Labotomy of a Writer

I had this blog post in mind all week - the scenarios I was going to use as examples, how to explain what I wanted. And then today, the weirdest thing happened! (Well technically it was yesterday...) A real life scenario!

Since the weather has warmed up a bit (okay a lot) here in Georgia, I have started taking my son to the park, pretty much every day. Today it was sweltering! But I was determined to go!

So, I put on the sunscreen, baseball hats, got plenty of juice and headed out. Little man of course enjoyed the walk (more like he enjoyed the ride, sitting comfortably in his stroller) to the park, about 7 long blocks away, down hill.

Well not too long after we get there I start feeling sick. Completely nauseous and dizzy. I'm having trouble breathing at a normal pace. I needed to get out of the sun ASAP or I was going to pass out.

Well guess what? The trip back home is UP HILL!

So I'm trying to take deep breaths and not rush it but it's not really helping much. I'm about half a block away from the top of the hill (and another two blocks to the house) when I could feel it. I was going to pass out right then. With no sidewalks, I was walking on the side of the street so I began to push the little man up onto the curb. (My only thought was "Don't let him roll down the hill!")

Lo and behold what catches my eye coming around the corner? MY HUBBY!! I never felt more relieved in my entire life! I collapsed on the curb and literally said "Thank God you're here!"

How does this story relate to the topic at hand? Well in my novel Rosyani and Bel, at different points in the story both say exactly the same thing, for almost the same reason - utter relief! I am not the damsel in distress type but I can tell you today, I was SO glad that my knight in shining armor came along! (No, my hubby did not bribe me to say that!)

Anyway, the point of this post really is to become you character in some shape or form. This can be something simple like changing what hand you write with or just acting like your character for a day. Become your character - like actors do on the stage all the time. Think like them, talk like them, be them. Just for an hour, an afternoon, a day. I guarantee it's not only a lot of fun but you really get to know them.

How would Rosyani react to a computer? Or a car? Her world does not have such things. It was really fun to think about a computer, that I use every day, from her point of view. She would ask what spell made the words appear on the screen or what sort of magic I was endowed with. That's her world. It really put things into perspective for me with her - how she thought and why she thought it. It cemented the type of world she grew up in, the way she was raised.

The same with Bel. How would she react to the camera? Or the clothes that I wear? Again, this really gave me some insight into Bel. No, she does not have these things in her world but it really showed me her inner self. How she deals with confusion, fear, anxiety, awe and even love.

I do not recommend you throwing yourself in harms way to understand what it feels like to be rescued. But, I can tell that my own little experience today, will greatly help me write those scenes.

I know many of you were looking for the rest of the Epic Character Questionnaire, but I'm me. My muse was pushing me to continue on with my idea about character development and such, so I edited the original post to contain the entire list. You can read the whole thing here.

Now, on to the point of this post.

Characters need to grow in a story. They start off one way, believing certain things, feeling a certain way, then through the events of the story they change and grow. Thus is life. However, in writing there needs to be a balance. The characters can't grow or change too fast, it needs to be realistic, not dramatic, and enough detail needs to be there to SHOW the changes.

I was talking to a friend of mine just a few days ago, talking about character interviews. He said it would be fun to have the character answer the questions at the beginning of the story and then again at the end.

Sounds like a lot of work doesn't it?

But think of the work you could save! Okay, you are prepping your novel, character sketch, plot sketch, setting sketch, notes, pictures, the whole shebang. Your character sketch could be expanded into two parts - before and after. Then you can look at them side by side and figure out the best way to get your character from the Before to the After.

If you character starts off as a coward but then at the end he's a brave warrior type - how would he get there? This could really beef up or change your plot sketch as you try to think of realistic ways that the change could occur.

Now, normally I write on the fly but I thought this was a really interesting way to look at your characters. A before and after, see how they change. I tried a mini version of this with one of my characters just the other day and the results were astounding! He goes from believe that duty and honor come first before anything else to believing that following your heart is more important. That may not seem like a huge thing, but in the context of the story, it's major. Plus his personality just normally would not allow such a thing. So, my task now is to figure out the best way to get him to grow from here to there.

Again, I stress the "must be realistic" part. It's rare to never that a person wakes up after one tragic event and completely changes their outlook on life. It takes a lot of different tiny things before the change happens. Now, before you freak out - yes there are few exceptions to that rule. But again, realistic. An assassin would not suffer too badly from shock at seeing a dead body, even if that body was someone they were close to. But a little girl at the age of say 8? Definitely would have a major impact on the rest of her life in an instant. Tragedy takes on many forms and it can change a person drastically, but it usually takes something horribly gruesome or psychologically traumatizing to change a person in a single instant.

