Below is a snippet from Beyond The Veil featuring 3 very important characters in the story. If anyone wishes to read the full chapter, please let me know in the comments!! As for what chapter this came from, it's a secret, shhh. . .
"Hurry up Hollyhocks!" JuJuBee shouted over her shoulder. With the speed of a fox, she ran through the field of wildflowers that lay south of the village. Shaylee rode skillfully yet swiftly upon the back of a vibrant teal dragonfly, weaving carefully through the flowers like a needle and thread. Hollyhocks picked up her pace, her wings carrying her over the tops of the flowers. Soon enough she saw her friends in the flowers below, and easily kept with them.
"We don't want to be late!" Shaylee reminded them.
What could be so important, Hollyhocks wanted to know. Shaylee had been acting so strange all day like she was aching under the burden of her secret, her body about to burst with excitement.
Hollyhocks took her eyes off the flowers below her and suddenly came to a stop. She looked up at the sky, it's beauty taking her breath away. "The stars," she pointed, standing atop the long petals of a white flower looking mysteriously blue in the night.
Shaylee directed her mount next to Hollyhocks, leaving JuJuBee on the ground without a clear view of the sky.
"What do you see?" she called up.
"The stars," Hollyhocks repeated. She was bewitched by the scene around her. The village in the distance was quiet and dark. The river had a strange blue glow about it, the light of the silver moon casting long shadows across the field. More stars than one could possibly count glittered in the heavens, their pure light somehow seeming sacred. A single tree stood in the field, a large willow more splendid than every tree in the Forest. And around it danced a thousand otherworldly golden lights. They moved in perfect rhythm with one another, as though dancing to some silent song only their ears could hear. Some were nearer the ground, some touched the sky.
"It's them," Shaylee whispered.
"Who?"
"What do you see!" JuJuBee demanded.
Hollyhocks couldn't find her voice to answer. Shaylee pretended not to hear her. "Those aren't stars."
Without saying a word, Hollyhocks asked Shaylee what they were.
In reply, she only beckoned Hollyhocks to follow, first swooping down, grabbing JuJuBee by the hand who jumped onto the dragonfly.
They ascended the tree much slower than before. All was silent save for the soft whisperings carried in the breeze that could be heard to accompany the chirping of the crickets. Shaylee was the first to speak. "I told you I had something grand to show you, Hollyhocks."
Hollyhocks held her hands to her mouth, as though no words could express the feeling to go with what she was seeing. The golden lights were not stars, they were fireflies, a pillywiggin on the back of each one.
While one flew up, another flew down, thus creating a figure 8. Only with so many of them, the symbol became an infinity. And that's how Hollyhocks felt. Like the world stopped turning, like time didn't exist, like she herself was frozen there forever, her mind in a place of pure enchantment - a place she could not free herself from and wasn't sure she wanted to either.
Had Shaylee not spoken her name just then, she very well might have stayed there forever.
"What is it?" Hollyhocks asked half absent-minded.
"This is what I wanted you to see," Shaylee said thoughtfully.
"What is it then?" JuJuBee spoke up.
"It's a wedding."
Hollyhocks turned her gaze upon Shaylee.
"A wedding," Shaylee repeated. "I know how taken you are with the village and the humans. A pillywiggin long before our time, a queen whose name is long forgotten, was not so different from yourself. She became so infatuated with their world and wished to see them up close. And so she left the fairy realm behind her. She saw a great many things. But more than anything, more than the people she had encountered or the vastness of the earth she saw or the sense of freedom she felt, she was stricken with awe by their celebrations and dances. It was like nothing our world had ever known. But she made it known. She returned home, took a husband for herself, and held a grand celebration for all sorts of fairy folk. It was the first wedding our world had known, with food and music and dancing."
Upon the word "food", and under orders from JuJuBee, they wasted no time in reaching the tree.
Hollyhocks reached the great willow before the others, pulling aside it's canvas of weeping branches, entering from one world to anther like a massive sublime tent.
Though it was early spring and the grass was a rich lush green, it looked to be dead and brown - but if death could be considered beautiful, surely this was.
Hundreds, maybe thousands of fireflies illuminated the area in a golden glow. Upon soft couches of heather sat an array of handsome cheery faced fairy folk. An assortment of small golden vessels held their drinks. Tables of green dishes and sweet treats and drink stood at the opposite end from where Hollyhocks observed.
In the middle of the room was a fair lady pillywiggin with healthy green skin and hair that shone like the orange skies at dusk, a magnificent gown of small pure white flower petals. Her partner clad himself in leaves; obviously this was the bride and groom. They held on to each other tight and slowly danced, never taking their eyes from each other. It seemed to Hollyhocks that they had forgotten they were not alone, but were, in fact, being mesmerized by nearly everyone present. A soft wind instrument was occasionally accompanied by the musical humming of the fireflies. As the music quickened it's pace, many of the guests began dancing too. The music grew louder and the fairies laughed harder, but they all moved as nimbly and gracefully as ballerinas.
"I'd like very much to join them," Hollyhocks said at last.
"I've been waiting for you to say that," Shaylee said.
Hollyhocks noticed that JuJuBee wasn't with them. Shaylee seemed to read her mind and pointed to the food table. Hollyhocks followed her gaze and sure enough, there was their friend whose chubby cheeks showed that she had filled her mouth with as much food as it could hold, possibly even more.
As she spoke, small particles unintentionally flew from her lips. "I'm glad you two found me, you must try the sweets, they're absolutely to die for!"
Hollyhocks tapped her own lip, indicating that JuJuBee clean hers. Once she had, she was pulled unwillingly by her friends and then shoved into the midst of the dancing crowd...
interesting read...cant wait to read the whole book :)
ReplyDeleteOMG love this please post more!
ReplyDeleteJuJuBee is my favorite, she likes sugar. I'd certainly like you hear what happens in the rest of the chapter, you leave me hanging in suspense! :D
ReplyDeleteI always wonder how you are able to conjure up these amazing stories without using a Ghost writer like some authors."sound Familiar?" i hope to hear more of your story. Now shall i wait for release? or maybe have a peek? :D. keep that boat rowing.
ReplyDeleteI always wonder how you are able to conjure up these amazing stories without using a Ghost writer like some authors."sound Familiar?" i hope to hear more of your story. Now shall i wait for release? or maybe have a peek? :D. keep that boat rowing.
ReplyDeleteLove your blog, can't wait to hear more about your book!!!
ReplyDeleteLove it can't wait to hear more!
ReplyDelete