Sneak Peak...
So, for everyone who watches me here's viewing pleasure, a sneak peak at the next work in progress I've started. It's in it's most raw format currently, so there are likely some errors. I hope everyone enjoys this excerpt from 'Sarah and the Goblin King'. After this, I bet everyone knows what the faery tale this is based off of is...
Once Upon a Time...
There should be a legal limit to bad luck, Robert Williams decided as he slammed the door to his car shut, his face lined with frustration and age that hadn't been so obvious a few years ago. Then again, life had a way of throwing unexpected curve balls at one, and since 1996, the Williams family had seen more than their fair share.
Many of his colleagues at the time had sworn it was a streak of bad luck.
His daughter, however, stated that it was probably something more akin to a curse. Then again, his Sarah was always a little different. Up until she was fifteen, she'd been an inconsolable brat, and then one day, seemingly out of the blue, she changed. She began to take an interest in her brother, in her step-mother, in life.
That day had been nearly fourteen years ago now, on September seventeenth. Since then, on that night, Sarah would disappear into her room for a long time, until she would eventually return to the family, looking quiet, thoughtful.
Eventually, she went off to school, working towards a degree in Library sciences, working part time to pay of her student loans as she attended school full time. She never finished her degree. The final year she was in college was the year the family started having all of their problems. Countless law suits sent their family into the negative, and Sarah returned the money for the final year to the lenders, promising to pay off the rest of the loan as quickly as possible.
Sarah Williams returned to her broken family, finding her father nearly hopeless, steeping himself in alcohol, her step-mother on anti-depressants, and Toby very angry about why he couldn't have the expensive toy he wanted for Christmas.
That was when Robert Williams became aware of how much his daughter had changed from the petulant brat she'd been in the early years of her adolescence.
She came home, and took on two jobs, paying off her student loans and creditors who were demanding money from him. She came home and made sure that Toby did his homework. When they lost the house, she helped pack what they could bring along and took the things that didn't have sentimental value to a pawn shop.
She became the strength that supported the family as he tried to get his feet back underneath him.
They moved out of the suburbs, farther into the country, and he eventually became a district attorney, rather than the defense lawyer he had been. The streak of bad luck seemed to be easing up, he even was requested to oversee the defense of a high profile case, which easily could have put them back into the green.
That had been why he had driven back into the city this week. Karen had been thrilled, quietly asking that he bring her back some pretty bauble and Toby had demanded the latest video game. Only Sarah had been reserved, pleased with the seeming good luck, but had asked for nothing. He had prompted her, asked what she thought she might want.
She'd given him a faint, wistful smile, and said that she would like a new book. Something unique, that she hadn't already read.
It was so her, that he couldn't object. It was just a part of her nature. Maybe a first edition Peter Pan would be available in the bookstore near the police station.
Unfortunately, this case was distressingly similar to the last case he had defended, and so, upon listening to the facts from the man, he asked the hard question. If the man was guilty or if he was innocent. The man laughed and said that he'd done it, and enjoyed it. That's why he was hiring the best defense attorney.
Robert had walked out of the room then and there, refusing to serve as his lawyer. He'd headed home without the baubles for his wife or the game for his son. He'd searched for a book that his daughter might not have, since hers was the least expensive request, but he could find nothing. So, empty handed and broken hearted, he went to his car and left the city.
The freak snowstorm had caught him unawares, so steeped was he in his own misery. He caught a slippery patch and his car went off the rode, hit a tree, and the trusty old station wagon promptly died. Which led to where he was currently, trudging through the snow, wrapped in a coat that wasn't thick enough to defend against the chill, wondering if this was how his saga would end. He would freeze to death out here in the snow, leaving his family penniless and alone.
Still, he wondered if it wasn't better to die out here, rather than return and face the disappointment on their faces.
He'd walked for what felt like forever, when a light caught his eye. He smiled grimly, thinking that it was the light at the end of the tunnel of death, and began to follow it through the trees. However, what he found instead was a tall wrought iron gate with large lanterns on either side. The gates swung open as though in welcome, and he moved slowly past them.
