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+ advice, fantasy, literature, Reading, Science Fiction, Urban Fantasy, Writing

Magnifica 4: Dark Redeption vs. Taryn

by Unknown's avatar

So for the most part, my reader base is used to me giving them answers to their queries about various topics in literature… or hearing me ramble on about whatever topic I can branch from my writing.

Well… today I wanted to do something different. I have two separate stories that I’ve been working on and am considering as the sequel to my first series, Magnifica. However, I’m having trouble deciding between the two, so I figured, hey, who better to give you input then the people who read your work? So here I am, offering a chapter from two very different stories that take place in the same universe, and either one could become Magnifica’s sequel.

Option 1:
Magnifica 4: Dark Redemption

So this story takes place concurrently with the events of Magnifica 3: Gravestalker. However, Toby, Lia’na, Gishan, Giselle, and Auro are no longer main characters. A scene or two has been taken from Gravestalker, however the story itself will be surrounding a whole new group of characters, with a fairly minor character from the previous books taking center stage.
You all remember Tom from the previous books. He was a member of Toby’s group who became outcast due to his lack of action when Lia’na was being assaulted in the first book. His guilt has been overwhelming and he seeks redemption. His friends; Jaime and Greggor, and a mysterious woman name Tearsa join him on his adventure through the deserted streets of Boston during the undead attack.
This story will incorporate an additional race, Vampires (I know… I know, Vampires suck…), into the fold with the races already present.

Option 2:
Taryn: The Legacy
Contains Spoilers if you haven’t read Magnifica 3 yet!
Set 125 years after the events of Magnifica, Taryn Arrigan is a direct descendant of the last enchanter. The government has covered up the events of her ancestor’s story, though she continues to preach what she knows in her heart was the truth. The Elven Race is now extinct with the exception of the half-quarter elves still living, including Taryn.
Taryn possess some of the natural abilities due to the remains of her elven heritage, but they are grossly inferior to those of a full elf.
This story will branch Fantasy with Science Fiction in that there will be technologies, including advanced AI personal assistance, hover cars, and other technologies not currently in existence. It will also include some background into the underground cities built, and long since abandoned by, the dwarven people. It will be revealed that a group of people are living down there still. These people however, are not dwarven and will be able to provide Taryn many of the missing answers of her past.

Note: Please don’t tell me I can do both! 🙂 As much as I would love to, writing each book is extremely time-consuming and I really only have enough time to focus on one. 

Sample Chapters:
Magnifica 4
Dark Redemption

I

I‘ve never been able to get passed what happened. It still seems like something out of a nightmare, but it wasn’t. It happened, I did it. I know I did. I helped him hurt her, and in doing so, I’ve damned myself… More than anything… I want to be forgiven, or at least find a way to redeem myself…

“Tom, snap out of it!” A voice yelled from behind. “What are you doing man?”

Tom turned around to see his friend Jayme standing behind him, “What’s up?”

Jayme brushed her thick brown hair back behind her ear, “I just asked if you were going to lunch. You didn’t answer and had a look on your face like you were a million miles away.”

Tom nodded, “I’m sorry, I was just thinking to myself.”

“About what happened?” Jayme asked in an accusing tone.

“Yeah.” Tom replied. “I still can’t get the look on her face or the anger in his eyes out of my head.”

“You let Michael do a number on that poor elf, and Toby made sure that you paid for it.” Jayme replied. “Look, it’s like I told you before, it happened, you can’t go back in time and change that, all you can do now is learn from it and try to live better. I’d also try to see if you can earn her forgiveness.”

Tom sighed as he spoke, “I know… you’ve said it before. I just don’t know what I can do.”

Jayme shrugged, “You never know.”

Jayme stood near Tom for a few minutes while he compiled his thoughts. After a few moments of boredom, she spoke up, “Are you doing lunch?”

Tom shook his head, “Nah, not today. I think I’ll just head back to my room.”

“Suit yourself.” Jayme replied. “I’m starving, so I’m heading that way. See you later!”

Tom really wasn’t in the mood to eat and needed time to compile his thoughts, “All right, have a good time.”

Jayme nodded and walked away. It was a cool September day. Autumn had just barely begun taking over as classes were once again starting at Arcanus. The trees were still green, but it was a light green that would soon give way to brighter colors.

Tom had been dreading the fall. He didn’t want to see Toby, Lia’na, or Michael. To him, they were nothing more than reminders of an awful mistake he’d made. He knew that what he’d done was wrong, he was suffering on his own for it, and didn’t need to be reminded of what happened.

Tom made his past the main campus center when he heard a n angry voice, “You’ll pay for that sharpy!”

Oh no… Tom thought to himself, recognizing the voice. It was Michael, no mistake about it, and by the sound of things, he’d come across Lia’na. What’s worse, it sounded like Toby wasn’t anywhere nearby.

Tom picked up his pace and began running. He made his way around to the lounge area where he saw Lia’na and Michael. The scene was exactly what Tom had feared.

Michael stood in front of Lia’na as his two friends held her by the arms. Michael balled his fist and was about to strike when his world suddenly blurred. There was intense pressure on his side and chest as he fell to the side.

It took him less than a second to figure out what was going on. Michael had been tackled. Toby was on top of him with his fists clenched. The first blow impacted on Michael’s stomach while the second on his chin.

Tom continued running as the other two guys released Lia’na and tried to help, but the first one got a left hook to the stomach from Gishan. Tom knew that while they both knew how to defend themselves, but Michael’s dwarven friend was still free and closing in on Gishan.

Tom quickly moved in, tackled the third companion, and pinned him to the ground. The dwarf looked up with an angry look, “What the hell man?”

Tom smiled as he held the dwarf down, “Easy there, Griz, don’t do anything stupid.”

After a few seconds, Toby let up on Michael and backed away. The look on his face made Michael’s blood run cold. His face was red with black eyes. Michael struggled to his feet as he was joined by his friend who was released from Gishan’s grip. Michael sneered as he looked at Toby, “Very nice Toby, fucking jump me from behind! I still can’t believe you’re dating that… sharpy!”

Toby clenched his jaw and spoke in an inhuman voice, “Animal… you’ve lead a sheltered life with parents who hate for no reason other than to hate. You know nothing about the world outside of your bubble and you never will!”

Tom released Griz and backed away slowly when he heard Toby’s voice. What the…?

Michael scoffed, “I’m the animal? That sharpy and her people are the ones responsible for us being where we are today. They deserved the disease they got and they should stay on the reservations!”

Gishan shook his head, “That shit is ancient history from long before you or she was even born! She’s as responsible for the collapse of the Alliance as you or I would be.”

Michael wasn’t sure he wanted to say anymore. Toby looked like a ticking time bomb and that demonic voice he spoke with made things even worse, “Oh please Gishan, why should I listen to you? What are you going to do about anything? You want to try to take me on?”

Tom stood up and took a step forward. Michael had been his friend since he first attended Arcanus, but he’d known Gishan for many years before that and was not about to let him get beaten. He stepped out in front of his old friend, “If he doesn’t, I will.”

Lia’na saw Tom and nervously stepped closer to Toby. Michael looked at him in shock, “Tom, since when are you a sharpy lover?”

Tom looked at Lia’na for a second before turning back to Michael, “I’m not, but I’m also not so small that I would resort to assault or rape! Had I known that’s what you were planning, I never would have gone along with it. I’m not much better than you, but I am better. If you try to go after Toby or Gishan, you’ll have to deal with me.”

Gishan looked over at him, “Tom, what are you doing?”

“What I should have done months ago.” Tom replied without looking over.

Michael nodded and turned back to Lia’na, “Someday sharpy…”

Toby‘s hand began to glow black as he bolted forward and grabbed Michael by the throat. He spoke in the same dark voice, “Listen to me very carefully… if you ever… ever try to lay a finger on her… I will make sure you are never found!”

Tom backed away slowly as Michael choked under his grasp, but could not fight away. Toby’s concentration was broken when he heard Lia’na cry out, “Toby, stop!”

Toby released Michael, giving him an opening to get away. Michael ran off, followed closely by his remaining friend. He didn’t bother looking back and just continued running.

Toby was breathing heavily and his skin was still red. Lia’na felt the energy flowing from him. She put her arms around him and whispered gently, “Toby calm down… it’s over. I wasn’t hurt…. Shh…”

Finally the red disappeared from his face and his eyes returned to normal. Tears fell down his cheeks as Lia’na hid his face, “Lia’na… what happened?”

Lia’na shook her head, “We’ll talk later… for now, calm down. It’s over, I’m not hurt. Everything is okay.”

Toby took a few deep breaths as he calmed down. He knew he still had to deal with Tom. When he was ready, he turned to Tom and looked him in the eye.

Tom didn’t move. He stood his ground as the two stared at each other for a few moments. Am I next?

After what seemed like an eternity, Toby faintly smiled, “Thanks for your help.”

Tom nodded, “It was the least I could do.”

He then turned to Lia’na, “I don’t expect you to forgive me for what happened, but please know that I am sorry. Michael won’t bother you again, I promise.”

Lia’na took a deep breath, but couldn’t find it in her to even crack a smile, “I can’t forgive you for what happened… or what almost happened, but I can try to forget… at the very least, I’ll stop pretending you don’t exist.”

