TNB NEWSLETTER, VOLUME 9:The Writer’s Character

From Microsoft Clip Art

In This Issue . . .

. . . . . . . The Writer’s Character—Bethanie

. . . . . . . The Writer’s Characters—Bethanie

. . . . . . . Poetic Journeys—Rebecca

. . . . . . . Poetry Corner

. . . . . . . Serial Novels—Rebecca Graf

Michelle Cornwell-Jordan

Bethanie Armstrong

The Writer’s Character

From Microsoft Clip Art

What type of writer are you? This is what makes you write the things you do. Your favorite time period may lead you to write amazing historical fiction. If you think about the future, it may lead you to write a futuristic sci-fi novel. Do you like things that are more fantasy or more realistic? Do you love the thought of not really knowing what does and doesn’t exist?

Take vampires and werewolves, these are a huge factor in books that are on the local bookstore shelves. Personally I have had my fill of them, but new ones come out each day so there must be some kind of trend to it. Do you write with what is trending at the time or are you one of those authors that chooses to take the road less travelled? Do you want to start the next new trend? I for one am ready for the next new trend. Vamps and weres have worn me out.

Had you as a writer, rather write truth instead of fiction? Are you a fiction only kind of author? All of these questions help to determine what you write. It is your Writer’s Character.

~Bethanie

The Writer’s Characters

From Microsoft picture collection

The most important part of any book is your characters. Without characters, there is no book. In my opinion the characters make the story what it is. You want to, as a writer, create characters that your readers cannot forget. That makes your reader unable to forget the author, too.

I remember one such book I read a while back. Honestly, the story itself was horribly written, editing was terrible, but the author knew how to create characters. That was the only good thing about that book. The characters stayed with me.

To make your characters who and what you want them to be, they need personality. The personality of the character sets the mood for how the reader will read that character throughout the book. It will create the places the character will be and the relationships the character will have.

The book then builds itself around the characters. Do you want clearly good and evil characters? Do you want characters that the reader will have a hard time figuring out whether they are good or evil? There are no cookie-

cutter characters. Just like there are no cookie cutter humans, unless you are an identical twin ( Ha). The characters will also produce the setting they want to live in. Have you ever in your writing, had an idea of exactly where you wanted your character to go, but then the character ran with the story and it ended up nowhere near what you had thought in the beginning?

That is the thing with characters, you create them. You bring them a life, and that is where they live. You may even find yourself having a discussion with them when you want them to go one way and they want to go another. That is the magic of writing.

~Bethanie

Poetic Journeys

Delight and Wisdom in a Poem

By Rebecca

In looking for delight and wisdom in a poem, I chose Emma Lazarus’ “The New Colossus” and Robert Frost’s “The Road Not Taken”. Lazarus’ poem is one of patriotic pride as she describes the Statue of Liberty as a “might woman” and the “Mother of Exiles.” The delight comes from the words of peace as she “glows world-wide welcome” and we are able to go to has tired and poor.” The poem is a refreshing feeling of peace. The wisdom to be received from this poem is more a lesson of sacrifice. The nation sacrifices its individualism by welcoming others that are not wealthy or possess great resources. The nation will take anyone who is in need of a home and peace. Frost’s poem is one of delightful hope. It shows that any road is one full of revelation and delight. Yet there is one that will hold more hope and more delight if it is one that has been less taken. The wisdom can be found in being the one able to take that “one less traveled by” and knowing that by doing so you took your future and helped direct it down the path you wanted. Though one cannot dictate their future, by choosing a path that is unique one can help direct where the future lies. Adventure and discovery can be found where few have traveled. Delight is found by reading a poem and feeling good when done. Lazarus gave me a sense of pride. Frost gave me encouragement. Wisdom can be found by finding something to apply to one’s own life to make them better. Lazarus gave me a lesson on hospitality. Frost gave me a lesson on adventure and courage.

Works Cited:

Emma Lazarus, “The New Colossus”, The Academy of American Poets. Web. 27 December 2012.

Robert Frost, “The Road Not Taken”, The Academy of American Poets. Web. 27 December 2012.

Poetry

By Bethanie

CASTLE OF BROKEN DREAMS

My castle of broken dreams,

I sailed away from you today.

My love brought me a ship,

The captain was he, giving me his hand,

Bringing me aboard.

He lovingly took me into his arms.

My darling I am so sorry.

You have been there for so long.

It was a place your beauty should have never seen.

I ask you love not to give up on me.

“Please don’t give me reason.”

