K.N. Lee's Blog, page 64

Writing Challenge With Author, Colleen M. Albert!!

Challenge:   In 2000 words or less, write about a girl, or boy, with the power to hear everyone's thoughts. How do they utilize such a power...or is it a curse?

The Author: Colleen M. Albert Chasing Destiny
Chasing Destiny
I never told anyone about the voices in my head. I knew early on that such a statement would get me a fast ticket to the mental health clinic in our small town of Destiny, North Carolina—population 3,332. We used to have 3,333 residents, a nice round number if you ask me, before Esther Moynihan took a spill at the Sip n' Save and never recovered from a broken tailbone. I mean, how embarrassing for poor Esther's family. Who dies of complications from a broken ass? I wish I was joking, but truly, they were all thinking it. I could hear every one of them at the funeral, their voices buzzing inside my head like a swarm of angry bees: "Damn, Aunt Esther, could you be any more embarrassing?" "How much longer can this take? She didn't even have any friends." "I wonder if I'll still get that golden brooch of hers." "Her ass. Really? Who dies of a broken ass?" 
            I was bored and sad from all of the comments at Miss Esther's funeral. I would've excused myself right then and headed to the shady woods behind the town's only church, had I not heard the last thought, coming from a pretty blonde at the front of the room. She sat hunched over, her shoulders drooping and shaking with a ferocity I was sure even dear old Esther could feel from her casket. The girl's thickly laced southern accent sped through my consciousness, fighting for shelf space with hundreds of others in the room. Though the girl was small in stature, her voice was direct when she thought, "I know you can hear me."              My head jerked up at the sound of her voice, my eyes meeting hers as she turned and gazed from beneath the longest, palest eyelashes I ever saw. My heart slammed into my chest. I clutched the musty, old hymnal that I snatched up just moments before. Surely, I'm headed straight to hell for the lusty images I conjured up when our eyes met. For God's sake, I'm at a funeral!             She laughed and wiggled her fingers at me, ever so slightly so that only I would notice. Had she heard me? Impossible. I'm the only one in town with this freaky ability. I snorted. Curse, is more like it. 
            The wisp of a girl silently raised two fingers in the air, before dragging them through hair so pale I'd almost call it buttery white—if I was the type of guy who gave two shits about hair color. But I didn't. I couldn't afford to. I rose from the pew, slinking out of the church and into the brilliant glare of sunlight that lay forgotten from within the cocoon of doom I'd just escaped. 
            "Don't go far, okay? Now that you know my secret, I may have to kill ya," she giggled. I spun around, but she wasn't behind me. 
            "What the fuck?" This time, I muttered the words aloud. I'm seriously losing it. There isn't a single girl in this town whom I don't know. She must be an out of town relative of Miss Esther's.             "Sort of," she answered. "I can hear you just as clearly as you can hear me. So, can you wait for me, please?" 
            "Why would I wait if you just threatened to kill me?" I retorted. It occurred to me that I might be getting punked. But then I remembered that the conversation was going on inside my head, so that option was pretty much out. "Seriously, you're freaking me out. I've gotta go." I slammed the heel of my palm into my forehead, not believing that I was now answering the voices inside my head. This is exactly why I don't tell anyone. It's a one way ticket to Mental Health. I dashed off at full speed toward the lake. It wasn't the first time I ran to escape the voices in my head.  
*****             I was lying on the soft, tickling blades of grass that lined the river's edge. They were a delicate juxtaposition of something so fine and sharp it could slice through your skin if rubbed the wrong way, but so soft and pliable you wanted to give in and repose against the raw, earthy carpet. Even though my eyes were closed, I knew I wasn't alone. I could hear the girl's vibrations a mile away as she approached me. Then half a mile. Gaining speed, she ran the last quarter mile and stood over me, effectively blocking the sun from further warming my face. 
            "What do you want?" I asked aloud. I dared to peek from beneath my eyelids that were almost fully closed into long, half-moon slits. 
            "Why are you pushing me away? Afraid to be the only one with super powers?" 
            I sat upright and opened my eyes fully now. I grunted. "What do you know about super powers? Where's your belt, Wonder Woman?" 
            "I don't need a belt when I can do this," she thought back. I couldn't help but gape at this sassy, little pixy of a girl who had no qualms about giving it back to me. She smiled, and I cursed myself for having these thoughts. 
            Stop it. She can hear you, Rico Suave. I smacked my forehead again. Stupid, stupid.
            She burst into a full, hearty laugh this time—her timbre an octave lower and scratchier than I would've imagined, ending with an uncontrolled snort that caused her to clap her hand over her mouth.  
             "So, I'll ask you one last time, whaddya want? You know my secret, so what?" I circled my arms around my knees and glared at her. 
            "It's not a secret, Drew, we can all do it."             "What do you mean, we? And how do you know my name?" 
            She glanced at me with one eyebrow cocked, a slight smirk riding one corner of her bold, purple-painted lips. "You really don't know, do you?" 
            "Know what? That I'm a freak? That I can hear every frigging voice in town whether I want to or not? That I know about the mayor who's cheating on his wife with a bank teller? That I can correctly answer every question on a test just by listening to the smartest kids in class? Or how about the one where I tried to ask a girl out, but she..." I stopped myself. My chest was heaving, adrenaline coursing through me as I lashed out at this poor girl. "Sorry, I'm not usually like this. Who are you and why can you hear me?" 
            "Let's start with the easy question. I'm Leila, Esther's niece. Do you know she only went by Mrs. Moynihan to ward off suitors?" When I shook my head no, she continued. "Yeah, she was pretty foxy back in her day. But she had this strange gift too. She was afraid to let anyone in too close, so she said she was a widow. Secluded herself inside her small home in the woods, where she was able to escape some of the madness we all inherit from hearing too much, too often, too loudly." She glanced at me for confirmation, but she already knew the answer without it leaving my lips. 
            "She's a smart lady. Maybe I'll try that when I graduate. Get as far away from Destiny as I can." 
            "But don't you see? Destiny is just a state of mind. It doesn't matter where you live. It doesn't matter how far you run. Your ability will always be there. The only difference is no one can see your anguish when you're alone in the woods. But who wants to be alone?" She lowered her gaze and drew small circles in the grass with the toe of her gray Chucks.             She knelt in front of me, lifting her orchid-laced eyes to meet mine. Time stopped as I tried to decipher where the purple ended and where the duskiest of the periwinkle began. A jolt of heat shot straight to my belly, causing my cheeks to redden. I cursed again, knowing they would look splotchy, and glanced off into the woods in an effort to look uninterested.
            "I'm like you, Drew," she sighed, trying to catch my gaze again. When I refused to look back, she moved her hands in closer to my knees, using them to gesture as she spoke. "I was like you. I was lost. I fought my way through life every day. I slammed books into my head to quiet the voices. I played music too loudly to drown the sounds that threatened my sanity. I never met someone else like me—someone who understood." She glanced down at our hands, which were now lightly touching. Sparks shot through my arms and went straight to my loins this time. I may be a freak who can hear voices, but I'm still a sixteen-year-old boy. 