That ties in with time too. A character can't change too fast. Think of the tension that could be missing if they changed too quickly? Example of the character I mentioned before. His sense of duty keeps him from being with the woman he truly loves. If he changed too quickly and followed his heart, the plot would fall to pieces as all that tension between the two characters would be gone.

SHOWING this change is harder sometimes than to just TELL it. It's not just about what they are thinking or feeling either. It's what they doing. If they are scared, then show it. Pale face, wide eyes, trembling hands, knocking knees. Don't just say "She was scared out of her mind." Of course thoughts and feelings are huge too. When their life if threatened, are they thinking about things they regret in their life? That they are too young to die? Or are they ready for the end? Why or why not? You could add three or four whole paragraphs minimum after the line "A knife was placed to her throat." By just talking about what she's doing and thinking to SHOW the emotion that she's scared.

I think I'm going to sit down this week with all of my characters and do a before and after thing, even for the ones that are already written. They might say something that I didn't see before!

Again, if you want to see the Epic Character Questionnaire, I posted the entire 253-question list here.

****Don't forget the "Body Language Blogfest" April 24th. Sign up now!****

Yes, I am completely insane! I was reading blogs yesterday evening and I stumbled upon a post someone made, talking about interviewing your characters. Links were included to a few different lists of questions to ask your characters. Well, me being me, I saved all five or six lists. I printed them out and was looking them over and discovered that none of the questions really repeated themselves beyond "Name, age, appearance." Again, me being me, decided to put them all into one organized list. Well, through the organization/merging process, I thought of more questions to ask!

The result? A 253-question interview!

Yes, I said it already, I am completely insane.

But, since I am also totally awesome, I am going to share this epic character questionnaire with all of you! I'll be nice and split it up for you so that you don't lose your mind! So here is the first 4 sections of the list. There are 16 sections total, so come back to get the rest of the list! *Update, 4/5/10, the entire list is here in this one post.*

The questions are written in a way that you would literally ask your character. Like they are sitting right in front of you - the "you" in the questions is your character.

Please let me know what you think of this and since we've established my lack of mental stability, please feel free to add any questions that you feel fit in this categories!

Part One: The Basics

1. What is your name?
2. Do you have any nicknames? If you do, who gave it to you and why?
3. How old are you now?
4. When were you born?
5. Where do you call home now?
6. To what social class do you belong?
7. What is your eye color?
8. What is your hair color?
9. Do you have any distinguishing facial features?
10. Do you have any birthmarks? Where are they?
11. Do you have any scars? How did you get them?
12. Do you have any tattoos or other markings? How and why did you get them?
13. Do you have any allergies, diseases, or other physical weaknesses?
14. Are you right or left handed?
15. What does your voice sound like?
16. How do you dress most of the time?
17. How do you dress up?
18. How do you dress down?
19. What do you wear when you go to sleep?
20. Do you wear any jewelry?
21. What words and/or phrases do you use frequently?
22. Do you have any quirks, strange mannerisms, annoying habits, or other defining characteristics?
23. Do you have any bad habits? If so, what are they and how do you plan to get rid of them?
24. Do you have a lifelong dream or aspiration?
25. Do you own a car (or other form of transportation)? Why or why not? Describe it.
26. What is your current state of mind?

Part Two: Family

27. How close are you to your family?
28. Do you have a spouse or significant other? Describe them.
29. Have you started your own family? Describe them if you do. If not, do you want to? Why or why not?
30. Who was your Father and what was he like?
31. Who was your Mother and what was she like?
32. Who are you closest to in your family?
33. Is there someone in your family you wish you were closer to?
34. What was your parent’s marriage like?
35. Did they remain married? If not, how did that affect you? When did they split?
36. Do you have any siblings? What are/were they like?
37. What is the worst thing one of your siblings ever did to you?
38. What’s the worst thing you’ve ever done to one of your siblings?
39. When’s the last time you saw a member of your family? Where are they now?
40. Did you meet any other family members? (Aunts Uncles, etc) Describe them.

Part Three: Friends and Relationships with Others

41. In general, how do you treat other people that you have just met?
42. Does your treatment of people change depending on how well you know them and if so how?
43. Who is the most important person in your life and why?
44. Who is the person you respect the most and why?
45. Who are your friends? Describe them.
46. Do you have a best friend? Describe them.
47. Who would you turn to if you were in desperate need of help?
48. Do you trust anyone to protect you? Who and why?
49. If you died or went missing, who would miss you?
50. Who is the person you despise the most, and why?
51. Do you tend to argue with people or avoid conflict?
52. Do you tend to take on leadership roles in social situations?
53. Do you like interacting with large groups of people? Why or why not?
54. Do you care what others think of you?
55. What habit do others have that annoys you the most?
56. What is the most important quality you look for in a friend?
57. What do you most value in your friends?

Part Four: Growing Up (Childhood)

58. Where were you born?
59. Where did you grow up?
60. How would you describe your childhood in general?
61. What is your earliest memory?
62. What is your fondest childhood memory?
63. What is your worst childhood memory?
64. As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
65. As a child, what were your favorite activities?
66. As a child, what kinds of personality traits did you display?
67. As a child, were you popular? Who were your friends, and what were they like?
68. As a child, what was your favorite toy?
69. As a child, what was your favorite game to play?

Part Five: Growing Up (Teen/Young Adult)

70. How much schooling have you had?
71. Did you enjoy school?
72. Where did you learn most of your skills and other abilities?
73. While growing up, did you have any role models other than your parents? Describe them.
74. While growing up, how did you get along with the other members of your family?
75. How old were you when you went on your first date? Describe the date.
76. What is your favorite memory from your teen years?
77. What is your worst memory from your teen years?
78. When and with whom was your first kiss?
79. Are you a virgin? If not, when and with whom did you lose your virginity?
80. Describe any influences in your past that led you to do the things you do today.

Part Six: Past Influences

81. What do you consider the most important even of your life so far?
82. Who has had the most influence on you?
83. What do you consider your greatest achievement?
84. What is your greatest regret?
85. What is the most evil thing you have ever done?
86. Do you have a criminal record of any kind?
87. When was the time you were the most frightened?
88. What is the most embarrassing thing that ever happened to you?
89. If you could change one thing from your past, what would it be, and why?
90. What is your best memory?
91. What is your worst memory?
92. When and where were you the happiest?

Part Seven: Beliefs and Opinions

93. Are you optimistic or pessimistic?
94. What is your greatest fear?
95. Have you told any one your fear before?
96. Who would be the one person you’d never tell your fear?
97. What are your religious views?
98. What are your political views?
99. What are your views on sex?
100. Are you able to kill?
101. Under what circumstances do you find killing to be acceptable or unacceptable?
102. In your opinion, what is the most evil thing any human being could do?
103. Do you believe in the existence of soul males and/or true love?
104. What do you believe makes a successful life?
105. How honest are you about your thoughts and feelings? (Meaning do you hide your true self from others and in what way?)
106. Do you have any biases or prejudices?
107. Is there anything you absolutely refuse to do under any circumstances? Why?
108. Who or what, if anything, would you die for? (or go to extremes for?)
109. What is your best feature, in your opinion?
110. What do you think of drugs and alcohol? Are there any types that people should never do? Why or why not?
111. What is your idea of perfect happiness?
112. What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery?

Part Eight: Likes and Dislikes

113. What is/are your favorite hobbies and pastimes?
114. What is your most treasured possession?
115. What is your favorite color? Why?
116. What is your least favorite color? Why?
117. What is your favorite food? Why?
118. What is your least favorite food? Why?
119. What is your favorite sound? Why?
120. What is your least favorite sound? Why?
121. What is your favorite smell/scent? Why?
122. What is your least favorite smell/scent? Why?
123. What, if anything, do you like to read?
124. What is your idea of good entertainment?
125. How do you spend a typical Saturday night?
126. What makes you laugh?
127. What makes you laugh out loud, hysterically?
128. What makes you cry?
129. What makes you cry, hysterically?
130. What, if anything, shocks or offends you?
131. What would you do if you couldn’t sleep and had to find something to amuse yourself?
132. How do you deal with stress?
133. Are you spontaneous or do you always need to have a plan?
134. What are your pet peeves?
135. Where do you go when you’re angry or depressed?
136. What do you do when you’re bored?
137. What type of music do you like? Favorite bands or musicians?
138. What tape or CD hasn’t left your player since you bought it? Why?
139. What song is “your song”? Why?
140. What is your favorite movie? Why?
141. What is your least favorite movie? Why?
142. What is your favorite stage play? Why?
143. What is your least favorite stage play? Why?
144. What is your favorite book? Why?
145. What is your least favorite book? Why?
146. Who is your favorite author/writer? Why?
147. Who is your least favorite author/writer? Why?
148. What do you watch on Television?
149. What annoys you more than anything else?
150. What time of day is your favorite? Why?
151. What time of day is your least favorite? Why?
152. What kind of weather is your favorite? Why?
153. What kind of weather is your least favorite? Why?
154. What is the most beautiful thing you have ever seen?
155. What is the most awful thing you have ever seen?
156. What is your favorite drink? Why?
157. What is your least favorite drink? Why?
158. What is your favorite animal? Why?
159. What is your least favorite animal? Why?
160. What sorts of things embarrass you?

