracked her brain about the events of yesterday. There were no odd occurrences that would make the students ignore her or to cast this eerie vibe on everything. It had been a typical Sunday.

She had hung out with her friends at the lake. Julie and Tom had invited Peter. She remembered how nervous she had been. Julie and Tom knew Ever had a huge crush on him. Only when Ever tried to remember what happened later in the evening, her mind went blank. Her high school crush hung out with her and her best friends, so why would she remember nothing of the experience? She had fantasized for a long time at what it would be like to hang out with Peter, so her frustration was natural.

When she glanced up after watching her feet tread the gravel and pavement walkways, it surprised her to find she stood on the front doorstep to her home. Her mind had been so preoccupied, she lost track of time. It seemed like it took her only a minute to get home. The front door stood ajar, so she stepped inside. As she was about to close it, she heard deep sobs from her mother, who was curled in a ball on the couch, watching the news. 

“Are you okay, Momma?” Ever hadn’t called her momma since she was a child. It seemed childish to speak of that endearment once she became a teenager but something emotional sparked in her. The way her mom seemed to be in a deep pit of despair, so lost in her grief.

“No, no, no.” Her mom chanted, not sounding like her usual peppy self. Ever sat on the edge of the couch until her mother fell into a deep sleep. She stood and left the room, leaving the television on for background noise. Upon entering her bedroom, Ever tied up her wavy honey blonde hair in a messy bun, exhaled and let the tears flow, then flopped on her bed, falling above the covers. Not caring about anything. She didn’t want to look at anything but darkness. This was the eeriest and most disturbing day she ever recalled having. It was her senior year. Things were to be perfect, right? Nothing about this day made any sense. She could not confide in her sister. Her older sister, Susan, had left for boot camp a few weeks ago and her father was an airline pilot and wouldn’t be home for a few more days.

Perhaps Mom had a bad day too? With Susan being gone, Mom had frequent breakdowns. Yet this one seemed different. Something about today didn’t add up.

Dark shadows elongated as the sun made its descent, covering her room in darkness. Tears in her pillow became her friend today. And still questions swirled in Ever’s dreams like a terrible nightmare. What in the hell happened?

***

Silhouettes moved before her as she made her way through dreamland and unable to make out any details. The silhouettes moved before her. Lots of flashing lights danced around. Then the sounds of crunching metal and screeching of something she didn’t recognize screamed in her ears. Pain shot throughout her until there was nothing. And Ever wandered in the nothingness until she lost all time. A voice rang through her subconscious. “They will judge you. Discover what happened and it will set you free.”

She forgot the words upon waking.

Chapter Two

The Ghosts

Ever never knew what hit her until she opened her eyes and came face to face with the metal door of a school locker. What the…?

She was at the school again, and it was morning outside. Her head pounded with a massive migraine. She’d never experienced one before, and this was a whopper. She wasn’t sleeping and frustrated beyond belief. As she rubbed her nose, the locker door closed, and she found that Peter was on the other side. This was Peter’s locker. Again, how did she get here? Ever glanced around in a confused state. Her eyes snapped to Peter’s profile. His eyes were down and there were dark circles underneath. She wanted to console him. He looked so tired, so sad, and weary. 

“Peter,” she pleaded, “talk to me, please. Tell me what happened.”

Peter’s shoulders sagged, yet he still didn’t look at her. Didn’t turn to acknowledge her. He sighed, then turned to walk away. Students began entering the classrooms. Ever was about to follow Peter, but something caught her attention out of the corner of her eye. Peter still ignored her, and she didn’t want to bug him anymore. Her head jerked to where she was the movement and suddenly the hallway was empty of people. She hugged her arms to her body as the temperature dropped and she saw her breath, which made her headache worse and it became difficult to focus. The lights flickered off then on and continued to do so. A child’s giggle echoed through the hall. A little girl dashed from behind a locker and ran down the hall. Ever followed. She didn’t believe she could concentrate on her classes, anyway. 

Besides, everyone still ignored her. She dashed after the child to catch up and to find out where the girl had gone. Was the girl leading Ever somewhere? The hallway turned into a long, dark corridor that seemed to go on forever. She ran yet never caught up to the girl. Then darkness surrounded her and she couldn’t see her hand in front of her face. 

