The talented Hoomi (Rick H.) is hosting Friday Fiction for us this week at his blog, Pod Tales and Ponderings. Click here to read and share more great fiction! 

I’ve finally reached a small snippet that I think I could post as an official excerpt for Gemfire. The writing is coming along well, I’m having fun, so this is just a quick, short post. Enjoy! 

GEMFIRE : 2011 NaNoWriMo Novel Excerpt

Lilith saw the hand move two seconds before she realized that she wouldn’t be able to move away from it.

She braced herself, having not more time to do anything else but that. Feeling the first tendrils of fear coiling in her stomach to meet the tangle of dread that had now sprung to life.

She waited, but the hand never connected.

She heard the slap, heard the sound that she’d been dreading and wondered why the sound came a few decibels off.

Lilith opened her eyes to find herself staring at thick, dark hair, blowing freely in the wind. A colorful cloth bandana fluttered in Areya’s hand as she stood, her head thrown to the side as if she’d just been struck, a slight dusting of pink on her tanned face.

“Areya!” Lilith gasped. She started forward, a hand on her new friend’s shoulder. “Ferdinand! Why–Areya, why–why did you?”

“You’re too pretty for something like that.” Areya turned to smile over her shoulder. “and besides, it wouldn’t be my first time. Things like that shouldn’t happen to people like you.”  Her head snapped around and she glared at Ferdinand. “And people like you should be careful when they’re so lucky.” Her dark eyes flashed dangerously. “You should know that I’m not too fond of you right now and if you try something so stupid again, I’m not going to just stand there. I refuse to be idle when you’re fooling someone as innocent and blamess as that girl. She deserves better than you’ve ever given her.”

“Why you-!” Ferdinand glowered. “You’re just some-!” The words died in his throat as Areya deliberately turned around to face him, her dark eyes holding a hint of something that made him swallow hard.

“Don’t.” Was all she said, before turning away.

With squared shoulders, Areya tied the bandana ’round her head and started back towards the skiff. She stepped in, carefully and picked up the pole, preparing to push off. Then, she turned, extending one hand, the expression in those dark eyes softening considerably as they rested on the blue-eyed blonde. “Coming, Lilith?”

(c) Sara Harricharan, All Rights Reserved.