Part Nine: Self Image

161. Describe a normal day for you.
162. How do you feel when your routine is disrupted?
163. What is your greatest strength as a person?
164. What is your greatest weakness?
165. If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
166. Are you generally introverted or extroverted?
167. Are you generally organized or messy?
168. Name three things you consider yourself to be very good at.
169. Name three things you consider yourself to be very bad at.
170. What are your reasons for being an adventurer or heroic? Are your real reasons different than the ones you tell other people in public? If so, detail both reasons.
171. What three words best describe your personality?
172. What three words would others probably use to describe you?
173. What about you is heroic?
174. Are you a better lead or follower? Why?
175. What is your responsibility to the world? Why?
176. What do you like about yourself?
177. What don’t you like about yourself?
178. What do you find most relaxing? (not stress relief, but something that actually calms you down.)
179. What talent would you most like to have?

Part Ten: Occupation & Finance

180. What is your occupation? (If you don’t have one, where does your money come from?)
181. Do you like your job?
182. What is your boss/employer like?
183. What are your co-workers like?
184. Do you get along with your co-workers?
185. Which co-workers don’t you get along with and why?
186. What is something you had to learn that you hated?
187. Do you tend to save or spend your money? Why?
188. If you were to gain an obscenely large sum of money, what would you do with it?

Part Eleven: Drug & Alcohol

189. Do you smoke, drink, or use drugs? If yes, why? Do you want to quit?
190. How old were you when you had your first drink? Did you like it? Why or why not?
191. How old were you when you first got drunk? What was the experience like?
192. Do you drink on a regular basis?
193. What kind of alcohol do you prefer?
194. Have you ever tried any kind of “mood altering” substance? Which ones? Describe the experience.

Part Twelve: Sex & Intimacy

195. Have you ever been in love? What happened?
196. Have you ever had your heart broken?
197. Would you consider yourself straight, gay, bi, or something else? Why?
198. Who was the first person you had sex with? When did it happen? Describe the experience.
199. Have you ever had a same-sex experience? Describe the experience.
200. What is your deepest, most well-hidden sexual fantasy? Would you ever try it?
201. What was the wildest thing you have done, sexually? Describe the experience.
202. Is there any sexual activity that you enjoy and/or practice that can be considered non-standard? Why do you like it?
203. Do you currently have a lover? Describe them, what you are attracted to, and what the relationship is like.
204. What is the perfect romantic date?
205. Describe your perfect partner.
206. Do you ever want to get married? When do you see this happening?
207. Do you want children? Why or why not?
208. What is more important, sex or intimacy? Why?
209. What was your most recent romantic relationship like? Who was it with?
210. What’s the worth thing you’ve done to someone you love?

Part Thirteen: Morality

211. What one act in your past are you most ashamed of?
212. What one act in your past are you most proud of?
213. Have you ever been in a physical fight before? Over what, with who, and who won?
214. What do you feel most strongly about?
215. What do you pretend to feel strongly about, just to impress people?
216. What trait do you find most admirable and how often do you find it?
217. Is there anything you think should not be incorporated into the media or arts? (i.e., sex, violence, etc). What and why or why not?
218. Do you think the future is hopeful? Why or why not?
219. Do you think redemption is possible? Why or why not?
220. Is there something you think is absolutely unforgivable? What is it?
221. Is it okay for men to cry?
222. Is it okay for you to cry?
223. What do you think is wrong with most people, overall?
224. What is the worst thing you could ever do to someone you hated?
225. Do you have feelings that disturb you? What and why?
226. On what occasions do you lie?
227. Do you think it is okay to lie?

