Tuesday, March 19, 2024

Todd the Spectacular Chapter One


 ChapterOne

Be Brave


It all happened like this. 

One simple summer that changed me immensely. Or perhaps you could say, it wasn’t a change. I merely discovered some things that were already there, just hidden from the world and myself. 

When those three monthes ended I was not who I was when it had begun. None of us were. 

And it started with but three simple words.


Be brave, Annie. Always be brave.

That’s what everyone was always telling me. “Be brave, Annie, be brave.” Although I must say with some, the message was interpreted quite differently.

“Don’t be a coward, Annie. Don’t be a coward.”

But nonetheless, I knew that it was my true meaning in life. 

To find my courage. My bravery. And I will admit I have not found that yet.

I am Annabelle Ingrid Phoenix. 

Fifteen years of age, though if I will be truthful, I am as brave and daring as a small child. 

But I hope I will overcome that. 

I often look to my brother, Henry Austen, for I am not ashamed to admit he is much braver than I. He deals with a lot of grief on his own, too. By grief I mean my mother. 

My mother Annabelle is gone now but will always be a treasure buried deep within me and my brother’s hearts. Felix and Claudia would never understand that. They were young then. I love them, of course, but I was different from them. They had what you might call an air of childish innocence. 

I did not. Nor did Henry.

I watched my mother become lowered into the soft springy earth and then buried under layers and layers of dirt like you might do to a seed. That dreaded vision will always be in some vague corner of my mind no matter how much I wish to forget it. The sound of her singing the river lullaby to me will always echo in my ears. 

That dark morning, I scattered seeds over her grave, and now, after all these years, there are still white daises who dance around her gravestone by day.

I imagine them singing to her by night.

Back to me being brave.

I know I am not brave because I have met brave people. Those who you will meet too, if you don’t turn away just yet. But right from the moment Father called me into the parlor to sit and listen I knew I would never be brave.

He paced the floor. He always did when he was nervous or upset or simply had an empty hole inside him for fear and doubt to linger there.

Sometimes it was closed. Now was not one of those times. These days, it was always open, always vulnerable. Because he was always upset.

“Ingrid.”

He said my name like you might say the name of a tree. His face looked like a blank slate right about now. I ached to try and draw some color onto him. Just a little bit of life and sunshine. He called me Ingrid because saying my mother’s name, my name, was too painful.

“Ingrid, please forgive me.”

An odd way to start a conversation.

“You have been raised comfortable and wealthy all of your life. But you know we’re struggling and…I can’t seem to keep up.”

His hand shook a little. I thought I must have imagined it. My father was always strong. Like a vast wall. And that was not always a good thing. 

For when my mother died, and he built up that vast wall, it kept me and my siblings out. And through the wall he could not hear me calling his name. He heard nothing through that wall.

“We are going to move, Ingrid. Very far away. We’ll have a fresh start. I will find myself an occupation and we will build a new life.”

“Build a new life?” I said.

“In America.”

I blinked. What a strange thing to say, so suddenly. I must’ve been dreaming.

“America?” I asked, wondrously, as if in a dream. 

I don’t believe it. “Are you serious Father? Are we really to leave?”

“It’s in the country, Ingrid. It will be different, much, much different, than Boughsberry. America is very far away. We’ll find a little house on a hilltop, perhaps, or on a quiet street. It will be small. But we have no choice.”

I believed him. 

I didn’t need to ask any more questions after that.


It was almost dark when I found my brother sitting against a tree staring off into nothing. Perhaps he was angry with father. Perhaps he knew.

“Henry?”

For a minute, nothing. 

Then, “Did Father tell you?” he asked, numbly.

“Yes.” I took a seat beside him. “It’s scary, isn’t it?” I laughed at myself then. “I’m not very fearless, am I?”

“It’s fine,” he said, again in his numb, sad way. 

“We’ll be alright.”

It took as much to convince myself as it did him.

“Maybe.”


Father told each of us goodbye with a kiss and a promise that he would meet us there as soon as he was able. I stood beside the car and he came to me with uneven, slow steps. With a hand that only I saw was trembling, he brought a finger to my cheek and stroked it gently. He ran his fingers through my hair and brought me to him. For a moment I felt young again, which really, I was. But lately, I hadn’t felt it.

“I told Henry to look after you children,” he whispered, “but you know he’s not completely…well, I’m not, either.”

