As I pointed out yesterday–I think it was yesterday, yeah–I thought there was an excellent chance I’d write up the last two scene and finish not only this chapter but the part. And guess what? I did. Yay me!
First Drafts for as far as you can see.
But the question remains: what happened? When we left my kids yesterday Kerry was crying on Annie’s shoulder while they were standing on the north short of Lake Lovecraft, and . . . then what?
Glad you asked, because I’m here to tell you.
All excerpts, this page, from The Foundation Chronicles, Book One: A For Advanced, copyright 2013, 2014, by Cassidy Frazee)
It was completely dark now and Annie sat, still on the north short of Lake Lovecraft, while Kerry slept peacefully with his head in his lap. After his realization of who she really was and what she’d always meant to him, he grew drowsy and fell into a stupor, slumping to the ground as he set himself into his—and Annie’s—current position.
She never considered getting up and flying to the hospital to summon Nurse Coraline: she felt that Kerry wasn’t in trouble, nor was he in danger. Annie felt the best thing to do was to let her moyata polovinka sleep and see what he would do next—
She knew she wouldn’t need to wait long for that: Kerry began stirring, first with movement in his arms, then his arms, and finally a slight moan as his eyes twitched open. He rolled on his back and looked straight upwards into Annie’s smiling face. “Hey, Sweetie.”
“Hello, my love.” She brushed his hair with her hand. “Are you all right?”
“Yeah, I just . . .” His eyes moved left and right. “What happened?”
“You fell asleep—it was like all the energy left your body.”
Yes, Annie could have went to the hospital, but since Kerry didn’t have blood squirting from his nose and eyes–and Annie knows what that looks like–she figured it was something else, something not as bad. And she was right . . .
He stared up into the sky. “It’s dark. How long was I out?”
“Maybe an half-hour.” She shrugged. “Forty-five minutes at the most.”
“Okay.” He sat up slowly, then turned himself around so they were sitting facing each other. “I remember the dreams.”
The smile on Annie’s face grew wider. “Which ones?”
Kerry chuckled. “All of them. It was like watching a series marathon.” He shook his head as he smiled. “I’m all caught up—at least to that last one.”
“Did you—?” Of all their shared dreams, all she remembered of that one was they’d met. Beyond that it was a blur. “Did you see what happened?”
“I’m not sure. I’m still trying to figure that one out.” He leaned forward as his smile grew brighter. “But I was there reliving everything else. Not only the regular ones were we talked and play, but . . .” He took Annie’s hand and held it tightly, as if he was afraid she were about to float away. “The first time we met; the first time I read to you; our first time riding bikes—”
“Did you remember what else we did?” Annie slid closer, hoping he’d remember what else they did that night—
“Yeah: that was the first time we told each other our names.” Kerry got to his feet and helped Annie up. “I saw the first time you told me you knew I was a real person, and that you were real too; I saw when you told me you were a witch—”
“That was my tenth birthday.”
“I remembered thinking how cool it was having a dream girlfriend who was a witch.” He pulled Annie close. “I should have freaked out—”
And from here it’s pretty obvious that if Kerry had remembered all of this before Annie and he had met in London, he probably would have known she was going to be there, would have hammered down her door the night he arrived–or at the least would have done more than introduce himself as “Hi, I’m Kerry Malibey” in the book store. Other than the fact that neither one of them knew Kerry was a witch, they seemed to know everything about each other–and why not? They’d been together for years . . .
They related once more about how they both remembered, in detail, the dream where they said to the other that they loved me, and Kerry finally understood how Annie must have suffered to have been with him and know that he didn’t remember him. Kerry’s an emotional kid, so when he cuts loose with those feelings, he tends to go big. We know he’ll cry at the drop of a hat, but when he’d happy–look out, Salem, ’cause you’re gonna know about it . . .
She kissed him long and deep, and was pleasantly surprised to feel Kerry return the kiss in kind. As he did once he learned to open his heart to me. “We’re together as one again.”
“Yes, we are.” He kissed her as she’d kiss him; when he finished he broke into an ecstatic laugh. “The Ginger Hair Boy is back with his Chestnut Girl.”