The walk up the driveway wasn't particularly long, and at the end was a large manor house. It was odd. Robert had never heard of a manor any where near their country home, and this place looked too well maintained to be abandoned. Indeed, upon entering, he found a fire burning in a room off to the side. Before the fire was a large, comfortable looking chair with a blanket on it.
Robert noticed the ache in his feet and the intense cold in his body quite suddenly and wasted no time in tearing off his damp coat and wrapping himself in the warm blanket, curling up in the equally warm chair.
Once he'd thawed a bit, he rose to explore the lovely home. He was amazed by the sheer amount of wealth around him, and though there seemed to be no one there, he often felt eyes upon him. Upon entering the dining room, he found an impressive spread of food. He ate heartily, although he felt guilty since his family could not share in the meal, and were likely eating whatever Sarah and Karen had managed to throw together on the small amount of money that remained for groceries after bills were paid each month.
Once he had eaten his fill, he continued to explore, until he found a room with a pair of pajama laid out over the bed. He pondered the wisdom of sleeping in this place, where obviously someone must live, however, he was very tired, and so he stripped out of his own clothing, laying them neatly on the vanity within the room before he slipped into the pajamas and climbed into the bed. “Whatever benevolent creature is looking over me right now, thank you. I only pray that my families luck is as good.”
Laying on his side, he fell asleep almost instantly.
The next day he woke to the sound water running and found a shower already started in an adjoining bathroom. He took his time getting cleaned up, and dressed in the clothing he found laid out for him already and decided he should go and find his elusive host.
He was searching high and low when he found a vast library, filled from top to bottom with books. He wandered the room, awed of the collection. His daughter would be so at home in this place, he thought smiling faintly. He wandered the titles pulling out a few and browsing them. Finally, he happened upon a book of Celtic Faery Lore, told in such a way even his own logical brain could almost believe it. He couldn't believe what a find this was. He knew for certain that his daughter would adore it.
He carried the book out of the room, still flipping through it.
He'd barely left when he bumped into someone who was roughly his own height. The man had a fearsome expression on his face, a look that screamed pain and suffering for himself. Robert Williams shrank back from the only slightly shorter man.
“I allow you into my home,” the man began, his wild blond hair becoming streaked with darkness. “I shower you with hospitality...and how do you repay my generosity?!” The house seemed to shudder in the face of the man's anger and Robert could only stare in disbelief as even the man's clothing became dark and foreboding. “By stealing...”
There was such loathing in the creature's voice that he trembled in fear. “I truly meant no insult-”
“It matter's not! You steal, so you shall suffer the consequences of your actions. I am going to kill you!”
Grief filled the man as he remembered his thoughts the day before, how his family would be left alone, with no one to take care of them, leaving Sarah to struggle for the rest of her life to dig the family out of the hole he put them in. “Please, sir,” he begged softly. “I am the one who provides for my family. If I am gone, they will be left to the wolves of the world. I have damaged nothing. Take the book. I simply wished to bring a present for my daughter.”
Shrewd eyes regarded him. “A daughter,” he repeated, obviously disbelieving.
Robert pulled out his wallet, his hands shaking as he did so. He flipped it open to a picture of his family, thrusting it before the man in front of him. “My daughter, Sarah. She is the only reason the family hasn't fallen apart yet. She works two jobs, trying to help support us, but it's not enough by itself. She sacrificed her future to save her family, and I wanted to bring her something nice. My son and wife wanted baubles, useless things that they'll discard in a month, but Sarah...She loves books, especially faery tales-”
“Silence,” the man said, his voice oddly rough. “I will spare your life on one condition, thief. You may return home for three weeks. You have until then to convince this daughter of yours to come here and take your place. If you do not, you will die at the end of the fourth week.” He turned, preparing to leave, only to briefly pause. “You may take the book. In the room you borrowed, you will find a chest. Fill it with whatever suits your fancy. If your family is that dreadfully poor and since you've already stolen one thing, you might as well take a few more.”
Robert nearly sobbed in relief, nodding his head. “Thank you, kind lord-”
“I'm not a lord,” he said coldly. “And save your platitudes. Don't forget my words. If your daughter does not come in three weeks to take your place, you will die on the fourth.”