This is where my healing begins,

Because my love for him never failed

And my soul is still—believing I shall never return

To my castle of broken dreams.

© 2011 Bethanie Armstrong—used by permission

Serial Novels

The following novels are authors, Rebecca Graf’s, Michelle Cornwell-Jordan’s, and Bethanie Armstrong’s works in progress. They have given TNB Newsletter permission to use them. They are lightly edited so there will be mistakes. These are for your enjoyment purposes only, no critiquing or reviews are necessary. Happy Reading!

LeighBy Rebecca Graf

Chapter 8

Breakfast was a lonely affair. Mark had to go into the office. Whether it was real or just an excuse was unknown. I cleaned up the kitchen and the living room before grabbing my purse and heading out the door to talk with Gretal. My mind was made up, and I wanted to get it finalized before I chickened out. I was standing on my own for the first time in years and was terrified that I would not follow through. That was my normal M.O. Not anymore. I needed to become a strong woman who wasn’t under everyone else’s control.

My speedometer showed me going about thirty miles over the speed limit to get to the travel agency. A part of me was terrified that the chance for a new life was gone. There was no way this could work out in my favor. Nothing yet had ever gone my way. It was madness to think that it would this time.

Pulling into the parking lot I sat at the wheel and started at the door into the mall. My breath came heavy. Slowly my head moved side to side. Common sense began to gain control.

“I can’t do this. Why would I ever think that I could do this? I’m not meant for adventure. I’m plain Leigh, a nobody.” My fist connected hard with the steering wheel. “No! I’m not going to give into this. I can’t let the world win. I’ve got to at least try before regulating myself to a life of misery.” Before my mind had me back on the road home, I grabbed my purse and made my way quickly inside.

“Leigh, I’m so glad that you came in today,” Gretal rose up from her desk with a bright smile on her face. I was breathless as I returned Gretal’s kiss on each cheek. My face was flushed. “I didn’t have your number to call and waiting till Monday was going to kill me. Come sit down here and let me tell you what I found out for you.” She quickly ushered me to the leather chair in front her desk before a word could come out of my mouth.

I just followed Gretal’s lead. I was too nervous to say anything. Gretal disappeared to only reappear with a tea tray. It was only when each of us had a cup of tea in our hands did Gretal speak again. My stomach clinched up into a million knots as I waited for it. The news had to be bad. That would solve all problems but my happiness.

“I spoke with my friend yesterday after you left. I just couldn’t wait. The more I thought about it, the more excited I became of what could lie ahead. Found out that he was just about to call me. It seems that the group that has been tossing this idea around had decided that they would not take a chance unless an idea was purposed on how to test it. When I told him about you, he was practically jumping up and down with excitement. He said that he would speak for the whole group when he said to go ahead and do it. It’s a green light for us!” Gretal was practically jumping up and down in her own seat.

All breath left me. It was actually going to happen. My dream was coming true. Gretal was watching my reaction closely.

“I honestly don’t know what to say. I don’t think I believed that they would agree to this.” My head was shaking slowly as the news began to sink in.

“Well, they did. Now, it is up to you and me from now on. All I need to know now is two things. Do you have a passport, and when can you leave?”

The reality of it was sinking in. Fast. I was actually going! “I have a passport from when Mark and I were going to go on a cruise once. I came down with the flu and ruined it all. When to leave……” My mind began to race with everything that had to be done. “I guess I could be ready as early as two weeks. I want to give my job appropriate time. So, anytime after that should do it.”

Gretal sat her tea down and clapped her hands. “This is wonderful. Two weeks will be enough time for me to get things organized. You just plan on letting your job know and your family. I’ll take care of the rest and keep you informed.”

I could not believe it. After giving Gretal all my contact information, it was back home to let Mark know what was happening. There was a lot to do in the next two weeks. Wow! It was really going to happen.

© 2014 Rebecca Graf—used by permission

LEGEND OF THE ECLIPSE (New Adult)

Volume 1 – The Alpha

Legends of the Eclipse Excerpt

Things That Go Bump in the Night

Michelle Cornwell-Jordan

“It sounds as if someone is getting killed!” Reba tried to shout over the din that ricocheted in the hallway.

“That’s awful!” Dominique screeched. “I believe it’s coming from there” She pointed at the room at the end of her hallway. By that time, the screeching wails had made it over the rhythms and tones of the music blasting from the other rooms. Students had begun to peek out of their doors to see what all the fuss was; doors slammed open and they exited with hands over ears, as they looked back and forth in confusion over what was happening.