            Leila's face flushed as red as mine when she glanced at our fingertips. I thought she'd pull away after the last stupid thought that raced through my mind. Instead, she laced our fingers and helped pull me to a standing position. My heart hammered against my chest when she stepped closer so we were toe-to-toe. Our breathes mingled and our lips parted, but we weren't touching. I'd never been so physically close to a girl before, let alone a girl like Leila. I wanted to lower my head that fraction of an inch until I could feel the heat of her mouth melting into mine. 
            "Drew," she whispered. I swung my eyes from her dark, smooth lips to the icy kaleidoscope within her eyes. "The reason I can hear your thoughts is because you're like me. We're in limbo." The way she furrowed her brows and squinted her eyes just a fraction, told on me that I wasn't quite tracking. "Limbo, Drew. It's when you've died, but your soul hasn't crossed over yet. You should be dead, but you're not for some reason. I'm in limbo too. We're all given choices here. I made mine when I chose to come to you as your guide. But every choice comes with a payment. So, now, you need to make yours." 
            I wasn't sure whether to be more scared about her ability to hear my thoughts, or the kooky story she was asking me to buy. "Leila, clearly, I'm not dead. I just saw you at your aunt's funeral. 
You can see me now. So clearly..." Oh. Well, that sucks.               I'm in limbo, Drew. We all have choices here. They're hard, but they're worth fighting for. I've been sent to deliver yours. Are you ready? 
            Am I ready? How does one go from believing himself to be alive to making a life or death decision in the matter of minutes? I ran my hand over my wild crop of dirt-colored curls, only they weren't there. My head was as smooth as the day I was born. "What—" 
            "You lost them after the accident. They had to shave to get inside your head and relieve the pressure." She frowned. "I know it's a lot to take in, but you don't have a lot of time to decide, Drew. You are balancing on the precipice of consciousness and need to decide which way to lean—toward life or death." 
            I rolled my eyes at the drama in her voice. "Fine," I said. 
"Lay it on me, O' Mighty One." 
            "This is serious, Drew. You feel our connection, right?" 
            I stopped smiling, and nodded. I knew the moment I spotted her at the funeral that my soul recognized hers. I felt a deep sense of belonging and acceptance that I have never felt before. Soul mates flashed through my mind before I could think to filter it. I glanced up at Leila who was blushing prettily again. 
            Yes, Drew...soul mates. 
            We stood in silence for what seemed like hours, but I knew our fates balanced on our swiftness. 
            "Tell me what decision I can make that will keep us together, Leila," I begged. 
            She shook her head, tears brimming against those pale, sweeping lashes. "The decision I've been sent to give you is this: You can live, and go back to earth. You will find great love there. You'll have kids and grandkids, and you'll live well into your golden years..." she paused, choking to get the rest of her words out.
            "But?" I asked, afraid to hear her next thought. 
            "But, it won't be with me. Our souls will be separated forever. Whomever you marry, you'll be tithed to eternally. But the voices and thoughts you can hear now—they'll be gone. You'll never need to worry again about this gift we've been given." She broke down into a full, sloppy cry. I brushed a finger along her cheek and instinctively leaned in to kiss away her pain. The moment our lips met, I knew I would pick option number two no matter what the cost. A heat, unlike any I've ever felt, coursed through my body, sparking every nerve until they ignited as if on fire. In the distance, I could hear a faint beeping sound. Leila pulled away, regret and fear lacing her eyes as she held up two fingers for the second time today. 
            "You're losing time, Drew, and the ability to choose. After this, He makes the choice for you. Option number two: You die. You leave your life, your family, and Destiny. But I live. I live and you die." She hiccupped, no longer caring about the messy tears streaking her face. "I live in this life without you, and without my ability to hear other people's thoughts. Every life after this one, I'll be curse free, but you'll never be able to escape it. We won't be together in this lifetime, Drew, or likely in any other. Star crossed lovers," she laughed, but it was born from pain and not from humor.  
            "But why? Why would he make us choose like this?" 
            "Because any love worth fighting for takes courage, right, Drew?" She shrugged her shoulders and lifted her hands, palms up—marrying her sarcastic tone with her helpless gesture. "We will know the dull ache of love, but our hearts will never be satisfied. We'll go through all of our lifetimes knowing we haven't found the one. We'll never know who we're searching for, but we'll always be chasing our destinies. God, Drew," she said, running a hand through her long, wavy hair. A clip with a white and a pink feather peeked discretely beneath her curls. "This is a shit decision. There's no winning here. Just let me die. You've lived this long without me. You can simply wake and have it all...just with someone else. I won't take that from you." 
            I glanced down at Leila. Pretty, petite, heated Leila. Freckles ran across the bridge of her nose. They were pale but warm, like the rest of her. The voices in my head were quiet for the first time in my entire life. An inexplicable elation rushed over me. I could have this all of the time. No more voices. No more torment. Just me, and my thoughts. Just me.  
            No Leila.                      No Leila. 
            No Leila. 
*****             I heard the beeping once again, this time more loudly. I looked around, searching, panicked. Leila? Leila! I screamed. I couldn't hear anything and the thought froze me. Had I chosen life? I couldn't hear a single thing. Just golden, painful silence. No! I didn't mean to choose life. I didn't mean it! 
            A bright light flared over me, riding my body like waves. When I woke, once again, I was at the edge of the riverbank. The rush of water filled my head with a noisy cacophony that left me trembling. How had I gotten here? 
            A memory of milky blond hair and purplish-blue eyes flashed before me. I looked down at the ground and saw two feathers lying beside each other. I heard her, before I could see her.              "Today's the day. I'm finally going to give myself to him!"              It felt all wrong. I glanced up and saw a leggy brunette walking toward me, flashing crystal white, perfectly straight teeth behind cotton candy glossed lips. Love was the force that arched those lips into a perfect crescent smile, plumping her high cheeks with rosy pink expectations.  
Wait! I can hear her. I can hear her! 
 I glanced down at the two feathers in my hand—one pink and one white—unsure of their meaning or why they caused a dark cloud of discontent in my heart. The name Leila skipped across my mind before I could stop it. I had no more of a clue who Leila was than the reason for the feathers in my hand. But something deep and primitive told me I would find the answers one day, even if I didn't like them. No, this brunette Barbie doll headed toward me was not my destiny. For once in my life, I was grateful for the grief and anger I knew I would hear inside my head when I walked away from her, in search of a girl made of light and feathers.                                For More On Colleen M. Albert:           