“Hello!” she shouted. Her voice echoed into the nothingness. What was happening to her? Was she still asleep? If so, she needed to wake up from this nightmare. Screams and cries assaulted her ears. Invisible hands grabbed her, tugging and pulling. She screamed in fear and tried to release herself from their grasp.

“It’s your fault.” The voices cried in unison, sounding strange and garbled. How many voices were there? “It’s all your fault.”

She wasn’t sure how, but she wiggled her way out. Ever didn’t know which way to run, so she took off in any direction that didn’t involve those voices or invisible hands. They said it was her fault. What was her fault? She still didn’t remember what happened and still far away from the truth. Are all the strange things happening all connected? 

Adrenaline kept her running, and she found she wasn’t out of breath. So she pushed herself further. Her mind kept going back to her friends as she struggled to find the meaning to it all. Tears flowed down her cheeks. Nothing made sense. Soon light surrounded her, and she found herself back in the school hallway again. She saw her three friends huddled together, crying, consoling each other as the other classmates filled the halls. 

Then something unusual happened. Five shadows formed around her friends in a circle. There were three little children: two girls and a little boy, only three, a man, and a woman. The morbid family had gray, shriveled skin. They appeared to have drowned. A memory flashed in her mind, but it fled before she made any sense of it. They smiled at her, then vanished.

This loop went on for what felt like decades. Ever would wake up at the school to find her grieving friends, then tormented by a family of five, and then going home to find her mother grieving. She never had a clue to what happened and doesn’t remember why she was going through this. What was this place she was in and how does she get out? Loneliness filled her days, and they all blended in to one continuous nightmare.

Whenever she saw her mom, she always in an inconsolable state. Ever had no way to console anyone. No way to tell them she was still here because she had concluded that she was invisible to everyone. She didn’t think she was dead, but she didn’t believe she was alive either. Whatever happened on that day left her in limbo. She had always done the right things. Did what she was told. Never got into any trouble. Received good grades. Yet she couldn’t figure out what happened.

Perhaps searching for clues would be a great place to begin? Each day brought her back to the school. The morbid family of five who appeared to want to keep her in a constant state of fear. There was no one for Ever to turn to for help. No one to answer her questions. Perhaps instead of living day to day in confusion and fear, she would try to get attention. If she was correct, and she was a ghost, and if any scary ghost movie taught her anything, she should be able to make her presence known. Only how would she do this?

That evening, as she watched her mother grieve, she decided she wouldn’t use her mother as a test subject. Chances were high that her mother grieved for her and for a moment, Ever’s extreme grief for her family almost had her on her knees. For the life she would never get to live. To never experience graduating high school or falling in love. If Ever was going to find out what happened, and what was going on with her, she needed to be strong.

Tomorrow, she would get answers. Even if she had to possess everyone to get what she needed.

Chapter Three

Getting Attention

Ever stood in the hallway of her high school the next day. She noticed that every day she wore the same clothes and found that everyone still didn’t realize she was there. Ever gravitated toward her three friends who always were together. Peter never hung out with them before. Not that they weren’t friends, they just walked in different circles. 

Until now. She would find out why. She took the chance to reach out and touch Julie. They had been friends since the second grade. Both their families were close. People thought that Ever and Julie were sisters as they had similar wavy honey blonde hair and brown eyes. Although Julie’s hair was a little darker. Plus, they are almost the same height. Julie was only one centimeter taller. They measured each other one day after a friendly disagreement.

When Ever’s hand touched Julie’s bare arm, nothing happened. Julie gave Tom a weak smile, then headed off to her first period class. The need to console her best friend was strong. She moved to Tom and touched his shoulder. They had only been friends since freshmen year and now, being in their last year of high school, she wouldn’t graduate with him or with Julie or with Peter. Tom didn’t flinch or do anything with Ever’s touch and thought this wouldn’t work. She had always been nervous around Peter, so touching him made her apprehensive. When Tom walked away, she stayed with Peter, observing him, and followed him to his first period class, which they had together. 

