I look up at the night sky. My back is pressed flat against the hard Earth, hands clasped over my belly. I smile softly in the dim light of the moon, leaning my head against my lover's. She hums quietly, her dark hair flayed out in a halo around her head. She points up to the stars and giggles, "Look, Orion!" She turns her head in my direction, a grin lighting up her features. I look up at the constellation...

Ana wept her way through a whole box of tissues and
three cups of tea. 
"I can't believe this.." She croaked. 
"It's only been six months since my mom died and
my dad..just decided that knocking up 
that Mean Girls reject was the best use
of his time.." 
We were sitting on the couch, rolled
up in blanket burritos and watching 
old Dan and Phil videos.
(Still in our fancy duds, mind you.)

"You can stay here for the night, babe."...

“Scarlett, get up!”
“Mom says you need to wake up.”
“Scarlett!”
Sleep crusted in the corners of my eyes, I sat up in bed to see my siblings racing around my basement bedroom.
“What’s going on?” I said crossly, standing up and immediately longing for the warmth of my blankets.
Steady footsteps on the stairs sounded, as my parents came down into my room, grim expressions on their faces.
“Mom, what’s happening?” A hard nugget of worry began to form...

His skin was the color of charcoal. Not the filthy, charred kind, but rather the kind used to sketch a masterpiece or to color in the evening sky.

I remember the first time word that a "virus from China" was killing thousands of people. I was in eighth grade, my last year at the private school I went to. All I was focused on was finally winning the 1600 meters in track while I still had the time, and getting into a good high school my parents could afford. My father's small business of selling leather goods didn't make enough, so my mother had to take up teaching....

“obsession,”
they called it,
me tracing your curves,
trying to etch every detail
into the gaps in my mind.
 
“obsession,”
they called it,
as i stared into your eyes,
watching the oceans swirl,
entranced by the sight. 

“obsession,”
they called it,
your lips latched on mine,
honey coating my tongue,
gold and red combined.

“obsession,”
they called it,
but i beg to disagree.
i just need to remember,
before you’re gone from me.

Each day, each night
My mother and father would fight.
Mom would sip from a cup that's pink
And dad was passed out under the sink.

While mom was far away,
dad would bring a lady to stay.
Mom would sip to fill her felony
She drank each day to forget his infidelity.

All dad ever wanted was money
Always came home late from the company
He was always a pig whenever he pleased
Mom would procrastinate, and father would...

"it bleeds from the beds of the earth, contents of the soul pour everywhere. pouring pouring pouring."

you are exposed,
        your soul unleashed amongst the world full of the opinionated,
                    the ruthless, gruelling conversations that blackmail you. 

you are swimming into the dangerous depths of the earth,
            you are playing a dangerous game,
                        you are the danger. 


"everybody knows your forbidden secrets,
you have been freed from the lies,
but now you are vulnerable to the rumours.
that will paint...

Hello, all. I'll be submitting a novel to the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards this year, which requires me to submit an excerpt. Below are the scenes I've selected to comprise said excerpt. Hopefully, you'll read and be willing enough to leave some feedback. Comments/reviews would be nice. :)

Note: this excerpt is comprised of various scenes from throughout the novel.

Chapter 12 section:
Tanith gives the direction, and her legion of followers swarms us, binding Raff, Lorcan, and I,...

She wasn’t sure what she was seeing. Was it crumbling? Was it a trick? Was it everything she’d hoped? Unsure, she was being lured. A powerful force pulling her towards it. Was it what she wanted? She’d dreamt of the perfect life, the life everyone told her about. Dreamt of freedom. It seemed like everything she’d wanted. To take it at the first chance. To experience everything, she’d ever wanted. She’d been told who to marry. She’d been told where...

I look up at the night sky. My back is pressed flat against the hard Earth, hands clasped over my belly. I smile softly in the dim light of the moon, leaning my head against my lover's. She hums quietly, her dark hair flayed out in a halo around her head. She points up to the stars and giggles, "Look, Orion!" She turns her head in my direction, a grin lighting up her features. I look up at the constellation...

Ana wept her way through a whole box of tissues and
three cups of tea. 
"I can't believe this.." She croaked. 
"It's only been six months since my mom died and
my dad..just decided that knocking up 
that Mean Girls reject was the best use
of his time.." 
We were sitting on the couch, rolled
up in blanket burritos and watching 
old Dan and Phil videos.
(Still in our fancy duds, mind you.)

"You can stay here for the night, babe."...

“Scarlett, get up!”
“Mom says you need to wake up.”
“Scarlett!”
Sleep crusted in the corners of my eyes, I sat up in bed to see my siblings racing around my basement bedroom.
“What’s going on?” I said crossly, standing up and immediately longing for the warmth of my blankets.
Steady footsteps on the stairs sounded, as my parents came down into my room, grim expressions on their faces.
“Mom, what’s happening?” A hard nugget of worry began to form...

His skin was the color of charcoal. Not the filthy, charred kind, but rather the kind used to sketch a masterpiece or to color in the evening sky.

I remember the first time word that a "virus from China" was killing thousands of people. I was in eighth grade, my last year at the private school I went to. All I was focused on was finally winning the 1600 meters in track while I still had the time, and getting into a good high school my parents could afford. My father's small business of selling leather goods didn't make enough, so my mother had to take up teaching....

“obsession,”
they called it,
me tracing your curves,
trying to etch every detail
into the gaps in my mind.
 
“obsession,”
they called it,
as i stared into your eyes,
watching the oceans swirl,
entranced by the sight. 

“obsession,”
they called it,
your lips latched on mine,
honey coating my tongue,
gold and red combined.

“obsession,”
they called it,
but i beg to disagree.
i just need to remember,
before you’re gone from me.

Each day, each night
My mother and father would fight.
Mom would sip from a cup that's pink
And dad was passed out under the sink.

While mom was far away,
dad would bring a lady to stay.
Mom would sip to fill her felony
She drank each day to forget his infidelity.

All dad ever wanted was money
Always came home late from the company
He was always a pig whenever he pleased
Mom would procrastinate, and father would...

"it bleeds from the beds of the earth, contents of the soul pour everywhere. pouring pouring pouring."

you are exposed,
        your soul unleashed amongst the world full of the opinionated,
                    the ruthless, gruelling conversations that blackmail you. 

you are swimming into the dangerous depths of the earth,
            you are playing a dangerous game,
                        you are the danger. 


"everybody knows your forbidden secrets,
you have been freed from the lies,
but now you are vulnerable to the rumours.
that will paint...

Hello, all. I'll be submitting a novel to the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards this year, which requires me to submit an excerpt. Below are the scenes I've selected to comprise said excerpt. Hopefully, you'll read and be willing enough to leave some feedback. Comments/reviews would be nice. :)

Note: this excerpt is comprised of various scenes from throughout the novel.

Chapter 12 section:
Tanith gives the direction, and her legion of followers swarms us, binding Raff, Lorcan, and I,...

She wasn’t sure what she was seeing. Was it crumbling? Was it a trick? Was it everything she’d hoped? Unsure, she was being lured. A powerful force pulling her towards it. Was it what she wanted? She’d dreamt of the perfect life, the life everyone told her about. Dreamt of freedom. It seemed like everything she’d wanted. To take it at the first chance. To experience everything, she’d ever wanted. She’d been told who to marry. She’d been told where...