“Come on” I said, leading the way to the room that Dominique referenced and knocked on the door... There was a loud crashing and the continual screech and wailing got louder.

“Hello! Are you alright?!” I shouted hoping my voice could top the noise that was coming from the room. After a few minutes there were multiple clicks and locks being undone and the door was thrown open .A student who appeared to be a freshman-if the Freshman Rules t-shirt-- was an indicator stood in the doorway. 

The young woman had wild russet hair, which was mussed and swung wildly as she continued wailing. Her wide green eyes stretched in horror behind round blacked -rimmed glasses.

We all rushed into the room and I grabbed the other girl by the arms, and shook slightly. “What’s wrong?! What's the matter?!”

Dominique reached over my arm and slapped the girl’s face. “Rylie!” She shouted.Immediately the girl stopped screaming and simply looked up at me with glazed eyes while she swayed slightly on her feet.

I continued to hold onto her as I sidestepped her to the bed and sat the shaken girl down gingerly on its edge. She stared at nothing. I focused on getting some reaction out of her with finger snaps, and slight taps on her cheeks. I grimaced at the redden hand-print on the side of her cheek. 

“Geez, Dominique, you got her pretty hard.” I eyed the other girl who stood and looked extremely shaken.

“S-sorry it’s just she wouldn't stop, I didn't mean to hit her so hard.” She said.“She’s a friend?” I asked. The screamer had become more alert as she followed the finger I moved in front of her.

I regretted the question as soon as it was out of my mouth; I remembered the earlier conversation with Dominique that detailed her outcast experience.

“N-No, I just knew she was in some of my classes. She stayed to herself, very quiet.”I glimpsed up as Jade, pushed the door closed so that on- lookers and gawkers would stay out. “One of the girls is trying to find the House Mother.” She said as she watched without expression.

“I’m seeing a pattern, whatever this baddie is, picks on those new to the school, without firm attachments-- Which would make these students prone to depression- sounds like the Shadow Man M.O. What’s her power-- sometimes this will affect how much power these type of manipulative spirits will have?”

Dominique, shrugged, and swiped her hand over her face as she watched the blank expression of her dorm mate. “I believe she’s a Banshee.”

“Okay, yep that explains that racket!” Jade said with a grimace.

“That also explains why she had such a traumatic experience, Banshees deal with the darkest emotions, fear, death, sadness and depression…the spirit had a field day with her!”

“W-will she come out of this- she looks like she isn't even there anymore.” Reba said quietly.

I sat back, the girl remained lost in her own mind. I stood and ran a hand through my hair. Then I looked around the room and saw a room identical to Dominique’s-- the twin bed, desk, closet. But no evil shadows lurking.

“I don’t know…whatever was here is long gone. It probably had a good meal with Rylie-- feasting on all the despair she has to harbor as a Banshee.”

Just then a there was a knock at the door; Jade opened it and in walked an older woman. She was dressed in a button down white shirt and simple black skirt. Her raven hair up in a bun and she had piercing blue eyes.

"I'm Ms. Abigail, the House Mother… what happened?” She asked as she walked over to Rylie and kneeled down in front of the girl, one hand on her arm…Ms. Abigail stared intently into her eyes.

“We heard this loud, very loud…wailing and screaming…we ran from Dominique’s room and realized the noise was coming from this one. When Rylie finally opened the door, she was still screaming…she’s been like this ever sense…” Reba said as she crossed her arms in front of her like a barrier.

I did not wish to say what we had discussed; they were just theories until Rylie could confirm or deny. Then Rylie turned her head as if she searched for a missed item of great importance.

She jumped as if just realized that others were in the room with her.

“Rylie, how are you? Could you tell us what happened?” Ms. Abigail said.

Rylie sat and stared intently at Ms. Abigail, and then she whispered. “Bad Shadow…”

Jade, Reba, Dominique and I turned to look at one another; Rylie’s word confirmed what we had been thinking--that a Shadow Man had terrified this girl.

“Okay, I will take her to the infirmary, it’s almost curfew, you best get to your rooms.” Ms. Abigail said.

We all filed out of Rylie’s room and after we deposited Dominique in her own-- with Jade declining to stay in her sister’s or my room--we all headed towards our destinations for the evening. 

Once in my room I locked the door. I walked to my desk and opened my laptop and turned it on. As the computer readied, I kicked off my shoes and glanced around the room. The shadows appeared darker than normal, but I attributed it to my unease-- more than some evil presence.

