‘Fairest’ Snippet

OK! Hopefully, I’m making it to #RainbowSnippets, the last one I’ll be participating in for a couple of weeks. #RainbowSnippets is a collection of various sample of GLBT fiction, which people post on Saturdays. Six sentences of the poster’s own, or someone else’s work is offered up. The only requirement is that is be GLBT.

I’m offering another taste of my f/f, fantasy fairytale, ‘Fairest’. I’m picking up exactly where I left off yesterday…

“What are you doing?” the witch cried. She rose from her seat, but stopped, as if she was too frightened to move. “Come back!”

I didn’t. I went outside, into the night. Fortunately, the moon was full and bright, so I had something to see by.

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‘Fairest’ Snippet

I’m going to disappear from social media for a while, slowly, over this weekend. Like the Cheshire cat, fading away, until nothing is left, but a grin, only to reappear on July 5th.  I’m not sure if I’ll make it to #RainbowSnippets tomorrow, or not. I thought I’d share a little snippet of #Fairest, my f/f fantasy fairytale here, right before I vanish.

A pale, sad face watched us through the glass. I recognized her dark eyes at once. They fixed themselves upon me. A strange sort of terror spread across her entire face, making her red lips quiver. I could feel that terror, tingling through my body.

I didn’t think. I acted. I stood up from the table. The witch and the dwarves all stared. I marched to the front door and opened it.

Brothers Given Over to Madness

Today, people are celebrating their love for Mary Shelley’s ‘Frankenstein’. I’m celebrating it, too, by sharing quotes on tumblr, #QueerSciFi, and cauldronkeeper.livejournal.com.

I also thought I’d share snippets about an original character, who was inspired by Victor Frankenstein, Louis de Pointe du Lac, and other elder brothers, who suffered a kind of madness, due to the loss of their younger brothers. The idea of a brother, whose madness was born out of a desire to protect his younger brothers started to take shape, within my imagination.

The concept of Leiwell came into being; the older brother of Danyell and Dayell, the main characters in my novel, ‘The Hand and the Eye of the Tower’.  I thought I’d share a little snippet with him here…

“All I ever wanted was to live happily ever after, safe in the cottage with you,” Dayell whispered. His face was damp with tears, as he gazed at his brother. “It’s ironic that Leiwell wanted the same thing, but he’s willing to pay the price for his wish. In the end, I don’t think I can.”

“You shouldn’t!” Danyell said. A fierceness filled his words, as he gripped his brother’s hand. “You shouldn’t have to pay it! Neither should Leiwell!”

This time, he didn’t close his eyes. He just turned around, so he could see what Dayell was looking at.

There was an enormous tree standing behind him. Shadows had gathered and crept up its branches, but its leaves were the greenest he’d ever seen. The entire tree glowed with light, no, the glow wasn’t coming from the tree. It came from the young man hanging from the tree.

Bound by one foot, Leiwell dangled from a long, twisting vine, almost like a tentacle. Darkness and light crawled up Leiwell’s luminous body. He was dying, turning pale, as the patches of light and shadow drank the color from his skin.

 

‘Fairest’ Snippet

It’s Saturday, time for #RainbowSnippets! 🙂 #RainbowSnippets is when different people share six sentences of any kind of GLBT fiction. It can be their own, or someone else’s. For a taste of a wide variety of GLBT stories, check them out!

Here’s my own contribution, a sample from my f/f fantasy fairy tale, ‘Fairest’.

“Beautiful,” I murmured. I should have been terrified. All I could do was stare at the witch who’d cursed me.

“Beautiful,” she agreed, her lips curving in a smile of pure sweetness. I couldn’t believe this girl was my enemy. Not when she looked so affectionately—almost lovingly—upon me.

Olympian Visions, Part 2

This is part of a story I was inspired to write at the Writer’s Zen Garden on Facebook, when someone posted Lynn Stirling’s video, ‘Taking Flight’ as a source of inspiration. A classical myth of an Olympian preying upon a goddess turned into a f/f. To read Part 1, go to http://tinyurl.com/KSTrenten-facebook.

