Here’s a scene I worked on in Friday Night Writes with my AW peeps awhile back.? Still needs some finessing, but I think it’s kind of fun.? Hope you enjoy!? ?

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? My mouth gaped open, and my heart froze in my chest. Holy shit—it was porn. Only somehow, I was the freaking star.

Okay, so today I’m posting a cut scene from Demon Guard.? I actually ended up going in a whole different direction with the plot.? I hadn’t even remembered it until about two hours ago, when I dug it up in all it’s unedited glory.? I did spend some time trying to revise it a bit– because, hey, how else was I going to procrastinate working on REAL scenes?–but it’s still mighty rough-ish.? Maybe I can find a home for it in my sequel. *snicker*? ? Hey, a? girl? can dream, right??

Anyway, here’s the set-up.? Summer (the MC’s) old friends Kat and Allie go to spike demons in a parking lot to join the Academy, only–they’re not the meek little Stage Ones they’re supposed to be.? Rather, it’s an ambush, with three fully embodied demons waiting to attack.? ? Kat and Allie? are captured.? Summer and her friends Cody and Shade try to fend them off and save the girls, but will their efforts be enough?? Read on:

SNIPPED!
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I’m doing another Teaser Tuesday today! (Okay,? if you? must know–it’s still Monday in? West Coast time. But, hey, for most of you it’s already Tuesday–that counts for something, right?)? This scene features one of my favorite characters from? my trunked? novel Tainted: ? Justin.

Set-up:? The MC is trying to recover from a karaoke fiasco a few nights ago, where she inadvertently tapped into her growing powers to enthrall the frat boys into love zombies while singing.? Most of the effect has worn off, except for the random guys still knocking at her door late at night, declaring their love for her.? Justin is a sort of mysterious character, a guy with strong mental powers, who seems? a little? odd and has questionable motives.? He’s an old acquaintance/friend of the love interest, the MC’s Protector Logan.? Beyond that, the MC doesn’t know much about him.? In this scene he just randomly shows up for a visit in the middle of the night.

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By the time the third night after the karaoke-debacle rolled around, I was done.? At the first crack of a fist on my door, I staggered out of bed and stumbled to switch on my desk lamp, squinting into the harsh light.? Whoever was out there was about to get a lesson in the principles of harmonious dorm living.? Rule number one being: ? if you pounded on my door after midnight, I had free rein to kick your ass.

Whatever loitering moron awaited would be un-enthralled tonight, if I had to cut off his head to do it.? Between the enthrall-ees and the nightmares, sleep was becoming a distant memory.? Really not okay.

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? I stalked toward the door, the icy wooden floor pulsing goosebumps up my legs. ? I was about three feet away when I heard an unexpected noise:? the lock clicking.? A millisecond later, the door burst wide open. ? I shrieked and jumped back, grabbing a hair brush off my dresser for protection.

And then my grasp on the hairbrush loosened when I saw who it was.? Justin.? Leaning casually against the door frame, like nothing was amiss.

“What, is there a sign out there that says AM-PM market or something?? Believe it or not, I am not open all night for business.? And I so did not just say that,” I moaned.? It wasn’t my fault, though.? Who expected anyone to function at their finest at—I glanced at the mocking digital glow from my dresser—1:23 a.m?? It was bad enough that the love zombies kept knocking after midnight.? Now I had to deal with a strange and possibly half-crazy Gifted guy as well?? ?

? I whirled around and stomped back to bed, plunking myself down before glaring over at him.? I chucked the hairbrush at my dresser with a satisfying crack.? “Look, I don’t know on which planet you learned proper etiquette, but here on Earth, we like to wait for people to actually answer the door.? You know, before we just go ahead and burst in using our special Gifts.? And what the hell am I saying?”? Argh.? I desperately needed sleep.? Was that really too much to ask?

Apparently so, because Justin strolled into my room, as though 1:00 am was a perfectly acceptable time for a social call.? “Sorry—I was afraid you wouldn’t answer.”? He pivoted my desk chair around and straddled it with annoying grace, crossing his arms over the top and resting his chin on his fist.

? “Yes, and there would have been a good reason for that.? I.? Was.? Sleeping!” I said.

? I didn’t know if it was lack of sleep, cheap dorm light bulbs, or some whacked out magic that lit his sardonic blue gaze with a suddenly appealing gleam. “Well, see?? That’s why I went ahead and opened it.”

