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Wednesday Briefs #24 The Hollow: Soul Seekers

Copyright 2014 JC WallaceEach week a group of authors participate weekly in Wednesday Briefs Flash Fiction. Each installment is 500-1000 words long and is posted to our blogs each week. After you read the latest in my story, click on the links at the end to visit the other flashers.
~~~~~*~~~~~
Dr. Winston shook her head, her lips thinned. “Not after you. Do you remember the last conversation we had in this office before you left school for good?”
He did. Dr. Winston’s concern had been apparent for Levi’s missing so many classes, his attention wandering in class, his reluctance to participate. Levi had failed to mention at the time that’d he’d already decided to leave college. “Yes.”
“I had questioned you about your Guardian?”
There was that word again. “I told you I have parents.” His tone was a tad snippy.
“Not as in the legal sense. A Guardian is someone other than a parent who agrees to watch over someone, be a guide for anyone who’s had his or her soul removed. It goes much deeper than that but you couldn’t name anyone. So, I sent Jeb to try to find out who that was. I had a fear that this person hadn’t taken their role seriously and neglected the oath they had taken.”
Back to the soulless thing. “Mine’s right where it’s supposed to be.” Levi insisted, pointing to his chest, not wanting to say’ soul’ aloud in front of Jeb.
Dr. Winston sighed heavily and turned to Jeb.
 “Having some difficulty accepting the truth?” the man muttered as if Levi wouldn’t hear.
Dr. Winston only nodded with a faint glimmer of pity. God, he knew that look well.
“So you believe this? You think my soul is gone, too,” Levi challenged Jeb, who continued to stare at Levi.
Levi dropped his hands hard into his lap. Despite the enormity of the situation, he had remained quite calm. From under the fringe of his bangs, Levi gave Jeb a sideways glance. Jeb continued to silently play with that damned pendant, his steely control apparent in every movement, every breath. “Evidently, he didn’t find a Guardian because I don’t have one.”
But I do have a soul. I have to.
“You’re right. He didn’t find anyone. In fact, you’re quite a solitary person, Levi.”
“Tell me something I don’t know,” Levi mumbled, rubbing the tension at the base of his neck. He was so getting a headache.
As if it had been a dare, Dr. Winston said, “Jeb has been watching you since the day you left school. Since November.”
Levi’s skin rippled over his body, and a sickening chill spreading from his spine. Levi glared hard at Jeb who truly had been stalking him. “W-why would you...I would’ve known.”
A smug smile crossed his lips. “No one sees me until I want them to.”
Levi begged to differ. “I saw you at the college, outside of the classroom, in the parking lot – outside of my house. Ran right into you in the hallway.”
Jeb shifted his stance. Apparently, Levi had hit a nerve. “Those were times I wanted you to see me.”
“Riiiight,” Levi drawled with a haughty air.
“I did ask Jeb to talk to you, to convince you to come and see me. I sent you several messages to get you to come but you kept putting me off. Can you tell me what happened whenever Jeb approached you?” Dr. Winston had moved to her chair and leaned toward Levi. Her closeness made him want to push his chair back.
“What do you mean?” Levi asked, so ready to hit “end” to cease this conversation.
Jeb was about to speak but Dr. Winston put up her hand and silenced him.
Good boy, Levi snickered to himself when Jeb obeyed.
“Jeb said he ran into some trouble whenever he got near you. What did you feel?”
“Nothing.” He was so not letting them into his personal shit. “That wasn’t about him.”
It couldn’t possibly be because of Jeb. None of this made sense. Maybe Levi wasn’t in that office. Maybe his body was somewhere, drooling in a heap, his mind cracked. This had to be an illusion. A very real illusion.
“It had everything to do with him,” Dr. Winston assured Levi.
Jeb at least had the decency to look apologetic for what he’d assumed was his doing.
“If it did then I wouldn’t be standing right now. I’d be writhing around on the floor in agony, with my blood pouring out of my nose and my head about to explode brain matter everywhere.”
Dr. Winston raised an eyebrow and glanced to Jeb who gave him an I-told-you-so look.
Levi startled when Dr. Winston reached above his head and retrieved something from the bookcase behind him. A small silver metal box was nestled in her palm. Crossing to Jeb, she opened the lid of the box. Without being asked, Jeb removed the chain from around his neck, placed it into the box with a jut of his chin and snapped the lid shut.
A pressure as terrifyingly real as ever slammed into Levi. Leaning over in the chair, he grabbed his head, nearly falling, crunching his ribs. An arm grabbed his. The pressure quickly subsided but it was too late. The blood dripped from his nose onto the rug below. A tissue was stuffed into his hand. Levi quickly brought it up to staunch the blood.
Slowly rising, he saw Jeb kneeling beside him, his hand steadying Levi. He held the pendant loosely in his other hand.  His expression looked…concerned? For Levi? Probably afraid he’d be convicted of murder if Levi dropped dead. Levi pulled away. Jeb stumbled back, surprised by the sudden movement.
“What did you do to me?” Levi gasped, standing on wobbly legs. Fuck, there was that headache.
Jeb pulled up to his full height. Slowly, he returned the pendant to his neck but didn’t answer.
Dr. Winston spoke instead. “I’m sorry but it was the only way to show you. I haven’t figured out why this is happening. When Jeb told me about your recent reactions to him, I had my doubts. I mean he’s been close to you for months and suddenly this starts occurring. It didn’t make sense. Now I feel it has something to do with you stopping the medication. Past that I am baffled”.  ## Check out the other flashers this week at www.wedbriefsfic.com   
 ##   

Welcome Avery Dawes with her zombie short story, Fall Break Fright!

Welcome to the blog Avery Dawes with her short story, Fall Break Fright, featuring two hot guys and zombies. What more could you ask for?! Grrr... ~~~~~~*~~~~~  Title:  Fall Break Fright
Author:  Avery Dawes 
Release Date:  September 30, 2014
Genre:  M-M Romance with Zombies
Story Length:  Short Story, approx. 12K words
 
Blurb:
Carson Davis can’t go home…
His aunt is his only relative in the world, and she’s made it clear she doesn’t want him there during his fall break. Looks like he’s stuck at college, alone and heart-broken. But Carson hasn’t figured on his new roommate, Tyler Owen, who’s extremely hot and unfortunately straight.
 
Or is he?

Tyler unexpectedly invites Carson to go with him to his family’s home in Kansas. Not only that, but Carson’s gaydar must be off, ‘cause Tyler is not only gay, he’s into Carson! However, things go horribly wrong once they reach Kansas. Not with them, but with the unexpected appearance of…
Zombies?
The world seems to have gone mad, and now it’s Carson and Tyler against the walking dead. They have to survive these creatures so they can enjoy their happily ever after. 
   
Amazon Buy Link:  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00O122YC0
  Excerpt  Crouching, Tyler peeked around the corner of the building. His movements were slow and smooth as not to attract attention. Carson also knelt and brought the shovel up in front of him in a defensive position. He tried to take shallow breaths, not wanting the least little sound to draw attention to their hiding place. Tyler’s hand reached back and gave Carson’s knee a reassuring squeeze. They froze as two bloodied and battered zombies lumbered down the street, passing them by. The groans and foul odor that emanated from the pair caused Carson to tremble. He swallowed down the bile rising in his throat, noting that their stench would remain with him for way too long. Tyler gave Carson’s knee another, longer squeeze. After what was probably a couple of minutes, they were once again on the move. At another rundown building, Tyler paused and grabbed Carson’s hand. He brought it to his lips where he pressed a kiss to Carson’s bloodied knuckles. “The old feed mill is the last substantial building before we hit flat, open farmland. The first farm is the Haynes’s; my family’s is the second. The house is your typical white two story farmhouse and sits about a half-mile off the road. The barn is a massive, modern structure that is slightly behind and to the right of the house.” Carson nodded, taking in Tyler’s description. He grew up in a cabin in the Green Mountains. The fields that seemed to go on and on were foreign to him; he missed the scent of pine and the sounds of cascading streams. As a kid, Carson spent as much time as possible exploring the woods around his house. Being outside meant avoiding his aunt, which was his main goal when he wasn’t in school. But now he needed to get his mind back to the present. “So what’s our plan if there’s nothing to hide behind?” ##

About the Author
The secret is out: Avery Dawes is Denise Wyant’s naughty alter-ego. Avery enjoys writing about the passion that exists between two hunky and sometimes geeky men while Denise favors the alpha male who sweeps an intelligent and sassy woman off her feet. Both believe in their characters finding love and happiness, no matter the trials they have to endure to achieve it.

 

Wednesday Briefs #23 The Hollow: Soul Seekers

Copyright 2014 JC WallaceEach week a group of authors participate weekly in Wednesday Briefs Flash Fiction. Each installment is 500-1000 words long and is posted to our blogs each week. After you read the latest in my story, click on the links at the end to visit the other flashers.
~~~~~*~~~~~