She took her usual desk, since no one sat in it because something must have happened to her. Peter sat at his desk. Instead of listening to the teacher begin the lesson, Ever studied Peter. What would happen should she touch him? Would he feel it? What if he did? What if he didn’t? What would that signify? They had no romantic connection, but then she didn’t remember what had happened on that last day at the river.

Still, she followed him to the next class and the next. Each passing class, she caught glimpses of the morbid children and their parents. With each passing class, the family became more intrusive. As she sat in the last period class, knowing and expecting the next part of her day would be to watch her mother grieve before going to sleep and waking up at the school again. This is how it had been for her for months now. The lights flickered off, then on. No one noticed.

The corners of the room grew dark and the darkness spread. Shadows moved, hiding behind students like a peculiar game of hide and seek. She gripped the sides of the desk. Her knuckles grew white from tension. Every time they came around, the little hairs on her body stood and her nerves burned with fear. The children were creepier than their parents, and each time she saw them, their flesh was more decayed. Their skin pastier and shriveled than before.

The children slinked from student to student, edging closer to her. Their parents stood in the corners of the front of the room where the teacher continued to lecture with no clue what was happening around him and blended into the shadows. The only thing she could make out was their silhouette and their beady gaze that was blacker than the shadows. Their eyes bore into her, turning her blood to ice. She fought the urge to scream. The live bodies in the classroom stared at the teacher, not aware of what was happening around them. Ever knew there was nothing she could do. These evil beings appeared to be after her for whatever reason. Even if she screamed and she tried with all her might not to, no one would hear her, anyway. No one would help her. 

She glanced around, sweat beading on her forehead. How could she get out of this? Glancing at Peter’s profile, he appeared as if he was dozing off. The creatures inched toward her, and her fingers hurt as she gripped the sides of the desk tighter. The family only tortured her for about an hour a day. Usually around the same time.

Instinctual, she reached out and grabbed the sleeve of Peter’s left arm. He didn’t flinch. The children came closer and closer. She froze in her seat, tired of being tormented. What would they do to her today should they reach her? She didn’t understand this game they seemed to play with her. The children’s morbid game of hide and seek. The parents in the corners of the room, unmoving, watching her with their judgmental glare. Darkness moved in and the room became smaller. She still held onto Peter like he was a lifeline. Her hand moved down to his and when their flesh touched, he twitched. 

Hope surged through her as he laced his fingers through hers. His body stiffened. When she glanced at his face, his eyes were wide open with fear and his complexion was as white as a ghost. Dare she whisper his name?

“Peter.” She said. The name slipped past her lips in a terrified squeak. Peter’s lips parted and trembled. She repeated, “Peter.”

His hand jerked out of hers and he rubbed it with the other hand, “Ever?” he whispered.

He could hear her! Excitement coursed through her veins. By now, the darkness and the children were close enough to reach out to touch her.

“Peter, help me!” she screamed. 

Peter jumped from his chair, knocking it over, and screamed. Darkness engulfed her as Peter ran from the classroom. Within moments, Ever stood in the locker lined hallway and found Peter leaning against them. He looked like he was going to be sick. She touched his shoulder, wanting to comfort him. He jerked and froze in place. Why could he feel her touch when her two best friends couldn’t?

He jerked again as a shrieking noise slipped past his lips. “Please, Peter. Help me.”

She needed to know what happened that day. She needed to know if she was dead or in a coma somewhere. Peter put his hands to his ears. He yelled. “What do you want from me?”

Ever didn’t want to frighten him. She followed him into the bathroom. He could she make him see her? She focused and willed herself to calm. Closing her eyes, she breathed and heard the water in the sink and then heard splashing. When she opened her eyes, Peter was drying his face with a paper towel. Then he paused as he peered into the mirror and Ever then realized he could see her. She saw her reflection. He stared at her. She put a hand to her mouth. He saw her.

She wanted him to see her for so long, and now he gazed upon her with curiosity. “Ever?” His voice shook.

She nodded.

He reached out his hand to touch her and found her to be a solid form. Her eyes widened, as did his. She said, “You can see me?”

He nodded. His eyes were wide with fear. His voice a few octaves high. “You are standing here. How?”