Part Fourteen: Supernatural Awareness

228. Tell the story of how you became what you are or first learned of your own abilities.
229. What do you think now of being supernatural? Is it cool or have you been screwed?
230. Do you have a mentor? Describe them and how you became their student.
231. Do you have any magical items? Where did you get them?
232. Think of a major event that happened during your training/initiation. Describe the experience.
233. What is something you had to learn during your training that you hated? Why did you hate it?
234. What is something you had to learn during your training that you loved? Why did you love it?

Part Fifteen: Goals and Future

235. What goal do you most want to accomplish in your lifetime?
236. Where do you see yourself in five years?
237. If you could choose, how would you want to die?
238. If you knew you were going to die in 24 hours, name three things you would do in the time you had left.
239. What is the one thing for which you would most like to be remembered after your death?

Part Sixteen: Misc.

240. If you could, what advice would you, the hero, give to the villain? Or If you could, why would you, the villain want the hero to be at your side or part of your team?
241. What was the worst injury you’ve ever received? How did it happen?
242. How ticklish are you? Where are you ticklish?
243. What would you wish for if you ever found a genie?
244. If your house burned down, what one thing would you want to save?
245. Describe yourself sitting in your favorite spot.
246. How do you go to sleep and how do you wake up? (position, routine, etc)
247. What is a dream (during sleep) that you have often?
248. What is a day dream that you have often?
249. If you were to die and come back as any person or thing, what or who would you want to be?
250. What is your motto?
251. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?
252. What time period do you wish you could have lived in? Why? (This is not a chance to change history.) What appeals to you about this era?
253. If you could go back to any point in history and change something, what would it be?

**Don't forget the Body Language Blogfest April 24th! Sign up now!

Yes, once again Ashelynn is an effing genius! We were talking in WDC chat just a few moments ago and she said somethinga bout body language and I was like "a blogfest?" and of course she agreed it was a great idea!

Some of you know that my novel "The Faery's Tale" has two characters that don't do a lot of talking with each other, at least not in words. So, I want to see if you guys can write a great scene with NO dialogue in it!

The scene cannot have any dialgoue at all whatsoever. There must be a conversation or some sort going on in the scene, obviously, but the characters must use body language! (Telepathy and sign language don't count!)

Sign up using the Mr Linky widget below! Then post up your scenes on April 24, 2010!

(On a side note - this is my 50th post! Woot!)

Okay, first thing I'd like to say, is that I am now following exactly 100 blogs. It's crazy right? I know. The worst part is, I actually read pretty much every new post that these wonderful writer's put up. Do I always comment on them? No, but I do read them all! (I'm a fast reader, so it doesn't take me too much time and it's not like ALL 100 blogs post every day....)

Now on the real point of this post. In the Beginning Blogfest! Guess what? This post will be a short one! So yes, I hope you enjoy this (and actually read the entire thing!)

She only had hours to live. In the cold, dank jail cell, she paced, waiting for the inevitable. The waiting bothered her the most. She wrung her hands to keep them from tembling.

Oddly enough, she felt a shred of joy. It would all be over soon. All the suffering she had to endure the last sixty years of her life would be over. She could not wait.

As time ticked by, her pacing picked up speed. In truth, she did not really want to die. Being stoned to death would be a slow and agonizing end. Still, the end result was what she looked forward to. No more pain. No more loneliness. Just the sweet bliss of death.

"It's time." The guard opened the cell door.

"I am ready."

See? I told you it was a short one! Check out the other entries by going over to Kelly's blog and seeing the list there!

And since I am me and can't have an excerpt so short, I'll post the ending of the chapter too, (that's when it switches back to her POV) just for fun! *giggle*

The cart stopped in the middle of the market place and the guards kicked Rosyani onto the cobbled ground of the square. The castle stood tall in the background, the royal banners waving in the breeze. An eerie silence hung over the place, the only sound heard was the squeaky cart and flapping flags. Even infants hushed their crying.

It seemed the entire town showed up for the event. Faeries stood shoulder to shoulder in the square, shoving each other to get a closer look. Faes sat on shoulders of their parents while older faes stood by holding tight to a hand. Rosyani tried to read them, their stone cold faces told her they would show no mercy.

“Faeries of the kingdom of Enthril, the faery you see before you is an enemy of our great nation. She trespassed into our land. The King has sentenced her to death by stoning. May the sentencing commence immediately,” the herald chanted to the crowd.

The crowd cheered as the guards stepped out of the way. Rosyani stood still with her eyes closed as the crowd circled around her. The first stone came from a small fae. It hit Rosyani in the leg. She flinched but did not cry out. A hush fell over the crowd before a volley of stones came towards Rosyani. In just a few minutes, Rosyani’s legs and arms dripped with blood. Tears streamed down her face but she refused to make a sound. It would only fuel the blood lust of the crowd.

