Angie felt the suffocation of utter panic. Rain drops rolled down the windshield despite the quick path of the wipers swoosh swooshing at top speed. Her chest felt so tight that she thought she would die. How could she be sure that this choice was right? Her four babies were still at home in the warm house hours away. For the next few weeks she would not hug them, kiss their pains or tuck them in. For the next few weeks her mother would care for them. She wanted to find housing. She needed her little family with her. First she would need to get her job locked down. It wasn’t a dream job, it wasn’t even the best job ever, but it would make a living wage while she reached for the moon. A little hotel room that was masquerading as home would have to work for now. She had never felt so alone in her entire life. There were so many things that passed through her mind as the rain beat the windshield on a cold dark highway going into Cincinnati. The fear was the worst; it was palpable. She could feel it in her chest and in her muscles. She forgot to pay the gas bill. It would keep. She would have to ask her mom or dad to take care of it. There was so much laundry just waiting to be done. How was she going to move when hardly anything was packed? Angie clutched the steering wheel until her knuckles where white. The muscles in her arms bunched. She could see her kids behind her eyes. She tried to concentrate on the road to no avail. Her mind was with her girls in a small house four hours away. The check in desk was a pain. The credit card she had didn’t want to go through. The first weeks stay cost slightly more than she thought. She pulled a cart down the hall to the tiny room that she would try to make into a home for the next two weeks. Angie picked up the phone to call her girls as she bustled about the tiny room and put her things away. Dishes in the tiny kitchen, clothes hung on the open rack and dresser, food in the refrigerator, toiletries in the bathroom, and last but not least the pictures of the girls by the bed. All while she listened to the exciting day that her girls had. Dinner at IHOP with Grandma, homework done, beds made and animals fed. Happy sounds, so far from her empty hotel room. They all said goodbye and sent their love. Angie sat at the desk, turned on the wax burner for the homey scent of cinnamon buns and began to type. Her writing would have to be her refuge, at least for now. Until she could find a home again. So often my writing is my refuge. I am posting this one because it is exactly how I feel. And the hotel room isn't terrible, it is just not home. LOL Prayers that I find something quick to whatever GOD you pray to please.
I am thinking of writing a Romance novel. I have this idea in my head that kind of brings in elements of my own life and adds some full on excitement. I like the romance genre. I am not stopping work on my fantasy by any means. I am simply going to run the outline on this idea and maybe knock this one out. I have the basic gist written in my head. I am not sure if it will write as easy as I think, but I think I have a better shot at getting it published sooner rather than later. Is it really that unusual for people to write in one genre while they perfect another? I have always found romance to be a simple write for me. What do you think? Does anyone think I am being silly? Thoughts? suggestions? Flying shoes? All are welcome.
On a writing forum, I rarely post much that doesn't have to do with my writing, however, I have to talk a bit about my last couple of days. On Thursday evening, I rushed to the hospital to be by my father's side while my Grammy had brain surgery after a serious fall. It is still not loking so good. I am writing to comment on the truth of my signature. I walked into my house, in which I currently live with a dear friend, and simply told him that I needed to go; he watched my kids and never batted an eyelash. The next day, another good friend arrived at the hospital and took me down to the cafeteria. SHe knew that I needed ae friend and not to have to deal with family further. In the late evening a call to yet another good friend netted someone to talk to so that I could stay awake. Another watched the kids after school without so much as a complaint. I am lucky to have amazing friends who have my back no matter what! Thanks guys. And everyone else, "Never doubt the presence of true friends." An Emily special.
Black Druids Tales of ritual sacrifice by the druids are partly true. If a druid wants to cross from good to evil then he must be prepared to sacrifice a human, drink his blood and give up his right for reincarnation. The Goddess will then turn her back on him or her and the druid can cause harm; but the druid can now be killed without a right to reincarnation and no rebirth ceremony can be held that will bring back the druid’s soul. These are called black druids. It is believed that there is a small sect of these druids following the dark wizard. The trip from white druid to black druid is not as cut and dried as "I want to be evil". The lure is usually the ability to stop death for another . Many Dark Druids cross the line to save a human loved one from death. There is a simple ceremony that can be preformed by a Dark Druid to stop natural death. The problem is that the ceremony leaves only part of a human. A black druid can be well described as a vampire. A black druid must drink the blood of a human being sacrificed in a certain manner at least once a month in order to stay alive. A human who has been saved by a black druid must do the same. Many of the vampire tales that we hear today are actually from the human beings that the Dark Druids have saved. These humans, called donas, can only walk at night or they will die of seemingly natural causes. A Black Druid can walk around at any time. Donas have a strong dislike of the taste and odor of the genus monocot, especially garlic. Although most donas eats regular food most of the time, they must drink human blood to survive. The exception to this rule is a small number of donas who become so full of blood lust that they cease the nourishment of regular food. These donas usually become crazed with blood lust, dirty and unkempt. An extreme donas does not notice anything aside from the insane need to drink the blood of another human being. A donas can be killed by all of the things that kill another human being except natural causes. A Black Druid cannot. A donas is not effected in any particular way by religious symbols or silver. A black druid can and does speed death on a regular basis. Black Druids are necromancers . A black druid can animate a body indefinitely. It is nearly impossible to tell the difference between a body that is being controlled by a Black Druid and the person that you once knew and loved. The only way to know for sure is to weigh the body. If you knew their weight before you will see an 8 pound difference. Eight pounds is the weight of the average soul. A Black Druid body can live with you for years without your knowledge. The problem is that if the necromancer loses control for whatever reason there is almost instant decay. This is why if a Black Druid chooses to use this power, it is usually only for a short time. The most powerful magic available to a Black Druid is darkness. Darkness is like a smoke screen laced with fear. It can cover and hide things. It can also cause an almost paralyzing fear; a fear so strong that it is nearly painful. When manipulated properly, darkness a can actually cause real physical pain. When applied long enough, it can cause the victim to become crazy. It can be quite useful . A black druid has given up his right to join the Goddess . A soul cannot be reborn in a new body or go to be with the goddess if it has killed without reason. If a black Druid dies he becomes a shadow. A shadow has no power and must watch the world around him or her happen. A white druid can think of no more terrible fate than becoming a shadow. For this reason, a Black Druid can never redeem himself with a white druid . A White Druid that is a seer can often see shadows. A sensitive human may also sense their presence. There are two ways to kill a black druid. One is to stop the ritual sacrifice ceremony. The other is to chop off his head. If you chop off his head his soul will leave the body and become a shadow.
