I think I’m going to get this blog back up and running. But you may want to forget everything you’ve read so far, because what I will be posting just wont make sense. I’ve got the first seven chapters of book one…. mostly written. i need to extend them just a bit, but i have the majority done. And this is the story of James’ ancestors, so James and Hayley are not a part of it. But ALexandria is! Instead is is about Andrew Steely, James’ great great grandfather.
So long in fact I didn’t realize I had a new follower here.
“the-gibson-girl started following you”. Welcome!
So I have been working on some new stuff. I’ll try to post some. But from here on out I don’t think anything is going to be in any order that makes sense. I’ve been thinking and if I really wanna tell this story justice I need to dedicate a trilogy to it. One book for the past, one for the present. Who knows what for the third. It may be thinking waaaay far ahead, but I’ve decided to be ambitious about this.
I hate to say it, but I’ve lost my inspiration. I’ve also been wicked busy. I can’t say when I’ll get back to writing Alexandria, can’t make any promises I will at all.
I think it was easier when I was spending my free time writing, not reading. Because when I read, I just realize how amazing all of these books are that I love, and it makes me think that mine will never compare, will never be good enough.
I feel like I’m failing myself.
I may not post more chapters for a while. I’ve been thinking a lot about the book and the chronology doesnt seem right. I think I need to separate Alexandria and James, the alternating chapters isnt working right. Once I work out the kinks, I’ll see what I can do about posting again.
Best movie bookshops: Harry Potter’s Flourish & Blotts
(via peregrin--took)
(via weirdobookworm)
(Source: vaginablood, via itsjustabunchofwords)
James Steely
The surrounding tables are all empty and barren; cleaned long ago by the cafeteria staff as they prepared to close down for the night. The room is silent, except for the shuffle of feet and the occasional scrape of metal against metal as the last of the kitchen supplies are put away. The room is large, with many counters now empty of food, all shining with chrome finish, wiped free of the forgotten food fallen off heavy cafeteria trays. The floors tiles are off white specked with random bits of colors here in there, as if their trying to bring a little hint of life to the otherwise dull room. The wall colors match the floor, only slightly duller due to the lack of shine that characterizes linoleum.
A single person sits at a corner table next to a large glass window with four panes. The window stretches from the floor, almost to the very ceiling of the room. It is dark outside and the loud drum of rain hits the building, a thunderstorm suddenly filling the room with sound and flashes of light. James stares out of the window at his corner table thinking. He sips slowly on a coffee loaded with sugar, as sickeningly sweet as coffee can be. The rain is drowning out his thoughts and he cannot hear himself think.
He knows the hospital cafeteria will be closing soon. He also knows he should get back up stairs to his grandfather. However, he does not move. As of this morning his grandfather hasn’t been doing so well, it has been almost a week since he confessed to James he had something to tell him, yet still has not gotten around to revealing what it is. This is what James is thinking about now. Wondering what could possibly be so urgent that the old man is planning it around his departure from this world.
James closes his eyes and listens to the rain; the beat is entrancing and calming. He begins to relax and places his head in his hands. Eyelids beginning to feel heavy, he lets himself drift into a light sleep there at the table. There in that moment he dreams. This is the first of many dreams that will plague his unconscious in the future.
In this dream he is standing on a street corner in the middle of a busy city. People pass by him, all in a rush to get to where they’re going. None even glimpsing at the young irrelevant man who stands still. Most of the pedestrians seem normal, most are in business suits carrying brief cases, presumably on their way to work. Others wear casual clothes, as if it’s just another day in the city. Despite the apparent normality of the scene James gets the shuddering feeling that something is not right. He runs his fingers through his shaggy dusty brown hair to brush off the tension he feels. Bright blue eyes peruse the scene looking for the source of discomfort. Then he sees her.
A beautiful woman stands in the middle of the intersection, completely unfazed by the oncoming traffic that passes on all sides of her. She has beautiful perfect auburn curls, alabaster skin, and a mesmerizing face. She stands still staring at him, with a confused look on her face. He stares back wondering who she is and why he feels an inexplicable connection with her. He waves to her, trying to get her to remove herself from the path of the cars. He wants to talk to her, but she won’t move. Seeing no other way he begins to make his way towards her; dodging cars and jogging towards the intersection.
“Hey! Who are you?” He calls out getting nearer.
Without a word she turns and walks in the opposite direction. A car passes between the two and when it has gone she has disappeared into the crowd on the sidewalk. He stands in the intersection baffled. Before he can take off after her, a yellow taxi cab stops short in front of him and two men get out on either side. Slamming doors and coming round to him, the two men’s movements are virtually identical. What James sees before him is even more baffling then the disappearing act the woman just pulled.
Staring at the two men in front of him, James’ jaw drops in shock, it’s as if he is looking into a mirror, two mirrors at that. The two men in front of him are twins, that part is obvious. What’s even more obvious is their resemblance to James; they look like they could be his own father. They both have brown hair and crystal blue eyes, their bone structures are impeccable, mirroring his almost exactly. Both men at the same time smirk at James’ reaction, finding it amusing that he is so amazed at the turn of events. The scene around them freezes. The people stop walking, the cars stop honking. Everything is silenced.
“Who are you?” James asks, “Who was that woman?”
“Joseph Steely has the answers.” They answer simultaneously.
Joseph Steely, James wonders to himself, but that’s my grandfather. He shakes his head in confusion and runs his fingers through his hair again, finding comfort in such a simple action.
“My grandfather…” He pauses, “What’s my grandfather got to do with anything?”
“He is everything.” One man answers.
“You are more.” The other says immediately after, “Hurry, his time is running short.”
