Originally titled “Freaks” before I decided I didn’t like that title and now it doesn’t have one at all, this story is technically a prelude to my hopefully-what-will-someday-become-a novel. It’s about one of the main characters as a child, although I never use either of his real names. It was published in the magazine without my teacher’s knowing that it’s really a prequel, which I kind of feel guilty about, but it’s not that big of a deal. It introduces some things that are crucial to my story, such as children being mutated into beasts, and the idea that the main character is somehow different. This takes place maaaaybe six or seven years before the actual story, when the main character is 15 years old. Unfortunately, the end is kind of anticlimactic.
This is, in fact, the story - or, at least, its most recent incarnation. I worked on this draft mostly through my last two years of high school, and unfortunately lost a big section of the beginning, which eventually led to my halting production, as it were. Hopefully, one day I can go back and start again, but for now the very idea is almost a little too daunting. Mind, though, that means it’s been a few years since I’ve messed with this. Any expectations should therefore be substantially lowered.
So far as I know, this is the very first bit of my hopefully-what-will-someday-become-a novel. It (briefly) introduces the three main characters: Griever, a young thief living by herself in a small town, Xerts, a friendly but mysterious half-man half-animal, and Tres, who is something of a cranky pants.
Another bit that’s not quite part of the main story, I wrote this for funsies a while ago, and ended up liking a lot, so I kept it. It focuses on one of the major minor characters, and it was handy for getting his characterization in place and establishing both his personal history and some of the world mythology.
Derek is (at the time of my story) an immortal warrior who serves under Ryo, the goddess of war, and accordingly he lives with the gods on their mysterious island that sits I-don’t-know-where. He’s the last living member of an ancient race of winged humans, and even though I love most all of my characters equally, Derek could easily muscle out some of the other characters if he tried hard enough.
I’ve never shared this with anyone, but it’s one of those stories that doesn’t serve much of a purpose, but I still can’t bring myself to get rid of it. It is most definitely not actually part of the story, at all, or any timeline ever, because I would be totally incapable of foisting anything this personally upsetting upon readers. I don’t remember how I came up with the idea, just that it happened, and I wrote it, and then I sat there and wondered what was wrong with me.
If this really were going to be part of any sort of story, I have no doubt Tres would storm in and save the day, because he would never let anything happen to Griever, ever, but for the sake of the story I decided to ignore that, and not say exactly why he couldn’t help, but only that he couldn’t. I did write this solely for myself, so I didn’t see much of a purpose in creating a logical reason.
(no I don’t have a problem)
(bit of back story included for giggles)