Tom smiled, “Good enough.”

Lia’na didn’t respond as she turned to Toby, “We should probably get you home.”

Gishan nodded, “All right… I’ll get you home. Let’s go.”

He quickly looked back at Tom before they parted ways, “Thanks for the backup man.”

“Any time.” He replied as Gishan turned away and guided Toby and Lia’na back to his car.

Tom made his way back to his room, completely shaken by what he’d seen. His head was filled with questions; what was that, why were Toby’s eyes glowing, what did it all mean?

Tom eventually shrugged, there was nothing he could do about it, so there was no point in worrying about it. Whatever happened with Toby, no doubt his friends were taking care of it.

Toby had been acting weird ever since he’d met Lia’na. The glowing eyes, the hands, the unexplainable powers, it all didn’t add up, but again, there was nothing that he could do about it.  He would have liked to have gone and seen Toby at his new place, but he had a feeling that he would most likely not be welcomed there. There was nothing for Tom to do but ignore it and go about his day.

Taryn
The Legacy

I

Darkness surrounded Taryn as and her breathing became more rapid. Her head darted back and forth as she looked for any sign of life, “Hello? Is anyone there?”

No response.

“Hello, hello?”

An odd sound appeared in the distance, it was little more than a whisper, but nothing that she could make out.

“Is someone there?”

The voice grew louder and the darkness began to fade. At that moment, a pair of red eyes appeared in front of her. The darkness was fading fast now as a man with pointed ears and long black hair appeared in front of her. Goose bumps appeared on her skin as she took a fearful step back. Her heart raced as though she had run a great distance, “Who are you?”

The creature’s mouth open as it continued its menacing gaze. Its eyes burned as bright as the campfires she’d sat around in the woods of New Hampshire when her high school friends had gone camping. The creatures dark hair made them appear even brighter.

A high-pitched scream was the only response she received as the creature suddenly moved forward and passed right through her. She covered her ears, trying to block it out, “Who are you, what do you want?”

As the creature passed through her, the pain of the scream became intolerable. She squeezed her eyes closed and cried out, hoping she’d be heard over the screaming, “Stop it!”

“Whoa, Taryn, are you okay?”

Taryn gasped as she opened her eyes, “Bobby…”

“Easy, sounds like you had a rough ride.” Bobby replied as Taryn slowly sat up. “What happened?”

She rubbed her eyes before turning to him, “It was the same as before.”

“The dreams again, huh?”

Taryn nodded, “Now I’m glad I left my door unlocked. I keep seeing this man with pointed ears. I don’t know who he is, but I feel like he’s important somehow. It’s strange.”

Bobby’s lips twisted thoughtfully, “Pointed ears?”

“Yeah, like the pictures we saw in biology…” She replied. “I think he might have been some kind of elf.”

“You mean a half elf?”

“No, his ears were very pronounced.”

Bobby frowned, “Taryn, the last elf died a few years ago. They’ve been extinct for a few years now. You of all people should know that.”

Taryn nodded and ran her hand over the point of her own ear, “Yeah… don’t remind me. Even so, that’s what I saw.”

“Maybe your own Elven senses are playing tricks on you?”

“Maybe.”

Bobby smirked as he stood up, “You should probably get up. Your hair’s a mess!”

Taryn ran a hand through her dirty blond hair and brushed it back behind her ears, “All right I’m up, now leave me alone!”

She looked over at her clock as her feet touched the floor, “7am… well at least I have time for a shower.”

Bobby nodded, “I leave you to it then.”

“Thanks.”

The moment Bobby was gone from the room, Taryn stripped out of the sweat-soaked pjs she was wearing, grabbed the towel hanging off of her bedpost, and headed for the bathroom.

The hot water pouring over her skin helped wake her up. Her hazel eyes widened as her newfound energy flowed through her. A cloud of steam surrounded her as she washed herself down. She took a few minutes to savor the serenity. College had always been something of a rollercoaster ride for her so she appreciated any moment of peace she received.

Thankfully, classes were wrapping up for the summer. At which point, she would need to go find a job if she wanted any spending money for the summer. It wasn’t something she enjoyed, but she knew that she needed to. Her parents had provided everything for her up until this point and had even taken out a mortgage on the family home to make sure that she would make it through college debt free.

Knowing that did not make life any easier for Taryn and she refused to take another penny from her parents as a result. Her goal was to pay the mortgage to make sure that the house would always remain theirs.

She grabbed the towel and dried herself off before moving to the bedroom to get dressed. She pulled open her top drawer to the usual assortment of underwear and grabbed a pair of hip huggers. Normally on a Friday, she’d go for the bikini briefs, but she didn’t have a date or any plans for the evening, so she wasn’t looking to impress anyone. She quickly slid the underwear over her legs before reaching for a bra.

Once she was dressed in her normal black caprices and white blouse, she went about fixing her hair. The shower had worked wonders. Her hair was very thin, so combing out the knots wasn’t difficult. Her ears were slightly longer and more pointed than that of a full human. It was something she relished as keeping her hair tucked behind them was much easier.

Finally, she turned to her small make up case. I don’t think so. She thought to herself, not today. Taryn wasn’t a huge fan of makeup and often just went without it. Lipstick and maybe some cheek blush were about all she’d tolerate if she was going on a date, but even then, she’d often just wipe it off later.

At that moment her eye caught the digital clock on her desk. 7:45

“Fuck!” She blurted out. “I’m going to be late!”

Without a thought to her book back, she dashed out the door, down the steps, and out the front entry way. With a clear path, she dashed across campus to the main building. She was determined to minimize her tardiness.

The warm breeze that passed over Taryn’s skin was no comfort to her as she ran. The grass around her was slowly returning to green as spring was quickly giving away to summer. Typical Boston, she thought to herself. The seasons here change so quickly.

Taryn arrived at the main classroom hall with barely a few minutes to spare. The building was a large brick structure with gold lettering on the side that read ‘Arcanus University.’ She immediately proceeded inside.

She quickly made her way down the hall to room 103 and took her seat. The room was a large auditorium that seated about a hundred people, but only thirty seats were occupied. Either the class wasn’t very popular or they were just using a large room due to lack of space.

Taryn favored the back of the room for reasons she could never quick figure out. She sat down and pulled out her books as a portly dwarf sat down next to her, “Hey Taryn.”

“How are you, Merrin?”

The dwarf shrugged, “Can’t complain… much.”

“Did you break into that rock salt vodka again?”

“No…”

“Merrin?”

“Maybe…”

Taryn shook her head, “You know you can’t handle that stuff. It blows right through you!”

“Hey dat shit be dwarven-made!” Merrin replied. “I can handle anythin’ my people make. Rememba that!”

Taryn chuckled, “Okay Merrin…”

Anyway, please let me know what everyone thinks. I’d love some input on which story everyone favors based on what I’ve given you above. I appreciate any insight anyone can provide, thanks!

Readers,

Do you have a question about writing, publishing, my stories, etc? Please feel free to post a comment or email me.
jimthewritingwizard@gmail.com
I’ll use those comments to select my next blog post.

I have been writing for several years, have 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.
Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.

Also, feel free to check out my works of Fantasy and Historical Fiction, Available on Amazon and where ever books are sold. See the link below:

http://www.amazon.com/James-Harrington/e/B00P7FBXTU

Thanks friends!
Catch you on the flip side!

-Jim

 

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+ Book, fantasy, Fiction, Historical Fantasy, Historical Fiction, literature, Writing

Damnation

by Unknown's avatar

It occurs to me as we get down to the wire that I should probably start doing these on a regular basis. At least weekly. That way I don’t keep getting emails about it.

In any case, we’re on track for release. The cover is looking great the more and more I see it updated. The edits are complete and just need to be added to the final manuscript and everything is proceeding on schedule.

We are on track for our release date of 8/21/15.
I’d like to thank everyone for your kind words and hope that Damnation provides exactly the level of entertainment you’re hoping for!

Thank you all so much for your support! You don’t know how much I appreciate it!

Readers,

Do you have a question about writing, publishing, my stories, etc? Please feel free to post a comment or email me.
jimthewritingwizard@gmail.com
I’ll use those comments to select my next blog post.

I have been writing for several years, have 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.
Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.

Also, feel free to check out my works of Fantasy and Historical Fiction, Available on Amazon and where ever books are sold. See the link below:

http://www.amazon.com/James-Harrington/e/B00P7FBXTU

Thanks friends!
Catch you on the flip side!

-Jim

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+ advice, fantasy, Fiction, literature, non-fiction, Reading, Writing

‘Damn’ Obstacles

by Unknown's avatar

“Dear Jim,

I saw the updates on the book you have coming out (congrats by the way) and was wondering if you could tell us how you overcame certain obstacles. For example, in my writing, I’m having a hard time establishing character relationships. I don’t want my story sounding like a Disney princess story where two people just instantly fall in love, but I don’t want to flood my book with a lot of filler dealing with how they fell in love. I’m not writing a romance novel, but I do want it to have a romantic element.

Thanks,
Jbob”

Hi J,

Good question… and personally I myself have been trying to find ways around it for a while myself. There are three ways I’ve discovered so far;

1. Start the story off mid-relationship. Establish that your characters have had a relationship all along, so that when the story starts, you’re already where you need to be. You can go into detail through monologue or character discussions as to how the two of them got to where they are throughout the story. That isn’t something you necessarily need to find out early on.

