I've been plugging away at the novel I'm writing for NaNoWriMo. Here's an excerpt:
It was called “The Totem” by the students and faculty alike. It was a massive structure made of concrete, with cars and other heavy objects embedded in it. It stood three stories tall and sat in the middle of the special powers training field. To say it was heavy is an understatement.
Early Monday morning, on the third week of classes, a sophomore boy walked onto the field and up to the Totem. He was skinny. Scrawny really. But the students and teachers who were trickling in took notice as he approached the Totem.
He bent down, getting a grip on the bottom of the structure. He lifted it up, with hardly any effort, and toppled the Totem over. A feat that had not yet been accomplished in the 30 years it had stood in that field.
Kit looked up when he heard applause from the students and a shy smile made it’s way on his face. It quickly vanished when he spotted Coach Marison headed his way.
“Christophene Smeth! What the hell do you think you’re doing?” The Coach was mad. A big man, he was clenching his fists as his face turned red. “Pick! It! Up!”
“Sir?”
“You heard me, Smeth! Put it back in place! Then report to the Dean’s office!” Without another word, Coach turned and stormed away.
Christophe “Kit” Smeth turned and looked at what he had done. How was he going to put it back in place? He scratched his head and started to walk around it. Maybe if he could work his way under it, he could get it back up.
Well, it was a plan. He couldn’t think of anything better. He spotted Shari headed his way, disapproval written all over her face. He didn’t really want to hear a lecture from his best friend about how he screwed up and needs to take this all seriously.
With a sigh, he started to lift and work his way under. It took a lot of effort, wriggling his way under the fallen Totem, while holding it up enough to be able to do so. Finally, he got to a point where he felt he could move it back. He was squatted down, and feeling a bit squashed.
“Need some help,” Shari asked. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the glittering of her light field.
“No,” he said. He started to lift up. The effort seemed greater than when he had knocked the Totem over. Kit began to sweat as he slowly began to rise. After several minutes of intense effort, he had managed to stand, holding the Totem up at an angle.
“Let me help you,” Shari said.
“I’ve got it,” Kit grunted. His arms felt like they were on fire! With effort, he gave a final shove and the Totem went up, and teetered back into place.
Kit fell down to his knees, exhausted. “That… was hard.”
“It was meant to be,” Shari replied. “I saw the spell that Coach Marison activated. You’re strong enough to juggle with that thing, but I think the spell did something to make it more difficult for you as a punishment.”
“Then, why did you offer to help?” Kit looked at his oldest friend. She never offered to help him to get out of trouble or work off a punishment. Shari believed in “do the crime, do the time”.
“It was a rough spell,” she replied. “Besides, I wanted to see if I could do anything against the Totem when the training spells on it aren’t set against me.” She turned and walked away. “Don’t forget that you’re due in the Dean’s office. See you in class!”
It was called “The Totem” by the students and faculty alike. It was a massive structure made of concrete, with cars and other heavy objects embedded in it. It stood three stories tall and sat in the middle of the special powers training field. To say it was heavy is an understatement.
Early Monday morning, on the third week of classes, a sophomore boy walked onto the field and up to the Totem. He was skinny. Scrawny really. But the students and teachers who were trickling in took notice as he approached the Totem.
He bent down, getting a grip on the bottom of the structure. He lifted it up, with hardly any effort, and toppled the Totem over. A feat that had not yet been accomplished in the 30 years it had stood in that field.
Kit looked up when he heard applause from the students and a shy smile made it’s way on his face. It quickly vanished when he spotted Coach Marison headed his way.
“Christophene Smeth! What the hell do you think you’re doing?” The Coach was mad. A big man, he was clenching his fists as his face turned red. “Pick! It! Up!”
“Sir?”
“You heard me, Smeth! Put it back in place! Then report to the Dean’s office!” Without another word, Coach turned and stormed away.
Christophe “Kit” Smeth turned and looked at what he had done. How was he going to put it back in place? He scratched his head and started to walk around it. Maybe if he could work his way under it, he could get it back up.
Well, it was a plan. He couldn’t think of anything better. He spotted Shari headed his way, disapproval written all over her face. He didn’t really want to hear a lecture from his best friend about how he screwed up and needs to take this all seriously.
With a sigh, he started to lift and work his way under. It took a lot of effort, wriggling his way under the fallen Totem, while holding it up enough to be able to do so. Finally, he got to a point where he felt he could move it back. He was squatted down, and feeling a bit squashed.
“Need some help,” Shari asked. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the glittering of her light field.
“No,” he said. He started to lift up. The effort seemed greater than when he had knocked the Totem over. Kit began to sweat as he slowly began to rise. After several minutes of intense effort, he had managed to stand, holding the Totem up at an angle.
“Let me help you,” Shari said.
“I’ve got it,” Kit grunted. His arms felt like they were on fire! With effort, he gave a final shove and the Totem went up, and teetered back into place.
Kit fell down to his knees, exhausted. “That… was hard.”
“It was meant to be,” Shari replied. “I saw the spell that Coach Marison activated. You’re strong enough to juggle with that thing, but I think the spell did something to make it more difficult for you as a punishment.”
“Then, why did you offer to help?” Kit looked at his oldest friend. She never offered to help him to get out of trouble or work off a punishment. Shari believed in “do the crime, do the time”.
“It was a rough spell,” she replied. “Besides, I wanted to see if I could do anything against the Totem when the training spells on it aren’t set against me.” She turned and walked away. “Don’t forget that you’re due in the Dean’s office. See you in class!”
Comments
Post a Comment