I sat down at my desk and took out my planner that sat beside my computer. I opened it and searched through the names and addresses inside. I trailed my finger down to the name I needed, until I found it.

Beside the entry Mr. M. there was an email address as well; I opened up a browser and typed my message…

Mr. M. I believe there is a possibility of a rift here, after speaking with some of the students-- reports of multiple unknown occurrences have taken place. Most definitely there seems to be an unregistered entity present- I have experienced its attention. My question is what’s next for the rift problem and how to get rid of a Shadow Man?

Hope all is well there at Ame'.

-Angel

I finished undressing and slipped under the covers. I had planned to meet with Jade in the woods to check it out for any rift signs after class. I had placed my phone on the bedside table,picking it back up and typed the message: Goodnight… setting it back on the side-table desk; within a few minutes a reply ding arrived.

I looked at the message which said. Goodnight My Angel, Rafael.Placing the phone back in place, I lay back on the pillow with a smile; I swiftly fell into the abyss of sleep while I pretended not to feel the shadows laughing.

© 2014 Michelle Cornwell-Jordan—used by permission

Chapter 9After dinner, Sierra and I helped Mama Ruth with the dishes. For some

reason the thought of going riding tied my stomach in knots. I finished putting the dishes away, and Jace came into the kitchen. “So, Cami do you want to go riding with me? We’ll go down to the lake. I want to show you something.”

“What do you want to show me by the lake, Jace?”

“If you come with me, you’ll find out.”

“Jace, this sounds like a trap.”

He laughed. He had a deep jovial laugh. “I promise this is not a trap.”

“That sounds just like what someone would say if they were trying to lure a person into a trap.”

“I promise. Are you coming or not?”

“Okay, I’ll come, but I can’t stay long. Holden wanted to talk to me about something.”

“Did he say what it was?” Jace looked down at the ground, as he rubbed the back of his neck.

“No, he wouldn’t tell me. He just said he needed to talk to me.”

“Okay, we won’t stay out too long.” Jace seemed rather disappointed, “but can you help me bring in the horses too?”

“Sure, I’ll be glad to.”

“Once we get them back in the stables, we’ll take Jasper and Shimmer out and ride. I’ve been looking forward to this all day. I was hoping you would say yes.”

“Then I’m glad I did.”

“Me too.” He told his Mom we were going riding.

I saw her look at me pleadingly. Even though she whispered, “Be careful,” from across the room, I was still able to hear her.

Jace put his glass in the sink, and then we went out the door. The farm felt eerie to me that night. There was no moon, and it was dark. Whatever light there was the white rocks caught. There were lights every few feet or so, but that was about it. As we came closer to the woods we had to go through to get to the lake, the darker it became.

“Jace, I don’t like this. It’s a little creepy out here tonight for some reason.” Even though the night was not cold, chills crept up my arms and down my spine, making me tremble. “Jace, can we please go back?”

“Everything will be fine, Cami. I come out here just about every night, unless it’s raining or something. Don’t worry.”

I tried not to, but something kept telling me to turn back. “Jace, please. I’m scared.”

“Cami, we’re almost there. It will be okay.”

I looked at Jace, as tears started rolling down my cheeks. I was terrified. I just knew something bad was about to happen. “Jace, please let’s go back. I don’t want to go to the lake.” The click of claws and a menacing growl echoed behind us. Jace glanced quickly at me.

“Jace, I didn’t know the farm had dogs.”

“We don’t. We need to get back quickly. There are wild dogs. Come on, Cami move!” We both at the same time started the horses in a flat-out run. “Hi-yah!”

The horses knew they were in danger. They ran at the speed of light it seemed. I could hear other claws, large claws, coming up fast behind us.

Jace was yelling at me. “Faster Cami come on!” We made it back to the barn, jumped off the horses, and closed the huge door and latched it about the time something slammed into it. It started trying to come through the door growling and barking and biting at it. The horses were spooked. I screamed and was panicking. Jace came to me and held onto me as he tried to get me to calm down. The dog was still trying to get in through the door. The clawing and growling and biting and barking just seemed to be getting louder and had me screaming hysterically. We heard a gunshot and then silence, except for me. I was still screaming. Jace was trying to get my attention. “Cami! Cami! Cami!” He yelled.

The door busted open. Screaming more, I fell to the ground and covered my head. Jace came down with me. I couldn’t stop screaming. Someone picked me up from the ground and pulled me too them.