The scene suddenly blacks out, and James finds himself waking up in the hospital cafeteria to a very angry kitchen lady. She has graying hair, and the signs of many sleepless nights surrounding her eyes. She stands tapping her foot in impatience with a frown and a furrowed brow.
“I’ve been trying to wake you up for five minutes, the cafeteria is closed. You need to leave. I would like to go home now.”
He smiles at her apologetically and gets up from the table tossing his half empty coffee in the trash. He wanders aimlessly around the first floor of the hospital still not ready to go upstairs, especially after that dream. What could it possibly mean? Normally he wouldn’t pay so much attention to frivolous dreams, but it seemed so real, as if he were somehow connected to those men, and that woman. He is simply amazed that he even fell asleep in the first place with all the caffeine he’s been pumping into his body the past few days. Finding himself back in one of the first floor lobby’s he slumps down into a cushioned chair.
“Could this really be connected to what my grandfather has to tell me? After all dreams are sometimes subconscious ways of telling you that something isn’t right. Not to mention the brain isn’t physically capable of creating people and faces for your dreams, so they have to use people you have seen in your life before, even if just a passing glance. That must mean I have seen those men and that woman sometime in my life before.”
“Talking to yourself?”
He jumps up and turns around coming face to face with the girl he met in the elevator just a few days before. Oh great, now she’s going to think I’m a nut job, he thinks to himself.
“Uh, yeah. Hi. I was just clearing my head a bit… you know figuring things… out. You’re the girl from the elevator right?”
“That’s me. I’m surprised you remember.” She sits down in the seat next to the one he’s standing in front of. Without hesitation he sits down next to her, almost too eagerly. Her golden eyes looks bright yet tired at the same time.
“Why wouldn’t I?”
“I just recall you not being yourself that day, or so you said.” She smiles and curls her feet up underneath her in the chair getting into a more comfortable position. James is amazed at how easy going she is with a complete stranger.
“Oh, yeah. Well I wasn’t, I’m not. It’s been a tough week… I never caught your name by the way.” He plays it off as if it isn’t a big deal, when actually he’s been thinking about it all week; wishing he knew her name and who she is. If he were to tell her that though, he would look like a fool.
“You first.” She says playfully.
“Wait, what…” He rolls his eyes and decides to give in to her little game, “Steely. James Steely.” He says imitating the way James Bond says it in the movies. For a moment her eyes grow wide and she stares at him. She fidgets in her chair a little as if suddenly uncomfortable. He looks at her confused and is about to ask what he did wrong, when she hurriedly regains her composure and rushes to say something.
“Nice to meet you James Steely. Hayley Bennett at your service.” She holds out her hand for him to take, and he shakes it lightly. “And for the record,” she says before she let’s go, “James Steely, sounds almost as awesome as James Bond.”
He laughs, still slightly befuddled at her reaction, but feeling better than he has all week. It’s a truly wonderful thing that a stranger can change a person’s whole day around in the blink of an eye. He had never met this girl before this week, and he could already begin to imagine seeing her all the time.
“What’re you here for anyways?” He asks shifting in his seat to face her full on.
“Oh I work as a candy striper nurse up in the children’s center. Normally candy stripers aren’t required to stay this late, but I like putting in extra hours. I love helping those kids, their so amazing. Why are you here?”
“My grandfather has been in serious medical condition for a while now, and he is not going to last much longer. I’ve been here most of the week.”
“That’s awful, I’m so sorry.” She pauses, as if contemplating something very serious. “Can I…. meet him?”
James stares at her in wonder, questioning why someone who barely knows him would request to see his dying grandfather. Searching for the right words to say, all he can come up with is “Sure.”
They head to the elevators together not speaking. James is still contemplating what is actually going on and why she wants to meet his grandfather. They stand in the elevator together and he begins to worry of other things. He’s been avoiding returning to his grandfather’s room all day. This morning he had a small heart attack and the doctors thought they had lost him. He came back after a few moments, but has since then been wracking with coughs, wheezing, and having breathing troubles. He is hanging by a very short thread. Though James wants desperately to be there for him every moment, he finds it hard to face him in a time of such great distress.
Sensing a shift in his attitude, Hayley looks at him. His eyes are forlorn and on the brink of tears. She reaches out and grabs his hand; glancing down at her fingers laced in his, he smiles grimly, grateful for the silent show of support. The elevator dings on floor six and they step out together. They walk down the hallway and round the nurses’ station where Cam is working. Cam sees who it is and smiles, then noticing the girl with her hand in his, she raises her eyebrows. In a half-hearted attempt for some normalcy, he winks at Cam when Hayley isn’t looking. Cam chuckles quietly to herself, and James is happy to see the woman laugh.
James and Hayley reach the door to Joseph Steely’s room. James takes a deep breath and lets out a sigh. Without a word Hayley nods at him and he opens the door. Holding in a breath, James praying that the man hasn’t slipped away whilst he has been gone. The room is dark, and the quiet beeping of an oxygen machine can be heard. Joseph Steely is sitting up in bed with his eyes half open. Upon seeing James enter he opens his eyes more and gestures for his grandson to sit down. James takes the chair next to his bed, and Hayley pulls herself up to sit on the windowsill across the room. Joseph Steely takes his grandsons hand in his. James feels his rough old hands against his own young ones, not yet knowing the strain of years of labor. His grandfather lowers his oxygen mask, and his words come out hoarse and soft.
“I think it’s about time, you knew the truth about our family. It’s best you hear it from me before it’s too late for me to tell it.”
James nods, but doesn’t answer. What he is soon to discover about his family, and himself he cannot even imagine.
(Source: icanread, via but-im-a-creep)
I can slowly feel school seeping away all of my inspiration, not to mention my time. No garauntees how frequent new chapters will be. I’m trying, but school is a cluster fuck I cannot escape from.