Colleen M. Albert
The Grammar Babe
www.colleenmalbert.com
www.cmalbert.blogspot.com  


           

ThrillWriting: K Nycole Lee - Sword Geek - and Her Chronicles of ...

ThrillWriting: K Nycole Lee - Sword Geek - and Her Chronicles of ...: Nycole - Good evening! Fiona - Hola! How are you tonight? Nycole - Very well, thanks! Fiona - Pull up a chair; I have a ...

An interview with author, Rebecca Lacy!

Meet author, Rebecca Lacy!
Where are you from? I am from So. California and am now living in Missouri.What inspired you to write your first book? My first book, which is Reinventing Holly. I wrote a novella for a Christmas present for my husband. Then I learned about NaNoWriMo and took the novella and turned it into the novel.Do you write full-time or part-time? Part-time, but a lot of my ‘day job’ involves writing – papers, curriculum, articles, etc.How do you balance your writing life with your family/work life? I am so very lucky to be self-employed. So, some days when I have a story that needs to be written down I am able to take the time to write. Also, I am blessed to have a husband who is my biggest fan and cheerleader. This goes beyond encouragement to doing a lot of the household tasks so that I have the time and energy to write. He’s very evolved!What jobs have you held that influence your stories? I have owned my own company for 16 years doing training, coaching and consulting. The work that we do with clients helped to inspire one book. Also, one of the courses that I teach is about personality styles and communication preferences. This knowledge has helped me to understand the motivations and reactions of people in a variety of situation. I apply that to characters, and it makes them more realistic. It also helps me to develop characters who have very different ‘voices’ than I do. I would like to teach a class to writers on this topic. What do you think?
Do you have a specific writing style? I almost always write in first-person. Beyond that, I’m all over the place. I have written business related, children’s, sci-fi, women’s, and am working on a piece that is about a WWII POW camp that was located in Missouri. I write primarily about personal journeys. I recently completed a book co-authored with a friend (whom I have never met in person). It is called Wonderland Odyssey: Turning Leadership on its Hat. As the name suggests, it is based on Alice in Wonderland, and she is on a journey to become a better leader of her tea company. It is a fantasy with business related undertones that we wrote because we don’t like to read typical business books and figure there are a lot of other people who don’t either.  I’ve tried several times to write a ‘normal’ business book, but I got bored and could never finish one!
How did you come up with the title? That was an interesting process. I’m so glad that I had a great co-author with whom I work very well. We spent a lot of time brainstorming the title (but not as much as we did trying to come up with the name of Alice’s company). Wonderland had to be a part of the title because it uses characters from Alice and her company is Leaves-of-Wonderland. Odyssey because it is her journey to learn how to overcome her fears and learn many lessons along the way. The tag line is Turning Leadership on its Hat. This was included because it is about learning to be a leader and because the Mad Hatter is Alice’s nemesis.
Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp? Many! Of primary importance is that most of us have fears or other things that hold us back from accomplishing our dreams. Too often fear or a feeling of inadequacy prevents us from taking a leap into the unknown. Alice is fraught with insecurities and an unwillingness to change. But as she moves down the path and learns about things that all of us deal with on a daily basis (communication, trust, goals, friendship, etc) she begins to believe in herself and becomes more supportive of others.How much of the book is realistic? Well, one chapter deals with the legal team of Griffin and Mock Turtle, who spend all of their time at the Nest, the local hangout for all the ‘legal eagles,’ because they are unable to pass the bar. The situation is total fantasy, but the lesson that Alice learns on this part of her odyssey is very real. Each chapter is written in that manner. Are experiences based on someone you know, or events in your own life? The characters are all people who we see in real life. For example, the Duchess is the loud, overbearing Quality Control manager, and White Rabbit is the officious Production Manager. We meet these people at work and at PTA. They are everywhere. The issues that Alice faces are things that most of us will deal with at some point. One doesn’t have to be a business owner to have to learn how to deal with difficult people, or how to be more self-confident.What books have most influenced your life most? I believe it was those books that I read in early childhood that sparked my love for literature. How many pre-teens do you know who want to be a writer? I continue to be inspired by authors who have created unforgettable characters and plots. I am amazed by those who are able to transport readers to another world. I love Anne McCaffrey. Once when I was reading her Dragon series, I dreamed of Pern, the world she so vividly created in the books. If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor? Right now, I would say Claire Cook , author of Must Love Dogs, Time Flies, etc. The reason is that much of my readership would be the same as hers and some of the things that she has been able to accomplish are my dreams. Also, she seems to be a genuinely caring person who would want to help another succeed.
What book are you reading now? Yours! Just started The Chronicles of Koa. Moments before I started that I finished “A Princess of Mars” by Edgar Rice Burroughs (of Tarzan fame).
Are there any new authors that have grasped your interest? You mean besides you?? I have to admit that I’ve been reading mostly classics for the past couple years. One reason is that they are so different from my writing style that they never interrupt my creative process. Also I love the variations in language used in different times, and the richness of the prose.
