He was there again. Nothing but white for as far as the eye could see. Snow was drifting lazily everywhere around him. He looked down and even though there was nothing but an absolute, blinding white to take in, he knew that he was suspended in the air. With the difficulty he was experiencing in getting enough oxygen in his lungs, he must be very high up. He breathed deeply, the icy air burning some feeling back into his body. Thankfully, the flakes of snow were neither acid-like nor pounding painfully against his skin. Actually, when he thought truthfully about it, apart from the ability to see nothing at all, he found that this experience was somewhat pleasant. It was peaceful. In spite of the freezing temperature, he could almost force his imagination to conjure up feelings of fluffy clouds and soft, snowy mounds. He had always enjoyed lying out in the snow as a kid, closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep. Hmm, I think I’ll try that.James closed his eyes, the backs of his eye
“Oompf!” the breath whooshed from his lungs in a single huff of air as a heavy weight slammed against his body. James opened his eyes in a hurry, then squinted against the overhead light.“Good morning, sweetie!” a voice to his left intoned with a high-pitched cheeriness. He swiveled his head, his jaw clenched, and eyes narrowed. “What do you want, Christian?” Christian took on an air of mock outrage. “I couldn’t just miss my bestest buddy?” His voice still carried the earlier tone. James sighed in annoyance. “Did you have to jump on me?” He nodded vigorously as he pursed his lips causing his long, blonde bangs to fall into his eyes. Christian flicked his head and whipped them back off his face. “I was just following orders to wake you up, bro, so chill.” He rolled off the bed to his feet. “We just got here a little bit ago in case you were going to ask. Oh, Eliza said not to worry about showering cause we’re all gonna ride horses or… whatever.” Christian shrugge
After everyone had had their fill, they all headed out to the horse barn in order to give the horses a little exercise before the massive storm hit. The weather channel was claiming it was to be on a par with the freak snow storms that swept the country during the winter of 2014. Most of the horses that were currently there would be taken out as they had such a large party. Even Heather, the tall blonde who helped take care of the horses, was there making last minute preparations before the holiday. She helped everyone get saddled up and settled—James was paired up with Shadow, of course—and they set off at a slow pace. Bundled up against the cold, they explored the wooded trails, the lakeside, and more of the grounds than he had ever seen. Originally, what he had taken for being a few hundred acres of the estate, really turned out to be more than a thousand. It was massive and beautiful in an odd, winter wonderland sort of way. The oaks, willows, and dogwood were all stripped of the
“I would like to thank each of you,” Bill began, “for sharing this Christmas in our home. You are all most welcome.” A warm smile filled his face as a testament to the truth in his words. “Now more than ever, it is of the upmost importance to acknowledge our blood lines, to come together in our time of need, because our true strength lies in our numbers. I look around at each of you,” Bill continued, eyeing each one of them in turn, “and see a family of loved ones. One of my closest friends and advisors, who also happens to be old,” —he winked at Robert as all around chuckled at the joke— “Robert teaches and guides all of our children and uniquely prepares them for life beyond school. My father and mother,” Bill beamed at the older couple, “who I love and from whom have come to cherish every nugget of wisdom shared. My newest friends, Rebekah, Charlie, Esmeralda, and Arkady Igorevitch… I am confident that many great years of friendship are ahead of us. To the young ones here,” he now
James woke up early on Christmas morning. Knowing that Tres’s little sister would be bursting at the seams with excitement to open presents— come to think of it, Tres probably would be too—he had set the alarm clock on the nightstand to wake him shortly after dawn. He climbed out of bed, stretched away the stiffness from a restful and uneventful sleep, then crossed to the bathroom to shower and refresh himself. When he was finished, he threw on a pair of cotton athletic pants, a t-shirt, some socks, and a hoodie; the temperature had noticeably dropped through the night. “Come to think of it…” he said aloud, then strode towards the window. He threw back the thick curtains and a child-like glee came over him. Wide-eyed and excited, he stared out at the winter wonderland before him. The pearly pinks and creamsicle-oranges reflected off a beautiful sight: a hefty covering of snow had been dumped on the ground through the night. From where he stood gazing out of the window, he could see t
Everyone had by now stopped laughing and James heard a few gasps and comments in the background, but he wasn’t paying attention to them at all. All of his focus was on Eliza. With the tips of her fingers, she tenderly traced the edges of the silver and turquoise horse and slowly moved along the intricate desert scenery that had been carved into the sides of the box. She bit her lower lip as it started to tremble; she sniffed and blinked swiftly; tears slipped over her lashes and etched a path in her freckle covered cheeks. “Hhow? Wh-where… did you get this?” Eliza asked in barely more than a whisper. “I drew up a few sketches of what I wanted and sent them to Karen,” James shrugged deprecatingly. “She took them to Old Town Albuquerque and had it hand made.” She smiled through the still flowing tears. “It’s…so… beautiful.” James reached into the tin box and dug around until he found the key. He handed it to her and said, “This opens it up.” Eliza nodded absently and slid the iro
His eyes flung wide open like the flood gates after a hurricane as he was dragged from the depths of sleep. At the moment, James couldn’t quite place what had awakened him. All he knew was that his nerves were tingling, and his instincts were on high alert. He remained as still as possible, his eyes searching the darkness with great intent. Nothing. No sounds. No sights. Then it hit him. His nostrils flared and burned at the putrid, acidic smoke licking across the ceiling like a brewing mini storm. Quickly spumed to action, he threw the covers off of himself. “Tres, get up!” he screamed, swiftly slipping into a pair of shoes. Tres grumbled groggily. “Wh-what ... what are you yapping about?” “Do it now! Get up, there’s a fire,” James called out once again to his friend. “What the hell?” Tres asked, more in declaration than actual confusion. He slid on some shoes, donned his glasses, and began to hail Alexandria to gamer any available information.James, by this time, had raced
Blakeney had been up and working in his office when the screaming alerted him. Not taking any chances, he grabbed the sword he kept by his desk and marched towards the school’s foyer. As soon as he stepped onto the marble floors from the staff offices, the sight of flames consuming the dormitories filled his eyes. His breath quickened and his pulse pounded in his ears as the building flames engulfed his school. The students I his mind shouted above the growing fear. He sprinted down the thoroughfare, protection of innocent lives the only thing on his mind. But, no sooner had he made his way into the inner courtyard, then a sinister, pleased laugh echoed amidst the granite. “Hello, Director Blakeney,” a deep, steady voice spoke. Blakeney whirled on the spot, searching for the source. Like an image being born from darkness, Nicholas Clurife stepped into the light. He wore all black, his evil Stygian blade held at the ready, and the smile that spread across his face oozed with crue