She prayed it would be over soon. The pain was intense. She wanted the blackness of death to take over, to make the pain stop, so we would not have to hide her pain any longer. She wondered if Eterven really sat among the clouds. Would she be wanted there? Would the angels judge her too? A sudden wave of panic took over as she thought that even in Eterven she would not be accepted. Death no longer appeared to be a comfort.

Finally, unable to stand, she fell to her knees. Rosyani was covered in bruises, cuts, and blood. Both eyes were swollen shut and her body trembled from the pain. A stone hit her in the stomach and she fell face first into the dirt. She tried to get back up to her knees but her arms gave out when another stone landed on her back.

Rosyani lay still and waited for the pain to stop, waited for the blackness to take over. She suddenly felt weightless as if someone had picked her up. She heard muffled cries of disappointment from the crowd then a male voice said that she was dead.

“Thank the Gods,” she thought. “I am dead and he is an angel come to take me away. It is over.” Rosyani blacked out as her angel took flight and took her away.

It's still a pretty short post anyway! I hope you guys enjoyed it! I have to say this first chapter is my favorite one! There is another 4,000 words to it not posted here but...I won't make you read the whole thing (yet!)

This is my first blogfest so I hope I didn't totally screw it up! It was really fun! I have two different versions here so I hope there is something for everyone here!

Check out the other entries! I have read a few already and they are awesome! The original post has a list with the participants! Check it out! Thanks Livia for putting this on!

Original Version: High Fantasy Genre

She felt heavy. She tried to move her arms but they felt like they were full of sand. Her eyes would only open a sliver, making it hard for her to see. The fog in her brain did not help her either as she tried to remember what had happened. She heard muffled voices and felt pressure on her shoulders.

"Where am I?" she rasped.

"You're in the cave in Enthril," a soft female voice said. Rosyani tried to turn her head towards the sound but her neck screamed in pain.

"What's wrong with my eyes?"

"They're badly swollen. You took quite a beating before the Prince could save you."

"The Prince?" He saved her? Why? From what exactly? She tried to remember but all she could recall was the conversation they had in the jail. Had she been sentenced to death?

"Yes, he saved your from the crowd just before it was too late. Don't worry, you're eyes will heal in time."

"I do not understand."

The female put a damp cool cloth on Rosyani's forehead. "You don't remember? The King sentenced you to death by stoning. Prince Kestar fought with his father about your death and finally rescued you himself."

Rosyani tried to shake her head but her neck protested the movement. She whimpered as she tried to move other parts of her body. Everything felt stiff and heavy. Every inch of her body hurt. The clouds in her brain prevented actual memories from surfacing but she had no reason to doubt the faery, especially since every part of her body ached.

"Calm down, little fae," the soft voice soothed. "I am just going to change your bandages. Let's get some water into you first, all right?"

Rosyani felt the edge of a cup placed against her lips. She drank greedily, trying to wash away the feel of grit and sand in her mouth. She forced herself to relax despite the panic she felt. She did not know who the female voice was, but she had little choice in fighting about it. Finally she was able to relax and she fell back into the painless oblivion of the darkness.

The next time she woke up, she was able to open her eyes a little more than just a sliver. She could clearly see the roof of the cave, the stalactites pointing down at her. She slowly turned her head to the right. Drache sat there, looking down at his lap. She heard the rustle of paper as he turned the page of his book.

"What day is it?"

He turned to look at her and smiled. "It's Ranadae. We've been here for almost a week. You're healing quite nicely."

"Wh.." Her sentence was interrupted by a cough. She felt the edge of a cup against her lips as he helped her to drink.

"Can you see yet?" he asked.

"A little. What are you reading?"

"Oh. 'Fattal's Adventures'."

"Would you read me some?"

She heard the smile in his voice when he began to read. His voice was deep but still held a youthful tone to it. Rosyani found comfort in it as the sound washed over her. She did not pay much attention to the actual story. She simply enjoyed the vibrations of his voice as he read.

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

In the middle of the night, Drache woke up with a start. Tosca stood over him with a look of concern on her face.

"Drache, I had to bring a Healer. We can't wait for her to heal on her own. Your Father is angry, wondering where you are," she whispered.

"He wonders where I am now?" Drache said exasperated. "He never cared before if I disappeared for a few days."

"Apparently you are needed for a political decision. I'm not sure on the specifics. I try not to get involved in such things."