Crazy may cover Levi like a second skin but some of it was sitting right in front of him. Levi actually cracked a bit of a smile but it faded. “Okay…umm…yeah, I’m going to get going now.”
Levi rose and headed for the door.
“Fear.”
Levi halted at the word and turned slowly, trying to keep his expression blank.
“Fear, anxiety, nervousness maybe even panic? Do these sound familiar?”
“Yeah. I have an anxiety disorder. That’s why I left school.” It’s why every day of my life is hell on earth.
Dr. Winston shook his head slowly. “No, you don’t.”
“I think I would know.”
“It’s not the source.”
“I suppose lacking a soul is the real reason,” Levi said, unable to control the sarcasm that came with it. He wished he’d gone to ____, Dr. Winston’s teaching assistant to get the article. Well, too late.
“Please, sit and I will explain.”
When Levi failed to move she went on. “Our bodies need energy to exist. Yes, energy from food but most important the energy of a soul. Without it, the body tries to compensate by pulling energy in from around it. It’s kind of like a continuous drawing in of whatever is available. Everyone’s souls give off a hint of energy. So, the more energy around the more that is drawn inward, filling the body, overdosing it in a way. How do you feel in a room full of people?”
It makes his skin crawl and drives his panic to astronomical levels but he wasn’t going to confirm anything.
“You feel safer with as few people as possible around, probably even alone? Less energy to deal with,” she said and nodded, eying him as if to see how much he was buying.
Levi averted his gaze. “That doesn’t prove anything.”
“It proves everything.”
“You think because I have issues with anxiety that I have no soul.” Levi wasn’t the only one with issues.
“No, I think you don’t have a soul because I can’t see it.”
Levi frowned and looked up into the doctor’s face. “You’re a-”
“Seer. Yes. And the moment you walked into my class I knew yours was not there. That’s why I handed out the chapter on senz’anima. I was trying to tell you that I knew and figured you would come to me. Tell me why did you ask for the article?”
Levi shifted in his seat. Should he mention the old woman? Wouldn’t sound any crazier than what he’d heard from his professor.
“An old woman yesterday she...umm...she said I was senz’anima, hollow, unfeeling...empty.”
Dr. Winston’s brows raised. “Where was this?”
“In a store. She just pointed at me and said it.” Even now it sent cold chills through him. “Then I remembered the word from class.”
“She would have to be a Seer to have known that,” Dr. Winston said thoughtfully, chewing on her fingernail.
Levi didn’t like the look on her face. “But she was disgusted, even afraid.”
“Not all Seers feel that souls should be removed. There are people who believe removing a soul creates evil that will affect others around that person. They are quite...vocal about it.”
Vocal? “So this woman saw I didn’t have a soul and decided to tell me I’m evil. Nice.” Levi wanted to close his eyes and wake up in his bed. “How do you know she was one of these people?”
 “Seers aren’t allowed to approach the soulless for many reasons. Souls aren’t just taken at infancy. At the age of consent, some choose to part with theirs.”
Who in the world would choose to part with their soul and feel gut-wrenching agony of anxiety every day of their lives?
“So I have no soul?” Levi could play along. “Why am I still walking around?”
“Your soul is still here on this plane. And you still have a small part, enough to keep your life force going.”
“If it’s so horrible to go without a soul why in the hell would anyone remove it in the first place because I have to tell you, my life has been no picnic.”
Biggest. Fucking. Understatement. Ever.
“It’s not supposed to be like that.”
Levi smirked and shook his head. “And what’s it supposed to be?”
“What is left of the soul still allows the person to feel and function and avoid the influx of energy from the environment.”
“Listen, I really appreciate your concern for me, however misguided it is, but I have an anxiety disorder diagnosed by a real doctor, treated with real medication and counseling. Actually, until I came to college it was pretty much under control.” He just didn’t feel emotions.
“Medication. Hmm. What about now? Is anything different?”
Except for a panic attacks and his psyche preparing to crack into irretrievable pieces, and the crushing pain in his head and the intense emotions driving his insanity, oh, and the whole psychopath thing, not much.
“I stopped taking my meds. Couldn’t stand not feeling anything anymore. I felt so closed off, so dull. I recently read that it’s a side effect of anti-depressants.” It had been an epiphany at the time.
“Really? When was that? Did your doctor take you off of them?”
Levi regretted saying anything. He knew full well that you never stopped meds without your doctor’s okay. “Almost two weeks ago. I just decided to stop taking them.”
“And what happened?”
“More anxiety, a huge panic attack.”
“What else?”
What did she want? She appeared to be digging for something.
A knock at the door startled Levi, his heart pounding. He hadn’t realized how tense he’d become. Even Dr. Winston looked a bit unnerved but regained her composure.
“Excuse me,” she said, passing Levi to the door.
Levi stood and moved to the other side of the office to make room for whoever was at the door. Probably a student needing to meet with Dr. Winston which would give him the opportunity to get out and fast. He’d indulged the fantasy world of his former teacher long enough. But what about the man?
Dr. Winston opened the door and spoke to someone on the other side out of Levi’s view. A few nervous glances at Levi then Dr. Winston drew back and opened the door wide.
Fuck me sideways.
It was the man who’d nearly killed him.

