First Glimpse

All right ya'll (I've always wanted to say that even though I'm from Minnesota so I really should be saying Hay der - really draw out the haaaaay, it's a long 'a' sound), but it's Sunday! Which means you're either bummed because it's the end of the weekend, or you're living it up before another Monday knocks on our doors. Either way, happy Sunday!

I've been updating my word count for everyone, just to keep you, and myself, on track with my new manuscript, but I've yet to release any details of my story. I've been asked a lot... when are you going to share??? So since I've passed 200 pages, today I'm giving you a brief preview of what's to come.

*I do have proprietary rights to this, and it cannot be copied or shared without author permission.

ENJOY!

Tala’s eyes opened slowly. She felt lightheaded, her mind covered in a thick fog. Her eyes struggled to focus on anything around her and something strong was pulling her back to sleep. She closed her eyes again, feeling a warmth around her and she began to drift off.

            Tala was woken with a start. She was moving quickly, faster than she ever had before. Fire burned all around her. The large flames licked the walls, higher and higher, reaching for the ceiling. She tried to take a breath, but the air was too hot, too thick with smoke, and she coughed instead. Her lungs began to burn in her chest. But before she could try for another breath of air, she burst through the back door, her small body flung onto the concrete patio. She skinned her knees, elbows, and palms, but didn’t notice. She turned just in time to make out the shape of a person, a man, going into the burning house.

            Taking in the fresh air in gulps, Tala crawled, bleeding, across the patio to the grassy lawn. It was damp when her skin reached it and she collapsed into a heap. Her surroundings began to slip away from her. She tried to fight it, but the darkness was strong and overtaking her. She blinked erratically but couldn’t keep it from consuming her. It was so strong.

            Tala woke a few moments later as Thias was laid beside her in the grass. She reached out for his lifeless hand, feeling it warm in her palm as she gripped it tightly. And then there was a boom, so loud that all that was left in Tala’s ears afterward was a loud, high pitched ringing. Debris began falling all around them, but neither she nor Thias could move. She lay in the wet grass and clasped her brother’s hand hoping it wasn’t the end.

            From somewhere in the distance, she picked up the faint sound of a new ringing. It started to grow, louder and louder and she realized they were sirens. She covered her mouth with her spare hand, shielding herself from the falling ash as she took in deep breaths, coughing in between. The pull of the darkness was dissipating, and she glanced around, and in a moment so brief, she made out the dilapidated figure of a young man, a boy, about her age. She tried to call out to him and then, just like that, he was gone.