Sorry people! Dealing with a dreadful case of writer's block. At least for Balloon City. I seem to be coming out of the wilderness with some of my other stories though! :)
I wrote an execution scene. It's sad. I was feeling sad and moody.
Here it is.
Prologue
The bells tolled mournfully. Kaito Hamasaki stared around in anguish as the crowd parted around the cart in which he was being carried. So this is how a dying man felt. His ears rang with the nasty shouts being hurtled at him from all directions. Tears pricked his eyes, and for a minute his vision seemed to blur and he saw his wife, and his three children, their faces sad. He saw his only daughter Oceana; her pretty little smile, and deep brown eyes, sparkling. He saw his eldest son, Ira, with his dark brows furrowed over his soft, blue eyes, full of worry and stress. And he saw his younger son, Darer, his blue-gray eyes full of mischief, a smile tugging at his lips. Finally, he saw his wife; the beautiful Antasilkian woman, now long dead. Her brown hair wisped gently around her fair-skinned face, a touch of color in her cheeks, and a provocative smile on her lips; her blue-gray eyes, just like Darer's – full of mischief.
And then suddenly, Kaito was back in the square, walking up those accursed steps, and laying his head on the chopping block. As he watched the executioner raise that cruel, sharp ax – the ax that could shatter the closest bonds of family - he thought once more, about what would become of his children. There was nothing he could do for them now. His three children, aged fifteen, twelve, and ten, would be left their own.
A tear slipped out of Kaito's eye and his heart rate skyrocketed as the ax seemed to come down in slow motion. Sweat beaded on his brow. It another second, it was all over.
*
John Faliano walked back to his house, beaten and crestfallen, and slipped inside. The twelve-year-old boy leapt to his feet and stared at him; his large, blue-gray eyes filled with fear and anxiety – daring John to tell him, and yet wishing that he wouldn't. The girl stared too.
John glanced at them, his gaze flitting between both pairs of wide, worried eyes. “ I'm sorry, Darer, Oceana, I...” he faltered and found that he had to look away from the kids. He didn't want to say the words, but he had to. “ I couldn't save him.”
Oceana started to cry softly, her chin quivering, trying desperately to hold it back and be brave. Darer couldn't speak. He couldn't cry. His chest ached as though a sword had been thrust into it, but he couldn't find the tears to relieve his pain. How would he tell Ira? Ira was still at sea, a young mid-shipman, and until he returned, Darer and Oceana would be alone. Unless they stayed with their uncle that is. Darer had to get word to him.
He had vague idea of someone giving him a hug, and he heard voices though he couldn't make out the words. Someone knocked at the door, snapping him out of his thoughts, and John answered it. Yorick Harding entered.
“ I've come to collect my niece and nephew.” Yorick said. Not, “I'm going to take my niece and nephew in for now”. “Collect”, as though Darer and Oceana were part of his weekly pay.
John stared at him, and then turned to the kids.
Oceana choked back a sob, and hid her face in Darer's shirt.
Darer just gave a slight nod, although inwardly he was full of despair, and then took his younger sister's hand in his own and followed his uncle, ready for his new life.
Yeah. Sorry. :)
It's the prologue for my romance/adventure novel, that is turning into something really sad, and less romantic. To be honest, I haven't even a clue about who the girl is, yet, I only have the boy! :)
I need to do some brainstorming...
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