 
Chapter 12
Levi scrambled back into a pile of books, knocking them over, his eyes frozen on the dark-eyed man, sans the black hoodie, looming in the doorway. He’d never forget those dark eyes, the harsh glare. Adrenaline surged readying Levi for flight however, he was trapped in the far corner of the room like a rat by a big fucking cat. The only exit blocked. Levi raised his hands toward his head ready for the mind exploding pain and pressure to come…but nothing.
Dr. Winston and the very tall man in the black T-shirt that stated ‘I’m the evil twin’ in white letters watched Levi.  
Even without the bone crushing force he’d experienced last in the presence of that man, Levi was terrified. Sweat formed on his brow, pushed out by his rapid heart rate. That man was here, sixty miles from his home, in his professor’s office, stalking Levi.
Dr. Winston looked to the man who raised his eyebrows with a slight nod. Her expression told Levi they were acquainted.
The man returned the look and shrugged his shoulders. “Looks like it worked.” His voice was rough and low, almost like a growl.
They returned their gazes to Levi. If he ran fast enough, he might be able to knock the man back and get into the hallway. But then what?
Dr. Winston took a few tentative steps toward Levi, raising her hands as if approaching a frightened animal ready to bolt. That was so Levi at this minute. “Levi, it’s okay. I know Jeb.”
Jeb. The stalker has a name. Levi gripped his fingers tight on the windowsill he leaned against. Three stories. Looking down there was no way to jump for a quick getaway.
Jeb, the stalker, leaned a shoulder against the doorjamb, settling in. He reached a large hand to his chest and fingered an object hanging from a silver chain around his neck.
A calming rush came over Levi. His hands relaxed, his shoulders dropped. What was he afraid of? Dr. Winston knew this man. She’d never allow Jeb to hurt him, right? If so, then why did part of his brain scream ‘lies’ at that logic?
Levi looked into the eyes of the stranger, which weren’t black but a deep, dark chocolate with an actual flicker of amber light within them. And now that he wasn’t glowering, Levi noticed the sharp line of his jaw, his high cheekbones. His black hair wasn’t straight but not curly either. It swept across his thick dark eyebrows, curled a bit toward his ears where dark sideburns reached down the sides of his cheeks. In the back, the hair curled around his nape. Jeb reminded Levi of Logan with his confident air, but this guy bordered on the edge of cockiness.
“Levi, we have a lot to discuss so why don’t you sit?”  Again, Dr. Winston motioned to the chair where Levi had been seated.
The idea of talking now seemed okay. Thoughts of fleeing left Levi’s mind and he returned to his seat.
Jeb waited for an invite and passed before Levi, sauntering toward the windows. As he passed, the uneasiness and calmness within Levi faded replaced with trepidation and apprehension. What was he thinking staying here a moment longer? Grasping at the arms of the chair, he decided to wait until Dr. Winston sat once again and then he would bolt. However, Dr. Winston didn’t sit but leaned against her desk. Would she try to grab Levi if he ran?
I have to get out of here!
Jeb leaned his back against the wall, regarding Levi in silence. What was he looking at? Levi almost said it aloud but bit down on his lip. Levi’s eyes darted between them. A puzzled looked on Jeb’s face gave him pause.
“Relax, Levi. You look terrified. Jeb’s a nice guy,” Dr. Winston said to reassure him.
A nice guy who was stalking Levi and had practically caused his head to implode. At least he hadn’t been deliberately trying to hurt Levi, as he’d had thought, but he wasn’t convinced that Jeb wouldn’t release his mind meld on him.
Jeb went back to playing with his necklace, eyes intent on Levi. Levi took a deep breath relaxing his muscles, rolling his head to release the tension. He leaned back against the chair and released his grip on the arms. Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at Jeb and thought he saw a ghost of a smile.
“That’s better,” Dr. Winston said, the smile returning to her face.
“Who is he?” Levi asked, talking as if Jeb weren’t in the room.
“He’s a friend. Well, and part of the Seer community.”
“You’re a Seer?” Levi asked with a bit on contention.
Jeb snorted still playing with his necklace. He had quite a fetish over it. “No.”
“I sent Jeb to check on you,” Dr. Winston confessed without a hint of remorse.
Levi straightened in the chair. “You what?! You sent him after me?"  ##  Read more from other flashers at http://wedbriefsfic.com/
   