What are your current projects? Editing (ick) Reinventing Holly, the story about a woman who is turning 50 and looking forward to new adventures…one of which is to experience physical perfection. It is set in Arizona and Tapawatu, my imaginary island chain based on Hawaii, Tahiti and a bit of India. Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members. NaNoWriMo! It was the challenge that I needed to get serious.Do you see writing as a career? Once upon a time, I wanted to be a writer. Then, somewhere along the line, I became practical, and decided to get a business degree and go to work in Corporate America. Then I opened my company (a hint that I was losing that practicality?). Those were careers. This is something special…different. If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book? Wonderland Odyssey hasn’t been published yet, so we are still making some subtle changes. Do you recall how your interest in writing originated? My dad. He taught English and Drama, so I was exposed to literature and theatre at a very early age. We read aloud in the evenings and there was a general love of books in the house. Also, he wrote stories, plays and music, so my interest came naturally.
Can you share a little of your current work with us? Yes. Bathing Suit Hell is an excerpt of Reinventing Holly, and there are sample chapters of Wonderland Odyssey on our blog site.Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing? Too many ideas. Not enough follow through. I’m an expressive and have a short attention span. So, that is something that I have to focus on. Also, I like things to flow smoothly in life, and sometimes that makes it difficult for me to put my characters in situations that create tension.Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work? I really don’t know if I have a favorite. I mentioned Anne McCaffrey earlier, and she is certainly one of my favorites. I admire how she weaves everything together creating believable characters, interesting plots and a world so real that you feel it really exists. Do you have to travel much concerning your book(s)? I have had the great fortune to travel quite a bit on business, so I draw on that for my books. Who designed the covers? Neither of them is to that point yet. I have an image in my mind for Reinventing Holly, however.
What was the hardest part of writing your book? With Wonderland Odyssey, it was ensuring that the voice sounded right…not letting our ‘corporate speak’ invade. Also, because it is based on Alice in Wonderland, the voice had to reflect that as well. There were two of us who wrote. Interestingly, now when we go back and reread them, it is difficult to discern which of us wrote which chapters. With Reinventing Holly, it has been creating adequate tension. Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it? My co-author, Susan Goldberg, and I learned so much from Alice. As I mentioned, we have never met in person. She lives in New York and I’m in rural Missouri. That sounds like a recipe for a disastrous collaboration, but it was near perfect. What we learned from that process is invaluable.
Do you have any advice for other writers? Just write! I have heard from so many people that they want to write someday, or that they would love to but…If you want to write, just do it. Do it for yourself. I recommend NaNoWriMo to anyone who wants a kick in the pants to get started…or to finish. You don’t edit, you just write all month in November. It’s like studying for finals - it’s difficult, but you’ve got a lot of other people going through the same thing.  It’s comforting to be able to commiserate with people all around the world in the challenge with you. Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers? Thank you for reading my stuff!! I appreciate those who read the story that you put on your site. It’s fun to write, especially if I know that I’m entertaining someone.
What were the challenges (research, literary, psychological, and logistical) in bringing it to life? Probably the biggest issue with Wonderland Odyssey was time. There were two of us working on it, both of us business owners living 1000+ miles apart. So, finding time when we could get meet (virtually) a couple times a week wasn’t always easy. That was more of an issue during the editing process because in the initial writing we each wrote chapters alone, but then we edited together. Additionally, we have many characters and they each had to have their own voice and it needed to be true to the original work as much as possible. It was fun, but not always easy. A final challenge has simply been to categorize the book. It is written as a pure fiction, a fantasy at that, but the undertones are non-fiction. The next challenge is to keep building our platform to increase interest in the book. What do you think about e-publishing versus technical publishing? Susan and I are trying to go the traditional route. The reason is that there are a zillion, give or take a few million, consultants who have self-published. It lacks the gravitas as a traditionally published book. Additionally, too many of them are published strictly as ‘calling cards’ as in “Hello, I’m the expert who literally wrote the book on…” We don’t want to go that route. Being a fiction, however, also makes is more challenging to find someone to take it on because it doesn’t fit into a nice, neat box.Do you have an agent or publisher? How did you go about finding one? We are looking as I write. We have been identifying likely matches, and have queried a couple. We know that this isn’t a simple project that will appeal to just anyone. I’ve learned so much doing the research. There are some wonderful resources available to make this phase as painless as possible.If you could live anywhere, where would it be? Right where I am for a primary residence. Our gardens are my oasis. I would like to have a vacation home in San Diego, Florida or Charleston.If you could have any super power, what would it be? I believe I would pass on the super powers. I really think that they would be more trouble than they’re worth. 