White Druids The Druids are an ancient people. Through hundreds of years they have returned to the Earth through reincarnation . Because they are reincarnated through the years and look and can choose to live like a human, they hide easily within the human population. Druids practice their faith in secret. Druid faith is similar to Wicca with one major difference; real magic. The Druids were originally a group of humans who made a deal with the Goddess to give them eternal life in the form of rebirth. Every Eighty one years each druid goes through a rebirth ceremony and is assigned a Druid family for the years between zero and sixteen of the new life. With each rebirth a Druid becomes more powerful magically. If the rebirth ceremony is not performed within twenty four hours of a druid’s death, his or her soul will go to be with the goddess. Druid magic is good magic and can manipulate the natural world but cannot be used for the harm of any other creature. These druids are known as white druids. A white druid would choose death before choosing to cause any harm. The way that a white druid’s magic works is complex. A white druid draws magic from past lives as well as from all that they eat touch and come in contact with in the world. A white druid gathers energy from the world around them. For this reason all White Druids are vegetarians and most are full on vegans. Eating the flesh of a living being that is killed is almost painful for a White Druid. The negative energy of the violence involved makes the magic they possess painful to use until the energy from the flesh is digested. Physical symptoms include stomach ache, dizziness and even in rare cases and in the event of ingestion of too much death of the current incaration. Even humanely killed animals are difficult for a White Druid to consume. Most White Druids will not even prepare flesh since the negative energy can make them so ill. A white druid can manipulate the world around them. It is possible for a White Druid to light a candle with a breath or sweep a floor with a thought. For larger things spells and incantations are necessary. White Druids are what we think of when we think of witches. A Druid who is properly centered by continuous adherence to the Druid faith can cause serious changes in the world around them. There is an ethical element to the Druid faith however. The magic of a druid is based on faith. The Goddess demands regular worship and without it a Druid cannot use his or her full magical potential. In modern times, Druids worship in their own homes paying regular tribute to the Goddess through regular prayer and meditation. These things make the White Druids powerful members of service based professions. A White Druid doctor may with a seemingly simple pat speed the healing of a deep cut, ease the pain of a broken bone and encourage early healing, or encourage the speedy breaking up of a blockage in a heart patient with a back rub. A surgeon can move aside tiny veins with a thought and avoid dangerous bleed outs. A White Druid can do all of these things as long as they are able to touch the patient and pay regular homage to the Goddess . Another important aspect of the Druid power is the ability to see. A White Druid can see impressions of the future. They are able to make vague predictions of the future and often write them down. A council of Druids was formed long ago in England for the Druid predictions and still exists today. Located in Amesbury in visual distance of Stonehenge, the council keeps track of each prophecy by the Druids and marks which come to pass and which don’t. Since every White Druid is capable of making predictions there are thousands of predictions to keep track of. It does not bother the White Druids when a prediction does not come true because a cornerstone of the Druid faith is the ability for each individual to choose their own destiny. A simple prediction from a White Druid, no matter how powerful could easily be changed by a different decision on the part of the individual in the prophecy . The druid people are a quiet people and tend to be very caring and take human professions like doctors, nurses and teachers. Many humans do not realize that these people are in any way different. Druids often use their magic quietly to help ease pain and speed up healing in hospitals, however a druid cannot speed up or stop death. A white druid on his or her own does not have the power to cheat death for another. They can "cheat" it for themselves. A white druid is capable of continuing only his or her own life. It would be against the rules of the druid faith to intercede in the death of another. In ancient times, white druids were considered the healers of the world. The Dark Wizard began to circulate stories about the white druids that blurred the lines between the black druids and the white druids. These blurred lines gave the humans an excuse to hunt down the druids and kill them off until there were only a few hundred left. A new druid can be born every fifty years into a family that is not currently caring for an incarnate. Many half druids have been born in recent years. The normal rules do not apply to these half druids. A half druid can be born at any time. Due to this interbreeding, the number of full druids being born in recent years has declined. The numbers of white druids has increased to around five hundred in the last 600 years.
