I wanted to post something today, but I really had no idea what...So I decided on good old writing snippets.
These are from my Nano novel, so it's not fully edited and stuff :)
--
\\
it's a flashback\\
I lay on the grass, gazing up at the starry sky, my father next to me, giving me warmth and security.
“How many stars are in the sky?” me childish voice asks.
“No one has ever counted. Maybe because there’s too many to count.”
“Daddy?”
“Yes, Hadyn?”
“Why
did those men kill Sari’s entire family today? She didn’t do anything
wrong, and neither did her little brother. Why did they kill them
also?”
“No, Sari didn’t do anything wrong, but her parents did.
Her father broke the law and that’s something we must never do. Those
laws have been put in places to protect us, and we need them.”
“Why?”
He
thinks about that for a minute. “Because men in power put them there to
keep us safe. You’re only eight; I don’t expect you to fully
understand yet.”
“I get it. But I have one more question. What makes those men in power better than us?”
“Nothing,
they are just men, like us. And no man is perfect, no matter how hard
they try. But you, Hadyn, your name means ‘little fire’, and someday
you’re going to share that fire with the world in an amazing way. I
don’t know how, but it’s in here.” He gently touchs my heart. “Use it
wisely, my sweet angel. Promise me that.”
My lips curl into a small smile. “I promise.”
I
fall asleep there and his strong arms pick me up and carry me to my
room. He sets me down on my bed gently, as if he was setting a thin
piece of glass on nails. He kisses my forehead and brushes the golden
strands of hair back from my face.
“Goodnight, my little fire.”
I,
having never been truly asleep, open one eye and watch my father
leave. I had never felt so safe in my life. My dad was there, and he
was never leaving me.
Four years later, I stand by the window in
my room, my face pressed against the frosty pane. My mother sits on the
front porch, weeping, as Dad rides off in the distance, alone. The
only steady force in my life is leaving and I never had felt so alone.
--
“What happened to your mother?” I gently ask.
“I don’t want to talk about it. I'm sorry. Maybe someday I'll tell you, but not today. Or soon. It’s a very fresh wound.”
“Even
though it happened years ago.” He looks confused, and I decide to
explain. “You know, three years when I met you in the forest. You were
sitting there, crying. I think our pain on that day was what connected
us.”
“I remember.” He gently takes my hand in his, but I don’t
pull away. The attitude has shifted and we’re no longer yelling. It’s
sweeter, kinder. “You weren’t crying, though.”
“I never cry. It shows weakness.”
“But we’re all naturally weak.”
“I can't be.”
“But we all are. It’s human.” Damon brings my hand closer to his chest. “It’s natural for us to need someone to rely on.”
“I
don’t need anyone.” The words fall out, but they’re all lies. I can't
lie to him anymore. No one is listening. I can afford to be vulnerable
for once, can't I?
“Hadyn.” He lets go of my hand and gently brushes me cheek, looking into my eyes with warmth and compassion.
All
of the emotion bursts out of me. All the pain I've been dealing with.
My mother’s death. My father’s betrayal. I fall into his arms,
letting just one tear slip out of my eyes. “I can't do this alone.
You’re my best friend in the entire world.” A knot catches in my throat
and I struggle to continue. “I love you.”
“I love you too, Hadyn.” He holds me close and doesn’t let go for a long, long time.
--
Hopefully tomorrow, I'll actually have something to say. Besides lousy snippets :P
-Abigail
Back cover copy:
