Crystal Butterflies pt 2

February 06, 2010

A small taster from another chapter of Crystal Butterflies. . . .


Scooger feels the cold seeping into his body as he lies motionless against the concrete of the street. Being motionless for an unknown amount of time starts to mess with even the strongest of minds as the temperature drops. Most of the pack lay hidden amongst the rubble and debris strewn from the day’s earlier battle. Included with the debris are the bodies of the slain. Since the running fight and the coming of night, no one dared to collect the bodies. So, in their death, they provided the perfect cover for Scooger and his warriors as long as everyone held their nerve and didn’t move at the wrong time. A slip from one of the pack would tip the enemy and it would be a quick bloody fight for Scooger’s pack as they started from a prone position surrounded by enemies.
Scooger watches as the first of the enemy scouts quietly slips by. The enemy is careful of their footing, hoping to get close enough to finish the scouting and then attack the barricade unaware. A foot passes a hair’s breathe from Scooger’s face. The sound of Scooger’s breathe and heart pound in his ears surely loud enough to be heard by the scout. The foot lifts and moves forward. Scooger waits to feel the sharp stab of iron in his back meaning the end, but moments pass without it.
The barricade is behind Scooger. So it comes as a surprise when the first shouts of alarm are raised by Samuel. The enemy scouts had gotten a little to close and the defenders now knew they were there. The enemy scouts raised a cry of their own. Scooger resists the temptation to turn his head. If anyone noticed supposed corpses turning and moving, it would blow the ambush.
Suddenly, a full pack of the enemy begin running down the street towards the barricade. A second pack turns round the corner followed by a third pack. Not a simple raid, the 3083 is intent on capturing the building. Scooger can only watch as hundreds of people run screaming by. They avoid the bodies strewn in the street. A small sigh of relief floods into Scoogers body for small miracles. Scooger’s pack of scouts numbering a hundred with Samuel’s detachment were now outnumbered almost four to one. Scooger watched the last of the enemy packs stream by him towards the barricade.

Crystal Butterflies

January 29, 2010

The opening few lines from the "Crystal Butterflies" novel. A twisted story about intertwining destinies.....

*******************************************

“It isn’t really there at all. Whatever you think you see, it is just your mind’s way of dealing with the shift when we went down the hole.” Her hair is shaved in the standard spacer crew cut showing her natural blonde coloring through the white-frosted tips. Her green eyes stare at the sole occupant of the compartment who gazes at the darkened ceiling.
Turning, he looks at her, starting from her feet then moving quickly up her body to her head. She radiates military from her standard five foot six height, whip-iron muscular build along with her standard tan-colored flight uniform with the name Adele stenciled across her left breast pocket in block lettering. The duty uniform shows no decoration except for the gold braid insignia on her collar marking her as a lieutenant in the armed forces. Her deck boots are so highly polished, the reflection of the overhead lighting glares off. Even the buttons on her pants and shirt have a high gloss to their brass finish.
While not the most beautiful woman, she can be very easily seen as quite attractive, although I would never consider her my type. She has been too busy thinking of only the military as the beginning, middle and end of her life. It will take her a little time to figure out she is not married to the military and they sure aren’t married to only her. I guess, everybody has their own ideas of what the perfect life will be.
The man locks his gaze on her green eyes.
“Excuse me Lieutenant Adele. It seems I was lost in momentary reflection of present and past circumstances. Aside from my attention, you said something wasn’t here.” A smile pulls at the corners of his mouth showing a perfect set of teeth beneath his dark brown eyes. “I am hoping you are not referring to some necessary piece of our ship. It would strike me as such a pity to have traveled all this way to try and find the Absolution only to find we have forgotten to pack a spare tire. Or perhaps a piece of rope to pull us out of the hole we seem to have fallen into.”