Wednesday Briefs Weekly Flash Fiction

Welcome to Wednesday Briefs! Each week I participate in a group of authors and we post flash fiction on our blogs. Each installment is 500-1000 words and uses prompts sent out by our fearless leader.

This series of flash fiction is called The Hollow: Soul Seekers. I am still feeling this one out so stop back each week to see where it goes!


Brief#1

Brief #2

Brief #3

Brief #4

Brief #5

Brief #6

Brief #7

Brief #8

Brief #9

Brief #10

Brief #11

Brief #12

Brief #13

Brief #14

Brief #15 and #16

Brief #17

Brief #18 and #19

Brief #20

Brief #21

Brief #22

Brief #23

Wednesday Briefs #22 The Hollow: Soul Seekers

  Copyright 2014 JC WallaceEach week a group of authors participate weekly in Wednesday Briefs Flash Fiction. Each installment is 500-1000 words long and is posted to our blogs each week. After you read the latest in my story, click on the links at the end to visit the other flashers.
~~~~~*~~~~~

Levi shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “I don’t understand what you’re getting at?” “You will. I just need you to listen. Misunderstandings comes when people close themselves off to something new. Can you open yourself up to what I’m going to tell you?” The intensity of her words, her sharp stare, cut right through Levi. His chest tightened slightly. Breathe. Levi would agree to understand anything if it brought Dr. Winston closer to the point of this bizarre reunion.  “Sure.” “Good,” Dr. Winston said and clapped her hands together, clanging the metal bangles around her wrists. “The most logical place to start is that article, which actually is a chapter from a larger book, which I currently have at home. Anyway, Senz’anima, means soulless. Do you remember what it said about the soulless?” Levi shook his head. Ugh!Not a lecture, just a copy would be enough. A slight grimace crossed the professor’s face but quickly faded. “In this case the soulless aren’t actually soulless as much as their soul and their body have been separated.” “By death?” Dr. Winston pursed her lips and shook her head, her large earrings slapping at her neck again. “No, because the person is still alive and not all of the soul is removed.” “Removed by someone, a seer or something.” Facts from the article were coming back to him.  “Yes, a Soul Seer. There are many reasons for removing a soul – greed, power, salvation.” “Salvation?” “Yes, salvation. This is the part I really need you to understand. Seers are born with innate power to peer into a person’s soul. The soul is a misunderstood entity. Christians believe for the most part that since man was created by God then all souls were as well. Actually, the idea of a soul or some essence of a human that continues after death has been written extensively for thousands of years. Plato and Socrates even delved into the subject. Life after death is a concern for all sentient beings. The idea of becoming nothing is unfathomable to most.” The thought brought a wave of stomach churning panic to Levi. Fear of death was very real to him.  “Anyway, Traducianism is the belief that the soul is actually a creation of the parents and not of God. If God had truly created the universe and rested on the seventh day then he’s not responsible for creating new souls. The idea is that Adam’s souls was the only soul created by God. Since Adam is believed to be the father of all of mankind, it is through generation that new souls are formed, as is true with the body. What this means is that the souls and the bodies of the parents create the soul and body of their offspring.” Dr. Winston paused as she did in her lectures, as if she were waiting for any questions. The only question Levi had—What does this have to do with the man in black?  Dr. Winston continued. “Seers can see the energy a soul creates and feel its power. Everything in the universe has its origin in energy. Vibration of that energy takes on different forms, creating everything.” “How exactly do you remove a soul? It’s not like a heart or kidney? Cut the skull open and pop out the toy surprise?” Kinda gross. Dr. Winston ignored his attempt at humor. “No. It’s not something most people can see. But it can be done. Seers view the soul as a ball of energy, colorful, something like an aura. And the soul is located within the heart not the head. Its energy powers the essence of life. True feeling comes from the soul which is why emotions seem to emanate from the chest.” Levi placed his hand over the hollow in his chest. Was his soul malfunctioning? Dr. Winston continued in her focused lecture mode. “Seers aren’t rare but not numerous either. A seer can see disparities in a soul, impurities as you might put it, which put that person at risk. Innately, these come from the joining of the parent’s souls.” “So it’s the parents that mess up the kid’s soul?” That explains so much, Levi mused to himself. “Okay, so what would warrant something serious enough as removing a soul?” Holy hell, how much longer did he have to endure this? Probably end much quicker if he stopped asking questions. “It’s nothing small I can tell you that. There has to be such total disharmony within the soul that allowing it to continue would place the individual in jeopardy and continually spill out discordant energy. This affects those around that person most.” “Is the person evil or something?” A Psychopath? “Innate evil is very rare but it does happen. No, mainly what human’s consider evil is created through experiences wrapped up a bit in genetics.” “So that’s how people become soulless. Well, thanks for the rundown of the article. I have to be home soon,” he lied, “Is there anything else you want to tell me, like about that man?”  Dr. Winston narrowed her eyes. “Levi, why do think I went into such detail explaining this concept to you?” Easy “A”. “Because I asked about it.” “And why did you ask about it?” Levi nervously swiped a shock of curls from his face. “I was looking through my notebook from class and I had written the words on a page but didn’t take any notes.” Damn, he just admitted to not paying attention in class.  “Levi, I’m trying to tell you something here about you. Something that from the first day when I saw you in class I thought you knew, had to have known because not to know well, it’s just impossible. The safeguards, the planning…But I can tell you don’t know at all.” Levi grasped at the sides of his seat. It had been a bad idea to come her. “Know what?” “Levi, you don’t have a soul."  ## Check out the other flashers this week at Wednesday Briefs or click on an author below! Jim DunawayM.A. ChurchChris T. KatJon KeysCarol PedrosoTaylin ClavelliNephylimMatthias Williamson