For More on Rebecca Lacy:

www.twitter.com/ralacy
 https://www.facebook.com/WonderlandOdyssey
Blog: www.wonderlandodyssey.com
 www.lacythings.com

Maze- a short poem

MazeK.N. Lee
Like a rat in a mazeDesperate to find its way Your head leads you homeWhile your heart leads you astray

What do you do when you're stuck on a stalled manuscript?

Right now I'm working on a young adult fantasy called, Academia of the Beast. I started this back in 2010 when I took a creative writing course at the local community college. First, the words were flying across the page. It was thrilling. It was exciting. 
Then...I was stuck. 
Where to go? I took a long walk and listened to the Braveheart soundtrack. Listening to those Scottish bagpipes did something to me. I was filled with an incredible idea. 
Do you want to know what I did? 
I added a character! 
He's Scottish. He's hot. He's smart and has a very cool secret. 
Still, that's not enough. Simply adding a character will not always add the depth you're looking for. Guess what does. Well, at least this helped me out. I decided to write from his POV (Point of View) as well! 
Voila! 
A new angle on my story and an extra 20,000 words! Sweet! I know that most blogs and books recommend that you kill a character when you're stuck on a manuscript. 
Sure! Why not? It does work. But for me, adding a character works just as well. 
Hmmm...now that I think of it...I might need to kill a couple of characters as well. Just to shake things up. ;)Good luck!
Prepare to have your mind blown by the awesome story of Ava in, Academia of the Beast! Coming soon!

