December 15, 2012

Soldier's Death

Here's a poem I wrote a while back that I think turned out okay.



    Soldier’s Death
A crack, then a slam as
another body hit the cold
wet earth. The screams and
shouts, pleas for mercy and
yells of rage, filled my ringing
ears. The bodies, silent, unmoving
and terribly mutilated, covered in
blood haunted my waking
dreams. I could hardly
move, it seemed as though I had
lost the little strength I had to
go on. The battle raged around
 me, even as I stumbled helplessly
dripping with sweat, blood and
tears. A loud scream shattered my
reverie and I loaded my rifle though
I doubt I could've used it, had I the
chance. Not moments after, I was
thrown to the ground, a sharp
pain shooting through my body and
my vision darkening. I was hit and
dying, with no one to stop and help
me. I would perish in a foreign land and be
left to rot. I closed my eyes and succumbed.

 

Update

       Well, it's been a while since I've posted anything but I've made a little progress. My book is coming along well, but I've hit a bit of a wall with where I'm going to take it, so I've started on another idea I had for a novel. Finding time to write, though, has been really hard these last few months; I've been really busy. Sometimes I wonder if writing is really a good career choice for me but since I haven't thought of anything else I'm good enough at for a career I'll keep working at it until (hopefully) I can get a book, or anthology in the least, published. So, there's my update. Probably not very interesting but I thought I'd post something about how things were going. So until next time!

July 28, 2012

Light of Day: The Conclusion

Well, here's the rest of my short story that I posted earlier. Hope you've enjoyed it!

 
        We rode for an hour before reaching the gated entrance of Hesper Milton’s large house.
The man told me to wait in the carriage for a moment while he went to talk with Hesper. I
agreed, not really wanting to face Hesper again. He left the carriage briefly and went up to the
front door, knocked hard and stepped back to wait. Almost immediately, the door sprung open
and my mother stood in the doorway. I almost leaped out of the carriage before remembering that
Hesper wouldn’t be far behind. I was right, for not two seconds later, Hesper’s tall and lanky
form appeared at the door. I shrunk back into the cushioned seat, not wanting to be seen.
         The man began to talk to Hesper in low whispers and that was my mother’s cue to leave.
She disappeared from the door and I leaned forward just a bit to try and make out what the men
were saying.
        The conversation ended and the man strode back to the carriage and opened the door.
 “It’s safe to come now,” he told me and I exited. He led me up the stone steps to the front
door and Hesper glared at me. I shrank back a little but the man pushed me forward.
     “Go on,” he urged and finally I stepped in through the door. I turned back to look at the man
and just managed to see that Hesper and him shook hands before I was shoved out of the way by
Hesper. My heart sank. The man had given me back to Hesper and now I would never get my
revenge.
          Hesper grabbed my arm tightly and I cried out from the pain. His eyes bored holes into me
and I tried to disappear. He dragged me along the hall and down another corridor. I knew where I
was going and I dug my heels in, protesting. Hesper, being larger and stronger, pulled me along
easily, even with the added resistance. My arm stung and I noticed that he had dug in so hard that
I was bleeding. I cried out hoping someone would come to my aid but all I got was a slap across
the face, so I stopped.
           Finally, he dragged me around the corner and down three sets of stairs before stopping in
front of a large oak door. He brought out a set of keys and unlocked the door. The door opened
with a groan and Hesper threw me in ahead of him. I hit the stone floor hard and the breath left
my body, leaving me gasping. He strode over to me, a cruel smile on his face.
     “Now I’ll make sure you never leave this place,” he told me. He grabbed the manacles that
hung on the wall and placed them securely on my wrists, tightening them until they pinched the
skin on my wrists, making them bleed. I cried out in pain and he laughed. With one last
triumphant look, he slammed the door and locked it firmly from the outside. I heard his footsteps
recede and then I sank down against the wall and placed my head in my hands. I began to sob  
once more, gut wrenching sobs. I had been rescued, then betrayed by my rescuer. The chains
shook as I sobbed and finally I gave up and lay down on the cold floor, knowing that I would
never again see the light of day.

June 17, 2012

Light of Day Continued

Here's some more of the short story I posted earlier!

My tears continued to fall and the water level continued to rise, now coming up past my
knees. Eventually, the tears stopped flowing and I assumed that I had none left to shed. The
moon grew brighter in the sky and I almost laughed in the relief that I could finally see. Around
me, the dirt walls began to sag from the rain and soon they would collapse, maybe to bury me
alive and suffocate me before I drowned.
        The water was chest height now and I soon began to give up any hope that I had of someone
finding me.  Then the strangest thing happened.  The sky flashed white one more time then faded
off into black. Even the moon was gone. Then suddenly, it lit up brightly, the sky was blue and
the sun was out. The rain had stopped falling which meant I wouldn’t drown after all. I smiled
and laughed in delight.
        A shadow crossed over the drain and my heart almost stopped. It was a person! They looked
down with a look of surprise and concern, then lifted the grate off and pulled me out. I fell on my
knees and began to sob in relief, laughing the whole time I did. The man just stared down at me,
a look of sympathy on his face.  Finally I stopped and rose to my feet unsteadily. He helped me
get my balance then stood back with a questioning look on his face.
       I explained to him how I had been a servant in the home of Hesper Milton and only done
what I was told. Then a couple days ago, he came home drunk and began to beat me and my
mother. I had stood up against him, to protect my mother, and he had grabbed me by my shirt
collar and dragged me into a carriage. We had traveled for hours before the carriage driver
brought us to a halt. Then he had pulled me along and behind a patch of bushes so the driver
wouldn’t see us. Hesper then stuck me into the drain and sealed the grate shut so I couldn’t get
out.
     I sobbed the whole time I told the awful story and the man placed an arm around my
shoulders as I cried. I tried to stop but I just couldn’t and he stood there patiently as I cried into
his shirt. When I finally calmed down, I pulled away from him and wiped the final tears from my
face. He took my hands in his and looked me in the eyes.
       “I will help you take revenge,” he told me, “Even if it means death,” My shoulders sagged in
relief and I thanked him thoroughly. He smiled down at me and placed his arm around my
shoulders, leading me away from the drain and to a carriage that was on the road. We got inside
and he instructed the driver to take us to the Milton house. The driver nodded and urged the
horses to go.