2. If you plan to start your story off before your characters meet, this is where it can get a little more complicated. The way I’ve used so far is to start the story off before they meet, have them meet, summarize in a page or two what they’ve been going through over a few months to a year and then get back into the main narrative. This way you get the beginning of the relationship set and you get moved right to the main point in the story.

3. “The afterthought.” Start the story off at the climax and have the main character remember back to when they first forged their relationship and have him/her describe it in a few chapters leading up to where they are now.

Hope this helps, but I’ll open it up to the floor and ask my readers if they have found ways to establish character relationships quickly for the sake of the flow of the story. Feel free to email me if you have any more questions.

Readers,

Do you have a question about writing, publishing, my stories, etc? Please feel free to post a comment or email me.
jimthewritingwizard@gmail.com
I’ll use those comments to select my next blog post.

I have been writing for several years, have 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.
Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.

Also, feel free to check out my works of Fantasy and Historical Fiction, Available on Amazon and where ever books are sold. See the link below:

http://www.amazon.com/James-Harrington/e/B00P7FBXTU

Thanks friends!
Catch you on the flip side!

-Jim

+

+ advice, fantasy, Fiction, literature, non-fiction, Reading, Writing

Classic Cameos

by Unknown's avatar

“Hi Jim,

I’m currently writing a story dealing with fantasy characters. I wanted to include a couple of classical fantasy characters in my story. I was wondering if you had any advice about how to go about this? I don’t want to get sued by their owners.

Thanks,
Jeremy J.”

Hi Jeremy,

Hi Jeremy, by classical, I assume you’re talking about the creative works of people like the Brother’s Grimm, Hans Christian Anderson, etc?

If so, you’re in luck, most of those characters fall under public domain.

“Works in the public domain are those whose intellectual property rights have expired, have been forfeited, or are inapplicable.” Wiki

The standard rule, at least in the United States, is that pre-1923 works are in the public domain. This is… mostly correct, however, determining whether a work has entered the public domain or is still under copyright can be a lot more difficult than this, mostly because copyright terms have been extended multiple times and in different ways. At first, it was a fixed term based on the year of publication with a renewal term, to a term extending to fifty to seventy years after the death of the author. So the claim above is correct FOR PUBLISHED WORKS. Unpublished works fall under Federal Copyright laws and extend to the life of the author + 70 years.

This can differ in other countries, so check your local copyright laws or, as always, consult and attorney.

The best advice I would give is to read the stories that surround the characters thoroughly. I say this because most of those classical characters have been used in movies by Disney or have been adapted and rewritten in other versions. DO NOT JUST USE THE NAMES AND ATTRIBUTES YOU KNOW THE MOST!! I can’t stress that enough.
Why? Because if were to put the dwarves from Snow White into the story and use the names from Disney (Doc, Grumpy, Happy, Sleepy, Bashful, Sneezy, Dopey), you will get sued. Those names are not original to the story and are the intellectual property of the Disney Corporation.

Like I said, know your story, know your characters and know what you’re writing. Often times, taking a little creative license with these characters is not only warranted, but 100% necessary to keep the work from treading into intellectual property waters.

Lastly, please remember, I am not an attorney. I have studied the laws, having been published myself, but even I don’t know all of the nuances. My words are for advice purposes only. If you find yourself in a bit of gray area, PLEASE consult an attorney. A little money now is a lot better than being sued for a lot later and I take no responsibility if don’t.

Any thoughts from the reader base? Further advice for Jeremy?

Readers,

Do you have a question about writing, publishing, my stories, etc? Please feel free to post a comment or email me.
jimthewritingwizard@gmail.com
I’ll use those comments to select my next blog post.

I have been writing for several years, have 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.
Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.

Also, feel free to check out my works of Fantasy and Historical Fiction, Available on Amazon and where ever books are sold. See the link below:

http://www.amazon.com/James-Harrington/e/B00P7FBXTU

Thanks friends!
Catch you on the flip side!

-Jim

+

+ advice, Characters, Fiction, History, literature, Reading, Writing

Fictional Story, Non-fictional People

by Unknown's avatar

“Hi Jim,

I’ve been reading your blog for quite a while now, and am hoping that you can offer me some advice. I am working on a piece of historical fiction and want to write in some historical characters. These characters would mostly be supporting roles, but I might make one of them a lead. The issue is that some of their family members are most likely still around (this story takes place in WW2). I don’t want to be disrespectful to them, and I definitely don’t want to get sued. How should I approach this?

Thanks,
Kimberly”

Hi Kimberly,

That one is a tall order. A really tall order. Well first of all, I’d advise you to DO YOUR RESEARCH! Make every effort to get the facts right about the person. Learn about their lives, the choices they made, and as much about their personality as possible before you write these characters in. This is a fictional piece, but even so, when you write historical fiction, YOU HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO GET THE HISTORICAL PART RIGHT!!

Next thing I would say to be careful of is if and how you portray someone in a negative light. Again, facts. Go with what you know to be historically accurate. Now should you choose to make one of your historical characters a villain… that’s where things get dicey. In my book, Divinity, I portrayed Pope Leo X as one of my villains, but it was mostly because of his political/spiritual views, which were historically accurate. Plus I had the advantage that most of my historical character are 400+ years old and most of their family lines have long since died out.

You on the other hand are writing about characters that are still fresh in people’s memories. You can’t libel the dead (at least not in the U.S.) so don’t worry about that so much, but there are other avenues that people can take to block your writing or sue. Other things like invasion of privacy can come up.

A good example of this would be back in 2011 when lawyers for the Estate of J.R.R. Tolkien sent a cease and desist letter to author Steve Hillard. They claimed that his novel Mirkwood violated the Tolkien Estate’s right of publicity because, among other reasons, Hillard depicted Tolkien as a character in his book. Hillard of course fought back, but this is really hot water you don’t want to get yourself into.

My personal advice would be to alter the characters. Create fictional ones based on the people you want to use, at the very least if you’re going to be portraying them in a negative light. Then make sure that you put a disclaimer at the front of your book letting people know that it’s a work of fiction. You want to cover yourself as much as possible.

But Jim, I really want this to be as historically accurate as possible. I really want to use the real people. (potential response)

In that case, I would do two things;

First, write your book out. Get everything out on paper so you have your ideas down. At this point, I would consider reaching out to said family members (if you can locate them), and ask them about their relative. Tell them what you’re trying to write and see where it goes. I’ve found that family members of a historical person are usually more than willing to share their info. If however they’re not, then I would seriously consider going back to what I said about changing the character to a fictional one.

Secondly, when all is said and done, consider having a lawyer look over your work. I’m not kidding. A couple of hundred dollars now to have a lawyer look over everything may seem daunting, but it’s better than getting in legal trouble later.

At the end of the day, when all is said and done, be respectful, be accurate, and be VERY careful with how you go about this. Lawsuits for this type of thing are rare considering how many books are published these days, but they do happen.

Good luck, friend. Please feel free to email me again if you need me to elaborate on anything I’ve said.

I’d also invite my readers to venture an opinion as well as to what Kimberly should do in this case.

Readers,

Do you have a question about writing, publishing, my stories, etc? Please feel free to post a comment or email me.
jimthewritingwizard@gmail.com
I’ll use those comments to select my next blog post.

I have been writing for several years, have 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.
Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.

Also, feel free to check out my works of Fantasy and Historical Fiction, Available on Amazon and where ever books are sold. See the link below:

http://www.amazon.com/James-Harrington/e/B00P7FBXTU

Thanks friends!
Catch you on the flip side!

-Jim

+ advice, feelings, Fiction, life, literature, Reading, Writing

Forced Regret?

by Unknown's avatar

So I wanted to go over something that has always kind of irked me a little.

I covered it in a few of my stories, but I feel the need to go over it in a little more detail.

I know we’ve all had this person in our lives at one point… Someone from our past comes back to haunt us and basically brings up things that happen 10, 15, even 20 years ago and expects you to justify the actions of your younger, less mature self…

or

You have a quirk about you, perhaps an odd collection, or a way of doing things that is outside the norm. A person in your life sees that and tells you it makes you look odd, or tells you that you need to grow up.

People, I usually don’t take a very strong stance on such things and try to be the devil’s advocate… or at least the voice of reason and temperance, but I’m making an exception in these cases.

People, as I have written in a current story I’m working on: THESE PEOPLE ARE NOT YOUR FRIENDS!
They are not in your corner, and they will never accept you as you.

Now before anyone jumps down my throat, I’m not talking about people who are quick to anger, have mental issues, need help, or may be doing things that are killing themselves. I’m addressing those of us who don’t fall into those categories and still have an overly judgmental person telling us to change.

Perhaps they have good intentions, perhaps they are just trying to help you become…. more accepted in societal norms, and maybe they don’t know that they’re being condescending and mean. Well that’s fine, but let’s say you heed their advice. You apologize for something that happened when you were younger and didn’t know any better, or you get rid of your collection, change your eccentricity, and become that person’s definition of ‘normal’ or ‘grown up,’ are you happier now?

Let me put it another way; You have grown into your own, you’re not hurting anyone or yourself with what you’re doing. You’re happy, successful, and people like you as you are… why on Earth would you ever want to change that? Are you a little immature? Do you still like your video games/comic books/toys/etc? Are you outgoing and an open book with people? So what? What is wrong with any of that?