“Cami, darlin’ it’s okay, it’s okay.” They smelled sweet like wheat fields baking in the sun, and I didn’t recognize it, but it calmed me enough to stop my screaming. “Cami darlin’, it’s over, calm down, it’s over.” I realized it was Papa Bo. I had never felt strength like him hug me. It was strength with warmth I had never felt either. It was strange, but Holden didn’t even match it. I started crying uncontrollably and tried to stop but couldn’t. “There there, it’s okay.” I hugged him tighter and he responded the same way. I could tell he truly cared about me. He was the father I always wanted, but never had, and I just couldn’t let go. He didn’t make me either. He allowed me to stay as long as I needed. Papa Bo threw his shot gun to Jace and wrapped both arms around me as I cried. “Shh, baby girl, it’s okay.” I had never been called that before. He was about a foot taller than me, slightly fluffy, and where my head rested my ear was right on his heart, beating as strong as if he was a twenty-year-old, yet he was about sixty-something. He spoke to Jace. “Go drag that off somewhere and burn it. Get Eli and Tucker to help you.”

As Jace walked by, he placed his hand on my back. “I’m sorry, Cami; I should have listened to you. Next time I will, I promise, if you ever give me a next time.”

I nodded my head up against Papa Bo’s heart, after a few minutes I finally let go. “I’m sorry, Papa Bo. I didn’t mean to be that way.”

“Now then, don’t apologize for being scared. It happens to all of us.” He cupped his hand under my chin tilting my head up. He wiped my tears away from my cheeks. His hands were normally rough and scratchy from years of hard work, but they felt nothing like that when he touched my face. He cared enough to wipe my tears; that was all that mattered to me. “Now, all better?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good. You take care of Shimmer and Jasper. Put them in their stalls. I am going to go see about helping the boys. Don’t worry. You’ll be safe.”

Oddly enough, I wasn’t worried. It was like there was something protecting me that I could feel. I couldn’t explain it. I took the saddles off of Jasper and Shimmer, and they both nuzzled me and actually kissed me. They both patiently waited their turn to be wiped down and brushed. I fluffed their hay with the pitchfork and put them up for the night. I gave them extra carrots and apples for being such good horses. Of course I had to give all the horses carrots and apples, but I made sure Shimmer and Jasper had extra.

Walking out the door, I closed and latched it. Jace appeared behind me. I jumped and then screamed at him. “Are you determined to kill me tonight? If I’m not mauled to death by a wild dog you are going to give me a heart attack instead?”

Jace looked down at the ground. “I’m really sorry about that, Cami. I wasn’t expecting a wild dog to chase us. That never happened before.”

My anger took hold forcing tears into my eyes. I clenched my fists punching them down by my sides. Crying because I was angry made me feel weak. I am not weak!

“Jace, I tried to tell you that something didn’t feel right and I have never had bad feelings walking this farm at night no matter whether there was a moon or not. I have always felt like nothing could hurt me here, until tonight. Why wouldn’t you listen to me?”

“Because I really wanted to show you something about the lake.”

My voice raised almost to the point of screaming. “So, you’re so stubborn about getting your way that you will risk lives for it?!”

He pointed his finger in my face. I never flinched. “Cami, that’s not fair. I didn’t expect anything to happen, because nothing ever has.”

My voice was quiet. My anger was strong. “Well, Jace, something happened tonight. Had you have listened to me to begin with it would not have been the near death experience that it became.”

Jace gave me the strangest look. His face was as if there was nothing. His eyes glinted, telling me everything. I gasped. I couldn’t even begin to fathom what was going through my head. As soon as I gasped he looked down at the ground. “Jace, oh my . . .”

“Don’t say it, Cami.”

“. . . word, that’s it isn’t it . . . but . . . that’s not possible.” My mind was going ninety miles a second as I tried to wrap my thoughts around it. “That’s . . . that’s . . .” I couldn’t. My mind wouldn’t let me. “No, no way. I’m going back to the house.”

Jace called after me. “Cami, wait . . . you don’t understand.”

“You know, you’re right. I don’t understand. I don’t want to understand. That’s insane.”

Mama Ruth’s words from earlier that day reverberated in my mind. ‘Assume everything you have decided is the truth. Go with your judgment.’ My mind was reeling, while in the background I heard Jace’s pleading with me to stop walking. Something else Mama Ruth said came to mind louder than anything ‘please watch over my Jace’. Then I heard a voice in my mind, I had never heard it before, say the words ‘your mission’. I stopped short, because it sounded like they were standing right in front of me, but when I looked up no one was there except me and Jace was behind me. That allowed him to catch up with me. He took me by the shoulders and even had tears in his eyes. He closed his eyes to hold them back. He looked down at the ground and then back up as he felt he was back in control.

