True, It's been a long, long time since I posted, but I have been busy with real world stuff...you know real jobs, kids, families, eating, etc.
I received a lot of feedback from people and various contests, and as such I would love to post my NEW and MUCH IMPROVED first chapter of Ashmore Unbroken (I did change the title as well). I would love feedback of course, I am always looking to improve, but the main thing I wanted to do for you the reader is get you grounded before I pummel you with action. Oh and just to be clear, the entire 90k word manuscript is completely finished, I JUST NEED AN AGENT!
So here we are...
PART 1 - LIFE
CHAPTER
1 | TURBULENCE
Just another ordinary day in Shady Oaks, at least I
thought it was when it started.
A brisk
California breeze brushed though my shaggy brown hair as I stood ready to board
the tiny looking eight passenger plane. The large, balding pilot and his much
slimmer flight attendant were already traipsing up the stairs.
I looked
around at the perfectly placed palm trees, set in a line parallel to the
airport. Everything in this city seemed immaculately ordered – the weather, the
people, even their daily routines. Not one hair was out of place here - except
for me of course.
I never
belonged in Shady Oaks.
Glancing
ahead I noticed several sharp-dressed businessmen, probably heading to Lake
Tahoe for a business retreat. There was a handsome couple, obviously newlyweds
that were much too engrossed in each other’s eyes and lips to notice the world
around them.
Then
there was me, heading off to a small town near Lake Tahoe to help my grandma
out after she broke her hip. Really, it was a getaway for me though, a chance
to not hear my stepdad yelling my name, listen to all the loud music I wanted
and binge-watch all the zombie shows I could dream of.
Suddenly
I felt something grab me, drawing out a startled gasp.
A
wrinkled old hand wrapped itself around my arm, a dry, creaky voice piercing
through the quiet Spring air. “Help me up the stairs my boy?”
“Uh.”
I tried to draw my arm away from the frail-looking woman, but her grip was much
stronger than it looked.
As
her other hand reached through the air, her sleeve lifted and I saw a faint
outline of a tattoo, now worn and wrinkled like an old map. A large emerald
ring on her finger glinted with metal serpents wrapping themselves around the
green glowing gem.
Something
about her seemed out of place, as if the tiny, delicate hands seemed much more
appropriate on somebody else. I was sure I was going to have some bruises tomorrow
at this rate.
“You
know, you’re a handsome boy, dark brown hair, green eyes – you remind me of
someone I used to know once, I think, long ago maybe...”
She
trailed off.
Even
though old people creeped me out I gripped her hand tight and whispered back,
just biding my time until I could get to my seat and plug in my ear buds.
“Thanks. I think.”
“What’s
your name young man?” She leaned incredibly close to my ear, and I could almost
feel her sandpaper lips against my ears.
“Gavin.
Gavin Ashmore. And you?” I looked up toward her eyes, only to see frosted,
cataract-filled eyeballs. I wondered how she even made it here.
“Ashmore.
Ashmore. Where do I know that name?” And then a strange look flashed through
the old woman’s gray eyes as recognition settled in. But a second later, it
faded, and she only hummed to herself. “My mind isn’t quite what it used to be.”
She never answered my question, but we were at the foot
of the stairs leading up to the plane, which at this point still seemed like a
tiny toy. A little nervous, I focused on helping the old woman grab onto the
railing, though it seemed like she knew where she was.
“Come on up, sir,” the brunette flight attendant called
down. “Gavin Ashmore right? Your mom called earlier just to make sure you hadn’t
run off - you get the very backseat – please sit down as soon as you can since
we’ll be taking off shortly.”
“Sure,” I said. Better that way to not have to talk to
anyone. I couldn’t believe my mom had called in, but then again, my mom put all
overbearing moms to shame with her skills.
Giving a
curt smile, she turned to the elderly lady. “It looks like you’re in good hands
there ma’am. Please take the seat in front of this young gentleman.” She
whispered something to the fat and now-sweaty pilot if he knew CPR just in
case.