You’re unique, we all are. Since when did that become a crime?

A while back, during a rather heated argument between a few people, one asked me, “Well I mean, we all have things in our lives didn’t go the way we hoped. Jim, I mean I’m sure you have some things you regret or wish you could go back and change, right?”

At the time, I simply asked to be left out of it… but since then, I’ve gone over the incident again and again in my mind.

It didn’t dawn on me until I wrote it out in a character recently. One of my heroines has a bit of a dark past from when she was a child. Things happened that, in hindsight, weren’t the best choices, except she didn’t know that at the time. Only when she stopped feeling bad about things she couldn’t change and dismissed those who constantly tried to make her apologize for those things was she actually able to grow and become strong.

That’s when it came to me. No, no I don’t regret things that could, or possibly should have, gone differently. Regret is a waste of time and brain power. You can’t change what happened, what happened was a building block that brought you to where you are now. You may not like it, but be grateful for it. It’s a mistake you won’t make twice.

Case and point, never apologize for who you are, and don’t let anyone tell you that you have to continuously apologize for your past. If someone doesn’t like it, didn’t accept your apology the first time, or doesn’t get that you’re happy the way you are, move on.

Anyway, that’s my rant for the day. Hopefully someone will find it helpful.

Readers,

Do you have a question about writing, publishing, my stories, etc? Please feel free to post a comment or email me.
jimthewritingwizard@gmail.com
I’ll use those comments to select my next blog post.

I have been writing for several years, have 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.
Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.

Also, feel free to check out my works of Fantasy and Historical Fiction, Available on Amazon and where ever books are sold. See the link below:

http://www.amazon.com/James-Harrington/e/B00P7FBXTU

Thanks friends!
Catch you on the flip side!

-Jim

+ fantasy, Fiction, literature, Reading, suspense, Writing

Beneath the Surface: An Abandoned Story, Chapter 11

by Unknown's avatar

XI

 

Alex woke up in his mother’s bed. He felt disgusting and his joints were all sore like they hadn’t been moved in days. He was in despirate need of a shower. He sat up, ready to start the day, when he looked outside to see that it was completely dark. What time is it?

The clock next to his bed said 9pm. What the hell?

At that moment, his mind began to clear, “Tersa!”

Alex struggled to get out of bed. His knees ached as he tried to apply weight to them. He was unable to find his balance. Had he been drugged?

At that moment, two men in black and red robes burst through the door. Alex’s eyes went wide, “Who the hell are you?”

The leader, an older man with a gray beard, stepped forward, “I am Father Benson, and this is Father Paul.”

He eyed the two preists suspiciously, “You’re here from the Vatican?”

“Officially, no. We don’t even exist. We are part of an ancient order within the church. We are Papal Knights.”

“The Papal Knights were disbanded back during the 16th Century. They don’t exist anymore.” Alex fired back.

“As far as the public is concerned, that’s true.”

On their black robes, both of them had a small pendant on the collar. It was two sword, one red, one white, in the form of a cross. They each also had a sword at their side, for ceremonial purposes, no doubt.

Alex didn’t know their intentions, but didn’t trust them, “I suppose you two are the ones who have been following me around over the last few days?”

The two priests looked at each other for a moment before Father Benson spoke, “No.”

“You weren’t following me in black hodded cloaks?”

“No.”

“Then who was?”

“I’m afraid I don’t know.”

Alex was growing even more suspicious, “What happened? Where is Tersa?”

“She’s safe.”

“I need more than that, what happened after the exorcism?”

“There was no exorcism. You failed. What were you thinking?”

“I beg your pardon?” Alex asked.

Father Benson pointed an accusing finger at him, “You are not ordained. You went to the church, they turned you down, so instead you go about trying a seat of your pants exorcism? Are you out of your mind?”

“Father Moran’s view was way off.” Alex shot back. “He wouldn’t even consult the bishop on it. She clearly was exhibiting all the symptons of a power possession. There is no way that she would have lasted long. Where is she?”

“Here.”

“Here? In my house?”

Father Benson nodded, “Yes, we took up residence here. Her parents agreed to leave her in our care while we sort this out.”

Alex shook his head, “Sort what out? This struck me as a possession, not unlike any other.”

“Oh but it is different.”

“How.”

“Because, Tersa isn’t the only one possessed.”

“What… then who, Sgt. McConnel?”

“No. Think harder.”

That’s when it hit Alex. The voices he’d been hearing, the hallucinations, the man in the black robes, the nightmares… “Me?”

Father Benson nodded, “That’s correct.”

“Well… that would explain a few things, but how…?”

Father Paul stepped forward, “The failed exorcism that you were a part of. That girl left something with you, didn’t she?”

“No. Nothing.”

“No?” Brother Paul asked. “Tell me, when did the nightmares and your smoking habit start? Almost immediately after, didn’t it?”

“Well… Come on, that’s just post traumatic stress disorder.”

Father Benson nodded, “Spoken like a true psychologist.”

“It’s the truth.”

“Is it?” Father Benson asked. “How long do you think you’ve been laying here?”

Alex shrugged, “I don’t know, 17 hours?”

“It’s been four days.”

“Four days?”

“Afraid so…”

Alex couldn’t believe it, “How… that’s not possible! I was unconscious for three days! What did you give me?”

“Nothing, we knocked you out. We didn’t drug you… and you weren’t unconscious the entire time either.”

“What do you mean?”

“You were up, walking around, speaking in tongues.”

Alex was barely able to process this information, “So why didn’t you exorcise… whatever it is?”

“We tried, twice. It will not leave. We were even able to identify it, but it still remains attached to your soul.”

“What are we dealing with?”

Father Paul lowered his eyes as he spoke, “Adramelech.”

Alex couldn’t believe it, but it made sense. That would explain why Rachel referred to him as such, “But… that demon…”

“Yes we know. It killed that poor girl in Rome.”

“But it was with her after the exorcism.”

“No.” Father Paul replied. “We believe that it did the damage to her that killed her during the exorcism. She died because of those injuries, but that doesn’t mean they were inflicted at that point. It would appear that your exorcism wasn’t a failure after all. You ripped the demon from that poor girl, but you didn’t successfully send it to Hell.”

“So it attached itself to me.”

Father Benson nodded, “Yes… I’m afraid so…”

Alex rubbed his forehead. Suddenly things started to fall into place. Unfortunately, it still left too much unanswered, “But why haven’t I ever lost control? I’ve had hallucinations, but up until now, the demon has never taken control of me.”

“That you know of.”

Alex stopped in his path, “Yes… that I know of.”

“For all you know, it could have taken you while you slept. Or perhaps it was lying in wait for the right moment to strike.”

“Why would it do that?”

“Who knows? Maybe it wanted you to bring it somewhere before trying to take over?”

That made Alex very suspicious, “Somewhere as in here?”

“Possibly.”

“But why?”

“No idea…”

Alex shook his head, more questions that didn’t have answers. He stood up and turned to the priests, “Can I see her?”

The two of them nodded as Father Benson spoke up, “She’s out on your back porch, but for your own safty, we’d ask that you not leave the property. We can’t guarantee your safty or the safry of those nearby if you do.”

“I’m surprised you’re not trying to force me to stay put.”

“We’re preists, not armed guards.”

Alex nodded as he turned to the door and stepped out of the bedroom. He proceeded past the priests down the hallway to the living room. Everything was as it had been before in the living room and the dining room.

His house was very similar in layout to the McConnel’s. Their dining room and slider to the back porch was in the same place, though his mother preferred a different setup of the furnature. Their table was off to the side, giving anyone in the living room an unobstructed view of the porch.

Alex made his way to the back slider when he saw Tersa standing out back, wrapped in a black blanket. He pulled the slider open carefully, trying not to disturb her, but his efforts were in vain. She jumped the moment that she heard the slider open.

A sign of relief exited her body when she saw that it was just Alex. He paused at the door when he saw her, “Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“You didn’t.” She responded. “I guess I’m just a little tightly wound at the moment.”

“Yeah, I can understand that.”

“Well it’s not every day you find out that you’re the reincarnated mistress of some ancient Aztec God.”

“Aztec?”

“Quetzalcoatl. He was the Aztec God of light. Some say he was one of their Sun Gods. I looked it up when I found out who Rachel worshipped.”

Alex scratched his head, “But I don’t get it, why you?”

“I was born at the right time.”

“Yeah you and how many millions of others?”

“I also lived nearby.”

“Still, there has to be a bit more to it than that. I mean why you, why wait three hundred years?”

Tersa shrugged. Alex saw the sad look on her face and began to worry, “There’s something you’re not telling me, isn’t there?”

“Maybe.”

“Maybe?”

Tersa nodded, “It could be nothing… odd coincidence.”

“What?”

“My mother’s maiden name, Proctor.”

Chills ran down Alex’s spine, “You’re kidding?”

“No, and my mother’s family has lived in this town for as far back as our history goes.”

“Now it makes sense.”

Tersa nodded, “Yeah… Rachel was too young to have children, but according to what I read, she had brothers and sisters, some of whom survived to adulthood.”

“So that would make you her great, great, great, great… great grand niece.”

“Her blood descendant.”