“OH!”? Something was whacked, all right—him.? I clapped my hands to my cheeks and squeezed my eyes shut.? “I give up,” I finally said.? “Please, just tell me why you’re here, so I can go back to sleep. Sooner versus later would be nice.”? I sagged back against the wall and hugged my knees to my chest, reaching down to pull the snugly comforter over my frigid toes.

“Okay,” he said calmly, obviously not perturbed in the slightest by my outburst.? “I was just thinking—since you spend so much time training with Logan, it puts him at a ? bit of an unfair advantage.? So I thought I’d remedy that by coming by.”

I eyed my warm pillow with wanton longing before turning to address him.? “Huh?? What are you talking about?? What unfair advantage?”? And then it hit me—why was I even trying to have a logical conversation here?? The guy was an absolute loon.? “Oh my God, did you really come here in the middle of the night just to start spouting crazy?? Because, sorry, my mind only comprehends loony rants after nine o’ clock a.m. and about three cups of coffee.”

His forehead creased. “I’m not spouting crazy.? I’m talking about the possibility of our futures being linked.”

Loon or not, he had my attention now.? Unfortunately.? My mouth gaped open and I blinked several times. “Say what?”

“Logan hasn’t told you anything?”? He seemed perplexed, which was odd for Justin.? Usually his repertoire of emotions ranged from “bored” to “slightly less bored”.? Not that I knew for sure—I couldn’t read him at all, and quite frankly, I was okay with that.? There was no telling what insanity was going on in his pretty but demented head at any given time.

“Um,” I said, “if by anything you mean linked futures and unfair advantages, apparently not.”? And it still sounded like crazy spoutage to me.

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I was cleaning up some files on my computer a few weeks ago, and stumbled upon this totally random excerpt from a story I think I started months ago, just prior to settling down to write The Demon Guard.? I only have one chapter of it, which is written from 4 different POVs, all in third person.? Crazy for me, I know.? Anyway, just to take a little break from the Demon Guard, I thought I’d post it.? It’s raw and barely edited, and sadly, has nary a word of? snark to be seen!?

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Dr. Balthrop walked into the dim room, eager to finish up with his last patient of the day.? His raise had been approved, and he couldn’t wait to get home and tell his wife they could finally afford that beach house she’d been bitching about for years. ? Who knows–maybe he’d finally get to watch an entire football game in peace.

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? He plunked down on the stool and scooted? toward the? metal bed, shivering at the chill.? For reasons unknown to him, the rooms were all kept at a brisk 62 degrees.? Seemed like an odd temperature for hospitalized patients.? Then again, there was nothing normal about this entire set-up.

After a brief glance at the monitors, he? focused on the? pale face of girl.? ? She? looked like she was made from porcelain, skin velvety smooth yet hard underneath.? Long black eyelashes fanned the tops of her cheeks.? He estimated her age at about nineteen, maybe twenty, because they didn’t give him information like that in the chart.

“How are we doing today, Skye?”? He didn’t expect an answer.? The prescriptions pumping through this one were enough to? fell an elephant.? The gleam of silver metal encasing her wrists caught his eye, and he shivered again.? He wondered briefly why such a fragile wisp of a girl needed so many drugs, and better yet, the rationale behind the steel handcuffs chaining her to the bed, but then stopped abruptly.? His employers didn’t pay him to wonder.? She was just another of the many Jane Does? his employers? had stockpiled in this lab in the middle of nowhere, all hooked up to? monitors.? All sleeping, so to speak.

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? He jotted down a few notes on her vitals, then quickly rose to his feet.? He couldn’t wait to escape this Godforsaken place every night.? If the money wasn’t so good….

He’d already taken a step toward the door when he heard it.?

? Beep. Beep. Beep.

? He froze, his gaze jerking up toward the monitor.? Sure enough, the little red heart was blipping faster.? Her? pulse had sped up.? Significantly.

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? “What the—?”?

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? The crack of splintering metal barely registered before a steel grip? dug into? his shoulder.

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Through the shrieking pain in his joint, he thought, this couldn’t be happening.? There’s no way she could have woken up.? But he knew, without a doubt, there was only one other person in the room.

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Clenching his teeth to keep from crying out, he pivoted to meet the gray-black gaze of his patient.

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Dark? hair? dangled limply? across? her face, but she made no move to push it aside.? Instead, she dissected him with unnatural eyes before speaking.? “Who am I?” Her voice sounded like a nail scratching against an emery board.