"All right." He turned his head to see the Healer kneeling over Rosyani. She softly explained that the healing process might hurt but when it was over, Rosyani would be back to normal.

He saw Rosyani nod then set her jaw in determination. He turned away when he heard her groan in pain as the Healer spread her magic over Rosyani's body. He was filled with anger at his Father. Of all the times his Father noticed his own son was not around, was the time when Drache needed the secrecy.

The Healer came over to them a few moments later. "She'll probably sleep the rest of the night. She'll be good as new in the morning, your highness. She'll be extremely stiff from the effects of her injuries and the healing, so you might need to help her move about for a while."

"You are sworn to secrecy." Drache said firmly but his face softened when he added, "Thank you."

"Yes, your highness." She bobbed a curtsey then followed Tosca out of the cave.

Drache went over to Rosyani's side. She was sleeping peacefully. Her eyes were no longer swollen and all the cuts and bruises were gone. Dried blood still stained the straw mat and the cotton gown she wore. Drache made a note to burn those things later. He hated the fact that a Healer had to become involved. He knew that Tosca would keep the secret without ordering her silence. He hated having to order silence to the Healer but it was the only way.

New Version: Urban Fantasy

She felt heavy. She tried to move her arms but they felt like they were full of sand. Her eyes would only open a sliver, making it hard for her to see. The fog in her brain did not help her either as she tried to remember what had happened. She heard muffled voices and felt pressure on her shoulders.

"Where am I?" she rasped.

"In the cave in Enthril," a soft female voice said. Rosyani tried to turn her head towards the sound but her neck screamed in pain.

"What's wrong with my eyes?"

"They're badly swollen. You took quite a beating but my Lord rescued you before it was too late.

"Who?" Who saved her? Why? From what exactly? She tried to remember but all she could recall was the conversation she had with Lord Drache. Had she been sentenced to death?

"Yes, he saved your from the crowd just before it was too late. Don't worry, you're eyes will heal in time."

"I do not understand."

The woman put a damp cool cloth on Rose's forehead. "You don't remember? You were sentenced you to death by bittening. Lord Kestar fought with his father about your death and finally rescued you himself."

Rosyani tried to shake her head but her neck protested the movement. She whimpered as she tried to move other parts of her body. Everything felt stiff and heavy. Every inch of her body hurt. The clouds in her brain prevented actual memories from surfacing.

"Calm down, little girl," the soft voice soothed. "I'm just going to change your bandages. Let's get some water into you first, all right?"

Rosyani felt the edge of a cup placed against her lips. She drank greedily, trying to wash away the feel of grit and sand in her mouth. She forced herself to relax despite the panic she felt. She did not know who the female voice was, but she had little choice in fighting about it. Finally she was able to relax and she fell back into the painless oblivion of the darkness.

The next time she woke up, she was able to open her eyes a little more than just a sliver. She could clearly see the roof of the cave, the stalactites pointing down at her. She slowly turned her head to the right. Drache sat there, looking down at his lap. She heard the rustle of paper as he turned the page of his book.

"What day is it?"

He turned to look at her and smiled. "It's Ranadae. We've been here for almost a week. You're healing quite nicely."

"Wh.." Her sentence was interrupted by a cough. She felt the edge of a cup against her lips as he helped her to drink.

"Can you see yet?" he asked.

"A little. What are you reading?"

"Oh. 'Fattal's Adventures'."

"Would you read me some?"

She heard the smile in his voice when he began to read. His voice was deep but still held a youthful tone to it. Rosyani found comfort in it as the sound washed over her. She did not pay much attention to the actual story. She simply enjoyed the vibrations of his voice as he read.

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

In the middle of the night, Drache woke up with a start. Tosca stood over him with a look of concern on her face.

"Drache, you have to turn her. I'm afraid she's beginning to show signs of bite sickness. Your Father is angry, wondering where you are," she whispered.

"He wonders where I am now?" Drache said exasperated. "He never cared before if I disappeared for a few days."

"Apparently you are needed for a clan decision. I'm not sure on the specifics. I try not to get involved in such things."

"All right." He turned his head to looks at Rosyani's still form. He did not want to turn her. She was innocent, human, normal. He hated to take that away from her. It seemed he had no choice. She would die if he did not help her.

He was filled with anger at his Father. Of all the times his Father noticed his own son was not around, was the time when Drache needed the secrecy. He searched Tosca's face for any help, but she only confirmed his fears.