The man seemed to disappear into the darkness of the hall and Robert slumped down the wall, a little hysterical.
He didn't see his frightening host again.
Once Upon a Time...
There should be a legal limit to bad luck, Robert Williams decided as he slammed the door to his car shut, his face lined with frustration and age that hadn't been so obvious a few years ago. Then again, life had a way of throwing unexpected curve balls at one, and since 1996, the Williams family had seen more than their fair share.
Many of his colleagues at the time had sworn it was a streak of bad luck.
His daughter, however, stated that it was probably something more akin to a curse. Then again, his Sarah was always a little different. Up until she was fifteen, she'd been an inconsolable brat, and then one day, seemingly out of the blue, she changed. She began to take an interest in her brother, in her step-mother, in life.
That day had been nearly fourteen years ago now, on September seventeenth. Since then, on that night, Sarah would disappear into her room for a long time, until she would eventually return to the family, looking quiet, thoughtful.
Eventually, she went off to school, working towards a degree in Library sciences, working part time to pay of her student loans as she attended school full time. She never finished her degree. The final year she was in college was the year the family started having all of their problems. Countless law suits sent their family into the negative, and Sarah returned the money for the final year to the lenders, promising to pay off the rest of the loan as quickly as possible.
Sarah Williams returned to her broken family, finding her father nearly hopeless, steeping himself in alcohol, her step-mother on anti-depressants, and Toby very angry about why he couldn't have the expensive toy he wanted for Christmas.
That was when Robert Williams became aware of how much his daughter had changed from the petulant brat she'd been in the early years of her adolescence.
She came home, and took on two jobs, paying off her student loans and creditors who were demanding money from him. She came home and made sure that Toby did his homework. When they lost the house, she helped pack what they could bring along and took the things that didn't have sentimental value to a pawn shop.
She became the strength that supported the family as he tried to get his feet back underneath him.
They moved out of the suburbs, farther into the country, and he eventually became a district attorney, rather than the defense lawyer he had been. The streak of bad luck seemed to be easing up, he even was requested to oversee the defense of a high profile case, which easily could have put them back into the green.
That had been why he had driven back into the city this week. Karen had been thrilled, quietly asking that he bring her back some pretty bauble and Toby had demanded the latest video game. Only Sarah had been reserved, pleased with the seeming good luck, but had asked for nothing. He had prompted her, asked what she thought she might want.
She'd given him a faint, wistful smile, and said that she would like a new book. Something unique, that she hadn't already read.
It was so her, that he couldn't object. It was just a part of her nature. Maybe a first edition Peter Pan would be available in the bookstore near the police station.
Unfortunately, this case was distressingly similar to the last case he had defended, and so, upon listening to the facts from the man, he asked the hard question. If the man was guilty or if he was innocent. The man laughed and said that he'd done it, and enjoyed it. That's why he was hiring the best defense attorney.
Robert had walked out of the room then and there, refusing to serve as his lawyer. He'd headed home without the baubles for his wife or the game for his son. He'd searched for a book that his daughter might not have, since hers was the least expensive request, but he could find nothing. So, empty handed and broken hearted, he went to his car and left the city.
The freak snowstorm had caught him unawares, so steeped was he in his own misery. He caught a slippery patch and his car went off the rode, hit a tree, and the trusty old station wagon promptly died. Which led to where he was currently, trudging through the snow, wrapped in a coat that wasn't thick enough to defend against the chill, wondering if this was how his saga would end. He would freeze to death out here in the snow, leaving his family penniless and alone.
Still, he wondered if it wasn't better to die out here, rather than return and face the disappointment on their faces.
He'd walked for what felt like forever, when a light caught his eye. He smiled grimly, thinking that it was the light at the end of the tunnel of death, and began to follow it through the trees. However, what he found instead was a tall wrought iron gate with large lanterns on either side. The gates swung open as though in welcome, and he moved slowly past them.
The walk up the driveway wasn't particularly long, and at the end was a large manor house. It was odd. Robert had never heard of a manor any where near their country home, and this place looked too well maintained to be abandoned. Indeed, upon entering, he found a fire burning in a room off to the side. Before the fire was a large, comfortable looking chair with a blanket on it.