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? “You…you don’t know?” He managed to choke out.? And then it hit him.? “Wait a second—you can talk?”

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Slowly, she tilted her head to the side.? “Who am I?” she repeated softly, while her fingers squeezed harder.? Seconds later he felt an unbearable pressure build in his shoulder, just before the ligaments began to tear.

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Fire ripped through his arm. “Sk-Skye,” he gasped.? “Your name’s Skye.”

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? The pressure let up while she considered his response.? Just before her eyes darkened to slate.? Ice slithered across his back; they were the cold, flat eyes of a predator.? “You lie.”

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? A sudden blur, and then a sharp pain exploded in the side of his neck.? Before he could open his mouth to scream, the room went black.

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ***

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? The man jerked awake in his car when the alarms shrilled,? piercing the night air like a bomb.? From the darkness of his car, he peered across the street at the nondescript building, located in-between two more nondescript buildings just like it.? The abandoned warehouse district–what a place to hang out every night.? Nothing ever happened here.? And yet….His hand hovered over his cell phone while he waited for evidence that something was amiss.?

Seconds later, his proof arrived.? ? He almost pissed his pants when the? lone figure darted out into the street.? No friggin’ way.? It wasn’t possible.

He blinked to clear his sleep-crusted eyes, thinking he was hallucinating. Maybe it was time to cut back on the weekend weed.? But when the petite figure took off with the swiftness and grace of a cheetah, he cranked the ignition and jammed the car into gear, hitting speed dial on the phone.

It was answered on the first ring.? “Yes? This had better be good.”

“She’s escaped.”

A harshly indrawn breath sounded from the other line.? “Then follow her. ? And you’d better not be messing with me.”

“No, sir—no messing. And I’m on it.”? He tossed the phone down and concentrated on following the girl, who’d just darted down an alley.? The sound of screeching tires in the background told him they wouldn’t be alone for long.

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Just posting a random scene from somewhere mid-story.? Shade is a guy Summer? hooked up with once, about a year ago.? Lots of? baggage there.? And Summer just got Headmistress Scruggs’ permission to visit her mom in the hospital on a weekday, with a catch–she has to carpool with Shade (whose mom is also in the hospital).

Like the rest of this, it’s still rough–I”m happy for any suggestions to make it better! Thanks for reading!

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After class, I headed outside to find Shade.? He was in his usual spot, sprawled across one of the lunch tables like he owned it.? I paused next to his feet.? With his sunglasses on, I couldn’t tell if he was awake or not, but his relaxed mouth suggested he didn’t have a care in the world. ? Must be nice. ?

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Jackass.

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? A breeze ruffled his hair just then, the sun brightening the blond strands into shimmering threads of gold. ? The second I realized where my thoughts had taken me, I cursed myself. ? ? No way would I fall into that trap again.? Then I shoved his leg. ? Hard.

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? “What the…? ? Oh. ? It’s you.” ? He reared up on his elbows. ? “Did you need something? ? Or did you wake me just to be annoying?”

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? I crossed my arms and offered him my best phony smile. ? “Both. ? Actually, I come bearing messages from Scruggs.? Do you want the good news or the bad news first?”

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? “Is there an option c that says ‘neither’?”

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? “No.”

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? “Fine.? Give me the good.”

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? “She says you can go visit your mom today,” I said.

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? “Hmm.? Bad?”

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Renewed hostility at Scruggs stupid edict had my fingers digging into my ribs.? “We have to ride together.”

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? “Wow.? You keep finding excuses to get us together, and I’m going to start thinking you have a crush.”

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? The dark lenses of his sunglasses still shielded his eyes, but I could see his mouth curving up into an annoying smirk.? I stuffed the urge to chuck my backpack at his head.? Barely.?

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? He was quiet for a moment, then shrugged.? “Okay. Whatever.? But I’m driving.”

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? I bristled at his cocky assumption.? “Why?? I’m a good driver.”

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? He laid back down, folding his arms behind his head.? “Don’t freak.? I’m sure your driving skills are adequate.? You car, alas, is not.? I mean, why travel economy when you can go luxury?”

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Heat stung my cheeks.? I’d had a nice car—once.? But after my dad lost his primo Council job, we’d had to trade my sporty little Mustang for a more affordable, eight-year old Sentra.? ? And last time I’d checked, Shade had an awesome Porsche.? I forced down my anger while I considered my options.? I suppose he had a point.? Besides, if he drove, I could work on my laptop on the way.