“I understand,” I told him. “I’ll help him.”

He let me go. “That’s good. There’s my sweet Annabelle.”

He said my name.

I could hardly do anything more than look into his eyes as he looked into mine. “Somehow, I know,” I said.

“Know what?”

“That when I see you next I’ll have changed.”

He blinked. His fingers shook again.

“Father?”

He looked up at me painfully.

“Are you alright?” I asked and touched his cheek.

“I’m sorry,” he said. Then he turned and walked away from me, his hand rubbing the spot I had touched.

Somehow, I knew. Deep inside of me.

Father wasn’t coming to America.

“Father?” I whispered, my voice catching. “Father?” I looked around the side of the house but he was gone.

My brothers and sisters joined me and I told them nothing.

Saturday, March 16, 2024

A Prequel-

 hey everyone!

for those of you who still check in on this blog from time to time,

my original plan for my new story was to post a chapter every Monday, but since the next part is just like a prequel type intro thing, I am going to post it today! It'll be pretty short, since it's not actually a real chapter.

anyway, I hope you enjoy!


dream


“I’m not brave like you. Not really,” she said. 

They spoke quietly then.

They stood on the dock, breathing in the evening, as it was one of the last evenings like this. The lake turned a sort of tainted gold as the sun fell away. On the water, she saw her own life. Tainted. But maybe still beautiful in its own way.

Slowly, light painted itself on the water, casting itself down like a sad sigh. 

Moments like these were spoken in whispers.

“But, you’re Annie the Brave.”


Annie the Brave.

My eyes opened. My fingers felt the keys beneath them. Another night spent at my typewriter. 

But I couldn’t have slept.

I needed to write.

I lifted up my head and my eyes focused on my paper, still waiting for the right words to come. 

I couldn’t think clearly right now, not with my dream still fresh in my mind. 

Oh, this dream. Why did it keep occurring so? It wasn’t a happy dream, though it appeared to be. In fact, it woke me in tears everytime, every morning. I didn’t really know why. It just came and never stopped.

Sometimes, I think I drift too far back into the hazy memories of my childhood. The blurry summer afternoons that will always mean everything to me. But will one day fade away.

This dream I had brought back my past memories, fresh and anew.

Maybe it because his death still lingered in my thoughts. 

My heart still ached for him. 

For the one who thought me to be brave.

I blinked my eyes and took a deep breath, anything but steady, but still I tried. 

And pushing away all other thoughts I began to write.


Monday, March 11, 2024

New Story Sneak Peek!




Todd the 

SPECTACULAR



sneak peak(:






QUOTES FOR THIS BOOK:



i have traveled through madness to find me.

—Danny Alexander—




“In the depth of winter I finally discovered that within me there lay an invincible summer.”

—Albert Camus—



I was not from around here where there were furious rivers and hazy summer nights and skies so decorated with stars you could barely see the blackness behind them. I had that feeling I would experience such things the moment I leapt from the wagon. The flame inside me was kindling and I felt it growing. These wonders were foreign to me and as if I might be stripped from them, I bathed deeply in the wonderful things around me and held on tight to them. I decided then and there that no one, not even Father, might make me leave this place where everything was so wild and free.

I had come a long, long way, from the foggy wisps of Boughsberry, England.

I was here in a place called Mississippi, somewhere wonderful and strange.

I am back!

 I am back!!!!!!!!!!


shortly, for those of you who still check in from time to time, I am going to post one chapter of a story I am writing, every few days. some chapters might be a bit lengthy so there will be separate parts for some. this is a story that it completely finished, so I won't be afraid of giving up on it like I have for a lot of these stories(:


I hope that if anyone sees this or reads it, they will give it a chance and hopefully enjoy it some, too.


well, that's it!


bye for now!



Friday, November 4, 2022

NOT IMPOSSIBLE CHAPTER NINE

I N T O   T H E   W O O D S

I looked at my scared hands. They were red and swollen. Probably from grasping the motorbike handles so tight, for dear life.

I sat against a tree in the dark. I couldn’t even see the moon, but it had to be somewhere around here because the silver light wasn’t coming from the sun. 

I wiped my eyes. They burned from two lost days of sleep. I had never felt so alone. We had been deep in the woods, avoiding the roads, for now two days. 

I felt bad for winding Trinity into all this mess. She should be at home designing a new wedding gown. Not sitting in the woods shivering to death.

