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Hatchet Hollow
-- EXCERPT: A BLACK CROW swooped down from a decaying pine tree beside her, it’s cringing caw piercing the silence of the woods. She shuddered and zipped up her windbreaker. Abby never liked crows, or birds for that matter. Not since her parents brought her back a rare, extremely expensive—their words, not hers—parrot from Honduras when she was twelve years old. It was one of the many vacations they’d taken without her—needing a break, they’d say—and leaving her with her nanny, Fran, whose hair always looked, ironically, like a bird’s nest, and whose breath could stop a clock. The same nanny who’d tattled on her for leaving a window open, allowing the precious parrot to fly away. Her father didn’t speak to her for a week, and her mother, only when he wasn’t looking. But that was a long time ago. That was then, and this was now. She was a woman now, freshly turned twenty-one with her whole life ahead of her. She didn’t need her parents or the shallow gifts they’d showered her with, replacing their inability to show affection. She didn’t need them anymore, just like they didn’t need her. That’s how they always made her feel, anyway. A cool gust of wind carrying the sour scent of moldy earth swept past her. She glanced up at the cloud-covered sky. Another dreary day. Another stupid, dull day in this small, suffocating, godforsaken town—just like the day before. But not anymore. She could make her own decisions now, out from under their financial thumb. Go her own way in life. And she was. And her parents would kill her for it. She stepped onto the jogging trail that snaked through the woods and stumbled on a rock. She looked down at her new black running shoes laced tightly over black ankle socks. Black leggings and a black T-shirt. Black. She swallowed the lump in her throat. She’d always been fascinated with the mystical, creepy folktales that were whispered through the Great Shadow Mountains. Spirits, ghosts… witches. Hundreds of stories told during dark nights with no electricity, bonfires with too many drinks, Halloween, or just about any scenario shrouded in darkness. The stories were told with glances over the shoulder and hushed voices laced with fear, and if you listened carefully enough, respect. Respect for the evil forces that could snatch you up in the middle of the night, turn you into a lizard, or worse, curse you and everyone you loved. Witches who could raise the dead from the earth. Witches who could take your life. Respect, power. Those were the two things she was promised when she’d been approached about “turning over a new leaf”. Taking control of her own life—and others if needed. Yes, she would be a part of something now, of something big, she was told. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes. Was she apprehensive? Absolutely. But what they’d promised her had been too great to ignore. She’d been a fool to walk away. Right? She smoothed her black windbreaker. Black really wasn’t her color, but they had been wearing it—head-to-toe—so she figured she’d better get used to it. There would be so much to learn, they’d explained, and embracing black was a good start, she guessed. But dammit, it really washed her out. Her pale complexion and light blonde hair—a gift from her mother—looked even more lifeless against the unforgiving color. Maybe she would take baby steps into the change. Yes, baby steps. Maybe it would be okay if she wore her red silk blouse and white Louboutin six-inch heels on her date next week. Butterflies tickled her stomach. A date! She couldn’t believe it. Yes, she had been asked out by a good-looking, accomplished man, nonetheless. It was completely out of left field… and only hours after she’d officially committed to “turning over a new leaf.” Coincidence? Yes, things were going to change for her. Things were going to go her way, for the first freaking time in her life. She was going to be powerful, respected. Feared. With an extra pep in her step, she rounded a corner in the trail and spotted her new jogging partner anxiously waiting ahead. “Hey.” “Hey, there. You ready?” She snorted. “As ready as I can be, I guess.” “First mile’s always the hardest. I’ll take it easy on you. Might want to stick those keys in your pocket, though. Uneven terrain.” “Oh, okay. Yeah.” She nodded, looked down, and as she unzipped her pocket-- WHACK! Her head snapped back as a fist slammed into her jaw. Pain rocketed through her skull. Bright lights flashed in her eyes. The metallic taste of blood filled her mouth as she stumbled backward. The world spun around her, sending a wave of nausea through her body as she tried to process what was happening. What the hell? She opened her eyes to fuzziness and tried to focus on the movement in front of her. But before she could come to, the next brutal force knocked her out cold.
GIVEAWAY!
6 Comments
wendy hutton
4/24/2018 05:14:39 pm
the book sounds great thanks
Michele Soyer
4/26/2018 07:25:43 am
The title and the cover art have made me very interested in this book.. Thank you!
Jolanda
4/29/2018 01:50:03 am
The book sounds great!
Zoey
4/29/2018 10:34:43 pm
I really like the use of the teal and the profile on the cover. Well done.
Jeanette Jackson
5/2/2018 04:57:01 pm
This looks like a great story to read! Leave a Reply. |
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