The river is disappearing into sky and cloud. My sister is trying to change the landscape into one she controls. I decide to play her game. I start rowing my ferry out into the Styx, which is transforming into clouds.

Helia’s eye burns bright for one moment, before it closes. Darkness follows. I catch a glimpse of something shining….there! On the edge of the horizon, flickering. Could it be the light I seek?

It’s getting dark. I can barely see, until forks of lightning illuminate my way.
Is Zeu trying to help me, or strike me down? You can never tell with her. Rain following, weeping fat drops, which come near, without touching me. Did I make my sister cry, without realizing it?

The flower takes flight, rising into the air, as if it can’t wait to get away from me. I search for it, but all I can see is the rain, the clouds, and the lightning illuminating all of it.

Something dark looms overhead. Its force pulls me out of my ferryboat, although I cling to its sides. What has that kind of power? The darkness is usually obedient to my wishes.

I flip through the air, parted from my boat. My hands and feet connect with a ladder, dangling from the darkness.

Is this another whim of Zeu’s? Is she trying to help me? Or is all of this her doing? Lightning and thunder are her weapons. Perhaps the darkness is merely giant storm clouds, running around, doing her bidding, like a pack of well trained dogs.

I climb down the ladder to the cold earth. Light rushes up around me, the light of a cold, pitiless day. Helia has opened her eyes, again, but she’s not in a good mood. The earth is green, though. New life is emerging from it. Wet and damp, I regard my surroundings, as I start walking.

My darkness is coming to meet me, accompanied by the light of a thousand, special mortal moments. This is the only light everyone can see. I reach for one, delighted by its brightness.

Can it be? Was this the light I was seeking all along? Not the universal brightness, but just one unique flame?

A flower is growing out of the earth. I can feel Tartarus, creeping up around me, all hissing, heated stone. It doesn’t make this single blossom any less precious, or beautiful.

I kneel beside it, cupping it with my hand.

“Persephone,” I whisper, giving it, no, her, a name.

(For the last part, go to inspirationcauldron.blogspot.com)

‘A Symposium in Space’

Blurb:
Centuries after Plato’s The Symposium, another symposium is taking place in space. Fleeing from the space pirate, Alkibiadea, Sokrat and her protege race to attend a dinner party, taking place at Agathea’s space cluster. It’s no ordinary dinner party. What you say is what you eat, as each guest forms a theory or tells a story about love, to sate the bizarre hunger of their host. Join Sokrat, Phaedra, Pausania, Aristophania, and Eryximachia; as each of them expresses what love means to them, unearthing buried secrets, passions, and fears within their hearts. For love means something very different to each guest, making every meal unique.

Excerpt:

With those words, Agathea’s predatory anticipation of failure changed focus. She now eyed Pausania with a hungry eye. Eryximachia reached out for Agathea’s free hand and began to fondle it. Her heavily lidded gaze fixed itself upon Pausania in equal anticipation. A bubble swelled into existence a few feet away from them. It moved toward Pausania, eyeing her with the same predatory pink eye as its mistress.

An unexpected stab of pity caught me in the gut as I watched Pausania rise from her seat to face her audience. She wouldn’t back down. She’d rise to the challenge, even if she ended up shamed by her own words.

 

‘Fairest’ Snippet

Welcome to #RainbowSnippets! Every Saturday, various people post six sentences of GLBT fiction  to share. It can be their own, or someone else’s. To try a wide variety of GLBT story fragments, check them out!

Here’s my own Saturday offering, six sentences from my f/f fantasy fairy tale, ‘Fairest’.

I could not be certain how long I sat there, staring at her. The lady’s painted eyes seemed equally fascinated with me. No, more than fascinated. Those eyes yearned to devour me. At the same time, they cried out for my sympathy. No, more than that.