The bathroom door opened, and a boy entered. She didn’t know the boy’s name, but recognized that he was a freshman. The boy gave Peter a strange glance, then entered a stall. So, only Peter could see her. He reached out and touched her cheek as the boy left the stall, quickly washed his hands and left in a hurry. Ever glanced at Peter and their eyes connected. “You can see me.” She repeated in a whisper, liking his touch.

“I can. But why?”

She shrugged. “I have no clue. What happened?”

“You don’t know?”

“No, I don’t.”

“Not at all?”

“Nope.”

“Ever.” He grasped her hands in his and gazed into her eyes, tears welled in both. “We got in a wreck. You died.”

Chapter Four

What Really Happened?

For reasons unknown to Ever, she linked herself to Peter now. That he could see her changed her daily nightmarish routine. She was thankful for not finding her mother grieving daily, thankful the morbid family didn’t continue their torment on her. Thankful to not wake up in the school halls every morning. This morning Ever woke up in Peter’s room. He was still asleep in bed. What day was it? Shouldn’t he be awake by now for school?

Ever sat at the edge of his bed and scratched her head. Her days blended for so long now, she had no clue what day it was. She glanced at Peter as he slept and wondered if he dreamed? What do popular guys like him dream about, anyway? She scooted closer to him and placed a hand on his shoulder, then leaned in and breathed in his scent. She leaned in closer, close enough to kiss his cheek.

The warmth from his flesh and static against her lips made her senses come alive. If she were dead, how could she feel these things from him?  Was it some residual memory she experienced? As she was about to place her lips against his cheek, he spoke her name and she paused as his lids opened and he gazed up at her with sleep filled emerald orbs. He didn’t move, only gazed into her eyes. It was the more human connection she’d had in a long time, and this brought out emotions she hadn’t experienced before.

“Am I dreaming?” he asked.

“I don’t know,” she answered in a whisper. He lifted his hand and grazed the side of her cheek.

“I can’t believe you are here.” He whispered.

“About that, I can’t remember what happened.”

“Is that why you haven’t crossed over?” 

She shrugged. “I went on for days, maybe months, thinking everyone was mad at me, that everyone ignored me. Is what happened my fault?”

“What happened is even foggy for me, but let me see if I can remember. Perhaps I can help you.” He sat up. He was so close, she could put her arms around him, yet held back. They were face to face. “What do you remember?” He asked.

Her brows furrowed together as she tried to think. “The only think I remember was that you, Julie, Tom and I hung out at the lake, but that is all I can remember. I don’t remember why we were there or how we got there or what happened at all. It’s been so frustrating for me.”

“We were just going to hang out, which we did. Yet when we were on our way home,” he paused. His voice broke and tears welled up, then streamed down his cheeks. Images flashed through her mind and she tried to make sense of what she saw. It was a jumbled mess, like a big box of puzzle pieces, and all she needed to do was put the pieces back together. She closed her eyes as the scene sorted out. She remembered hanging out with them and building up the confidence to flirt with Peter.

By the evening, he had asked her out on a date and when she said yes; he had kissed her. It wasn’t her first kiss, but this kiss was their first time and it made her toes curl. Then she was the one to drive them home. Oh god. She drove the car!

It was dark. She’d never driven in the dark before. It was Tom’s car. He wanted Ever to drive so he could make out in the back seat with Julie. He had told her it would be good practice for her to drive at night. When she got behind the wheel, she was nervous, anxious, and Peter sat in the passenger’s seat. Thankfully, the car was an automatic. She hadn’t learned out to drive a stick shift. Her dad had wanted her to learn. To him, it was important. Now, she wished she had taken the time to let him teach her. 

She remembered pulling out the parking space and heading down the road. The tall pine forest that lined both sides of the road appeared taller and menacing. Had it rained? She couldn’t remember if the roads had been slick or not. And wasn’t sure if there was a moon out. She remembered a lot of lights, but the memory was hazy. They were only on the road a few minutes when something jumped out in front of the car and swerved as another car came into view from the other lane. Ever continued to maneuver the car, but she hit a slick patch and the vehicle spun out of control. 