Victoria Adams
Johayan
Tali Spencer
Elyzabeth VaLey
Rob Colton
Cia Nordwell
Shelly Schulz
Ravon Silvius
Julie Lynn Hayes



 

Wednesday Briefs #21 The Hollow: Soul Seekers

Copyright 2014 JC Wallace Each week a group of authors participate weekly in Wednesday Briefs Flash Fiction. Each installment is 500-1000 words long and is posted to our blogs each week. After you read the latest in my story, click on the links at the end to visit the other flashers.
~~~~~*~~~~~

Around eleven-forty five, Levi pulled into the parking lot located a short distance from Champlain Hall where Dr. Winston’s office was located. He was a little sweatier and a little shakier but he’d made it. Being back on the campus stirred feelings he hadn’t expected, least of them longing—longing to return to a semi-normal life, to live without the fear, to be a student who only cared about getting classes out of the way to have fun and freedom.
Levi gripped the door handle firmly and entered Champlain Hall as if he belonged there, like any student, not a drop out. Taking the stairs to the third floor, he passed the occasional student and wondered if he would run into any one he’d known but no one stood out to him.
Again, he questioned why he’d come. What was waiting for him behind that office door? Steeling his spine and locking his knees, Levi knocked gently, almost hoping the professor didn’t answer. Unfortunately, she did.
“Levi, so good to see you,” Dr. Winston said, wrapping Levi in a sustained hug that took him back a bit.
“Hi,” Levi said hesitantly, following Dr. Winston into his office.
Dr. Winston was an older woman, possibly in her early fifties. Shoulder length mousy ash brown hair, with a limp curl, amber eyes, a little hippy on the bottom but quite slim on the top. As usual, she wore a long flowing multi-colored skirt. A heavy beaded necklace made with what looked to be handmade glass beads in teals and a gold flaming sun pendant bounced about her bosom. Never one for discreet jewelry, her matching earrings were long and large. All matched her personality: large, gregarious, expressive.
“Sit please,” Dr. Winston said, motioning to a chair near her desk.
Nothing had changed in the office since Levi had visited a few weeks before leaving college for good. It was a large space where tall bookcases lined three of the walls and were filled to capacity with books—new and old—idols of deities from dozens of religions, totems, ancient representations of myths, mystical creatures and dozens of jars and ornate containers. On the walls were paintings, many of mythological figures along with some woven tapestries with strange sigils. Dr. Winston wasn’t just a professor of philosophy and ethics but also presented classes on Greek and Roman mythology, folktales, ancient cultures, even the occult, among a few others. Her office was the least boring place on campus.
Dr. Winston sat in her plush desk chair and swiveled toward Levi. Her usual wide smile was painted on her face, her hands relaxed in her lap. Levi played with the zipper on his fleece jacket, begging off the intense need to flee.
“It’s so nice to see you in person again, Levi. Chatting on Facebook is just not the same as good ole face-to-face contact. Don’t you agree?” The words seemed to bounce as they fell from her mouth.
Levi nodded. The knot in his stomach was tightening.
“You left school so abruptly and I know you said it was for health issues. You look well. How’re you feeling?”
Like at any minute I’ll be jumping off the edge of insanity.
Good. I’m doing good. Taking classes at North Country this semester so that’s good.” The word good took on an air of falseness with its repetition.
“I’m so glad to hear it. I was upset when you let school. You’re a smart guy. So, did you come here alone today?”
Levi tried not to frown. “Yes.” It sounded more like a question than an affirmation.
Levi pulled at the bottom of his jacket, adjusting the hem and smoothing it in a nervous fashion, wishing Dr. Winston would get around to talking about the man in black.
“You live with your parents, don’t you?” Her smile faded a bit and her countenance took on an edge of seriousness.
“Yes, my mom and dad,” he confirmed. “And my older brother Logan.” And a tank full of tropical fish but what does that have to do with the man in black.
Dr. Winston nodded, regarding Levi intently. “What about a guardian”
Levi didn’t suppress his frown this time.  Hadn’t Dr. Winston asked him this question last fall? He answered as if she hadn’t. “A guardian? Isn’t that someone who legally acts like a parent?
“Sometimes, in general terms, yes,” Dr. Winston said, tilting her head to one side. Her earring swung about her neck mesmerizing Levi. “Do you have any relatives you are really close to or maybe a family friend who helps you out?”
Levi raised his eyebrows not even remotely understanding the gist of this conversation and sighed. “Logan and I are pretty close.” Or were. “Other than that, no.”
“And is Logan older than you?”
“By two years.”
Dr. Winston shook her head in a frustrated way. “Too young,” she muttered.
“Too young for what?” Levi asked.
Dr. Winston sat back in her chair, and tapped the fingertips of her right hand against her peachy lips, rocking in short side-to-side bursts in the chair. Silently, she looked off somewhere beyond the walls of her office, deep in thought.
Levi shifted in the chair, his annoyance and impatience growing. “Listen, your message said something about a man following me. What was that all about?” Levi wasn’t going to acknowledge the man until he heard what Dr. Winston knew of him. “I also wanted to get a copy of an article. Y you know the one about senz’anima. Do you remember that from class?”
Dr. Winston halted her chair and her face took on a sharp expression of surprise. “Why would you need that?”
Levi shrugged, trying to seem unaffected by his intense need. “I liked it and wanted to read it again.”
After a pause, Dr. Winston sat forward again with a new vigor. “Levi, I need to tell you some things that may sound, well a little crazy. I need you to keep an open mind. Do you think you can do that?” # # 
 Click here to read posts by the other flashers or click on the names below:

M.A. ChurchNephylim Sarah HayesCarol PedrosoJon KeysTali SpencerJohayanCia NordwellJim DunawayRavon SilviusShelly SchulzJulie Lynn HayesMatthias Williamson

Welcome Rhiannon Wellman to the Blog!

Welcome, Riannon Wellman! Riannon vistis today to talk about one of the stories she is currently working on.
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Book Name Word Count Day 1 Word Count Today Difference Moon Bound 0 941 941 A Dirty Weekend 333 1483 1135 Writers Block 178 548 370 Out of Uniform and into Love 4504 4614 110
 Published or Bust!! Day 14.
Today I'm going to tell you a little about one of the stories I'm attempting to get written this month. We've already talked about A Dirty Weekend, so today I've picked 'Out of Uniform and into Love'.This story came about purely because I can't resist a man in uniform. I mean who can right! They're all tight in the right places….. Sorry, got distracted a bit there. :DAnyway, I wanted a story that focused on the love story and the fact they were in the military was secondary to it. So I needed to get my men alone. Harry and Sebastian are the best of friends, since the day they met at basic training. But a weekend alone with a bottle or two of whiskey, well confessions are bound to come out. Where they lead to… Well you'll just have to find out.Harry and Sabastian finally got to the end of the cue in the mess hall and grabbed there meal, they found an empty table. Sabastian started to inhale his meal almost as soon as his butt touched the chair. "Can you even taste what you're eating?" Harry asked amused. "Sometimes it's better that I can't taste it." Sabastian grimaced. "Never were truer words spoken my friend." Harry laughed."I know that look, what are you planning?"Harry did his best to look innocent. "Nothing.""You can't lie for shit. What's going on?""What are you planning for your shore leave next week? Harry asked slyly."Why? What did you have in mind?" Sebastian was suspicious, He'd knew Harry better than he knew himself or so it felt like sometimes. He knew when Harry was planning something."Well I thought, as we have two weeks off we could take a week of it and go camping. We'd get to see more of Spain than the base and the embassy." Sebastian had to admit it wasn't a bad idea. "Where did you have in mind?""There's some woods not far away. We can get all the camping equipment from stores and pick up some food from the shops. Come on it will be fun." Sebastian couldn't help but laugh at the pleading in Harry's voice. "Wow you must be really desperate to get away from here coming up with this."Harry shrugged. "Are you in or not?""Are you going to go on your own if I say no?" He asked knowingly."Would I do that?" Harry's lips twitched as if he was trying not to smile."Yes, yes you would. Fine I'll come."
***"Remind me why we're doing this again?"