A Review of Thicker Than Blood by Ginger Fox!!

5.0 out of 5 stars Teasing and Twisting Tales June 25, 2013  By Ginger Fox  Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase  I knew after her first short story in a creative writing class that K.N. Lee was going to publish. With each story, she brings the dark and the bizarre. K.N. Lee weaves twisted tales via her strong women characters. The settings are eerie, the characters are tantalizing, and the plots are twisted. The stories are brief, but they create a desire from readers for more works from this author. She has a knack for leaving a story open for interpretation and ending with a twist. I look forward to reading more from her.    

Writing Challenge With Author, Lawrence BoarerPitchford!!

The Challenge: In 3000 words or less, write about a girl who finds a body in her basement. When she tells her parents, it's no longer there...
The Result: Occultus SepulchrumBy Lawrence BoarerPitchford



                I’ve had the unfortunate experience of seeing a dead body three times in my life. One evening, when I was thirteen and getting some laundry from the basement, it first happened. I could see it in darkness, lying on its side, near the drain, and the dryer. My heart raced, and my mouth became instantly dry. I can tell you – honestly, I never ran so fast up the stairs in my life. I ran through the doorway, picked up a splinter in my finger from the jam as I passed, skidded to a halt on the white linoleum and turned back to look at the dark doorway. Was it a dead body, or worse, a monster?                 My mother came into the room and looked down at me, “Sheila, close that door. Were you born in a barn?”                 “But mom – there’s something down there!”                 “What something?”I hesitated, “A body I think…” “Don’t be silly. You saw a pile of your father’s old clothes bunched up. I assure you there is no body in the basement.” She went to the refrigerator and took out a bottle of milk, which instantly began to sweat, and put it on the table. “I said close that door,” she indicated with her eyes.                 I slowly went over, put my hand on the knob, and pushed it shut. It clicked into place, and I turned the lock. There was a body down there, but I wasn’t going to go back down there without an escort. I was quite familiar with horror movies and how they ended up. I was sure that thing in the basement was  just waiting to kill me. My God, I thought, it could try to come up in the night. It might slip under my bed, and reach up while I sleep and grab my feet… I’d better tuck in my sheets.                 After dinner we all went into the living room and sat. My father insisted that we all read, and not watch the ridiculously large flat screen television they bought for Christmas. This night, I decided to forget the collection of works published by Alfred Hitchcock, and instead open an old Agatha Christy work. Just as I was on page eighty two, my father said something that stunned me.                 “So, you saw a body down in the basement today?” His voice was thick with fatherly knowing.                 “Yes,” I said stunned.                 “Shall we have a look?” His eyes sparkled as he said this.                 “Okay,” I looked over at my mother who was smirking.                 “Come on, before we have to go to bed.” He stood up, and we all followed him into the kitchen and to the basement door. He unlocked it and looked over at me and smiled with a sardonic expression. “Let’s get this done,” and he started down.                 He flipped the black light switch on and the bare bulb at the bottom of the stairs illuminated the end of the basement and the junk that was strewn about. The wood creaked, and the whole stairs swayed with us on it. Getting to the basement floor, my father looked around the cement room. Nothing. No clothes on the floor. No body. Just old junk, a peddle car, boxes of old toys, skis, some tools, and three empty coolers, one stacked on top of the other at the far corner.                 “Take a good look,” father said. “If you find a body, I’ll eat my hat.”                There was none.                                 When I was nineteen I returned from college for the summer. My parents were now traveling. I had my friend Tina staying with me that night. That evening as we were watching an old episode of Fawlty Towers on channel twelve, there was a tremendous sound that resonated through the floorboards. Tina jumped from the couch, “What the hell was that?”                “Sounded like something fell over in the basement.” I looked at Tina and she was truly scared. “Don’t worry. My parents store a ton of junk down there, and every once in a while, it topples,” I said. “Come on and we’ll check it out.” I went into the kitchen and got the flashlight from the pantry. As my hand touched the lock on the basement door a cold chill ran up my spine. I suddenly felt like I was thirteen again. Tina saw it in my face, and I saw a streak of panic in hers. “Don’t worry, there’s two of us,” I stated.                 Flipping the lock, I opened the door. A waft of cigarette smoke hit my nose along with a strange scent of cheap aftershave, and the odor of some chemical. I turned on the light and we descended the stairs. As we rounded the stair wall, I thought I heard a voice say, take care of it, then the bulb flashed out. Tina and I froze. I switched on the flashlight and the beam was shaking, then I realized I was shaking. A cold sweat came over me and it took all my energy to force my steps downward. At the bottom, I angled the flashlight toward the washer… then down at the floor. It was there, the body. Tina screamed; I dropped the light, and we both nearly killed each other trying to be first to the top of the stairs. Once I got into the kitchen, I slammed the door shut and locked it. Tina was on the phone to the police. Ten nerve racking minutes passed until the first of two police cruisers arrived. Sargent Haywood took our statements and two others went into the basement. They returned shortly after and shrugged their shoulders. “Nothing down there but a lot of junk,” one said. The Sargent smiled and nodded at his officer, “You sure you checked every inch?”