Alex sighed, “Well that does make sense.”

“So you believe?”

“Yeah, I believe you, why wouldn’t I?”

“That’s not what I meant.” Tersa replied. “I was asking if you believe.”

“Then my answer is still no.”

“How can someone who has seen a demonic possession and even now is dealing with one of his own, still not believe in God?”

“Did I ever say that I didn’t believe in God?”

Tersa’s racing mind stopped dead in its tracks. It’s true, he never did say that. Then what did he mean when he said that he wasn’t a believer? This made no sense to her, “Then what don’t you believe in?”

“I don’t believe he cares.” Alex replied. “I don’t believe that he’s infallible.”

“So… what you think he just created us for sport or some kind of entertainment?”

“Exactly.”

“That’s a pretty dismal outlook.”

“Yup.”

“You really have changed. The guy I used to know would never have said anything like that.”

“A lot can happen in six years.”

“I guess.”

Alex’s eyes narrowed, “You sound disappointed.”

“No, not at all.” Tersa insisted. “You may not be the charismatic person you were back then, but you were still the kind person who took a complete stranger in distress in off of the street. That’s the guy that I remember.”

“Well at there’s one person I didn’t disappoint.”

An annoyed look appeared on Tersa’s face, “You know, you put way too much stock in what happened in Rome. Small towns like this aren’t a good place to keep secrets.”

“What are you saying?”

“I’m saying that everyone here knows that something bad happened to you over in Rome, not everyone knows what, but we all know that you left the seminary because of something you saw. Rumors spread quickly about what it was…”

Alex rolled his eyes, “Oh great…”

+ fantasy, Fiction, literature, Reading, suspense, Writing

Beneath the Surface: An Abandoned Story: Chapter 10

by Unknown's avatar

X

 

It was only 3 in the afternoon. Alex had some time to spare. He would have rather stayed with Tersa to dissuade his fears, but he knew that he needed some time alone. If he was ever to be of any help to her, he needed to be prepared.

At first, Alex headed home, but then he had a sudden urge to go somewhere else. He turned the car around and headed towards the center of town. He drove down Main Street and then turned into the cemetery on the outskirts.

After pulling onto the winding road of the cemetery, he stopped his car and got out. There was a gentle breeze that was off set by the warm October sun. It was comfortable enough weather that normally Alex would have been outdoors with some friends, but this was not the time for it.

As he closed the door, he noticed the cigarettes on the passenger’s seat and realized that he hadn’t had one that day. He grabbed the pack and looked at it for a moment. A sudden urge came over him to light up. He was about to open the pack when a feeling of disgust came over him. He threw the pack back on the seat and closed the door. Oh fuck it.

Alex walked slowly up the hill to the grave of his mother. The fresh soil had not yet had grass planted over it. His mother’s stone was in place with her name, Gloria Hendrickson, carved into the center. He felt like her caring eyes were looking at him at that very moment.

Alex wasn’t ready for what he was about to do and needed help, “Mom… I just wanted to say that I’m sorry. I’m sorry that I’m such a failure, I’m sorry that I haven’t been home in two years, and I’m sorry that you didn’t have a better son. I tried… you know I really tried, but after what happened in Rome, I just couldn’t bring myself to face you again.”

Tears filled his eyes as he spoke, “I’ve got something to do now… something big. If I fail… I don’t know what’s going to happen. You remember the girl, Tersa? You were friends with her mother. She’s in trouble now and I’ve been asked to do something I swore that I’d never do again. I don’t know how to handle this, Mom. I’m scared. I wish you were here right now. You always knew what to say to make even the worst situations not look that bad. You’d probably say something like ‘just do your best and let God handle everything else’ right?”

Alex closed his eyes as the tears began to flow, “I miss you… Whatever happens tonight… I hope you can forgive me.”

Alex bent over and kissed the top of the gravestone before turning and heading back to his car. He drove home and got to work preparing what he needed. He hoped that he still had everything from the old days.

After closing and locking the front door, Alex ran to his room to look for a specific book that he knew he’d need. He went through his bookshelf and opened all of his drawers, one by one. Come on, it has to be here. Please Mom, you can’t have thrown it out.

Alex opened the last drawer to his nightstand and found exactly what he was looking for. Inside was a small black book with golden letters embossed on the cover. The Roman Ritual… thank Goodness!

He’d had that book since he first entertained the idea of going into the seminary. It should have everything that he needed to perform the ritual. It was an older copy, but it should still work.

With the book in hand, Alex went out to the living room, flicked on the TV, and switched to the News. He wasn’t really watching it, he just wanted some background noise while he centered himself. Ordinarily, this would have been the time for prayer and reflection, but he no longer saw any value in either, not for himself.

After a few minutes, he drifted off to sleep. He wasn’t tired, but perhaps it was withdrawal from not smoking at all that day. He sucked in one last deep breath before losing consciousness.

Alex was immediately surrounded by darkness. His sleep was dreamless for hours until something appeared in the voice. It was a woman, clad only in a white nightshirt that was almost see-through. At first, he thought that it was Tersa.

She walked in a seductive manner towards him. He felt paralyzed and unable to back away. Her face revealed itself to him. It was Tersa, but at the same time, it wasn’t. He couldn’t explain it. Some part of her was in that face, but not all of it.

As she moved, the shirt disappeared, revealing pale skin that was barely any darker. She moved close enough to press her body against his and rest her head on his chest. When she finally spoke, her voice was little more than the subtle hiss of a snake, “Come to me…”

Alex couldn’t move and couldn’t draw enough breath to respond. She lifted her head off of his chest, “Take me…”

Her body rose against his so that she was able to kiss him. Alex couldn’t move, but he felt his body begin to light up against her touch. He was almost completely powerless.

He had to get away. He knew that this wasn’t right. When she began running her hands up his back, Alex focused his mind and pushed hard against his paralysis. Finally, he was able to break free, “Ugh, no!”

Alex opened his eyes and found himself back in reality. He breathed heavily as he looked at the TV. The bottom right hand corner said that it was almost 2:30am. Shit, they’ll wonder where I am!

After quickly changing his shirt, Alex quickly grabbed the book, ran outside, and got into his car. It was raining again and the wind was picking up. The weather beat down on his car as hard as it could as though it were trying to stop him from getting to Tersa.

Alex shook his head, “Throw as much of a tantrum as you want! You’re not stopping me!”

At that moment, a massive tree branch fell in front of his car, causing him to swerve off the road. His car came to a stop in a small muddy ditch. The tires spun as it tried to free itself.

Alex put the car in park and got out. As the wind blew by, he could detect the faint sound of whispering. He couldn’t quite make out the words as they appeared to be in a foreign language that he wasn’t familiar with.

After inspecting his tire, Alex realized that there was no way he could get it out of the ditch right now. He would need a tow, but he didn’t have time to wait for one. The clock on the dash read 2:45.  Not much time!

Having no other choice, he abandoned the car and began running with the Roman Ritual under his arm. It was raining heavily, but he did the best he could to keep the book safe. Thankfully, he was not too far away.

The rain stung Alex’s eyes as he finally arrived at the McConnel house. Sgt. McConnel met him at the door, “Alex, thank God you made it. Are you all right?”

A drenched Alex took a moment to catch his breath, “Yeah… fine… we need to get started.”

Alex tried to push past Sgt. McConnel, but the officer stopped him in his place. Alex looked at him oddly, “What is it?”

Sgt. McConnel shook his head, “Just so there are no surprises… Tersa has taken a turn. It looks like the demon has control now.”

“Then we have no time to waste, come on.”

Alex looked around as they stood outside of Tersa’s bedroom, “Where is your wife?”

“In our room. She’s been through enough.”

“Fine, are you ready?”

Sgt. McConnel nodded, “I don’t know what you need me to do, but I’m there for my little girl.”

“It’s not her that you’re going to be facing in there.”

Alex’s words sent a chill down Tersa’s father’s spine, “What do you need me to do?”

“Stay close, if she tries to harm herself, restrain her. Whatever you do, do not interfere in the ritual, if you feel like you can’t handle it then remove yourself. Don’t engage the creature, ignore it and don’t speak to it in any way.”

“Understood.”

Alex nodded, “All right, let’s go.”

Sgt. McConnel’s fingers curled around the door knob. He worked the door open slowly. On the other side, Alex could see Tersa handcuffed to both bedposts. Her knuckles were red and she was covered in sweat.

Alex saw the crucifix above her head and the holy water on the table near the door. The McConnels had done everything he’d asked. Now it was his turn.

Tersa, or whatever had control of her hissed, “So Adramelech, you came. I thought after you pushed me away earlier, you were going to stay away.”

Adramelech? What was she talking about? It doesn’t matter. Demons will do anything they can to throw you off. Ignore it.

Alex began by sprinkling Holy Water in the shape of a cross on Tersa, her father, and himself. Tersa winced in pain as though the water burned her. Oddly, Alex also felt pain, albeit not as badly. Again he chalked it up to the demon trying to play tricks on him and opened the Roman Ritual.

The first section was the Litany of the Saints. First came the invocation of the trinity, and then the invocation of the archangels and the saints. Finally, Alex asked for deliverance from evil.

Tersa laughed through the entire thing, “Your words are meaningless. You don’t even believe them! How can you possibly call on the powers of Heaven when you yourself don’t believe in their worth?”

