Sunday, May 22, 2016

Sunday Snippet: Mister Mysterious

Whew. Some great television this past week. Gotham's episode ended up being pretty terrific. Fish Mooney rocks!

I missed The Flash, but plan to catch up before the finale this week. Agents of SHIELD went out with a bang. I'm rather liking how the movie 'verse affects the small screen 'verse.

Arrow's episode ended up being so awesome. Can't wait for the final showdown between Team Arrow and Darhk.

I was thrilled with Legends of Tomorrow. Still hoping to see great things next season. Orphan Black blew my mind as usual. So many things going on! I have a sneaky feeling the creepy engineer chick did something truly terrible to Sarah. Here's hoping she meets an untimely end very soon.

Still have Wynonna Earp and Banshee to watch from the past week. I'm saving Banshee for last since it's the final episode ever. I know how I want things to end, but have a strong doubt I'll get what I want. LOL

Watched the finale for Marcella and, eh, not as good as I hoped. That said, if there's a second series and Jamie Bamber is a cast member, I'll be there. :D

That's it for the television this week. Patiently waiting for The Last Ship to premiere and looking for new stuff to dive into over the summer.

Tonight's post is Mister Mysterious, a novella built on the following prompt: two characters out of their comfort zone. Give them a reason to work together and search for someone they discover is alive.

Here's the mini-blurb:

Marlow Spence loses her sister to a sinister spellbinder who believes the siblings have the power to control dreams. When Tharn Oliver shows up on her doorstep, there can be only one reason—Leo Tolstoy is back and he wants Marlow.

And a preview snippet…

Tharn winced and couldn't hold her bold stare. A sucker punch to the face would have hurt less, especially coming from Marlow. The woman packed a wallop when she used brute force. But she wielded words with surgical precision, cutting deep and going directly for the throat.
He inhaled deeply then exhaled slowly before providing a response. "As usual, you're dead right. But this time has to be different." He finally risked another glance in her direction and found she'd retreated into the sanctuary of her living room.
Not what he expected. He figured she'd shove him out and slam the door in his face. Not that he didn't deserve her scorn. But he would have stood out there, the weather raging around him, until the shock to his system over seeing her again wore off.
Probably take a full month, because damn, she looked good. Three years had changed her. Longer hair, sharper features, but gorgeous just the same. Still lithe and limber, she prowled around the room before coming to a halt, standing in front of the fire.
Apprehension licked at his heels and he followed her, carefully gauging her body language. Stiff shoulders, jerky hand movements, her gaze darting all around the room. Shit. She held something back, something dark and bad.
He stopped beside her, observing where her glance lingered. A small music box, a hefty tome, a wilting peony draped along the mantle. He didn't need to hear the tune or see the title of the book. The peony spoke volumes. Crap. How many more items had she received?
Staring into the flames, the rumble of thunder overhead, he pushed for answers. "When did it start?"
Her head jerked back, but she quickly recovered. "Two weeks ago." Turning away from the fire, she moved to the sofa and sank down, perching on the edge.
Tharn settled into the wingback chair opposite the couch. "Why didn't you contact me?" Stupid question. Why would she get in touch with him? "Never mind. But you could have at least let one of the watchers know." Then again, the elder group of guardians would have sounded the alarm, dragged Marlow to the estate, and lost any chance of catching Tolstoy and bringing him to justice.
Marlow shook her head. "Honestly? The anniversary of Charlotte's death is next week." Her fingers twisted in her lap. "Anyone could have sent the stuff."
He sent her a sharp, sideways glance. She didn't really think he'd believe that line of bullshit, did she?
She caught his look and flopped back on the cushions, heaving a sigh. "Yeah, yeah. Buy me a boat for the river in Egypt." Her fingers rubbed at her temples. "I didn't want to possibly consider Leo the bastard wanted another go around." Her eyes slid shut. "The son of a bitch should be dead."

I loved writing this scene. I have a goal to get better with using body language to convey mood in my work. I hope this one worked well.



That's it for this week.

Cheers!


Skye

No comments:

Post a Comment