Post by šωιƒту on Jul 31, 2009 22:39:41 GMT -5
Here's what I have so far on a book I've decided to write. Don't be afraid to post your comments or suggestions.
Darkness Rising
Preface
Wind rolled across the moorland. It howled through every hollow and badger set, over every little puddle of water. The wind misses nothing, never.
Aden Landing slipped from the shadows. He wore a black cloak, so he blended perfectly with the night.
A pair of eyes glowed through the moor’s grass. A cat. To be precise, a black cat with ice blue eyes. Aden’s best friend, but no, not his pet- just his… just his friend, yes.
Before we go on, let me ask you this. Could you possibly imagine a world where humans can speak to animals? Sounds silly, doesn’t it?
You’re betraying your imagination if you said no. If you said no, stop reading now. There’s no point in going on.
If you said yes, well done. Read on.
Well, Aden is one of those people. He has no pets, but yet… can talk to animals. Yes, actually strike up conversation with them. He lives along the barge, so there are many river creatures to speak with, including Phantom, the black cat, who lives in Aden’s shed. You could say Phantom is a pet, more or less. But no, not really. He sleeps in the shed. But he catches his own food, finds his own water, does everything himself, most of the time. Although he does let Aden pet him… so a pet, but not a pet, choose what you wish to call him.
How many people in this world are like Aden? Not many. But shouldn’t we get back to those two before something happens?
Aden and Phantom walked side by side through the shadows. The darkness enveloped the pair until all you could see were Phantom’s eyes.
As they walked along, it grew steadily darker. It had only been just after twilight when they had first come out of the trees, but they had been walking so long, it had to be close to midnight. It had been getting dark much later lately…
Finally Aden and Phantom reached their destination; a cave opening yawned in front of them. It looked like a dog’s mouth, opening it’s jaws to swallow any creature unlucky enough to go in.
But Aden did not step in- instead, he lit a match and held it in front of the opening. Bats fluttered out, but the thirteen-year-old boy ignored them and glared, determined, into the endless black.
Suddenly, a screech split the night. Something swooped over Aden’s head, trying to grab him with it’s talons. Caught off guard, Aden dropped the match. It rolled off the stony floor leading up to the cave mouth and onto the moorland grass.
The thing with talons flew away. Too big to be anything Aden knew of… it certainly hadn’t been an owl…
Suddenly the moor burst into flames. Phantom hissed, then scurried up a tree nearby. It was growing on top of the cave- grass covered the roof of it- and Aden decided to climb up too, for the greedy flames couldn’t reach him or the cat if they stayed there.
Aden sat there for twenty minutes. Phantom came to his lap. Finally, they both climbed down. Forced to take the long way home, they set out. Thunder boomed in the distance, promising rain to put out the fire Aden had started.
Aden had realized what he’d done. But he didn’t try to dwell on it too much. It wasn’t necessarily the first time he’d done something like this… but he was sure he’d ever done anything this bad.
Phantom kept his thoughts to himself the whole way back to the city. The cat knew that Aden’s troubles were for Aden to sort out, but sometimes Phantom wanted to reassure the boy, tell him that nothing was going to happen, but the he kept his mouth shut. Always did, even if he wanted to say something… anything… just to make the boy see that everything would turn out right.
Soon the lights of the city came in sight. It was more of a town, a village if you will, right along a little river. It’s lantern lights glowed in the darkness, and the quiet left Aden more uneasy then when he started the fire. When the boy looked back, he would see the flames reaching out for the forest… thunder cracked again.
Aden told Phantom good-night, then slipped through the back door of his house. He took the cloak off, hanging it on a hook by the tiny little stove his mom cooked on. A black pot sat on it, stew leftover from dinner sitting in it. Aden sniffed it, then started up the stairs.
“And where are you going, young man?”
The boy whirled around. His dad was sitting in a chair by the fireplace- and he didn’t look happy.
“Yes, I knew you snuck off. ‘I’m going to the river’ you said, and where do you run off to? You went in the direction of the moor. I saw you disappear over the rise.”