She had a point and Alex knew it. His own lack of belief could spell doom for this attempt, and for Tersa, but it was the only chance he had to save her, so he once again ignored the demon’s words and continued, “Dwell not, O Lord, on our sins or those of our parents, nor take vengeance on us for them!”

He then continued on to recite the psalms. Tersa’s laughing became even higher pitched. She was clearly enjoying this, “Silly poems and meaningless words won’t save her this night!”

Alex shut out the demon’s relentless taunting and continued to pray. He had to do his best to remain stoic, but his patience was failing. An exorcism was supposed to be a test of wills and he was losing this fight.

The reading of John 1 didn’t help, nor did the blessing of the sick. The demon kept relentlessly taunting him. As he continued reading, it turned to Tersa’s father, “Look at this pretender, not a true defender. He can’t save your daughter! It fills me with laughter! Adramelech won’t harm me, he doesn’t even know who he is!”

That was all that Alex was going to tolerate. He doused her in more holy water. The demon fell back in pain and went silent as though showing some form of obedience.

Alex nodded and began the exorcism rite, “I cast you out, evil spirit from hell, you and all your foul companions. In nomine Criste. Begone from our daughter Tersa and stay far from this creature of God.”

The demon spat at him, “Never!”

Alex ignored her and continued in a louder voice, “For it is he that commands you, it is he who cast your being from the heights of the Heavens into the depths of Hell, he who once stilled the sea and the wind and the storm. Tremble in fear, Satan, you enemy of the belief, you foe of all things living, you bringer of death.”

The demon fought back, “I am not Satan! You use words without embracing their meaning! You fool!”

“Why, then, do you defy God, you must know that Christ brings your plans to ruin? Fear him, crucified as flesh, yet claimed victory over the powers of Hell.”

“Your words are meaningless!” The demon roared. “You invoke the name of someone you do not believe can help you. How dare you think to bring me down!”

“Begone, then, in Nomine Patri, et Fili, et Spiritus Sancti! Give place to our lord Christ, who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit, our God, forever and ever.”

Alex closed the book. The demon was panting as it stared him down. It was as though their eyes were waging their battle for them.

“What is your name demon?” Alex demanded.

“You’re too late.”

“What is your name?”

“You can’t save her, only a man of faith could!”

“Identify yourself, ancient serpent!”

“I was alone in the sky… I will return… or is that you?”

“In nomine Criste! Give me your name!”

The demon threw its head back and cried out, “I am Rachel Proctor, mistress of Quetzalcoatl! I was imprisoned, but I was released, and you my love, you have set me free!”

Alex’s eyes widened and he stepped back while Rachel let out a scream that no human vocal chords could possibly make. Chills rolled down his spine as he processed her words. Thunder and lightning outside her window added to horror that was unfolding in front of them.

Sgt. McConnel looked up confused, “Alex, what is she talking about?”

Rachel forced Tersa’s body to lie back, “Take me, oh lord, as is your right.”

Alex shook as he tried to continue, “D… depart then…”

“That is enough!”

Alex and Sgt. McConnel turned to see three men in black and red robes enter the room. The leader spoke up, “In Nomine Criste, this ends now! Lord God forgive us!”

Alex was about to say something when he felt a sudden and pain strike to the back of his head. His eyes blurred and he fell unconscious. The exorcism was over.

+

+ fantasy, Fiction, Historical Fantasy, literature, Reading, Science Fiction, Writing

Damnation Update!!!

by Unknown's avatar

1,000 followers! Tickle me absolutely humble! Thank you all so much for your support!

I just thought you all would like to know that the work on Divinity’s sequel is progressing on schedule. The cover is closer to completion and the edits are complete.

In other words, the mid-August release date is far more a reality!

Again, thank you all!!!

Readers,

Do you have a question about writing, publishing, my stories, etc? Please feel free to post a comment or email me.
jimthewritingwizard@gmail.com
I’ll use those comments to select my next blog post.

I have been writing for several years, have 4 published works, experience with publishing and independent work, so I can hopefully be of assistance.
Please note, I only do one of these a day and will do my best to respond to everyone, but it may take some time.

Also, feel free to check out my works of Fantasy and Historical Fiction, Available on Amazon and where ever books are sold. See the link below:

http://www.amazon.com/James-Harrington/e/B00P7FBXTU

Thanks friends!
Catch you on the flip side!

-Jim

+ fantasy, Fiction, literature, Reading, suspense, Writing

Beneath the Surface: An Abandoned Story: Chapter 9

by Unknown's avatar

IX

 

A few minutes later, the scene at the McConnel house was one of defeat. Tersa’s parents were researching psychiatrists that she could go to, though they all thought it wouldn’t help. Alex had been invited to stay for dinner, which he accepted, but he spent most of the time on their back porch with Tersa as she tried to contemplate her future.

“I was set to move out in a few months… finally.”

Alex turned and looked at her, “Oh yeah?”

“Yeah, my artwork had been picked up for publishing in a new children’s book that was coming out. They wanted me to do the illustrations for an entire series.”

“That’s exciting.”

“I guess. It’s giving me enough money to rise above the starving artist status.”

Alex smirked, “Who says you still can’t do that?”

“What, go off on my own now, with this?”

“It can’t last forever. Maybe it’ll just go away.”

Tersa shook her head. She knew that Alex was just trying to cheer her up, but it wasn’t working, “You really would have made a good priest.”

“No I wouldn’t have. I should have realized that it wasn’t the life for me.”

“Therapist then?”

“Maybe… but not anymore.”

Tersa bit her lower lip, “What did Father Moran say to you?”

Alex didn’t want her to know. He knew that the priest had suggested more therapy, but not specifically why. Still she had him corner and he had a feeling that she wouldn’t let him avoid the question, “He said that you made the whole thing up.”

“What, why?”

“He said that… maybe you might be a little obsessed?”

“With what?”

“Well… me…”

A look of anger like nothing Alex had ever seen appeared on her face, “Are you serious? No offense Alex, you’re a nice guy, but you’re no Chris Pine or Orlando Bloom!”

“Wow… none taken,” said Alex sarcastically.

Tersa lowered her eyes, “What I mean is that you were a nice guy and I liked hearing about your successes, but I wasn’t pining for you after you left. When you joined the seminary, I moved on and realized that I had lost my chance and I got over it.”

“He didn’t think that it was a coincidence that you happened to be outside of my house the other night.”

“Great… so now he thinks I’m an obsessive nut and a stalker? Let me ask you something, Alex.”

“Shoot.”

“Do you think I knew how to sabotage my father’s car in a way that you couldn’t easily have fixed or identified?”

Alex thought for a moment, “Well… no…”

“There you go.”

“You don’t have to convince me. I didn’t buy his reasoning either.”

Tersa nodded, “Well at least I know that you still believe me.”

“Not that it matters.”

“It matters to me.”

“Well you’re the only one.”

“Isn’t that enough?”

Alex looked at her oddly, “What are you talking about?”

At that moment, Sgt. McConnel came out the back slider door to talk to them, “So we’ve got a few recommendations of good psychiatrists that you can go to.”

Tersa shook her head, “You know it won’t do any good, Dad.”

“I don’t think so either, but I don’t know how else to convince Father Moran.”

Tersa clenched her fists, “I don’t think I want to go back to that church, or see him again. He thinks I’m some kind of obsessive fangirl.”

Alex smirked as she looked at him. There was a look of desperation in her eyes, “Alex, isn’t there something that you can do? Anything?”

Alex sighed, “No.”

“But according to your books, in ancient times, lay people performed exorcisms. Obviously…”

“There is no way to know if those cases were actual possessions.” Alex interrupted. “We don’t even know how many were actually successful.”

“But you know the rituals. You know what we’re up against.”

“Yes, I know enough not to mess with something like this. I don’t have that kind of faith anymore. I am not the person you want.”

Tersa didn’t know what else to do. She was frustrated, frightened, and annoyed at the same time. She fought back the tears in her eyes as she glared at Alex, “What do you want me to do, beg? I don’t want to live like this. If theirs even a chance…”

“I killed that girl.”

“The girl in Rome?”

“Yes.”

“No you didn’t. That creature you talked about did.”

“But I was the one that empowered it. I should never have stepped in to finish the exorcism. I wasn’t experienced or even finished with my training. All I did what make it stronger.”

Tersa shook her head, “By the sound of things, that demon already had what it wanted and was fully capable of carrying out its wishes. You can’t be blamed for that.”

“I can and I do… God didn’t help me that day. Who am I to think that he’d help me now? You’d be gambling your life.”

“It’s my life.”

“Yes,” Alex replied, “and it’s my decision. You should go see the psychiatrist and when he says that theres nothing he can do, Father Moran…”

“Will do nothing and you know it.” Tersa said in an accusing tone.

Alex sighed. She was right. Father Moran was too much of a skeptic, especially for a priest. Tersa looked him in the eye again, “I don’t believe that you killed that girl. You shouldn’t have been in that situation in the first place. It was not your fault.”

“Maybe, but it happened.”

“Yes it did, but this is different. You’ve had more time. I… I know that you can do it. I believe in you, even if you don’t believe in yourself.”

Alex looked up at Sgt. McConnel, “And what’s your take on all of this?”