Because of her inexperience at how to handle the situation, their car sideswiped the other car, which it spun into the lake. Their car continued to spin, and they screamed. Then all became silent when they hit a tree. When Ever came to, she caught the whiff of gasoline and panic flooded her. She needed to think fast and slipped out of the driver’s seat.

First, she opened the back door behind the driver’s seat, shook Tom and Julie, who had passed out. They exited the car and stumbled to the road. Then gone to the passenger’s side where Peter struggled to get out of his seatbelt. Blood trickled down his face where he had hit his head on the dashboard. She opened the door and helped him out, following him to the road. Just then, a fire ignited in the car and it burst into flames. 

Ever opened her eyes to find Peter gazing at her. He held her hand and said, “I don’t understand something.”

“What is it?” she answered.

“Ever,” he sighed, “I don’t know how you saved us. You never left the car and stuck in the driver’s seat. The paramedics said you died on impact.” Tears filmed his eyes.

She gasped and placed a hand on her lips. “How? What happened to that family?”

“I’m not sure. You saved us. How did you know about the family? The family in the car sunk to the bottom of the river and drowned.”

“I remember nothing past saving you. The only reason I know about the family is that they have been tormenting me.”

“Maybe that’s nature’s way of coping? To not remember details of your death?”

“That’s deep, Peter.”

“I had a traumatic experience. That’s why I see dead people?” He cracked a joke.

“I’m so sorry.” She said, her eyes downcast to stare at her shoes.

Peter tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear. “For what?”

“For dying. Why am I still here?”

“I have no clue.” He leaned in and kissed her cheek. She met him halfway, inexplicably drawn to him. Why did this have to happen now? She never had the chance to experience love. There are so many things she hadn’t experienced. Now, because of a single accident, her life cut short as the age of seventeen. “Why haven’t you crossed over?”

“I remember what happened now, so I don’t know. I thought once I remembered, I could move on.”

“I could help you?”

“How? I’m dead. You’re alive.”

“I guess we don’t know a lot of things, so we can figure it out together.”

“I’d like that a lot.”

Peter pulled back his comforter and patted the mattress. “Come, lay next to me. Let’s not worry about it now.”

Ever’s heart raced, and she complied to his request. She had never laid next to a guy like this before. Nestling beside him, she placed her head in the crook of his arm and closed her eyes, enjoying his warmth. How could she feel him when she was dead? His hand caressed her hair and the gentle strokes sent her into a deep sleep.

Chapter Five

Ever’s Judgment

Her existence changed after that. Every morning when she awoke, Ever woke up in Peter’s arms instead of at the school. Somehow she had attached herself to him and this was fantastic. Some days she’d follow him to school during the week and hung out with him on the weekends. The morbid family even stopped their torment. They had grown fond of each other during this time and still found nothing to help Ever cross over.

Wrapped in Peter’s arms was more than she ever expected and discovered she was falling in love with him.

During the week, she followed him to all his classes but stayed in the back so she didn’t distract him. Just because she was dead and he could see her, didn’t mean she didn’t want him to continue to learn. And she didn’t want people to believe he was crazy. Her life was over, but his was only the beginning. She still couldn’t believe this happened to her. Her heart became heavy and tears formed in her eyes. When she felt a hand on her shoulder, she opened them and with blurry vision she found Peter gazing down at her with love in his emerald eyes. “Come on, Ever, let’s get out of here.”

Without saying a word, she grasped his outstretched hand and followed him out of the empty classroom.

“Where are we going?” She asked a few minutes later when they left the school grounds.

“It’s a secret.” He grinned.

“Normally, I like secrets, but lately, my stomach churns when I hear that word.”

His smile faded, then returned and chuckled. It was a delightful sound. She hadn’t heard him laugh in a while. “Okay then. I don’t want you to leave, but I can’t be selfish and keep you. It’s not fair.” He grasped her hand in his, weaved his fingers through hers and led her to his truck, opened the driver’s side door, and she slipped in, sliding to the passenger’s side. He hopped in and soon they were down the road in silence. 

Nervous about where he was taking her, she picked at the fabric of the seat. Then noticed where he took her. The cemetery.