Aden remained silent for a moment, and then said, “I was… I was just going to see if I could catch any rabbits.”
“With a traveling cloak?”
It’s a long way to the moorland,” Aden began indignantly, “and-”
He was cut short by a glare from his father.
“I’m sorry,” he mumbled.
Suddenly, a voice called from upstairs, “David! Is Aden down there? He’s not in his bed!”
“Yes, Lucy, he’s here. I caught him sneaking in.”
“It’s one o’ clock in the morning!” Lucy whisked down the stairs and gave Aden a hard look. “You snuck out again?” She sounded exasperated, maybe even annoyed, as she looked at the boy in front of her.
“I was thinking maybe I would catch a rabbit.”
“Really?” Lucy glared at her son once more, but then her gaze softened. “Get to bed. Now.”
Aden looked to his father, who nodded. He started up the stairs, catching only bits and pieces of his parents’ conversation, which included the words “Aden- Boarding School- No!- A Pet-” and Aden was up the stairs before he could hear the rest. He just hoped this wasn’t anything bad. But, honestly, how can you when your parents are using your name and “Boarding School” in the same sentence?
CHARACTER BIOS
Aden Landing-
A tall, smart boy with short black hair and brown eyes. Ancestors are Italian, but you can’t trace it in his voice at all; you have to look at him to tell.
Father: David Landing
Mother: Lucy Henrie
Age: Thirteen
Personality:
Funny, kind, but likes to keep to himself. He may confide in Phantom once in a blue moon, but not usually.
Aden is very smart, but doesn’t concentrate too much in school. He doesn’t have to. In his town, there is only school three times a week, and Aden breezes through easily.
Aden only has two close friends; Raeven, thirteen, and Jake, fourteen. They stick with Aden through everything, but don’t know he can talk to animals. To them, he’s just like any other outcast.
AUTHOR NOTES ABOUT ADEN LANDING:
I imagined his voice to sound like Wilbur’s from the animated movie “Meet the Robinsons”. I formed his looks, but then I realized he looks a bit like Wilbur, too.
It's not very good so far, but some of the greatest books get off at rocky starts. Just tell me what you think.
Darkness Rising
Preface
Wind rolled across the moorland. It howled through every hollow and badger set, over every little puddle of water. The wind misses nothing, never.
Aden Landing slipped from the shadows. He wore a black cloak, so he blended perfectly with the night.
A pair of eyes glowed through the moor’s grass. A cat. To be precise, a black cat with ice blue eyes. Aden’s best friend, but no, not his pet- just his… just his friend, yes.
Before we go on, let me ask you this. Could you possibly imagine a world where humans can speak to animals? Sounds silly, doesn’t it?
You’re betraying your imagination if you said no. If you said no, stop reading now. There’s no point in going on.
If you said yes, well done. Read on.
Well, Aden is one of those people. He has no pets, but yet… can talk to animals. Yes, actually strike up conversation with them. He lives along the barge, so there are many river creatures to speak with, including Phantom, the black cat, who lives in Aden’s shed. You could say Phantom is a pet, more or less. But no, not really. He sleeps in the shed. But he catches his own food, finds his own water, does everything himself, most of the time. Although he does let Aden pet him… so a pet, but not a pet, choose what you wish to call him.
How many people in this world are like Aden? Not many. But shouldn’t we get back to those two before something happens?
Aden and Phantom walked side by side through the shadows. The darkness enveloped the pair until all you could see were Phantom’s eyes.
As they walked along, it grew steadily darker. It had only been just after twilight when they had first come out of the trees, but they had been walking so long, it had to be close to midnight. It had been getting dark much later lately…
Finally Aden and Phantom reached their destination; a cave opening yawned in front of them. It looked like a dog’s mouth, opening it’s jaws to swallow any creature unlucky enough to go in.
But Aden did not step in- instead, he lit a match and held it in front of the opening. Bats fluttered out, but the thirteen-year-old boy ignored them and glared, determined, into the endless black.
