1104 words written and almost an hour of writing tonight. Strange things are happening in Amberton, a small Alabama town that appears in a couple of my other books. Heres a (rough) snippet from Light the Black Candle: The house, as huge as it was, was lonelier than she liked to admit. Having Linton leave so early had brought an abrupt end to part of what now stretched in front of her as a very long evening. “Ill go to church somewhere tomorrow to get the lay of the land around here…to check out the locals and maybe have a walk downtown,” Mindy murmured. It wasn’t like her to feel such a lack of direction this early on a project. Almost as if my energy and focus were being sapped by someone or something I’m unaware of. She shivered as she reached the second floor landing of the house and the house sighed as it settled. What nonsense. Mindy reached for the old box she’d left in her room, glad Linton hadnt seemed very interested in what might be in it. For some reason, she wanted it to be her project—for now. Just in case there’s something juicy inside there—like all the Collins family secrets. She laughed in spite of herself at the absurdity of the thought. Most wealthy Southerners were careful to keep their many and varied skeletons firmly locked in the closet. Nape meowed in response to her laughter, snuggling close to her as she sat down on the bed, box in hand. * * * * “There are questions being asked in Amberton,” the man said. “That’s why I’ve called you here. I know it’s a weekend, and some of you might have found explaining your absence to your families a bit difficult—if you dont play golf regularly, that is.” He snorted with laughter, as if hed just cracked a terribly funny joke. “I’ll make this meeting as quick as I can.” The younger man stared down at the shadowy floor as flickering candles worked like a strobe in the upper room. He held his breath. He didn’t have a wife to go home to, so that hadn’t been a worry for him. That didnt mean he wanted to be here, though. “Anything dangerous?” a member asked, a hint of nervousness in his voice. “No, not yet, but if anyone comes snooping around to you about the principal, keep your mouths shut. Amberton’s welfare depends upon it.” The younger man closed his eyes, a feeling of dread washing over him. “Let’s do the rite of binding tonight. With a bit of help from our lord and human intervention, we shouldn’t have to worry about anything.” The leader of the group laughed as the candle flames guttered to pinpoints. Nothing to be concerned about but being found out and ruined forever. How long can this go on in a small town like Amberton? Its so primitive, but seems so powerful. A chill ran up the man’s spine as he realized it had already been going on for almost seventy years without detection. It was a privilege to be invited into the Society, and no man would breach the trust of the group. No one was sure what would happen if one did such a thing. “Servant, you there.” The young man snapped his head up as if stung. “Yes?” “Clear your mind of doubts.” The master’s eyes glimmered from their slits in the darkness. The other hooded figures shifted and began a low chant. But that’s not possible that his eyes...It’s just not. This is only powerful because people believe in it, just like all the ancient ways of magic. It’s not real. “I have no doubts, master.” He crossed his fingers behind his back, feeling like a child as he did so. Hed always disliked lying. “Good. Let’s keep it that way,” the old man said.
Posted on: Wed, 23 Oct 2013 03:11:50 +0000
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