That’s right, she would have had a funeral by now. She hadn’t thought about that. Her body buried six feet under, yet she remained behind in spirit. Soon, they stood above her headstone. It was easy to find as it was the freshest graveside in the cemetery. It was also strange to see her name on it. The year of her birth. The date of her death. This was like a nightmare she couldn’t get out of. Peter’s movement startled her when his arm draped around her shoulder. He turned her to face him and drew her in his arms.

An elderly couple passed her by and gave him a strange glare. 

When he pulled away, he took the warmth of his embrace. She wiped the tears away with her sleeve and took in her surroundings. That’s when she saw them. The family. Yet they were different, normal. They stood around a large grave site just as fresh as hers, hand in hand. Ever wanted to go to them, but something held her back.

“Let’s go, Ever.”

“Where to next?”

“Where it all happened.” Peter peered down into her delicate features, then touched her jawline. “I know this is difficult. But I imagine you haven’t thought about going on this path before? Maybe this will help you to where you need to go?”

“Perhaps I needed to learn some lessons before I leave?”

“Maybe.” They climbed back into his truck and headed to the scene of the accident. Nerves continued to flow through her veins as she took in the area. Skid marks were still clear on the asphalt. She saw where the car connected with the tree. The car was not there, but there were burn marks on the tree trunk and glass sprinkled on the ground. Another set of tire treads weaved a path to the lake and disappeared in the dark depths.

She peered into the water and what she saw caused a scream to rip passed her lips. What stared at her was the lifeless family, unmoving, and they all had glossy onyx orbs. On their faces, there was judgment. Guilt surfaced and her heart became heavy. Peter pulled her away and gathered her in his arms. “It wasn’t your fault.” He whispered in her ear.

“But it was. I was the one driving.” She buried her face in his chest and let the tears fall. His arm moved, and she felt his hand on her chin, then he lifted her face. When her lids opened, Peter’s face was so close, she only had to move an inch to kiss his lips. Yet something in the air changed and a brilliant white light surrounded them.

They continued to hold each other as the world around them disappeared. Then Peter vanished. “NO! NO!”

Ever panicked, grasping at air, desperate to keep Peter with her. Standing in complete nothingness, she didn’t know what to do. Was this it? Was this the end of the road for her?

“Ever Grace Henry.” A female voice echoed in her ears.

“Yes?” her voice quivered.

“This is your judgment. On one hand, you face an eternity in hell and on the other, an eternity in heaven. How do you plead?”

“What was my crime?”

“Your decision destroyed an innocent family, and yet you saved your friends. In extreme situations such as that, your motives were not unusual. Time is running short. How do you plead?”

Ever thought about it. She should say not guilty, but she felt guilt, and it weighed heavily on her shoulders. She deserved punishment. A mix of emotions ran its course through her spirit before she spoke. Then she spoke the word. “Guilty.”

Silence surrounded her, then the female voice continued. “Is that your ultimate answer?”

Ever nodded, too afraid to speak.

“Interesting,” the voice said. Just then figures moved in the light and the family of five stood before her. They were no longer creepy. They were beautiful and dressed in white. 

Ever shook and crumbled to the floor on her knees. “I am so sorry. Please forgive me. I am so sorry.” She repeated.

She felt a hand on her shoulder. The father spoke. “Please stand, child. We understand it was an accident. It was not your fault. You had no intentions of harming us.”

“What is your verdict?” the female voice requested to the father. 

The man stood back, glanced to his family, then back to Ever. “We have decided she is not guilty.”

“It is the judgment of heaven and hell that you, Ever Grace Henry, are not guilty. Go to your eternal rest.” The white surroundings turned to gray. The family faded. 

Ever panicked and called out, “Wait! I need to do one more thing! Please let me say goodbye to Peter! Please!” She sobbed.

The scenery faded, and she stood in front of Peter. Shock was on his face and she smiled. “Whoa! You just like materialized from out of nowhere.”

“I have little time. I wanted to say thank you for helping me.”

His hand lifted to touch the side of her face. “It’s not fair,” he said.

“I know.” She put her arms around his shoulders. His arms wrapped around her waist. They held onto each other. Two souls connected yet divided by cruel fate.

