Searching Her Soul (Snippet Sunday 1.15.17)

Welcome to Snippet Sunday on Darkling Dreams!

Where writers come together to share a few sentences (8-10) of their current project — whether it’s a recently released novel, a WIP (work in progress), or an older manuscript that’s being revived. Intended to hook readers, gather feedback and build an author’s fan base, Snippet Sunday is the FB group that does all three.

Happy New Year, folks! 2017 is upon us which means its time for a new set of resolutions and new set of writing goals. Unfortunately, I didn’t finish Fated to Darkness as I had hoped to in December but I’m still plugging away at it. Since I’m not quite sure of my writing goals for the new year just yet, I’m going to continue sharing from Fated to Darkness this month. In February I believe I will be switching to something else brand spanking new. (This is still unedited, other than the look over editing I do before hitting post. Please excuse some errors.)

I’m skipping ahead a bit from last week’s snippet. For any that actually read last week to see Ciara’s ominous final words, it turned out the Dark One wanted Heather to pick up where she left off with the prisoner. This week picks up right at the start of that.

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Tears brimmed her eyes and her hand shook as she lifted the knife, holding it in an awkward fist. Her arm raised higher to bring it down upon the prisoner in a slash, not knowing how else to torture the girl. Yes, she hadn’t been able to tear her eyes away from how Ciara went about harming her at first, but that didn’t mean she took note of any technique to know what to do. She hadn’t wanted to take note of it, and she certainly didn’t want to hurt her now. It wasn’t as if she even knew how to begin to physically harm somewhere with a weapon, therefore causing her movements to be unsure and clumsy.

The prickling of her magic was stirring at the prospect, temptation luring her ever so slightly toward the first action of the deed, but she couldn’t even think straight to fall to that dark, wicked lure. The only things running through her mind were her own pains and horrors in the form of memories, and the echoing screams of the beaten girl in front of her from just moments ago.

The girl slowly picked her head up to look at her. Pale blue-grey eyes full of defeat and acceptance that she would never make it out of here alive met Heather’s wavering bright green ones. Their gazes locked and Heather’s world froze in place.

It was almost like the girl was pleading with her to either end her quickly, or to take the chance to run from Ciara while she still could. To not give up fighting against this evil woman like she was about to by following Ciara’s demand. Despite the fear glimmering over them, Heather found peace in those blue-grey eyes. A peace to know it that one day it would all end, that it couldn’t go on forever no matter how bad it got. Nothing lasted forever, right?

She felt like those eyes were searching her soul, sensing the innocence that still laid within her, though tarnished slightly. Perhaps seeing the purity in her that could still be saved if only action was taken quickly enough.

Those eyes saw everything about her in that single instant they shared. Her fears, joys, hopes, dreams, worries…

All of it.

“You can still run,” the girl whispered hoarsely, her voice cracking under all the screaming she had been doing. Blood stained her pale features, fragile frame shaking under all the pain that still racked her battered form. “Run and don’t look back, little girl. Far and fast from here, from that woman. Don’t let her destroy you too.”

~*~*~*~

Do you think she’ll take her advice and try to run? Only one way to find out: stop back next week. I do have one other serious question, unrelated to the snippet in a sense. What makes you decide if you’re going to leave a comment in regards to the snippet? Or why don’t you leave a comment if you read?

Blurb:
Three year old Heather Fraeis is like every other normal toddler. With a loving family, a family dog, and a little bit spoiled.

But fate can be a twisted and cruel friend.

Kidnapped on the night of her fourth birthday by a woman clad in black, Heather is whisked away to a realm that has never been known to exist. Forced into a life she doesn’t want as her kidnapper’s Heir, she comes to find that monsters do in fact exist, nightmares are more than bad dreams, and magic is more than just the thing of fairy tales.

Lies, fear, secrets, and pain await her around every corner. Swallowed whole by the dark path laid out before her, she is forced to fall with no light at the end of the tunnel to give her hope. Until she meets a young boy that may change everything once more for her…

Can Heather defy all the odds and overcome who is she forced to become? Or will it be too late for her to rise above the fate laid before her?

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This story is not yet on Wattpad because it is my baby that I hope to publish one day, and if no one will publish me, I am self publishing. But it’s also not on Wattpad because it’s in first draft phases yet. So there will be no “if you wish to read more…”

However! If you wish to read anything else that I have out for free, you can hop on over to  my profile on Wattpad and check out what I have to offer. Or if you wish to read my debut release, Embermyst, you can find out more about that in the tabs above. (I’m working on the tabs, bare with me.) I love to hear any and all feedback on my work as well. Comments are greatly appreciated, as are the reads. You can also find me on my Facebook author page to keep up to date with all that’s going on in my writing.

And if you’re looking for some other great snippets of fellow authors,
hop on over to Facebook and check out Snippet Sunday!