“Honest Sarg, we checked everyplace. There’s nothing down there that’s alive or dead.” The young officer tipped his hat to me. “Sorry mam, we didn’t see anything.” Tina’s face was stern, “We saw a body down there. Don’t you tell me you didn’t find anything.” “Perhaps you psyched yourselves out,” the Sargent stated. “It happens. We get two or three calls a month regarding people seeing things that just aren’t there. Were you watching anything scary, or suggestive?” “No,” I said. “Okay, keep the basement door locked, and if you hear anything else down there, call me and I’ll come by,” he handed his card to me. “I’ll be on duty until nine in the morning.” He tipped his hat and went out onto the porch. “Could you leave a car here for a while,” Tina nearly begged. “Sure; for a while,” the Sargent said.We watched them go. Outside the Sargent spoke to one of his other officers and the fellow went to his car and sat inside. Tina and I checked throughout the night, and the officer never left the driveway. In the morning, Tina brought him a cup of coffee. He drank it and left. When she returned to the house she packed up her things and called a cab. “You should come with me,” she said. “I can’t. I promised my folks I’d watch the place while they’re gone.” “You’re crazy to stay here after last night,” Tina stated. “Are you sure you won’t reconsider?”“There’s no way I’m staying in that house again.” Tina’s jaw showed the stress she was feeling. After she left I prepared my resolve and went back down into the basement. I replaced the bulb and stood there looking around. There was nothing to indicate a body, or old clothes, or even justify the loud bang we’d heard the night before. I shrugged my shoulders and went back up stairs. For the next five days, I heard no further disturbances.
Six years later, I was working in Los Angeles, California. I was at work when I got a call from my mother. She was upset, but not frantic. “The house burnt down last night,” she said. “Oh my God, what happened?” I stated. “Are you and dad okay?” “We’re fine dear. The firemen are going to do an investigation, but he said it looked like an electrical fire that started in the basement.” “The basement?” I was shocked to hear her mention it.“Your father and I were scheduled to travel to France in two days. Is there any way we could impose on you to come out here and help us find a contractor to rebuild the house?” “You have got to be kidding?” The request was a surprise. Why me? Couldn’t it wait?“We’re worried that while we’re gone someone might fall into the basement. If you could just come out and make sure the contractor puts up a fence or something…” her voice cracked and I could hear she was on the verge of tears. “This is so upsetting!” “I know mom. I’ll get some time off and come out. You and dad, don’t worry about anything.” “Thank you my darling. You’re so sweet to do this for us.” “That’s because I love you two. I’ll get a flight and be there on Tuesday. In the meantime, where are you and dad going to be staying?”“The Partmore Hotel. Dad got the room this morning. We’re in room four-fifty-four.” “Okay, I got it. See you guys on Tuesday.” I made the arrangements and took two weeks off work. Once I landed, I got a rental car and drove first to the burnt wreckage of our old home. There was nothing left of the structure. It looked as if a contractor had begun to remove the twisted pipes and metal work from the basement. Indeed, it looked like a burnt hole in the ground. Even though I was shocked to see the ruins, I chuckled out loud at the thought of the body in the basement. I remembered how scared I was when I saw it, and how foolish I felt when I couldn’t find it again. After checking into my room at the Partmore I found my parents and we had dinner. We reminisced, and even talked about the body in the basement. I suggested that they sell the lot, but they insisted on rebuilding. I asked about the contractor and was surprised to learn that it was Glen Hobart; a friend of mine from when I attended high school. After dinner we retired to our rooms and I fell into a deep and dreamless sleep. When the alarm went off, I was a bit disoriented. I showered, dressed, and drove over to the house. I was filled with bitter-sweet nostalgia. As I arrived, I could see men pulling wreckage out of the basement and piling it up to the side of the foundation. “Glen!” I shouted. He looked different, older, and a bit plumper. “Sheila?” He looked at me as if he was seeing a ghost, “What brings you here from L.A.?”I looked at him and gestured toward the basement, “My parent’s house burnt down,” I said.He laughed, “Ya, I guess it was a dumb question. I’m glad to see you,” he added. “I’m glad to see you too. So, any idea what caused the fire?”“The place was a fire hazard. Junk in the basement pressed against some shorting electrical wires; at least that’s what the Fire Marshal is suggesting.” “Hey Glen, come have a look at this!” shouted one of his workers.We both went over to the edge and looked down. Around the charred concrete and rubble, there was a clean area. “What is that,” I asked. “Looks like another floor,” Glean stated as he climbed down into the hole. “Bring a couple of picks and a shovel,” he said. They began clearing away the burnt debris and after a few minutes it was quite clear that there was clean cement under the burnt cement. “It looks like someone poured a second layer of cement over the original floor,” Glen called up to me. “Holy shit!” a young blond haired man with a shovel stated. “Look at that.” He was pointing at some blue cloth. Clearing away the rest of the cement it became clear there was a body there. The blue cloth turned out to be a suit, and as they scraped away the debris, a skull and hand bones of a corpse became visible. “Call the police,” Glen said. “You’d better stay back Sheila for now.” I called my parents, but there was no answer. I left a message on their voicemail. The police arrived as did a crime scene truck. They taped off the area and descended into the basement. I climbed up on my rented car and could just barely see into the hole. A man was pulling the suit jacket back. He reached into the pocket and pulled out a leather wallet. Opening it he gasped and stepped back. “Lieutenant, get over here!” he shouted. “You’re not going to believe this!” Three other officers came over, and they too looked surprised. “My God, who would have thought,” the Lieutenant said. He climbed from the hole and approached me. “How long did your parents own this house?” “Forty years maybe,” I said. “Your parents must have bought it after the body was buried,” he stated. “What?”“That body down there,” he looked as if he was about to bust open, “is the crime scene of the century.” “What are you talking about?” I was in little mood for foolishness at this point. “The name on the license… it says James Riddle Hoffa!”To this day my thoughts drift back to the body lying there, and the police standing around. What did my parents say about this whole affair? They had little to say on the matter. And, as it turned out, my parents didn’t travel to France, they actually went to Bolivia. They have a nice house there, and aren’t planning on coming back.  
For More on Lawrence BoarerPitchford:  
Lawrence BoarerPitchford, AuthorThadiusSawbonesThe Lantern of Dern BlackhammerIn the World of HyboriaTales of Mad Cows and Brothelswww.boarerpitchford.com