“I gotta go now.” She peered into his eyes. He lowered his head as he drew her in closer. His lips touched hers and they shared a sweet last kiss before she faded away. Her voice echoed in the air. “Thank you, Peter. Good bye.”

“Goodbye, Ever.” Peter said and knew then that she crossed over.

Ever found herself in a long dark tunnel with a light at the end. She walked towards the luminescence and into the arms of the family long since passed. Peter remained in her heart. Ever’s nightmare was over.

Thank you! 

Other Works By Harmony Lawson

My Mechanical Angel

Skies of Heaven

Beyond Spells

Seeing Angels: Apocalypse of Angels Trilogy Book One

Descending Angels: Apocalypse of Angels Trilogy Book Two

Coming Soon: Surviving Angels: Apocalypse of Angels Trilogy Book Three

HAPPY READING!

Here are my links:

www.harmonylawson.com

facebook.com/HarmonyLawsonAuthor/

twitter.com/HLawsonAuthor

instagram.com/harmonylawson2016

www.amazon.com/Harmony-Lawson/e/B00AZCNXNE

www.goodreads.com/author/show/6888212.Harmony_Lawson

www.pinterest.com/harmonylawson/

www.bookbub.com/profile/harmony-lawson

ABOUT HARMONY

Harmony Lawson lives in Northern California in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains with her family. Angels fascinate her, and she incorporates research in angels, the Nephilim, and fallen angels into her fictional stories. Many of the descriptions in her books reflect actual documentation found in various documents on angels.

While she has endured many hardships in life, she believes life will be better tomorrow as she always learns something new from her experiences. Life has its difficulties, trials and tribulations, and Heaven and Hell. She believes the bad times are a test to prove a person’s worth. Her books reflect on that concept. Writing also helps her heal from past traumas. She is constantly developing her skills and continues to have faith. In the meantime, she cares for her family, loves her pugs, and remains silly through all that life throws at her. Her goal is to be an introverted hobbit.

Copyright © 2020 by Harmony Lawson

Ever’s Judgment: A short story

All rights reserved.

This is a work of pure fantasy fiction. Names, characters, business, events and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. 

Any resemblance to actual persons, living, dead, or supernatural, or actual events that have happened or will happen, is purely coincidental.

No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the author. Copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and punishable by fine and federal prison. Thieves are not tolerated. May God have mercy on your soul.

www.harmonylawsonauthor.com

Fun Halloween Writing Prompt….

[image error]I have a writing prompt for those who want to participate. All stories to be posted on my blog, most liked story wins, and winner will get $25 Amazon gift card. Due by Halloween. Word count under 10k. Open to anyone who wants to participate. Do you dare?

Updates!!

[image error]

We have finally finished the rough draft for Among the Stars! It is with our editor now. Yay! We are hoping to release this in October. If things go as planned which right now we are living month to month on what the heck is going on in the world. But it is a start. Among the Stars will finish up Alisa and Logan’s story. But you will see them once in a while in some of our planned Starstruck novels. I will be releasing Rock my Stars hopefully by the end of the year, which will introduce you to Spencer and Tabby. This will be a stand alone, but I already have a second book set for bassist in the band, tentative title is Black Star.

I work for the local Health and Human Service Fiscal office, and right now they have us on rotating quarantines. I have been using them to write. This quarantine I plan on getting the rough draft of Blood Ties finished up and ready for my editor. This is coming out in November. As some of you might have known that last year right when I finished the rough draft my last laptop decided to give me a blue screen of death, and it had enough nerve to give me a fucking sad face. I have it done again I just have some editing to do to clean it up and get it ready for the next stage.

2020 Book Schedule

October-Among The StarsNovember-Blood Ties (Book 2 in the Opposite Side)December (If everything goes well)-Rock My Stars

2021 is going to have Neglected, Horror Hotel, Mad World II, and Seducing the Soul (The final book in The Elemental Tril.) I have a few other stories I am playing around with but they seem to be shorts, so I might be releasing another short story book as well. This one more pushing towards erotic stories.

We hope to have more info for Among the Stars next month. Stay Tuned, and be safe out there