Bite sickness would not kill her but it would turn her into something terrible. A vampire sure, but one that would never be satisfied. He had to turn her now, in a natural way to save her from the horrible thirst. He struggled with his own often enough. To never be satisfied was something he would not wish on anyone.

He slid over to her side and pulled the knife from his belt. Her physical wounds were merely red lines of scabs but he knew underneath was a raging torrent of poison. And now he was going to add more to it. He was going to curse her in order to save her.

Her chest rose and fell with her steady breathing. Drache hesitated only a moment before plunging the knife into her chest. After all he had done to save her, he was killing her. He turned his head away as her eyes flew open and she screamed out. He could not bear to look into her eyes. He was certain fear, doubt, and confusion swam in her blue pools.

Her arm reached out to grip his arm. He tried to ignore it as he twisted the knife in her chest, another scream escaping her throat. He heard her heartbeat in his ears began to slow. He focused on it, counting the beats, waiting for the exact moment.

His eyes opened as the moment approached, his normally stormy blue eyes turning blood red. His fangs extended and a growl escaped his throat. Another moment passed. Rosyani's heartbeat slowed more and more as the seconds ticked by. Drache finally turned his head to look at her. He avoided looking to her eyes and instead looked at the pulsing vein in her neck. His thirst took over and any hesitation he had before drowned in her blood.

New Version: Mystery Genre
(I changed the names a bit for this one, just to make them look more "normal" Rosyani is Rose, Drache is Drake, Tosca is Tessa)

She felt heavy. She tried to move her arms but they felt like they were full of sand. Her eyes would only open a sliver, making it hard for her to see. The fog in her brain did not help her either as she tried to remember what had happened. She heard muffled voices and felt pressure on her shoulders.

"Where am I?" she rasped.

"Bellvue Hospital," a soft female voice said. Rose tried to turn her head towards the sound but her neck screamed in pain.

"What's wrong with my eyes?"

"They're badly swollen. A police officer rescued you before it was too late."

"I do not understand."

The female put a damp cool cloth on Rosyani's forehead. "You don't remember? From what I couldn't gather, you were attacked. Officer Kestar happened to come along. You're very lucky he did."
Rose tried to shake her head but her neck protested the movement. She whimpered as she tried to move other parts of her body. Everything felt stiff and heavy. Every inch of her body hurt. The clouds in her brain prevented actual memories from surfacing but she had no reason to doubt the faery, especially since every part of her body ached.

"Calm down, little one," the soft voice soothed. "I am just going to change your bandages. Let's get some water into you first, all right?"

Rose felt the edge of a cup placed against her lips. She drank greedily, trying to wash away the feel of grit and sand in her mouth. She forced herself to relax despite the panic she felt. She could smell the bleach and feel the whiteness of the hospital room. Finally she was able to relax and she fell back into the painless oblivion of the darkness.

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

In the middle of the night, Officer Kestar woke up with a start. Nurse Tessa stood over him with a look of concern on her face.

“Officer, there is a man here looking for her. I left him at the nurse’s station and thought I should tell you.”

Drake shook his head to clear the cobwebs from his sleepy brain. “Yes, thank you. Did he say who he was and why he wanted to see her?”

“He said he was her brother. The thing is we checked her medical records and found no evidence of a brother.”

“Okay, thanks for letting me know.” He stood and his legs protested the movement. Sleeping in a plastic chair was not good for him. He opened the door to Rose’s room to check on her. Nurse Tessa’s shoes squeaked as she made her way back down the hall to the nurse’s station. The only other sounds were Rose’s soft breathing and the steady beep of the ECG machine.

A crash echoed down the hall. Drake’s hand instinctively went to his holster. His gut told him he had to get Rose out of there. There was something more going on than a simple mugging or attack. He could feel it.

He saw a silver food tray hit the wall and saw a man fall backwards. Nurse Tessa was giving the guy a run for his money. Drake smirked and stepped into Rose’s room. He made quick work of unplugging her from the machines.

He picked her up and stepped out of the room, heading in the opposite direction of the fight. Drake took the stares hoping to avoid any security that would have been called to help Tessa.

It wasn’t until he had Rose secured in the back of his squad car that he began to doubt his decision. Where was he to take her? He shook his head and jumped in the driver’s seat. His gut screamed to get her away from this place. The engine roared to life and he squealed out of the parking lot. He knew of one place where she could be safe. Turning the car towards the edge of town, he prayed that she would still be there and would help him.

There we go! I hope you guys enjoyed it! I sure had fun writing them!