“Please, Cami. Please try to understand.”

The pleading in his voice brought me to tears. “Jace, I can’t. I don’t understand this.”

His tears came back with a glint. This time he was angry. That caught me off guard. Some of the pieces of this giant jigsaw puzzle were coming together. He wiped his hands down his face and through his hair.

Assuming everything I had decided was the truth starting with the fact that this place was different, my mind went into overdrive. How different is it? Jace sounded like he was about to hyperventilate. He needed to calm down. My intuition took over. I placed a calming hand on his face as he pressed into my hand. The first step had been taken.

“Jace, stop. Let’s say I have figured some things out, okay.” He nodded yes, but still seemed panicked. He was breathing really deep and trying to calm himself down.

“Okay, you have figured some things out, but what about me? Am I one of those things you have figured out?”

“Yes, but, Jace, I need to sleep on this. This is so hard to accept. Can you understand that?” I had to buy time to decide what to do next. Sleep would escape me tonight. This was my mission, and his life I believed, rested in my hands. What a frightening thought!

“Jace, you cannot doubt me again. You have to trust me.”

“I promise I will listen to everything you say from now on, but do you believe in me? Am I worth the trouble?”

We were standing on the back porch. I had to tap my foot on it to believe it. How we got there, I have no idea. Remember, Cami, this place is different. I had to breathe a moment and then answered him.

“You are every bit worth the trouble, Jace. This farm would not be the same without you.”

He hugged me, but was shaking as he held me—his last bit of reality—so tight. “Cami, I feel like I have done something wrong, but I don’t know what it is. That dog should not have come here, but I know I somehow made it come here. I need you, Cami; I don’t know what to do or where I’ve gone wrong.”

I pulled away from him. “I know, Jace. I promise I will help you figure that out. But you have to trust me. Will you do that, even though it might mean giving up something very important to you?”

His look was somewhat unbelieving. “What are you talking about, Cami?”

“You know what I’m talking about, Jace; I don’t have to tell you.”

“Tell me anyway.”

“Lily . . . can you give her up?”

He suddenly straightened up. His shoulders stiffened, unrelenting about the subject of Lily. It reminded me of the Pharaoh and the ten plagues. It took the death of the Pharaoh’s firstborn child before he would let the Israelites go. I realized then that it was going to take something really big and more than likely terrible to get him to let go. I was fearful of what that might have to be. His entire attitude changed instantly, he was almost mean.

“You’re right. You do need to sleep on things, Cami. I’ll see you tomorrow.” He turned and walked into the house.

“But, Jace . . .”

He was gone. I felt like something very important to me had just been ripped out of my hands. I stood on the porch and cried, stomping my foot. Like that helped. I knew there would be a problem. I knew this wouldn’t go smoothly. He wants help, but won’t give up anything to get it.

I had no idea what I was going to do. Leaning up against the porch rails, the night air helped me calm down. The occasional tear fell. Looking up to the sky, there were so many stars out. I just started talking to whoever would listen, whether it was the grass or the trees or the stars or hopefully someone above the stars.

“How am I going to help him when he doesn’t want to give up what he is doing?”

A voice came up behind me. “You picked a good place to start, little darlin’.”

Papa Bo came up followed by Mama Ruth. He hugged me to him. “Honey, Jace is our most stubborn child. He always has been. If you have been brought here for this then you have a tough road ahead of you. I believe you are strong enough to handle it and smart enough to know what to do. You will find a way. Tell me exactly what is on your mind.”

“Papa Bo, I don’t want anything to happen to him. And if I can’t complete this . . . this . . .” I stopped and looked at Mama Ruth.

“It’s okay, honey. I told him what you told me.”

“Papa Bo, what am I going to do? You can’t help me either, can you?”

He shook his head and looked at me sympathetically. “No, baby girl, I’m sorry, but I can’t. However, I am confident that you will succeed. Go talk to Holden. He’s waiting on you.”

“Yes, sir.”

Around ten o’clock, I remembered Holden wanted to talk to me. I felt bad about keeping him waiting. As I turned to walk into the house I heard Papa Bo talking and stopped to listen just inside the door. “Dear Lord bless that beautiful girl and help her to make all the right decisions and if it takes it give her silent steps and please help her save my boy. He’s a good boy, Lord, he just made some wrong decisions. Don’t allow him to shut her out. Open his heart to the new and help him to let go of the old. Thank you dear Father.” I cried. Papa Bo asked for help for me. He knew this was going to be difficult.