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? “Fine,” I bit out.? “I’ll meet you by the front door.? Three-thirty work for you?”

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? “It’s a date,” he drawled.

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? I rolled my eyes and walked over to Cody’s table.

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Okay, here’s a scene I worked on a little the other night. I think it needs some more fine-tuning, so feel free to weigh in with your thoughts!?

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“We’re going to have to call an ambulance, Shade. We can’t cover it up.”

My lips tightened in disgust. The good old boy policy, at work again. How much had Shade gotten away with in the past, without it ever being reported? All because his dad was on the Council?

Shade flashed an unconcerned grin. “Yeah? Oh well. I’m sure dear old dad will be happy to make it all go away.”

I frowned. The words themselves were cocky, but underneath it all, his tone sounded painfully bleak.

Just then, a harsh voice cut through the darkness. “Alright folks, show’s over. Everyone, please head back to your rooms. We’ll get this taken care of.” Professor Dawkins raced up the stone path, disheveled and grim. He’d thrown a coat on over a pair of plaid flannel pajamas, and his silver hair stuck out at odd angles from his head. I realized he must be the Professor on campus, the one required to stay as a precaution in case of emergencies. I guess pummeling other students half-to-death qualified.

Dawkins grabbed Shade by the arm. “You? Come with me.” He’d started tugging Shade away when the dark-haired kid struggled into a sitting position. He hacked a few times, a gurgling noise that made me squirm, then began speaking. At the sound of his voice, more ice slid down my back.

“You’re going to pay, Shade. I’ll destroy you.” It wasn’t so much his words—because, really, they sounded like a bad cartoon villain—as it was the eerie note of conviction that made my hair prickle uncomfortably against my skin. Seconds later, his eyelids fluttered and he thudded back onto the stone pavement.

As Dawkins led Shade away, he caught my gaze once again and winked. But this time, his wink seemed more like a cover-up than anything else. I frowned as I watched him being dragged off. Maybe Cody had been right. Maybe there really was something wrong with Shade. Something beyond his typical annoying personality quirks.

Watching them until they disappeared around the corner, I finally swiveled and pushed my way back into the dorm, almost barreling into Steph and Kenzie just inside the door. Good thing looks really couldn’t kill. If so, Steph’s glare would have decapitated me on the spot.

I tried to dodge around her—believe it or not, I wasn’t in the mood for a verbal war—but her manicured fingers snaked out to grab my arm. “You’d better stay away from Shade, if you know what’s good for you.”

The hum of voices in the lobby died off, while everyone around us unabashedly listened in. Not that I cared. I jerked my arm out of her hand. “Or what? You’ll ruin my reputation? Take away my dad’s livelihood? Put my mom in a coma? Oh wait—too late. That’s all happened already.” I drew in a deep breath, trying to rein in my temper. “Look, I have zero interest in Shade. And I have no idea how you still could, after that seriously disturbing display of aggression.”

“You don’t what Shade’s been through. It’s been rough for him.”

Kenzie ducked her head in embarrassment, but surprised me by speaking up. “Um, Steph? I think Summer has a pretty good idea.”

Steph’s swung around to face her, shock widening her eyes until she resembled a heavily made-up owl. “Are you serious? What does she know about being next in line for the Council, and the pressures of using all that power and stuff? Her family’s, like, nobody. Well, not anymore,” she corrected. As if my family tragedy was just an insignificant afterthought in her little high school drama.

Anger roared in my chest, so hot and fast I thought it might shoot out of my mouth like lava. My nails sliced into my palms. But instead of letting Steph bait me, possibly get me expelled, I mouthed “nice try” to Kenzie and stalked past. Shade’s demo in loss of control had been more than enough for one night.

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So, this is a scene I’m not even sure will make it into the Demon Guard when it’s finished.? Have to see how it ends first.? As usual, it’s rough, so I apologize if it reads like utter crap.? All comments welcome!

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The first thing I noticed when I entered the room was the antiseptic sting of rubbing alcohol assaulting my nose. ? Then I saw him. ? I swallowed hard. ? He slumped in the hospital bed, wearing one of those hideous blue and white gowns that tied in the back. His dark eyelashes rested against his pale cheeks, their wan color making the purple bruises stand out that much more.? As he lie there, motionless, I counted four IV drips connected to different veins in his neck and arms. ? I wondered briefly what was in them, before realizing I probably didn’t want to know.? On the far side of the bed, touching the metal rail, a heart rate monitor blipped reassuringly.