Suddenly, a screech split the night. Something swooped over Aden’s head, trying to grab him with it’s talons. Caught off guard, Aden dropped the match. It rolled off the stony floor leading up to the cave mouth and onto the moorland grass.
The thing with talons flew away. Too big to be anything Aden knew of… it certainly hadn’t been an owl…
Suddenly the moor burst into flames. Phantom hissed, then scurried up a tree nearby. It was growing on top of the cave- grass covered the roof of it- and Aden decided to climb up too, for the greedy flames couldn’t reach him or the cat if they stayed there.
Aden sat there for twenty minutes. Phantom came to his lap. Finally, they both climbed down. Forced to take the long way home, they set out. Thunder boomed in the distance, promising rain to put out the fire Aden had started.
Aden had realized what he’d done. But he didn’t try to dwell on it too much. It wasn’t necessarily the first time he’d done something like this… but he was sure he’d ever done anything this bad.
Phantom kept his thoughts to himself the whole way back to the city. The cat knew that Aden’s troubles were for Aden to sort out, but sometimes Phantom wanted to reassure the boy, tell him that nothing was going to happen, but the he kept his mouth shut. Always did, even if he wanted to say something… anything… just to make the boy see that everything would turn out right.
Soon the lights of the city came in sight. It was more of a town, a village if you will, right along a little river. It’s lantern lights glowed in the darkness, and the quiet left Aden more uneasy then when he started the fire. When the boy looked back, he would see the flames reaching out for the forest… thunder cracked again.
Aden told Phantom good-night, then slipped through the back door of his house. He took the cloak off, hanging it on a hook by the tiny little stove his mom cooked on. A black pot sat on it, stew leftover from dinner sitting in it. Aden sniffed it, then started up the stairs.
“And where are you going, young man?”
The boy whirled around. His dad was sitting in a chair by the fireplace- and he didn’t look happy.
“Yes, I knew you snuck off. ‘I’m going to the river’ you said, and where do you run off to? You went in the direction of the moor. I saw you disappear over the rise.”
Aden remained silent for a moment, and then said, “I was… I was just going to see if I could catch any rabbits.”
“With a traveling cloak?”
It’s a long way to the moorland,” Aden began indignantly, “and-”
He was cut short by a glare from his father.
“I’m sorry,” he mumbled.
Suddenly, a voice called from upstairs, “David! Is Aden down there? He’s not in his bed!”
“Yes, Lucy, he’s here. I caught him sneaking in.”
“It’s one o’ clock in the morning!” Lucy whisked down the stairs and gave Aden a hard look. “You snuck out again?” She sounded exasperated, maybe even annoyed, as she looked at the boy in front of her.
“I was thinking maybe I would catch a rabbit.”
“Really?” Lucy glared at her son once more, but then her gaze softened. “Get to bed. Now.”
Aden looked to his father, who nodded. He started up the stairs, catching only bits and pieces of his parents’ conversation, which included the words “Aden- Boarding School- No!- A Pet-” and Aden was up the stairs before he could hear the rest. He just hoped this wasn’t anything bad. But, honestly, how can you when your parents are using your name and “Boarding School” in the same sentence?
CHARACTER BIOS
Aden Landing-
A tall, smart boy with short black hair and brown eyes. Ancestors are Italian, but you can’t trace it in his voice at all; you have to look at him to tell.
Father: David Landing
Mother: Lucy Henrie
Age: Thirteen
Personality:
Funny, kind, but likes to keep to himself. He may confide in Phantom once in a blue moon, but not usually.
Aden is very smart, but doesn’t concentrate too much in school. He doesn’t have to. In his town, there is only school three times a week, and Aden breezes through easily.
Aden only has two close friends; Raeven, thirteen, and Jake, fourteen. They stick with Aden through everything, but don’t know he can talk to animals. To them, he’s just like any other outcast.
AUTHOR NOTES ABOUT ADEN LANDING:
I imagined his voice to sound like Wilbur’s from the animated movie “Meet the Robinsons”. I formed his looks, but then I realized he looks a bit like Wilbur, too.
It's not very good so far, but some of the greatest books get off at rocky starts. Just tell me what you think.