 "Harry, would you just shut up. This was your damn idea not mine." "Are you sure?" Sebastian could hear in the tone of Harry's voice that he knew damn well that this had all been his idea. "I'm positive. I remember the conversation clearly. You said. 'We have two weeks leave why don't we go camping together.' And I'm almost sure the words, 'it will be fun' were in there too." "We'll its better than staying on base for two weeks. You know what the NCO's are like. They'd have us doing stuff when we could be sleeping in or relaxing." "Right and sitting in a tiny tent in the rain is sooo much better." Sabastian said sarcastically.  "How was I supposed to know it was going to rain? It's barely rained in all the time we've been here. At least it didn't start until tonight. It could have been worse at least the tent was up, and we have plenty of food and the stove in the porch." 
##
I'd love to know what you think of the beginning of this story. I'm having a lot of fun with it.
If you want to follow the daily posts you can find a list on my blog, I'll update links as we go, so if you miss a day don't worry you can find it here:
http://rhiannonwellman.blogspot.co.uk/p/blog-page.html
You can also find me on facebook https://www.facebook.com/RhiannonWellman

Buy link:https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-redonthemoon-1414906-340.html

 

Wednesday Briefs #20 The Hollow: Soul Seekers

Copyright 2014 JC Wallace
Before we get to the weekly flash, I have news! My previous flash story, Diventando: The Vessel is now available as an eBook from Amber Allure! Get it here.