Not wanting to wake him, I pivoted and tiptoed toward the door. ? Then winced when a crash from the corridor echoed into his room.? I peeked over my shoulder my heart lurched. ? He was staring right at me.

“Come to commiserate that I’m not dead?” he asked.? His mouth tilted up in a weak facsimile of his old smirk, but I could see pain lurking in the dull turquoise of his eyes.

“Hardly.? Just wanted to make sure you were okay.? Jackass,” I added, to let him know I wasn’t going too soft.

“I know.”? An awkward silence hung in the air while I scuffed my sneaker’s toe on the floor. ? “Well,” I began after a few moments, starting to back out of the room, “I should probably let you get your rest.”

“Yeah.” ? A few moments later, I heard, “Thanks for stopping by.? And sticking up for me.? I won’t forget.”

The softly spoken words froze me mid-turn. I’d just opened my mouth to respond when he totally spoiled the moment by adding, “Don’t go all Lifetime movie on me—I’m still not gonna ask you to prom or anything.”

Ugh. ? Exhaling loudly to voice my annoyance, I stomped my way out the door. ?

“But you can save me a dance,” he called after me.

I knew I should tell him exactly where he could stick his stupid dance. But as I walked down the noisy hallway toward the hospital entrance, I found myself smiling instead.

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Okay, posting this excerpt.? ? Quite? a contrast to the tone of the one last week, I think.? Keep in mind, it’s the roughest yet–I need to go back and edit some of the cliches, etc.? That said, I’ll go ahead and post it.? Cheers!

“Hey, I need you to help me out.? Quick!” I hissed, jerking Cody’s sleeve.

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? “Asking works, too.? What could possibly be so urgent that you have to rip my shirt to tell me?”

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? “I need a decoy.”? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

His brow creased.? “You mean, like a duck?”

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? “What the—no, not a duck.? Freak.”? I choked back a laugh, in spite of my jittery nerves.? “I need someone to—crap!? Here he comes.? Look, just follow my lead, I don’t have time—“ I broke off and smashed my body against his, pressing my lips up to his mouth.

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? He froze, his arms stiff metal rods at his side.? Wrapping my own arms around his neck, I tried sending him a mental message to do the same.? It failed.? “Put your arms around me—they’re coming, ” I hissed.? Still no response.? Finally, in desperation, I kicked him in the shin.

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? “Oof!”? ? But at least he got the clue.? Well, sort of.? He rested his hands ever-so-gingerly on my hips.? Like if he held me closer, I might infect him with flesh-eating bacteria.

I held my breath against Cody’s stiff lips as Nate’s and Kenzie’s footsteps thudded closer, then paused.? After several tense moments, the footsteps finally retreated.? I shoved Cody away and expelled a disgusted sigh.?

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? “Okay, that was seriously the lamest fake kiss—or any kiss, for that matter—that I’ve ever seen or experienced in my entire life.? What, do I smell bad or something?”? I raised my arm and sniffed, but the only aroma tickling my nose was the cherry blossom scent of my deodorant.? I frowned.? Maybe he had an aversion to fruit.

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Cody scrambled two steps back, his face registering shock.? “No, it’s not that, it’s—what the heck was that, anyway?? I thought I made it clear that we’re just friends.”?

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? I threw my hands in the air.? “You idiot—I was trying to scare Nate away.? But still—that was weak.? I mean, I just sort of figured—“ I stopped, realizing how conceited that sounded.? No need to humiliate myself further.? Unfortunately, Cody took up where I left off.

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? He leaned back against the stone wall, amusement starting to chase the surprise from his face.? “You figured what, exactly?? That I’d be thrilled to kiss you?? Sorry, but you’re not really my type. Oh, don’t worry—there’s nothing wrong with you.”? His smile turned derisive.? “It’s me. I’m just into someone else.”

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? “Wait—oh my God—it’s Allie, isn’t it?? I knew it!? That would be so cool, the two of you as a couple.? Only—you can’t have date nights every night, because what would I do?”?

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? He broke in before I could go off again.? “No, it’s not her.”

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? “Then who?”? A hideous thought had my stomach lurching.? “Please, tell me it’s not Steph.? I’ve seen the way she looks at you, but I figured you had too much taste to fall for that Barbie hair and freakishly perfect body.”?