Making
our way up the stairs without any help at all, I could’ve sworn the old woman
winked at the pilot as she walked by. She smiled in his direction, but it only
looked like something evil under all those wrinkles.
“Can I
tell you a secret?” I felt the sandpaper lips near my ear again.
“Do we have
to?” I said.
She
chuckled. “There’s only one thing I remember right now.”
With
wrinkled eyebrows I looked up at her frosty eyes – obviously she had seen her fair
share of battles, including dementia it seemed. Heaving a sigh, I said, “Okay,
what is it?”
She
smiled, and yet again it looked a bit scary. “I’m a princess.”
I tried
to move my arm away, but the grip held firm. I laughed nervously, now
remembering why I had a fear of old people, suddenly having second thoughts
about this trip. I decided to play along.
“Of
course you are.”
We
reached our seats and it was now that I realized this woman had no luggage at
all which struck me as odd. The way things were going so far though, it didn’t
surprise me.
She let
go of her grip momentarily, and I seized the opportunity, only to have the
woman bring my ear back to her lips. This time she spoke seriously. “I am a
princess. But now I am something else as well. A curse.”
She
laughed, a gristly, metallic sound. I took my arm and sat down, hurriedly fetching
out my earbuds and clicking my seatbelt.
A little
voice in my head shamed me…
And that’s exactly why we never talk
to people on planes.
My arm
ached at all my pressure points so I clicked the volume up to max to distract
me as Radiohead streamed. My new worst nightmare was being trapped on an
airplane full of nursing home residents going on vacation.
I closed
my eyes, drowning out the world around me until we could take off and reach cruising
altitude.
Eventually
though, my eyes grew heavier until they sunk under the weight of finally being
free from stress.
The hard
beats of alternative rock were always a lullaby for me.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A
half hour must have passed with my head bobbing up and down in a restless kind
of sleep.
Rumbling
rattled my phone out of its pocket, clanking against the metal bar on my seat.
My
eyes shot open as adrenaline shook me awake.
Something
woke me.
Something
was off.
Something
was wrong.
I
threw my earbuds out and choked against the thick smoke filling the air. What
little oxygen I could grasp just burned in every inch of my chest.
Worst
wake up call. Ever.
Glancing
up the aisle, the only thing I noticed was sheer panic as the other passengers
sitting single file in front of me gulped and snorted for oxygen – That is,
except for the old woman who sat in front of me quietly humming to herself as
she wore an eerie smile and calmly looked out the window with glazed eyes.
A
man and woman sobbed a few seats in front of me, telling each other how much
they loved one another while holding hands between seats. One of the
businessmen yelled fiercely at a shaking flight attendant, desperately pleading
for a way off the plane and offering money for a
parachute.
parachute.
Only
one thought of panic course through me.
I
was going to die. I wasn’t even sixteen and I was going to die.
I
shut my eyelids. The smell of gasoline and burnt steel twisted in a sickening,
pungent combination. My stomach lurched and my fingers burrowed deeper into the
armrests.
The
seat belt light overhead blared at me angrily. Like that little piece of fabric
was going to help.
I
looked to the front of the plane where the smoke had come from. I wondered what
happened to the pilot. Was he even on board anymore?
The
engine sputtered on my right side as it completely gave out.
The
plane dropped ten feet.
The
flight attendant fell sprawled on the floor, spilling a box of masks she was
about to hand out.
It
was as if someone had taken the fastest roller coaster in the world and placed
it on top of Mount Everest. My stomach was sitting on the ceiling by now. The
plunging motion sickened and exhilarated me all at the same time.
I
looked down at my Ramones t-shirt. My dad had introduced me to them –at least I
would go out of this world wearing my favorite shirt. Glancing down at my hand,
I could see the wristband my father had given me when he left – one of his last
mementos – a fuzzy dark wristband with cursive white writing that spelled, “The
Seraphs.” I thought it was a band he must have like, but he claimed it would
protect me as long as I had it on – I had a feeling we were about to test that.
I
felt a wrinkled old hand wrap itself around my leg, a dry, creaky voice
piercing through the din. It was the old woman again, probably thinking she was
on a cruise ship or something.
