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| The Beautiful Blogger Award |
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| Because a picture of a kid with chocolate on his face is always cute, right? :-D |
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| I'm writing, I'm writing! |
“You wan’ them off?” Bo asked. He was pointing at the shackles around Gunnar’s ankles.
Gunnar noticed for the first time that Bo’s were already off.
“How’d you do that?” he asked.
Bo scooted over to Gunnar’s feet. He held up the bracelet of twigs he’d made the day Kolina first learned how to use The Sight. “Like I said, I though’ I’d need ‘em.”
Gunnar laughed. “How did you know?”
One of the restraints fell away as Bo said, “Dunno. Someone once tol’ me I was klepto-voyant. Seems to be true, though i’ doesn’ show i’self much lately.”
Gunnar thought about the word, klepto-voyant. “Have you ever taken anything of mine?”
The other shackle came loose and Bo said, “Oh, yeah. Once I took your belt on a whim, an’ the nex’ day I used i’ to prove my point on a bet in one o’ the towns we wen’ through. Won me some gold on tha’ one.”
Gunnar’s jaw dropped. “I went belt-less for two days because of that! Where’s the gold? You owe me at least half.”
Bo laughed. “I don’ owe you a single piece, boy. 'S no’ my fault your pants don’ fit.”:-D
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| The Author |
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| Book One: Risen |
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| Book Two: Return |
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| The Set! |
I clenched my leg muscles to relieve the stiffness. I dared not move to stretch. I didn’t want to disturb the leaves and branches hiding me. I sucked on a long piece grass to distract from my hunger and desire for a cigarette.
The sun had gone down. I knew she would appear soon. I always came here as often as possible just to see her. It’s an addiction – one of my many. Smoking, drinking, sex – I’d give them all up for one look into her eyes. Sometimes I think I only do those things to numb the pain. She never looks at me.
And why should she? I’m not the captain of the football team, or even of the chess team. I’m just a nobody that the high school girls don’t pay attention to unless they’re drunk.
A light began to glow beyond my hiding place. My eyes fixed onto the top of the stairs.
Within the white light appeared a shimmer of pink. It stretched to the height of the woman before the dark line of her hair broke through. She materialized before my eyes.
I didn’t know what she was. Some of my guesses included nymph, faerie, dryad, or siren. Perhaps she was Calypso, or Aphrodite reincarnated. All I knew for certain was she was beautiful, and I could not be satisfied until I spoke to her.
Slowly, she descended the stone steps. Her dress was sheer. It always gave me a knot in my stomach. I’d seen women unclothed before, but this was different. It gave me chills. I felt like a hormone-crazed fourteen-year-old again.
But it wasn’t her body that brought me back so often. It was those eyes. Dark, deep black eyes. I could never see any white in them.
She flowed. Every movement purposeful, yet patient.
Then she turned toward me. Her black eyes fixed on mine for the first time.
I froze. Whether I could not move, or would not, I couldn’t tell.
Then she spoke, “You will die.”
I felt sure she was right. I didn’t mind.----------------------
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| *back to the keyboard* *click click clickety click* |
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| Cheesily done cover... by me. |
“I still don’t understand why you’re doing this.”
“You wouldn’t – you’re a bird.”
“Excuse me! I am currently a bird. I have feelings for girls just like you do for this guy. I just don’t think putting on a show is the way to catch him.”
“I’ve heard your opinion, Eli, and I don’t like it. You can stop trying to convince me otherwise.”
He flies away.
The ground is rough on my bare feet. It’s a warm night. I know that just over the next ridge I’ll find them. Adam is “out with the boys” tonight, having a bonfire at the river. I can hear them laughing, playing their guitars together.
We’ve been dating for a year. So I thought he’d believe me. But when I tried to tell him I’m a witch, he just laughed.
I laughed too, pretending it had been a joke. But he’d believe me this time.
I adjust the strap on my tank-top, and pull my wand from a pocket in my skirt. I peek over the ridge and see the group, all seated on lawn chairs around a huge fire. There are ten of them. I hear an ahem, and look up to see my brother Eli, now in human form, sitting on a branch.
“Kate, don’t do this. You’ll get caught.”
“Says who?” I whisper. “You’re not going to tell anyone.”
“No, but they have ways of finding out, even here.”
My resolve shakes for a moment. “No, I have to! He has to know.”
“Wait,” he says, jumping down. “Let me scare off his friends first. They don’t need to know.”
I consider this. “You’re right. Go ahead.”
“I’ll give you green sparks when they’re all out.”
I watch as he morphs into the bird again and flies away. Suddenly he is dive bombing the guys around the fire. I smile, because Adam is laughing. He would find it funny.
Soon, Adam is standing, shouting to his friends through his laughter, “Come back, guys! The bird’s gone!”
I wait a moment longer, and see green sparks fly up above the trees beyond the bonfire clearing. That’s my cue.
I walk over the ridge and down the slope. “Hello, Adam.”
He turns at the sound of my voice. “Kate? What are you doing here?”
“Coming to show you something.” He sees my wand and looks at me, confused.
“Really?” he asks, raising his eyebrows. He’s trying to play it off like I’m going to seduce him.
“Yes. Do you remember the other day,” I start circling him, “When we joked about me being a witch?”
He shrugs and smiles, “Yeah, what about it?”
I stop and look at him seriously. “I wasn’t joking.”
He scoffs at me.
I point my wand at him.
He laughs out loud. “Kate, what are you doing?”
I smile. “Showing you something you never thought you’d see.”
I point my wand to the sky and shout, “Perriculum!”
Red sparks fly out of the tip, shining on Adam’s astounded face.
Then I say, “Lumos!” and my wand tip lights up like a firefly.
I move my wand back to his chest and say, “Nox.” The light goes out. “We’ve been dating for a year, Adam,” I say, now circling him again. “I thought you’d believe me before. But I hope you do now. And I hope it doesn’t change how you feel about me.”
“And if it does?” he asks, his eyes on my wand.
I stop walking and shrug. “I’ll make you forget I ever told you, then break up with you. You’ll never understand why.”
His gaze goes from my wand to my face. His eyes are sad. “I – I didn’t mean that, Kate.”
I stare back, confused. “Then what did you mean?”
“If you’ll take that stick away I’ll tell you.”
I lower my wand, slow and reluctant. Then face the ground.
“I meant,” he says, “That this is probably the coolest thing I’ve ever seen!”
I look to him again, my chest filled with excitement. “Really?”
“Um, yeah! What else can you do with that thing?”
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