Robert noticed the ache in his feet and the intense cold in his body quite suddenly and wasted no time in tearing off his damp coat and wrapping himself in the warm blanket, curling up in the equally warm chair.
Once he'd thawed a bit, he rose to explore the lovely home. He was amazed by the sheer amount of wealth around him, and though there seemed to be no one there, he often felt eyes upon him. Upon entering the dining room, he found an impressive spread of food. He ate heartily, although he felt guilty since his family could not share in the meal, and were likely eating whatever Sarah and Karen had managed to throw together on the small amount of money that remained for groceries after bills were paid each month.
Once he had eaten his fill, he continued to explore, until he found a room with a pair of pajama laid out over the bed. He pondered the wisdom of sleeping in this place, where obviously someone must live, however, he was very tired, and so he stripped out of his own clothing, laying them neatly on the vanity within the room before he slipped into the pajamas and climbed into the bed. “Whatever benevolent creature is looking over me right now, thank you. I only pray that my families luck is as good.”
Laying on his side, he fell asleep almost instantly.
The next day he woke to the sound water running and found a shower already started in an adjoining bathroom. He took his time getting cleaned up, and dressed in the clothing he found laid out for him already and decided he should go and find his elusive host.
He was searching high and low when he found a vast library, filled from top to bottom with books. He wandered the room, awed of the collection. His daughter would be so at home in this place, he thought smiling faintly. He wandered the titles pulling out a few and browsing them. Finally, he happened upon a book of Celtic Faery Lore, told in such a way even his own logical brain could almost believe it. He couldn't believe what a find this was. He knew for certain that his daughter would adore it.
He carried the book out of the room, still flipping through it.
He'd barely left when he bumped into someone who was roughly his own height. The man had a fearsome expression on his face, a look that screamed pain and suffering for himself. Robert Williams shrank back from the only slightly shorter man.
“I allow you into my home,” the man began, his wild blond hair becoming streaked with darkness. “I shower you with hospitality...and how do you repay my generosity?!” The house seemed to shudder in the face of the man's anger and Robert could only stare in disbelief as even the man's clothing became dark and foreboding. “By stealing...”
There was such loathing in the creature's voice that he trembled in fear. “I truly meant no insult-”
“It matter's not! You steal, so you shall suffer the consequences of your actions. I am going to kill you!”
Grief filled the man as he remembered his thoughts the day before, how his family would be left alone, with no one to take care of them, leaving Sarah to struggle for the rest of her life to dig the family out of the hole he put them in. “Please, sir,” he begged softly. “I am the one who provides for my family. If I am gone, they will be left to the wolves of the world. I have damaged nothing. Take the book. I simply wished to bring a present for my daughter.”
Shrewd eyes regarded him. “A daughter,” he repeated, obviously disbelieving.
Robert pulled out his wallet, his hands shaking as he did so. He flipped it open to a picture of his family, thrusting it before the man in front of him. “My daughter, Sarah. She is the only reason the family hasn't fallen apart yet. She works two jobs, trying to help support us, but it's not enough by itself. She sacrificed her future to save her family, and I wanted to bring her something nice. My son and wife wanted baubles, useless things that they'll discard in a month, but Sarah...She loves books, especially faery tales-”
“Silence,” the man said, his voice oddly rough. “I will spare your life on one condition, thief. You may return home for three weeks. You have until then to convince this daughter of yours to come here and take your place. If you do not, you will die at the end of the fourth week.” He turned, preparing to leave, only to briefly pause. “You may take the book. In the room you borrowed, you will find a chest. Fill it with whatever suits your fancy. If your family is that dreadfully poor and since you've already stolen one thing, you might as well take a few more.”
Robert nearly sobbed in relief, nodding his head. “Thank you, kind lord-”
“I'm not a lord,” he said coldly. “And save your platitudes. Don't forget my words. If your daughter does not come in three weeks to take your place, you will die on the fourth.”
The man seemed to disappear into the darkness of the hall and Robert slumped down the wall, a little hysterical.
He didn't see his frightening host again.