Excerpt from my debut novel Out of the Great Black Nothing, for the April A-Z Challenge.I will post excerpts from various writings daily.
Anna Marie Freebottom sat on her back porch looking at the trees as her cats around her moved in silent feline stealth. The night consumed their footsteps but echoed their cries, some of them mewing, others purring, two of them fighting and hissing near the back shed.
Anna Marie stroked the cat lying next to her and it craned its head and offered its lower jaw, near the scent glands. Anna Marie indulged the cat for a few heartbeats, and then shooed it away from her. She twisted one of the wooden bracelets dangling from her wrists and the world around her turned darker.
Anna Marie stood and stepped into the growing darkness and twisted the bracelets on the other wrist. The world grew black until nothing was left but the sounds around her of crisp leaves shaking and the cats scuffling at her feet. The hissing stopped near the shed and a waft of air passed near Anna's calves, signaling one cat's retreat and another's victory.
"Be calm, my Ri, my dears," Anna Marie said. "Shh. Let me listen."
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Eric W. Trant is a published author of several short stories and the novel Out of the Great Black Nothing. He is currently represented by Debrin Case at Open Heart Publishing. See more of Eric's work here: Publications
8 comments:
If I were to have a familiar, it would definitely be a cat.
Have you read THE TEMPLE OF MY FAMILIARS by Alice Walker. That book changed my life and the way I look at my pets.
Another great excerpt. I especially love the night consuming kitty footsteps.
Like Matthew, I was caught up in the mystery and magic of the evocative words of the night consuming the cat's footsteps. Great job, Roland
Great excerpt, Eric. I love the name!
Interesting excerpt, Eric. Best of luck with it!
Very interesting. Not my kind of book, I don't think, but very catchy. I'm trying to visit all the A-Z Challenge Blogs this month.
Oooooo. Slightly creepy. It's got cats in it, and I think cats are creepy. But I love the bracelet turning magic. I want me some of those bangles!!! What does she listen to that requires the loss of one sense to engage the other? Interesting. I am intrigued.
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