Summertime prologue | Teen Ink

Summertime prologue

October 3, 2010
By lovelycheese GOLD, Cupertino, California
lovelycheese GOLD, Cupertino, California
11 articles 0 photos 136 comments

Favorite Quote:
"If you have something to do, then do it. You can't get wasted time back." ~Ben Carson.


“Summer.”

Summer lifted her small, tapered chin to meet her mother’s soft, emerald eyes. Her mother’s thin, scarred fingers wove the strips of rich, red bark into a tightly braided necklace, a heavy ruby pendant strung at the end of it. The hard, delicately cut surface of the scarlet jewel glistened luminously under the bright red flames, winking at every sudden flare. Summer kept her eyes following the agile hands until they tied a small dead knot, and her small mouth opened.

“Mother?”

“Yes, Summer?”

She pointed a finger at the fire. “What is that?”

“Fire?” her mother asked gently, but her emerald eyes darkened. “It’s an powerful element, Summer. You mustn’t play with it.”

Summer understood the serious tone to her mother’s voice, and knew it was a warning. Still, she couldn’t shake off that inquistive, curious feeling. She didn’t understand. Slowly, she reached out to touch the leaping flames that was licking the air like a hungry snake. She expected nothing as her finger steadily plunged into the comforting warmness of the lovely fire. It didn’t hurt. Her mother was watching this carefully with guarded eyes and did not speak. Summer drew her undamaged, pale hand out and examined the fire thoughtfully. The Fire gave her a sense of capability, of unconquerable elation, of power...

“How did I do that, Mother?” Summer’s small, childlike voice was full of deep intuition, yet she still had to ask. The Fire answered her thoughts, unraveled the raveled, understood the mysteries of beyond.

Her mother didn’t answer directly. “Come here, Summer.”
Summer obliged and climbed into her mother’s waiting arms. Within the arms, Summer felt safe and so she smiled happily at her mother, who returned an equally dazzling look back. Her mother took the freshly-woven necklaces and placed it carefully around Summer’s neck, the pendant fitting perfectly into the hollow of her throat. “There,” her mother said, “that should remind you of me.”

Summer’s delicate brow furrowed slightly. “Are you leaving, Mother?” Her ringing voice was filled of confusion. “Stay with me, please!”

“I’ll never leave you, Summer.” Her emerald eyes were distant as she gazed the infinite darkness beyond the light of the fire. It was nothingness, just a vast, endless plain of the unknowns of Summer’s deepest fears. Her mother was the only one she could hold onto, who she needed most desperately - she couldn’t leave... could she?

Summer’s question was answered almost immediately. Her mother pushed Summer gently back onto the black floor, and rose. To Summer’s shocked cries, her only mother walked into the darkness.


The author's comments:
This is basically like a novel, chopped up into different chapters. This is only a snippet of Chapter One - just a prologue. It might not make sense but I'll be adding more! Hope you guys like it and rate&comment please! thanks:)

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This article has 4 comments.


on Feb. 24 2011 at 6:04 pm
lovelycheese GOLD, Cupertino, California
11 articles 0 photos 136 comments

Favorite Quote:
"If you have something to do, then do it. You can't get wasted time back." ~Ben Carson.

Whoa, thanks so much for reviewing! It means so much to me.(:

on Feb. 24 2011 at 10:15 am
Internal-Love PLATINUM, Queens, New York
33 articles 3 photos 310 comments

Favorite Quote:
Nothing&#039;s black or white, its all just a shade of gray---<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> TI &quot;Live your Life&quot; ft Rihanna

this is so mysterious and magical!! i love your writing style!! It keeps readers at the edge of their seats!!

i could see this book at barnes & noble, maybe even in the bestseller section (nope, not maybe even, DEFINATELY in the bestseller section)

I've never read anything like it!! i love it!!


on Oct. 8 2010 at 10:13 pm
lovelycheese GOLD, Cupertino, California
11 articles 0 photos 136 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;If you have something to do, then do it. You can&#039;t get wasted time back.&quot; ~Ben Carson.

Thank you! I normally keep my work to myself and this is the first time I've shared some of my writing outside of my notebook. It's a relief to know it isn't too terrible. Once again, thanks! I'll be sure to check out and rate your work as well!

on Oct. 7 2010 at 10:00 pm
apocalyptigirl BRONZE, Staunton, Virginia
4 articles 2 photos 285 comments

Favorite Quote:
&quot;DON&#039;T PANIC.&quot; ~from The Hitchhiker&#039;s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

YES YES YES YES AHHHHHH love at first sentence. Seriously, this is definitely some of the best writing I've seen so far on this site. Loved your descriptions and the way you brought the reader into this world...minimalist with the details, so it keeps us wondering. :) The only thing I didn't like was "returned an equally dazzling look back." With "returned," "back" is redundant. Also, I'm not sure I agree with the choice of "dazzling." "Warm" or even "glowing" would seem to fit the mother-daughter context better.

 

Where'd she go?? Where is Summer's father??? Also, would you mind reading/rating/commenting on one or both parts of Ilya's Tale? Thank you!