Dragons The largest sect of dragons settled in a large cave near the top of Mount Everest. The locals call the area par guss which loosely translates to fire wing. Many legends have cropped up over the years among the human population, but the dragons have remained safe for hundreds of years. Dragons have an exceptionally long life span, but are not immortal. The gestation period of a dragon is six years meaning the population is slow to grow in any case. In the case of the Everest dragons, where there are twenty or so dragons at any given time, it is nearly impossible to reproduce due to the cold temperatures. In the past four hundred years seven infant dragons have been born to the Everest dragons. Only four survived the harsh climate. Mancy the queen dragon is currently pregnant with a much anticipated pup. The Everest dragons are a very pale shade of blue. Scales cover their entire body from the large elongated mouth to the long tail. Most have larger scales along their back that form a protective shell. Sharp teeth fill mouths that breath fire when necessary, but usually only for protection. Each dragon has a scaly crown that surrounds the head from cheek to cheek. It has the dual purpose of showing rank and protecting the highly refined brain and skull beneath. The more important the dragon the more ornate this crown grows. No one is sure why. Dragons only stand about two feet taller than man and are capable of standing on two legs or four. They have a highly sensitive and well developed tail that comes to a point. Thousands of small bones and hundreds of muscles in the tip make it possible for a dragon to bend his tail in such a way as to use it much as a human uses a hand . Baby dragons do not form a crown until they are a year old. Wings develop in the second year of life and flying is completely natural. Young dragons are kept close to home and fed by the adult members of the clan. Dragons are omnivorous. Adult dragons bring home seeds, nuts, berries, and small animals. Dragons in Everest often have to fly a ways to find food for the clan. The mother of the pups also relies on the other adults of the clan for food during the first two years of a pups life . Mancy and Mongy, the king and queen of the Everest dragons, have ruled for about three hundred years, since Mongy challenged the authority of the last king. Most dragons can speak every language on the Earth. Dragons are well read creatures and keep well versed in the knowledge of the various races. Questions of intellect are very often asked of the dragons if they can be found. The trip is grueling. They have adapted to hunt mostly at night, but despite this there are still stories in the local villages about huge birdlike animals. Most of the small villages around Everest do not leave their homes at night for fear of being consumed by the Par Guss. The dragons have no desire to harm the humans or even to be close to them and avoid contact whenever possible. A small sect of red dragons settled in the Sarikol Mountain range in China. Red dragons look similar to the Everest dragons, with a few minor differences. A red dragon has a slightly larger head and a more elongated body. Red dragons have a much more plentiful food supply than the Everest Dragons so are better able to care for their young. Red dragons mate for life and do not take another mate. There is only one pair remaining of breeding age. It is hoped that a new pup will be eminent. This sect has only five dragons. One of the dragons is a pup only about two years old . Red dragons hold a wealth of knowledge from the Eastern countries such as China and Japan. Much knowledge that has long been lost to the Easterners is locked away in the well developed minds of the Red dragons . In the mountains of Asia the red dragons are revered and left to themselves. A dragon sighting is considered a blessing. These dragons hunt at night out of habit rather than necessity. So far the East Asian belief system has kept them safe and sound in their mountain home. The last sect of dragons settled in the Great Rocky Mountains of the US. This sect is the smallest with only three remaining dragons. The Great Rocky mountain Dragons are green. They are stockier than either the Red or the Blue dragons. More elongated jaws and longer claws are well adapted to digging out small prey in holes and small rock outcroppings in the dessert. Tougher scales and longer claws and teeth than the other dragons also help the green dragons avoid the spines of local succulents so they can eat the softer sweeter flesh and flowers. Reflective scales help to bounce hot sun away and make daytime sleeping a little cooler. The great rocky mountain clan consists of Agar and his two female dragons Moira and Aree. Both females are pregnant. Moira is due in two years and Aree is newly pregnant and will have her pup in five and a half years. This is very good for this clan as all of the clans feared that the green dragons would die out shortly. In the Rockies in the US, the dragons have settled in a relatively remote area of the Rockies that is surrounded by mostly desert. Tales of old men are rarely given much weight in the US and most people do not believe there is anything out there. These dragons hunt at night as well to maintain as much secrecy as possible. People rarely venture to this deserted area of the desert. For a time these dragons were favoured with the loving embrace of the natives of the land, but gradually this tribe moved on and the dragons were soon forgotten. Now they are merely a Native tale retold in a small area of the Rockies . The Green dragons remain safe largely because of a general attitude of disbelief and the remote location they inhabit. Many desert dweller accept the dragons as simply another mystifying desert phenomenon hardly real. The green dragons stay safe for just this reason.