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? He shook his head in exasperation.? “No, it’s not her either.? If you must know, it’s—“ He studied me for a moment, took a deep breath, then blurted it out. “Nate.? I have a crush on Nate.”

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? My mind went blank.? It was like I heard his words, but somehow, they just didn’t compute.? “As in, Nate Nate?? Boy Nate?? My ex-Nate?”

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? “Yes, as in that Nate.? I guess I should have told you this before, but I’m so used to keeping it secret, it was hard for me to let it out.? Summer—I’m gay.”

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? I felt my jaw muscles working, but no sound made its way past my suddenly flaccid tongue.? Finally, I managed one measly squeak.? “Huh?”? And then, my speaking-ability returned.? Unforunately.? Because I cringed when I heard the words that escaped my mouth.? “But—you don’t even like Bravo TV!”?

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Okay, folks, here’s an excerpt–I hope it’s not too long.? Plus, it’s SUPER ROUGH so hey, if you want to help me revise, feel free!? ? I don’t know if it needs much set-up.? Basically, she hacked this guy off and got him in trouble big time for spreading false rumors, and he’s out for revenge.? It’s a sub-plot of the book.? As always, comments welcome and appreciated!

Billy shoved me hard, tumbling me onto one of the beds.

I tried to bolt up as soon as I landed, but he was too quick for me.? He crashed down on top of me, smothering my face down into the bed, a handful of my hair gripped tightly in his hand.? I gagged on the comforter’s spring laundry detergent scent. ? “Oh, you’re not going anywhere, Summer.? Not yet, anyway.? Did you really think I’d let you get away with it?? Some pathetic little traitor like you, ruining my reputation?? No way.”

He flipped me onto my back, and I followed his gaze down to his other hand.? A large hypodermic needle was clasped inside.? Panic rushed through me, and I struggled in earnest. ? My fingernails stabbed for his eyes, but he punched me in the stomach and yanked hard on my hair.? The air rushed out of chest in one big spurt while my scalp screamed with pain.? A second later, the needle plunged into the inside of my arm.

I tried not to panic even more as I felt the cold liquid slide into my vein.? Concentrate.? What would I do if this were a test in Training Techniques? ? Remembering Professor Dawkins instructions in class, I forced myself to go limp.?

It worked.? Billy’s grip on me slacked, ever-so-slightly.? Putting every ounce of effort behind it, I lunged to the side and twisted free.

I fell hard on the floor.? The side of my head hit with an audible clunk. ? Wincing, I sprang to my feet and raced for the door.? But something weird started to happen before I reached it.? The closer I got, the further away the door seemed.? Almost like I was going in slow-motion through a fun house.? Finally, I reached the door knob—both of them.? I blinked.? Had there always been two?? That was weird.? I only had one in my room.?

What the hell?? I shook my head to clear the fuzziness that had suddenly invaded my mind.? Huge mistake.? The room tilted sickeningly.? I stumbled into the door, clutching the cold metal doorknob to keep from falling.? In the background, I heard Billy’s echoing laughter.

“Feeling a little off, Summer?? That’s to be expected—it’s the GHB.? It’ll get you every time. ? Although, mine is a special blend.”

“G-athe-thbe?”? I tried to talk, but my tongue felt like it had swollen to the size of watermelon in my mouth.? “Whad thyou doo?”? My legs suddenly went limp, and I slid to the floor.? In one last desperate attempt, I pulled at the doorknob.? It didn’t budge.

“Oh, don’t bother with that.? I had it fixed to lock from the inside, just for this occasion.”? I tried to focus, and saw him dangling a silver object from his hand.? It could have been a key, but then, it was so blurry, it could have been a hacksaw for all I could tell.? Still.? It might be my only hope for escape. ? I tried to stand, but my legs refused to support me.? I could hardly even feel them anymore.? So I started to crawl.

“Now, that’s what I like to see—Summer Chance on her hands and knees. I think it’s definitely time to cue up the video camera.? I’m going to prove to everyone that we slept together, and that you’re a liar.? Just like your mom.”

I watched both of him walk over to the dark shape in the middle of the room and heard a beep.? “Yes, that’s great.? Oh, and don’t worry—I can edit it later.? There won’t be any of this boring conversation in there when I post it on the web.”

Oh, God.? Horror invaded me, but it was hard to hang on to.? Because every other second my mind started drifting.? Vivid colors flashed in front of my eyes, turning his room into a techno club.? In a moment of clarity, I wondered how he thought he’d get away with this.? It’s not like I wouldn’t tell.