“Like I said, I’m not a man of faith, but what I’ve seen over the last few days has begun to turn my head. If you can help my daughter, please do.”

Alex looked up at the sky and then back at Tersa. He was trying to find a way out. He wanted to say no. A simple no would have put an end to it. Two simple letters put together and he would avoid the issue all together, but it wasn’t that simple. A no would likely spell doom for Tersa if the church wouldn’t intervene.

He finally gave in, “Fine, though I be damned for this. We’ll do it after dark. 3am.”

Tersa smiled and gave him a peck on the cheek, “Thank you, I know that you’re going against your better judgement.”

Alex was about to say that she was welcomed, but a sudden thrust to the side and a sharp pain in his cheek cut him off. He looked at Tersa to see that it was no longer her standing there. Her eyes were black and her lips were twisted into a hideous smile.

Alex didn’t back down this time, “Qui estis?”

“Ego sum, illa qui fuit incarceratus.” (I am she that was imprisoned.)

“Et ejiciam vos.” (And I will throw you out.)

The creature smiled, “I welcome you to try.”

At that moment, her eyes turned back to their normal color. A look of shock came over her when she saw the red mark on Alex’s face, “I… I did that… didn’t I?”

“No… not you.”

“I can feel it in my hand.”

“It was the creature.”

Tersa shook her head, “Do you see? I could really hurt someone… I…”

“I know,” said Alex.

He didn’t want to admit it, but it looked like he was doing the right thing by getting involved. She needed help sooner than Father Moran was willing to provide. So now it was a question of getting everything together.

Sgt. McConnel grabbed his daughter and held her tight by the shoulders as he spoke, “What do you need us to do?”

Alex thought for a moment before responding. He’d need the perfect setup if this would have any chance. He’d also need all the right tools, “I need you to put a crucifix above the head of her bed.”

“I can do that, anything else?”

“Yeah, go to St. John’s and fill a bottle of Holy Water, they usually have concecrated water in a pot near the door.”

“Will do.”

Alex sighed, “And make sure that Father Moran doesn’t see you!”

“Got it.”

Alex turned and headed for the door to get to his car. A worried look came over Tersa, “Wait, where are you going?”

“I have to go back to my mother’s. I need to reflect and center myself and… theres another tool there that we’ll need.”

Looked back and saw the expression on Tersa’s face, “I promise that I’ll be back to do this.”

“I believe you.”

Alex turned and headed out the front door. Good, because I’m not sure that I do…

+ fantasy, Fiction, literature, Reading, suspense, Writing

Beneath the Surface: An Abandoned Story Chapter 8

by Unknown's avatar

VIII

 

The interview took over an hour. Alex got up and began pacing around the room. Every minute that went by felt like an eternity. What could he be asking her? Does her believe her? More importantly, would he be able to help her if he did.

The door finally opened and an emotionless Tersa appeared. She turned and looked at Alex, “Father Moran would like a word with you.”

“Okay.”

Alex got up and walked past Tersa into Father Moran’s office. Father Moran was behind his desk looking at his paperwork. Alex studied his surroundings as he stepped inside. The office had the same wood paneling and blue carpet as the sitting room. He saw pictures on the wall of family members as well as degrees and certificates. Aside from religious studies, Father Moran had also gotten a Master’s Degree in psychology from the Boston College.

Alex felt like he was entering a shark’s tank as the old priest looked up at him, “Ah, Alex, please sit down.”

“Sure.”

Alex took the seat in front of the desk. Father Moran lowered his papers and took off his glasses. His thin beard matched the white color of his hair, which he brushed behind his ear as he spoke, “So Alex… how do you know this girl?”

“We went to High School together.”

“Were you two close?”

Alex shook his head, “No… we were two years apart. I don’t think we met more than once or twice.”

“So you didn’t really know her then.”

“No.”

“So why are you here now?”

“She was walking by my house earlier in the week during that huge storm. I let her hang out there until the storm passed.”

“Why was she out walking during the storm?”

“Her car broke down.”

“I see…”

Alex noticed the unease in his voice, “Father, what is it?”

The priest sighed, “Alex, I spoke with the psychiatrist who saw her and then to her parents. You were brought up quite a bit.”

“So she had a crush on me in High School, so what?”

“You don’t see it, do you?”

“What?”

“She still does, Alex.”

Alex rolled his eyes, “What does that have to do with anything?”

“Come on, Alex, you’re smarter than this. Think about it. She just happens to show up outside of your house the first night that you’re back in town after two years, she’s read your books, and she’s had eyes for you.”

“What exactly are you saying?”

Father Moran sighed. He clearly didn’t want to say it, but knew he had to, “I think she may have underlying psychological issues. I think she’s playing the damsel in distress to get your attention. She read your books, which go into great detail on the Church’s view of exorcisms, so she knew what to do.”

Alex was almost in shock, “What? You can’t be serious! How do you explain her voices, her knowing Latin, and the faces she’s made?”

“Latin can be learned, none of the voices described by her parents were outside the range a human can make, and the same with her faces.”

“Father, I have a degree in psychology too. You can’t seriously think that this is the case?”

The priest frowned, “I have doubts about what you’ve brought forward. I can’t take her case to the bishop when I don’t know that I believe it.”

Alex rubed his forehead with his right hand. Father Moran got up, walked around his desk, and put his hand on Alex’s shoulder, “I can understand your wanting to help. She’s a fascinating woman.”

“It’s not like that.”

“Isn’t it? You know, despite my recommendation, I never thought that you were right for the priesthood. You had a certain joviality about you that wouldn’t fit in. A priest’s life includes some level of seclusion that you would not have been able to thrive under. Your uncle was really the one pushing this on you, wasn’t he?”

Alex shook his head, “My uncle helped me choose a calling, leave him out of this.”

“As you wish… but unless you have any more evidence that can help her case, I’m afraid that I can’t recommend an exorcism. As someone who has experience in that field, I know you understand that.”

“What about the crosses? We put on in front of her and she almost jumped out of her skin, and…”

“And what?”

Alex didn’t want to say it. He knew what Father Moran would think, but he was running out of evidence, “My nightmares…”

Father Moran sat back down, “What nightmares?”

“I see her in my dreams now. She’s possessed and suffering like…”

“Like the girl in Rome.”

Alex looked up at Father Moran with a surprised expression, “How did you know about that?”

“I kept tabs on you.” Father Moran replied. “I know what’s been troubling you and why you left the seminary.”

Alex shook his head, “Great…”

Father Moran smiled, “Alex, what you saw is something that no human being could see without being affected by it. I think you might also want to go see a therapist. You may be suffering from post traumatic stress disorder. If you’d like, I’d be happy to…”

“No thank you.” Alex replied. “I’ve done fine on my own.”

“As you say… As for your claims about the cross, I tested that. She reacted fine to being around crosses.”

“That doesn’t mean anything when she’s in control.”

“Yes I know that.” Father Moran admitted. “However, like I said, you’ve given me very little in the way of convincing me that this isn’t the machinations of two very troubled minds.”

Seeing the disappointed look on Alex face, Father Moran adjusted his tone, “Look, if it’ll make you feel better, I’ll keep this matter open. If Tersa starts going to see a psychiatrist and they can’t resolve this, then I will reexamine her. If then I determine this to be a legitimate case, I’ll recommend the exorcism.”

“I just hope she survives that long.”

Alex had run out of patience. It was obvious that he was not going to help them. He got up to leave as Father Moran looked over the papers one more time, “And Jesus said to him, “You believe because you have seen, but blessed are those who have not seen me and yet still believe.”

The preist looked up and smiled, “John 20:29… But as for you, blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear.”

Alex turned away, “Matthew 13:16… Good day, Father.”

“Good day.”

Alex left Father Moran’s office and joined the family waiting for him in the living room. Tersa looked up at him, “He’s not going to help us, is he?”

“No.”

“He thinks I’m crazy, right?”

Alex didn’t answer her, “Come on, let’s get out of here.”

+ fantasy, Fiction, literature, Reading, suspense, Writing

Beneath the Surface: An Abandoned Story Chapter 7

by Unknown's avatar

VII

 

“Alex…”

“What, who is that? What’s going on?”

Alex found himself in a dark room, all alone. He had no idea how he had gotten there or why. A dark voice beckoned him forward.

As Alex slowly walked, the floor became less and less stable. It was extremely muddy and what looked like vines were coming out of the wall. Ahead, Alex could hear whimpering, like someone was in pain. He didn’t know what to expect, so he pressed himself against the wall of the muddy cave as he moved.

Slowly and cautiously, he moved into the next chamber, not knowing what to expect. He had no weapons and feared that an attack was coming. It was an eerie feeling as he moved.

His feet tread as lightly as possible to prevent making noise, until he kicked something metallic on the ground. He looked down to see a flashlight on the tip of his right foot. Convenient…

Alex picked it up and continued moving into the next chamber. He didn’t turn the flashlight on, not at first. Letting whoever or whatever was waiting for him know exactly where he was, was ill-advised when he was heading into a potentially hostile area.

As he entered the room, the voice called out to him again, “Alex…”

Alex recognized the voice and immediately flicked on the flashlight, “Tersa?”

The light illuminated a pale body in front of him. She was clad in torn clothes and it looked as though she had been stabbed all over her body by what looked like vines hanging from the ceiling. It was a grotesque image that he could barely stand.