“Give
me your hand my boy,” the woman said. “Such a sweet child like yourself shouldn’t
have to die this way.”
“We
both finally agree on something,” I said.
“What
was your name again young man?” She asked dryly.
“Gavin
Ashmore.” I gripped the armrests in a death hold. This was definitely my new,
new worst nightmare.
This
time her eyes visibly changed from grey to bright blue. “It couldn’t be.” she
muttered to herself. “I know that name…”
“Sorry,
what?” I demanded as a pen rattled by my feet.
“You
- you are an Ashmore. But I thought…I thought they were all gone. We haven’t
sensed one of those in years. There may be hope after all if the Unbroken
lives.”
I
snatched my now-sweaty hand away. “What?”
The old
woman sprang from her feet, much quicker than someone her age should be able to
do, yelling to the attendant sprawled across one of the chairs. “Is there a
parachute here? This boy needs it! NOW!”
Another
loud crash rang through the air as something mechanical failed and stole my
nerves away.
More
screaming.
More
crying.
More
shouting.
A
loud voice rang over the speakers, struggling to eek out words.
“Errr
- This is your captain. “I – errrr,” he gasped. “I am so sorry. I-I failed.”
Then
nothing but static.
The
other engine sputtered and gave out, replacing the tumult with a grave silence
that reverberated death.
No
screaming.
No
crying.
Not
a single shout.
The
plane tipped downward, and I felt weightless. The steep motion thrilled my
senses, but at the same time crushed the remaining breath out of my lungs.
The
other passengers must have passed out by now, or given up I figured.
I
would die soon also.
I
tried to gasp one last breath out, but it was stifled like a flame choking out.
Rolling my eyes back into my skull, I gave into the darkness that welcomed me.
I
heard one more deafening crash.
Then...
Nothing.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A
faint light danced in front of my face. I would’ve reached out and grabbed it
if I even had an arm. It felt like my consciousness was just floating somewhere
in –between worlds. Time had no meaning – I could’ve been staring at this thing
for the past century and I would’ve had no idea.
The
light exploded in the darkness where I now existed, only to be replaced
suddenly by a small figure - a girl in fact.
A
glowing, fiery ring appeared before my view. The girl held it without getting
burned.
She
must have been something from another world, because she was singly the most
beautiful creature I had ever laid eyes on. In stark contrast to the chaotic
rush before the darkness, she stood calmly looking down at me. Her skin was
porcelain white, while her hair sat
in tight, jet-black ringlets on her head. Her eyes were the purest blue that could have been created. Flowing white wisps surrounded her as her dress enveloped her body. She looked down at me, frowning with pity.
in tight, jet-black ringlets on her head. Her eyes were the purest blue that could have been created. Flowing white wisps surrounded her as her dress enveloped her body. She looked down at me, frowning with pity.
I
tried to reach her, but without an embodied hand, I just watched silently. She
spoke, almost singing as she did so. Though she looked in my direction, it
didn’t seem like she was speaking to me, but calling out to something…or
someone.
It
sounded like some kind of Latin to me.
“Sanetus.”
She
repeated it over again, as she reached out her gentle fingers. A glowing ball
of light appeared at the tip of her index finger, and she placed it where my
forehead should have been.
She
spoke again, “I have been watching you Gavin Ashmore and you must not die. You
are only sixteen, too young for anyone. Especially for you.”
A
blast of radiance engulfed my consciousness. I was instantly sucked back into
my body like a vacuum.
My
eyes shot open, but it was still pitch black.
I
labored to breathe – something stifled me like a plastic bag. Sweat trickled
down my forehead, making my eyes sting. I could hear distant voices muffled
through whatever was wrapped around me.
I
reached out my now-embodied hand and pushed the plastic away from my face. I
scratched and pinched at it until I felt an ice-cold metal object against my
hot skin.
I
closed my fingertips around it and pulled the zipper down hard–Daylight
exploded into my vision and blinded my eyes like a flash bang.
I
bolted up from a black body bag, thrashing and kicking at it to free myself.
“Over
here!” Someone shouted. “There’s a live one!”