Trying to stop the tears from coming was almost impossible, but I forced myself to do it. Holden shouldn’t be concerned about me. As I neared the landing, I saw Jace out of the corner of my eye. He was walking into his room. He

pretended to not even notice me. I actually felt hurt by that and that just made more tears fall. I saw Jace glance at me just as I wiped tears off of my face; he caught that and had this remorseful look on his face, like he regretted something he had to do. I knocked on Holden’s door.

“Come in.”

As I walked in, Holden pulled me into a bear hug. “Thank goodness you are okay. I heard you screaming and Mama Ruth wouldn’t let me go out to you. She kept telling me that Papa Bo had to take care of it. I heard the dog too. Where did it come from?”

“Jace said that there were wild dogs around. I guess it came out of the woods somewhere.”

“Cami, I have been on this farm since September, and nothing like that has ever happened. Nothing bad has ever happened here. What is going on? You have to tell me.”

“Holden, I can’t tell you. You wouldn’t be able to help anyway.”

He spoke very quietly. “You mean I can’t help you with the mission you have been given?”

I just stared at my brother. “How did you know about that?”

“Cami, I had some strange dreams while I slept today. What has Jace done?”

I gasped, jumping sky high when someone knocked on the door.

“Come in.” Holden and I said at the same time. Eli walked in and then closed the door behind him.

“Eli, where is Sierra?”

“On the porch swing with Tucker. Cami, what was that dog thing? It was as black as night and looked like something from Hell itself. Whatever it was, it was not normal.”

“Oh . . . no . . . then it’s true.” I stared at the ground as my mind started flying through scenarios again. More and more of the puzzle fell into place.

Eli pulled a chair up to Holden’s bed. “Cami, what’s true? What has Jace done?”

I stared at Eli. “What made you say that?”

“These weird dreams I’ve been having. Everything seems to revolve around Jace.”

Holden stared at Eli then. “I’ve been having them too. Cami, I think you’re in danger when you’re with him.”

I looked at both of them and burst into tears. “I know I am, but I am the only one that can keep him from destroying himself. If anything happens, it will happen to Jace, not me. I am the only one that can keep him safe. I have to keep him safe.”

Eli came over to me and put his arm around my shoulders. “Cami, you have to tell us what’s happening. We have to keep you safe, or at least that is what I have gathered from all of my dreams.”

Holden agreed. “That is what I think too. That is what all of my dreams have been showing me.”

Things kept becoming stranger and stranger. I sniffled as I tried to explain things to them. Holden handed me a tissue. “Don’t you see, that is what you have been doing all my life? I think you are just being told that you are to continue on as if nothing has changed. As long as you two are here, I will be safe. As long as Jace is here I will keep him safe until I can prove to him what he is doing is wrong.”

Holden moved my hair out of my face, letting his hand rest on my shoulder. “Wait a minute; what you are saying is that if you had not been with Jace tonight something would have happened to him?”

“Yes, and I think it all revolves around the lake. There is something sinister down at that lake, and I believe that is what Jace doesn’t understand. This farm is different. From the outside it looks like a normal farm and ranch with a summer camp. To everyone that comes here it is a beautiful place for refuge, unless, like us, something forces you to come here, but it is never a force in a bad way. Those who need it, find it. Holden think back to September. How did you find this place? Was there an ad in the paper?”

“No, I just happened to be driving by and saw a sign that said help needed.” His hands went to his face as reality dawned. He spoke through each step. “It caught my attention because it said help needed instead of help wanted. I offered; they gave me the job. I worked here through the fall when they needed it most and then when Mom called me and said she was sending all of you, I felt like that was the reason I found this place. When I told Mama Ruth about all of you, she seemed so incredibly happy. She claimed the house was too much for her, and Papa Bo needed more help in the fields. All of you needed a place to go, and this was it.”

“Do you see what I’m talking about? You found this place because you needed to, and because we were all supposed to come here.”

“Now, you said something about the lake, too. What about the lake? I don’t think there is anything wrong with it.”

“No, you’re right. There isn’t unless you use it the way I believe Jace is using it.”

“Cami, what are you talking about? Have you actually seen Jace do anything to the lake?”

“No, he’s not doing anything to the lake. Tonight he wanted to take me to the lake to show me something about it. A lake is a lake, right? Unless you are using it for something. It is what I believe he is using it for. You two are going to think I’m insane.”