“Goin..butht..you.”? I managed.

His soft laughter sent chills down my spine.? “No, you won’t.? I’ve got that covered as well. Why do you think I’m not afraid to talk to you about this so much?? You’re not going to remember a thing.? Dad doesn’t know it, but his lab provided me with this wicked cool new drug.? It’s some memory tampering thing I stumbled upon when I was looking through his office.? Although, since I injected the GHB, it probably would have done the trick by itself.? Gee—hope it doesn’t totally fry your mind altogether.? Guess I should have thought of that beforehand—oopsies.”

I tried to concentrate, but the more he talked, the dizzier I got.? And then there was the voice.? The other voice, the one that spoke in my mind.? Only this one was even nastier than Billy’s.? It whispered vile things, so vile that I wanted to scream to keep from listening. Or just shut down.? Close my eyes, take a little nap.? Maybe I’d feel better when I woke up.

As I was starting to slip away, in the back of my head, I heard a new voice.? Not the vile one. No, this one was stronger, angry.? Something about that voice made me want to fight. ? I jerked my head up, and mustering every last ounce of energy, forced a scream past my constricted throat.? ? It came out barely louder than a whisper.? Despair washed through me, sucking me down like an undercurrent.

Billy just laughed.? “Go ahead—scream away.? Nobody’s going to hear you.? There’s nobody even here.”

Two seconds later, the door crashed open.

I blinked up at the doorway, squinting blearily at the figure standing there.? I could barely see, but it didn’t matter.? I knew who it was.? “Thade,” I murmured.

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Just before my head hit the floor.

?

I’ve finally gone back and performed a little editing on the first chapter of my Work in Progress, tentatively titled “The Demon Guard.”? It’s still rough, but hopefully not too horrific.? Comments/ constructive criticism always welcome!

Cheers!

?

? ? ? ? ? ? ? Squaring my shoulders, I entered the hallway to wait.? According to my watch, only four minutes had passed when Trent came tearing up the stairs.? He saw me and skidded to a halt, his sneakers squeaking on the hardwood floor.

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? “So, what’s up?”? He flashed a white smile and rested his hand on the small of my back.

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? “Why don’t we go into one of the bedrooms?”?

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? I felt his hand jerk in surprise.? I couldn’t blame him—ever since the debacle, I hadn’t been famous for my approachability. ? Even the majority of the students that mocked me feared my razor-sharp comebacks.?

But Trent recovered quickly.? He steered me to the farthest doorway down the hall on the right, and we entered a master bedroom.? I bypassed the attached lounge to plop down on the four poster bed, nervously smoothing my hand over the satin of the comforter.? At least my first time would be in a nice room—I’d heard all the horror stories.

“So, what do you want to do now?? I’ve gotta admit, I’m kind of surprised.? You’ve never seemed very interested.”

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? I smiled a sad smile.? “Shows how observant you are.? I’ve had a crush on you for ages.”? In spite of what was coming next, I couldn’t help the warmth that filled my cheeks. I glanced down at my hand, noting the ring now appeared black.

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? I bolstered my courage and widened my smile into something I hoped looked seductive.? I could have been off, though—my flirting skills were way beyond rusty.? “Why don’t you take off your shirt?” I suggested, leaning towards him.

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? His eyes lit up, then dimmed.? “Are you sure you haven’t been drinking?? Because I’m not the kind of guy who would do that.”

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? “Just that one sip of beer.? I hardly think it’s enough to get me loaded.”

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Faster than a gunshot, he yanked the black t-shirt over his head and tossed it to the side.? “Well, okay then.? Now what?”

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Tentatively, I lifted my hand to his chest until my palm rested on the warm skin.? His muscles bunched under my touch, but I could still feel the beat of his heart.? It was distinctive and rhythmic.? Very rhythmic.?

Too rhythmic.

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? I dropped my hand, my own heart crashing against my ribcage like a caged tiger trying to escape.? Swallowing hard, I said, “Well, here goes nothing.”? I reached under the hem of my own shirt, and the smile in his eyes changed to something hotter.? I paused. “You know, I really do like you.? That’s why this is so hard.”

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? “What’s so hard?”

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? “This.”? I whipped my hand out from under my shirt, clutching the thin golden spike I’d grabbed from inside my leather sheath.? Then, without a moment’s hesitation, I shoved the spike straight into his skull.

?

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