Now onto the flashing! Each week a group of authors participate weekly in Wednesday Briefs Flash Fiction. Each installment is 500-1000 words long and is posted to our blogs each week. After you read the latest in my story, click on the links at the end to visit the other flashers.

~~~~~*~~~~~ Levi tossed and turned most of the night. The dark eyed man, his touch, the crushing pressure in his presence. Was it even in the realm of possibility that another person could create such a mind-crushing, physical reaction in Levi’s body because to say it aloud was just…crazy. No. His mind was playing tricks on him in his assent into madness and he was grasping at explanations based in reality. So why had the man touched Levi? Strangers rarely go around touching each other. Well, Levi had been crying out in pain. Maybe he’d been trying to help. But Levi couldn’t forget the surge of energy – bone crushing electricity – that had rushed through his being when that dark-haired harbinger of death had laid a hand on Levi. Coincidence? If so, it was a scary, unbelievable coincidence. And what about the woman’s reaction in the store? Now that was beyond scary. It was as if her aged eyes had looked straight through to Levi’s soul. ‘Hollow. Empty. Unfeeling.’ “Not even human,” Levi said aloud to the darkness. “Senz’anima.” Those words rang with familiarity in his ears. Italian. How did he know that? And where had he heard them before? School? Yes. But where? In class. Dr. Winston’s Philosophy 101. An article they had discussed in class, what was it about? He threw the covers off, switching the light on. In his closet, he pulled out boxes that Logan had packed away from his dorm at Plattsburgh State. Levi hadn’t even been able to return to get his belongings so Logan and Melissa had made the trek to retrieve his stuff. Sifting through the boxes of books, notebooks and papers, Levi knew what he was looking for, if only he could lay his hands on it. His philosophy folder and his philosophy book didn’t hold the answer. His notebook. He sifted through the pages of handwritten notes. At first, the pages were filled with extensive writing for each class he’d attended, each dated. As he flipped further, the dates became farther between. Classes he’d missed. The sections of notes getting shorter, spoke of the anxiety and panic following him into the classroom, becoming his sole focus. Scanning his notes, he turned page after page. That word was there he knew it but when had it been discussed in class. Then it caught his eye, on top of the page dated October twenty-fifth, in between doodles of some strange symbols he had no recollection of drawing. Senz’anima - soulless. Nothing else was on the page. He flipped page after page but nothing else was written about the word. Closing his eyes, he tried to remember the content from the article but the word was all he could see. He frowned. Why would that old woman call him that? Levi rose with the notebook and grabbed his laptop, taking them both to his bed. Sitting back against his pillow, he typed the Italian word into the search engine adding the quotes. The search results were in Italian. Opening another window, Levi pulled up Google Translator and with the translated page, he searched the short synopsis under each search result. One was a chapter of a fiction book, another about vampires, a question pertaining to the soul-stealing Dementors in the Harry Potter novels, a Facebook page mentioning the words, another proclaiming the Euro as soulless money. Levi had to chuckle at how the word soul was attributed to so many different subjects, but nothing he saw recalled the article his teacher had passed out and discussed. Switching to the English translation, he typed “soulless” into the search engine. First, a definition of “soulless” from a dictionary, a Victorian romance with the same name, a band in Cleveland Ohio, a computer game, more books. Back to the definition. 1. A person lacking sensitivity or humanizing qualities. 2. Lacking facility for deep feeling. 3. Heartless; mechanical. Damn, if that didn’t speak directly to the very essence of who Levi was except, maybe the part about lacking humanizing qualities. Maybe the old woman was empathic or something and had sensed the emptiness, the lack of emotion in Levi. This didn’t make him soulless and did little to reassure him of the woman’s intent. Levi typed “soulless person” into the search engine. A word in the title of the first website smacked against him. Psychopath. He let out a nervous laugh to ease the tension inside but what if…? No way. Yet, after what he’d felt toward Noah, a savage raging primal anger laced with the covetous desire to own him and destroy him all at the same time, definitely sounded like a psychopath. A notification box popped up on his computer screen. A Facebook message from Dr. Winston? It wasn’t odd that she’d sent Levi a message since they chatted online often. What wasodd was the timing. Levi clicked on the box and the message opened. Levi gasped covering his mouth with a shaky hand. “I know about the man who is following you. Come to my office at noon tomorrow. It’s urgent." ## Click here to read posts by the other flashers or click on the names below:
M.A. ChurchKazy ReedCarol PedrosoLM BrownAvery DawesJon KeysJohayanCia NordwellRavon SilviusNephylimVictoria AdamsShelly SchulzElyzabeth VaLeyTali SpencerJulie Lynn Hayes 

Welcome Max Vos on the GRL Dirty Dozen Blog Tour!

  Welcome to the blog Max Vos on the GRL Dirty Dozen Blog Tour. We are a group of authors who are going to GRL as Supporting Authors. We all got together and came up with questions we all will answer on the tour. Here are Max's answers. TM ~ What inspires you most when you are writing?It can be just about anything. Once it was a guy on a motorcycle. Tempeste ~ What brought you to write m/m? What keeps you writing in this genre?After retiring, I was bored and started reading. Then a friend suggested I try writing. Carter ~ Of all the characters you've written, who is your favorite and why?I think my favorite is Johnny Milloway from My Hero. He is just so basic and down to earth. LE ~ Many of us have pen names that we use and there are an infinite number of ways and reasons behind them, but I doubt many of them reflect the names we wish we’d been born with.  If you could micro-manage the ultimate do-over, what birth name do you want? What nickname?Actually, I’m quite happy with the name I have. I don’t really care what you call me as long as you call me for dinner. Morticia ~ Name one unusual fact about yourself that you think your readers would be surprised to learn.My major in college was classical music. Rafe Haze:  "What do you do that most injurs the progress of your writing, and why do you do it?"Playing outside. I do it because I can!          Jeff ~ If you had to trade writing for another creative pursuit, what would it be?Since this is my second career, I think I already did that. I was a chef, now I write. Max ~ In one sentence, write the beginning of a sex scene using some kind of food. Think of it as your hook.“You are one hot tamale, Juan but I think I’d prefer you a little spicier,” Jethro said holding up a bottle of hot sauce, his eyebrows wagging mischievously. Wade ~ Name one of your favorite characters of all time that someone else wrote. Can be M/M or any genre.Has to be Mammy from Gone With the Wind. JC ~ If you could be one of your characters, who would you be and why?Hawk, from Hawk –n- Harley. He’s just a butch badass biker dude. Diana ~ How many versions of a book do you usually write before you arrive at ‘the one’, and how does your editor impact that?I only write one version. The editor has to deal with it. Ethan ~ If you came with a warning label, what would it be?WARNING: He bites! ## Enter the Giveaway:TM ~ ebook copy, winners choice and a signed rack card.Tempeste ~ ebook copy, winners choiceEthan ~ ebook copy, winners choiceMorticia ~ ebook copy, winners choiceJeff ~ ebook copy of Hat TrickWade ~ ebook copy, winners choiceJC ~ 1 winner ebook copies of all 3 JCW booksCarter ~ ebook copy, winners choiceMax ~ ebook copy, winners choice

 a Rafflecopter giveaway
  Date ~ Author                                is Hosting Author Sept 1 ~ Max.Vos                              Carter QuinnSept 4 ~ diana.copland                       TM SmithSept 7 ~  JC Wallace                          Max VosSept 10 ~  Jeff Adams                        Diana CoplandSept 12 ~  le.franks                             JC WallaceSept 15 ~  Ethanstone                          Jeff AdamsSept 18 ~  writerwadekelly                  LE FranksSept 21 ~  Morticia Knight                   Ethan StoneSept 23 ~  tempeste.oriley                   Wade KellySept 25 ~  rafehaze                             Morticia KnightSept 28 ~ Carter Quinn                       Tempeste O’RileySept 30 ~ TM Smith                            Rafe Haze 

Max Vos is a classically trained chef with over 30 years of food service experience. After retiring in 2011, Max found himself with time on his hands and was urged to turn his talents to writing. ‘Cooking English’, a short story, was his first published work, and since then Ravenous Romance have published five more of his short stories. His first novel, P.O.W. was released October, 2013 with MLR Press. His second novel, My Hero was a best seller and has just been recently been released in French.
You will find everything in a Max Vos story. He can go from sweet and sexy, even raunchy, to powerful, raw and gritty—something for all tastes.
Max has recently authored a free novella for Goodreads “Love Has No Boundaries”, which can be downloaded here.  http://www.mmromancegroup.com/?p=10937?age-verified=37d93de2be
Max’s latest book ‘My Hero’ was just released on All Romance eBooks and Amazon.


You can keep up with him by reading his weekly blog posts here: http://max-vos.blogspot.com/  and on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/max.vos.393
 


Release Day for Diventando: The Vessel!

Diventando: The Vessel is now available from Amber Allure. Owen McIntyre is no stranger to the Grim Reaper. Diagnosed with leukemia at the age of fifteen, he's spent the last ten years slowly dying. With only two weeks until his next checkup, Owen’s body is already warning him that he is no longer in remission. Tired of the countless meds and chemo, not to mention the way his family coddles him, he decides to live and die on his own terms and forgo treatment. When he meets a lively college professor named Turk, conquering the man becomes part of Owen’s bucket list. But as Owen gets to know Turk, he starts to see him as more than a fling, a luxury that a dying man doesn’t have. But what if, suddenly, everything Owen knew to be true turned out to be a web of lies and deceit—even his diagnosis of cancer? Taken hostage, tied to a bed and subjected to painful experimentation, Owen's nightmare of leukemia is a far cry from the horrors he will face. No longer able to trust anyone in his life, including Turk, Owen is alone and cut off from the world. He has to make the hard decision to trust those who have betrayed him, including Turk (who he cares for deeply), or die a lonely death. With time running out, he’ll not only fight to live, but fight to want to live again, and even that might not be enough to save him from the evil that lurks inside. Enter the Diventando: The Vessel Blog Tour Giveaway