Wicked Webs Poetry Contest Entry, By Stefani Lister (Lu)

If It Were Easy
By: Lu

If it were easy
Anyone could do it.
Thought I had something
But now I see through it

I
I wanted to believe
That this was right for me
That the signs meant
Something

But now I
I'm down on my knees
Begging God please
To get me through
This

If it were easy
Anyone could do it.
Got my hopes up
And they blew away

Things that I know
Things that I need
Are now useless to me.
Please take it all
And give me back my
Dignity

An Amazing Review of The Chronicles of Koa: Netherworld by Kenichi Kamihara!!

A fascinating world and story that left me wanting more (minor spoilers), June 21, 2013 By Kenichi KamiharaAmazon Verified Purchase(What's this?) This review is from: The Chronicles of Koa: Netherworld (Kindle Edition) The Chronicles of Koa focuses on the journey of Koa, a female, half vampire living in the human world with her guardian Halston, a "perfect man" of unique and mysterious powers to an underworld of evil and danger. From the beginning, it's clear that there will certainly be surprises as Koa has abilities that makes her character very different; for instance, in combat, she effortlessly wields a huge sword that detects evil and she can be exposed to direct sunlight.. In a recurring theme, the author seems to play with the reader, taking your stereotypes of what is accepted about the rules of vampires and other fantastical creatures but presenting something different.

I thoroughly enjoyed Koa, the character. She is depicted as a strong and powerful protagonist, but one with flaws. She is frequently impulsive throughout the novel and quick to anger both, somewhat anti-thematic to the calm, cool grace that most vampires are associated with. But she exhibits feistiness and self-resolve as her past is slowly revealed. You learn that even what Koa herself knows is not all there is to her life and situation. In this sense, I felt that Netherworld was a bit of an origin story that seem to be all the rage in superhero movies these days. The main character is just starting to learn about her powers and how to use them in her surroundings.

The supporting cast that Koa and Halston meet in their travels is the other strength of the author's writing. I found several of the characters genuinely interesting and am anxiously awaiting their continuing roles in the next book. The others are a very eclectic mix and have their own background and abilities which I hope are expanded on in the future.

There are some light romance themes throughout as well. But to be clear, the story is NOT anything like the fluffy young adult drivel of a certain goopy all too long vampire movie series. This is a character driven adventure in a rich and detailed world which the protagonist learns about her past as we the readers do. Her self discovery changes her perspective on the few friends she has and we share in those moments of confusion and enlightenment as she struggles to figure out herself and her past.

Bottom line: this is an engrossing read that ends all too soon. A book that is part dark fantasy, part adventure with colorful and creative personalities throughout; think less Twilight Saga and more Arya Stark meets Ocean 11.

Available on Amazon

Allegiant!!!

Woohoo! Veronica Roth (Divergent) fans! this is for you!!


In the finale to Veronica Roth's trilogy, a single choice could change everything, and the secrets of the dystopian world of Divergent and Insurgent are revealed.
Available October 22, 2013!