I had given the only spare blanket to her, so I hugged my arms around me to somehow block out the cold. But it was useless. I looked over to my left. Trinity was asleep.

I decided to take a silent walk, something that was probably very stupid in my situation. But I had to go somewhere alone to think.

Some areas had loud fallen leaves on the ground, but certain areas it was clearer. Avoiding the sticks and leaves was obviously the only best thing to do.

I walked silently. This part of the woods and even the road we had been on earlier, we’re barely ever used. When we’d go to Andy’s aunt’s house, we always took the highway. Never this lone road surrounded by eerie forests. 

But I had to make it. I wouldn’t die like this, never knowing why. Always wondering why I was killed.

I hated thinking like that. And I missed the times where my biggest problems were failing on my math tests. It seemed like I was stuck in a nightmare.

I found a rock. A big rock. I walked quietly, and without a sound, sat down on the rock and breathed out a visible breath of cold air. The moon was a silver streak shining right down upon me. Finally I could see it.

My hands shook from the cold. It was so quiet and peaceful that my own breathing was so loud. And before I knew what was happening, I felt a tear fall onto my arms hugging myself tightly. And then another. And another and another. Soon, I had buried my face in my arms and cried silently. 

I missed my parents. I couldn’t believe they were really gone. And I wished I could just stay somewhere safe to cry and grieve for them, and gradually go back to a somewhat normal life. 

But instead I had to focus on swallowing my tormenting sorrow and meanwhile get me and Trinity to safety. And once we were safe and hidden away, then I would find out why and how this whole thing started.

I had to, I promised myself. I would get through this. And do whatever it takes.

To be continued.

Wednesday, October 19, 2022

NOT IMPOSSIBLE CHAP. 8

CHAPTER

I N T O   T H E   L I G H T


“Danny, wake up!” 

I sat up and gasped. “What is it?”

“They’re coming, I hear them!”

Loud thunderous rumbled echoed through the deep dark halls. I scrambled to my feet, grabbed Trinity’s ice-cold hand and ran for our lives.

We almost slipped a few times, but in a half-second we were back to our feet. 

“Danny, it’s getting louder! Where’s the end of the tunnel!”

“I don’t know! Just keep going!” I ran so fast, my chest was starting to hurt.

And then heaven came to earth.

“Danny, look!”

I looked. And I almost cried.

Light. Light was peeking out of the ceiling in the distance. We picked up our speed and ran to that light like we were literally having armed-troopers run after us. My first instinct was to bang on the top of that sewer lid-type thing, you know, the things you see in New York where monsters would crawl out of them in the movies? No? Ok…

I banged so hard, screaming for help, though really should’ve been trying to somehow unscrew it. 

Suddenly, through the holes I saw hands lift it up and out of the way.

“Andy!”

“Come on!” 

I lifted Trinity up and then I leaped up into the air and they both grabbed my arms and pulled me up.

“We have to run! They’re after us! Got a ride?”

Andy stepped out of the way and revealed my now painted motorbike.

“Thank God for you, Andy,” I said breathily and quickly got on, Trinity behind me.

“What about you?” I said to Andy, my hands revving up the engine.

“Don’t worry, I’ll catch up with you. Go to my Aunt’s house in Wyoming. You can trust her.”

I nodded. We had gone there plenty of times and I knew her address by heart. But how would I find it?

“Thanks so much, Andy.”

Just as he went to respond, we heard shouts and loud footsteps.

My heart skipped a beat. “Bye, Andy!”

“Bye!” He mouthed and disappeared down the road somewhere. We were far from Trinity’s house and I barely recognized this part of town anywhere. But that was good. I hit the gas pedal and we roared down the lonely road into the woods.


Thursday, October 13, 2022

Little Post

 Hi everyone, I know I've barely been posting anything, and I have just a few chapters that are already finished, I'm just waiting to post them, because I've been trying to drag it out. 

I'm not saying I'm quitting or anything, a lot of things have just been coming up lately, like newborn kittens (we have eight!) that we've been busy with and I'm kind of losing inspiration for this kind of book. 

You'll probably get the next chapter in the next two days or so.

--Elena

Todd the Spectacular Chapter One

 C hapter O ne Be Brave It all happened like this.  One simple summer that changed me immensely. Or perhaps you could say, it wasn’t a chang...