“Cami, no. We’re not. Okay, the three of us sitting in this room know there is something different about this place, but it is not a bad place, it is a good place. Are we agreed on that?”

Eli and I answered at the same time, “Yes.”

“Then, Cami, tell us what you think is going on. Your insight is better than anyone’s in this house. I would even venture to guess it is better than Mama Ruth or Papa Bo. Tell us what is going on.”

I didn’t know if I was supposed to know as much as I did. At the same time there was a reason for knowing everything. Nothing happened on this farm without a reason behind it. If my brothers were not supposed to know anything they would not have been having strange dreams about being the ones that are supposed to protect me. I decided to tell them what I believed and what Mama Ruth told me about assuming everything I believed, was true.

“Cami, you have to talk to us. We need to know what’s going on.”

“Okay, but you’re either going to think I’m insane or we are all three insane. I have been having dreams about things happening to Jace. Nothing was ever straightforward. It seemed as if they were clues to things he was doing or had done in the past. I hadn’t figured that part out yet. No one can help me do this because it is my task alone, my mission, if you will. I believe everyone that has ever come here has somehow come like we have. None of their children are blood related to them or each other for that matter, except maybe Ashley and Jillian. The only reason I believe that is because Sierra and I are living in their old room. Mama Ruth put us in there together because we were sisters and we take care of each other.”

Holden and Eli stared at me. I was wishing I had never opened my mouth. “Do you want me to continue or stop all-together? I told you that you would think I was insane.”

“No, we don’t think you are insane. We don’t understand how you know all of this though.”

“Do you want me to continue?”

“Yes,” they both said that at the same time. “But let’s get to Jace and what you think is going on with him.”

“Okay, but I need to say one more thing about this place. Actually a few more things. I don’t think time passes here like it normally does unless normal people like us come here. It passes in the summer normally because of the summer campers.”

“Wait, you said normal people like us. What are you talking about?”

“Okay . . . you asked me; here we go with more insanity. I don’t think Mama Ruth and Papa Bo and Jace are normal people. The rest of their family is, but they are not.”

“What do you think they are . . . aliens?”

We all laughed. “No, I think they are angels, like guardian angels. I mean think of the look of this place, the name of this place, their name—the Masters. That is what I believe, and the four of us have been called a godsend more than once.”

“Okay, Cami, everything you have said so far makes more sense than some of the things we’ve thought, but what about Jace? Why is he a problem right now?”

“I believe that Jace was sent here because he almost caused a girl named Lily to lose her destiny. He was punished for doing that by being sent back here to grow up all over again. Remember what I said about time not being the same here?”

“Yes.”

“The first night we were here, I went down to the lake to talk to Jace. He told me that he had broken some kind of rules. He said he had hurt someone really bad, because of something he did. That girl, Lily, is whom I believe he was talking about. He said he checks on her all of the time and she is doing well despite what he almost caused her. The way he said it sounded like it happened years ago, like twenty years ago.”

“But wait a minute, Cam. Jace is only twenty years old.”

“Exactly. Remember, I said I believe he was sent back to grow up all over again. I believe what he was talking about sounded like it happened twenty years ago.”

“Whoa, Cami. We love you, but that does sound insane.”

“I know, but that is what I believe is the background for this task or mission or whatever you want to call it. I look like this Lily. Jace told me that I could be her twin, and Mama Ruth did too. He fell in love with her, and guardian angels I believe are not supposed to do that. They are supposed to make sure their person they are guarding gets to their destiny. He tried to sway hers in his direction and almost destroyed her.”

Holden just stared at me almost frightened. “Cami, sweetie, you have . . . to save . . . an angel? Honey, the only thing that can destroy an Angel is . . .”

I finished his sentence for him. “. . . a demon.”

Eli gasped. “The black dog . . . that came after you and Jace tonight . . . when I said it came from Hell itself . . . I didn’t realize what I was saying . . .”

I finished Eli’s sentence for him. “. . . was the truth?”

“Yeah . . . was the truth.”

Holden and Eli both pulled me in between the two of them and hugged me. “We promise we will not let anything happen to you.”

“Thank you, but you may not have that choice. I took on this mission or task, and I have to see it through. I love you both. You have always protected me, and I appreciate that. If you are granted that then I have nothing to fear. However, this is my task no matter what it may cost me. I am the only one that can complete it.”

© 2014 Bethanie Armstrong—used by permission

Thank you so much for reading TNB NEWSLETTER, VOLUME 9:

The Writer’s Character