Kerry released Annie and began walking towards the edge of Lake Lovecraft. He stopped a few meters from the water’s edge, raised his face to the cloudy night, and shouted into sky. “Did you hear that? I’m back with my Chestnut Girl. Do you hear me, Salem? I’m back with soul mate—with the witch I love.”
Annie joined him and stood at his side as Kerry threw open his arm and yelled out his love, his voice echoing across the pitch black water. “I am hers again, and I will never leave her. Understand? I will never again forget my soul mate—I will never be with anyone but Annie Kirilova.” He turned to his left, found her next to him, a smile plastered across her face and her eyes shinning bright with love, and faced her as he shouted one last statement to the heavens. “I will never, ever love anyone else.”
He threw his arms around her and pressed himself against her. Kerry lay his head upon Annie’s shoulder and whispered into his ear. “Moyata polovinka.”
Annie whispered back to him. “Moyata polovinka.” She chuckled as she rested against Kerry. “I never once said that to you in any of our dream.”
“I know.” He closed his eyes and drank in the moment. “I’m glad you taught me what it means here . . .”
And that settles that. Sorry, Emma, but the odds were never in your favor.
Did I say that settles that? I mean that settles the dream stuff, but there was one last scene that takes place in the Great Hall, and . . . well, let’s look:
As they were getting ready to leave Lake Lovecraft she mentioned she’d flown only once at night—though she didn’t elaborate on that disastrous flight—and Kerry mentioned that the last time he’d flown in the dark a monster intent on killing his had chased him all over the grounds.
They both laughed as they sailed out over the lake, gained altitude, and sped off towards the dimly lit Pentagram.
Kerry touched down just outside the East Entrance and Annie was off the saddle the second her toes touched the ground. Kerry snatched the broom out of the air and carried it at his side in his right hand as his left found Annie’s right. They entered the Great Hall and, with huge smiles of joy on their faces, strode towards the Dining Hall.
Yeah, remember those disasters that happened the last time you flew at night, and just laugh them off ’cause love, right?
They get to the hall and the head of the kitchen says she’ll whip something up for them. Kerry wants fish and chips with pomegranate juice, and Annie orders lamb güveç (a kind of Bulgarian ratatouille) and a lemon drink. They find their table, they sit, they talk for a few minutes, and then this:
“There you are.”
The both turned around and found Professor Lovecraft standing between them. Annie felt a chill run through her, because the look on the sorceress’ face was one she’d seen many times before, and it was a look she didn’t like to see. She’s here on business— “Hello, Professor.”
Kerry nodded. “Hello, Professor.”
“Hello.” She motioned for them both to follow her. “Come over here; we need to talk.”
They followed Professor Lovecraft to a point along the east wall of the hall about a twenty meters from the doors leading to the Atrium. She turned so she could keep and eye on the area around their table—and the other hall entrances—before speaking. “No one can hear us here, but I’m going to keep this short. After lunch tomorrow I want you both to come out to the Witch House. Be there no later than thirteen-thirty.” She turned to Annie. “We’ll meet in the office I keep off the Vault.”
“Okay, Professor.” Annie was liking this less; the professor didn’t use that office much—she’d only seen it in passing, and had never been in there—which meant something serious was happening. “What’s going on? Why do you want to see us?’
“Yeah.” Kerry looked even more pale than usual. “Did we do something wrong?”
“No, Kerry. Actually . . .” A lopsided smirk flashed across her face for a few moments. “You’ve done something right.”
“I don’t get it.”
Helena leaned in towards them and lowered her voice. “Something important has come up, and your Foundation needs you.”
Annie was now as puzzled as Kerry. “What do you mean?”
Helena took a deep breath and mustered her most serious demeanor. “You’re being summoned by Guardians: they have a mission for you both . . .”
Cue the dramatic music, for things are about to get serious. Mr. Gabriel got his way–he must be related to Annie, it seems.
That means Part Eleven–it’s one more, as you can see–starts getting into this stuff. Not only will I peek behind the Foundation curtain a little, but a bit more drama between Annie and Kerry will arise.
Really, did you think I was finished with that?
NaNo Word Count, 11/23: 1,868
NaNo Total Word Count: 44,228