The flashlight moved up to her face. Her eyes were soaked with tears and completely bloodshot. He didn’t know what to do or how to save her. He had nothing to cut the vines with. In a panic, he looked around for something, anything, sharp enough to cut through the vines, “I’ll get you out… hang on…”

“You’re too late.”

Alex’s eyes turned back to Tersa as the sound of giggling came from her direction. Her eyes began glowing orange and her teeth had been replaced with sharp fangs. She was hideous.

Alex stepped back, “You… I know you… you’re not Tersa…”

The creature cackled as it flicked its wrists, causing the vines with withdraw from its skin. At that moment, Alex realized that they weren’t vines at all, they were roots! Where was he?

Before Alex had a chance to comtemplate the horror unfolding in front of him, the creature broke loose of its bonds and jump at him, screaming in an almost reptilian voice, “Surprise!”

Startled, Alex opened his eyes and found himself in his childhood bedroom in a puddle of his own sweat. His hands were shaking and his eyes were filled with tears. My God… my God… what have you done to me?

Was it a dream, a premonition, or some sort of twisted imagery that was being inflicted upon him? This was not the first time that he’d experienced dreams like this before, but why were they now all revolving around Tersa? What was he missing?

Alex got out of bed and looked at the clock. 9am. He’d successfully slept through the night for the first time in a while. Unlike most mornings, he felt energized.

Looking at himself in the mirror, it was clear that he needed a shower. His skin was a slimy mess and his hair was greesy. He quickly stripped off his boxers and headed to the bathroom.

The steam soothed his tainted lungs as the water cleansed his skin. When he was finished, he grabbed a towel and turned off the water. As he slid back the shower curtain, his eyes widened. His mirror had completely fogged up. The words ‘leave now or die’ were written into it.

Alex shook his head as he wiped the mirror clear. He had nothing left to lose, so he certainly wasn’t about to be intimidated by hallucinations, if that’s what they were. He still had too much to do.

Alex got dressed and headed out the door. He really didn’t want to go to the McConnel home. He was afraid of whatever was going on with Tersa and didn’t want to be party to another tragedy. Still, like a moth to the flame, he went outside and got in his car.

Within minutes, he pulled into the McConnel’s driveway. He got out of his car and looked up at the house. How was he going to do this? Armed with neither a piece of scripture or a crucifix, or even the faith needed to combat evil, he believed he was walking into what he feared most.

Alex stood on the front stoop and rang the doorbell. The door immediately opened and Alex found himself looking atTersa. Her face showed a blank stare until she realized who it was. Immediately she put her arms around him and kissed him on the cheek, “Thank you.”

“I just did what I had to.”

“You saved me.”

At that moment, her father appeared behind her, “Ah Alex, come in please.”

Alex was led into the kitchen and offered a seat. The room was all dark wood paneling, with a sort of galley style stove and sink off to one side. It really showed the age of their home.

Tersa sat next to him on his left while Sgt. McConnel sat on the opposite side of the wooden table. He turned to his daughter and nodded, “You want to tell him what’s been going on?”

Tersa lowered her eyes, “I’m hearing voices at night when I try to sleep. I have a hard time eating, it’s like my stomach just tightens up so I can’t keep much down. I black out for hours at a time, only to come out of it and realize that I’ve somehow still been active.”

“Have you heard anything back from the doctors about possible mental problems?”

“No… we’re still waiting. They did several tests, but the results haven’t come back yet.”

Tersa’s mother, who had been in the next room over, came in and joined them at the table. She remained silent as they spoke. He faced had a very detectable amount of worry and her eyes looked bloodshot as though she had been crying.

Alex shook his head, “Look, all of those are symptoms of potential psychological problems. I think maybe we should wait until…”

At that moment, Tersa’s mother placed a small, golden crucifix on the table in front of her daughter. Tersa immediately smacked it off the table and glared at her mother, “Accipe a me!” (Get that away from me!)

Alex stopped in his tracks, his eyes were wide. Her eyes were black and she was breathing heavily, “Qui estis?”

She looked up at him, “You’re too late.”

The voice wasn’t hers. Alex’s blood ran cold as he looked at her. The malicious grin was so wide that it must have been straining Tersa’s face. He partially expected to see fangs in her mouth. The tears in her eyes were the only way he could tell that she was still in there.

Alex couldn’t stand it, “I asked you a question, who are you?”

“Someone.”

“Who?”

“Someone from below.”

“Give me a name.”

“You know…”

Tersa’s body fell limp. Alex shook his head as he stood up, “I’m sorry… I don’t think I can help you.”

Mrs. McConnel stood up, “You’re giving up?”

“No, but she needs a priest, not a reject like me.”

Alex knelt down next to her and tried to wake her, “Tersa, Tersa, can you hear me?”

Tersa’s body immediately came to life. She jumped at Alex with a growl. Alex jumped backwards, out of the way, narrowly avoiding her teeth hitting his left eye. She fell to the ground on top of him. He could hear her crying as he moved to grab her, “Alex, please help me.”

Alex shook her head, “We need to get her to Father Moran. He’s a good man, he’ll know what to do.”

Sgt. McConnel stood up, “All right. We’ll all go. My SUV is in the garage. Let’s get her downstairs.”

Alex picked her up and allowed her father to lead him down the stairs and into the garage. A large black Chevy Suburban was waiting for them. Alex quickly pushed Tersa on to the seat behind her father before going around to the other side. Her mother was about to climb in to sit with her daughter, but Alex spoke up, “Perhaps I should sit with her… if she has another episode…”

Her mother paused a moment and nodded, “All right.”

As soon as everyone was in, Sgt. McConnel started the car and backed out of the garage, heading for the church. Both Alex and her mother kept an eye on Tersa. She remained motionless with her eyes closed the entire ride.

They arrived at the church a few moments later. Alex dashed out and ran around to the other side before anyone else got out. He quickly opened the door and picked up Tersa.

The front doors of the church were shut, but never locked. Alex, followed by Tersa’s parents, pushed the doors opened with his side and ran in. He proceeded quickly down the isle and placed Tersa on the front pugh. An uncomfortable look came over her face. Alex had a feeling that this was the demon that they were dealing with and not Tersa herself, though he also did not feel comfortable there.

Father Moran appeared from the back of the church to see who was there. His eyes focused on Alex as he was the first one the old man recognized, “Alex what can…”

His eyes focused on Tersa, “What’s going on?”

Sgt. McConnel stepped forward, “Father, we need your help. Tersa isn’t well we think… well…”

“We think she’s possessed.” Alex said, finishing his sentence.

Father Moran’s brow furrowed as his eyes examined the sickly looking girl resting on the chair, “It looks like she needs a doctor.”

“She’s been to the hospital.” Mrs. McConnel replied. “They can’t find anything wrong with her.”

Father Moran knelt down next to her and put his thumb against her eyelids to see her pupils. He shook his head, stood up and turned to Alex, “My friend, I recommended you to the seminary. I know that you were fascinated by cases like this, but I hope you’re not…”

“Father, that was two years ago. I’ve seen too much in that time. Believe me, I don’t even want to be here right now.”

Father Moran sighed, “Very well, bring her back to the rectory. She can rest on one of the couches.”

He then beckoned to Sgt. McConnel, “I assume that you’re her parents?”

Sgt. McConnel nodded, “Yes sir.”

“Has she been seen by a psychiatrist?”

“Yes.”

“Do you have his name and number?”

“Yes.”

Father Moran nodded, “All right. Let’s go into my office.”

The old priest led them back behind the altar to the residence. It was an old apartment with an odor of must and cigarette smoke. The walls were dark wood paneled and looked like they were in serious need of updating.

Father Moran beckoned Alex to rest Tersa on the couch. He then turned to her parents, “Come back with me to my office. Let’s give this doctor a call. Alex, you stay with her.”

Alex nodded as they disappeared, “Yes Father.”

Christ, Alex, what the hell are you doing? He thought to himself. He meant it when he said that he didn’t want to be there. Every saintly effigy, every crucifix, and every single concecrated item made him feel uncomfortable.

His thoughts were interrupted when Tersa began to stir and slowly sat up. A wave of relief overtook Alex when she opened her eyes and they were brown. “Hi there, how are you feeling?”

“Weak… I feel like I haven’t slept in day.”

She quickly looked around the room with a confused expression on her face, “Where am I?”

“St. John’s. Your parents are talking with Father Moran.”

A look of fear came over her face, “I can’t be here. It won’t like this…”

“What are you talking about?”

“Alex, I need to get out of here. Being here is making it angry.”

“What, what is it?”

“I…I…”

Before she could answer, the door to Father Moran’s office door opened. Her parents came out, followed by the priest himself. Their faces brightened up when they saw that she was awake.

Father Moran smiled, “Tersa, good, you’re up. Mind if we talk for a little while?”

Tersa shivered as she looked at her parents and then Alex, “Okay… just for a little while.”

Tersa stood up and followed Father Moran back into his office. Alex sat quietly as he waited to hear what was about to come of these interviews. Tersa needed help and if anyone could, it was Father Moran. Would he believe her though? The looks on her parent’s faces made him uneasy. It looked as though they had just been through an intense dressing down and weren’t sure that he would help.

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