Today’s prompt is: Open Door
For this post I’ve pulled a short scene from Silver and Black, the vampire novel I’ve been working on this past while. It seemed to fit the prompt quite well…
Silver and Black (an excerpt)
‘Are you ready?’
I was. Despite not wanting to leave Kyle, despite the fact that this could go wrong in so many ways, I was ready. Excitement fluttered through me as I stood up, my hand trailing along Kyle’s cool skin. Then I let go and walked to the door.
‘I’m coming out.’ I waited until I heard the outer shutters slam before opening the door, sliding out through the smallest gap possible, not wanting to let any light in. But the room beyond was still dark. I closed the door, sliding the bolt home. And the shutters opened.
My hand went up involuntarily, my eyes dazzled. I had seen the sun rise, but this was different. This was the blazing light of morning, something I had never seen.
‘Here, you’ll need these.’ Something hard was thrust into my hand and I squinted to see a pair of glasses, the lenses tinted dark. I put them on and the relief was instant.
‘Thanks.’
Bev was regarding me curiously. ‘You never seen this before?’
I shook my head, careful not to dislodge the glasses. ‘No. I er, I live in the night.’
‘With him?’
‘Um, yeah.’ My head turned towards Kyle’s door and for a second I wanted to be back there in the darkness, the brilliant white light around me feeling as though it was laying me bare, that these people, kind as they were, could see to the heart of me. I could not let them know who I was. ‘He looks after me.’
Bev’s face crinkled up, and she laid a gentle hand on my arm. ‘Just be careful,’ she said. ‘If he tires of you, come here. Be safe.’
I licked my lips, frowning a little. ‘Um, yes, of course. Thank you.’
She stared at me a moment longer, then her face split into a grin. ‘So, Emily, you ready to go outside?’
I nodded. She went to the door, opening it, standing silhouetted in the frame. I could feel the light now, heat warmer than any candle, like standing in front of an open fire. The air was soft against my skin and smelt fresh, the slight breeze coming in through the open door redolent of green, of flowers. For the first time in my life, I couldn’t smell violets.
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Helen Glynn Jones 
Fab. I can’t wait to see the finished product. I’ve continued my vampire bites in a couple of challenges this week as well!
Ooh, excellent. I enjoyed your vampire bites from before (which sounds totally weird if you didn’t know what I was talking about haha!)
Hahaha!
Intriguing snippet Helen and nicely done. Makes me want to know the context, but hell I’m just gonna have to wait and buy the book when it comes out, aren’t it? 🙂
Thanks, Lynn. Yes, I’ve shared a few snippets of this WIP on the blog, but am trying not to give too much away. It’s a while off being a book yet, though – I have the story but am still fleshing it out 🙂 Might need a beta reader at some point…?
Ooh, exciting stuff. Sign me up for that job 🙂 Good luck with the rest of the write – hope it goes as planned.
Thanks, Lynn – that’s really kind of you, and please let me know if I can ever return the favour too 🙂 Silver and Black is a while off at the moment, as I have my next Ambeth book to sort out. Hope your writing process is going well, too 🙂
My pleasure. The current projects not going too badly, so I may take you up on that offer next year! Good luck with the next Ambeth book and Silver and Black
Oh, please do. Glad to hear it’s going well 🙂
Well, it feels like it’s going well some days. Then truly badly others. Then I wonder why I’m bothering and whether I should stick to the day job 🙂
Oh yes, I have plenty of days like that. Usually days when I get rejections or another short story doesn’t get shortlisted, or longlisted, or anything. But I do write because I love it, and when it’s going well it’s the best thing in the world 🙂
Yes, rejection is never fun is it? And when you seem to get more rejections than stories accepted it’s so disheartening. And then you win something or get shortlisted and everything’s great again. Building a world and spending time with the characters you create is the best fun though, you’re right
Yes. Yes to all of this. This writing game is tough, isn’t it? But the rewards are great 🙂
Yes they are. On a day like today when all goes smoothly … it’s wonderful 🙂
It is. That’s the reward, isn’t it?
Absolute pleasure is the reward, you’re right 🙂
for the love of actual god woman, hurry up and finish this book already. I am like a salivating dog. WHAT AN EXCERPT Loved the last line too.
Hehe, thanks Sacha 🙂 I’m liking how this book is coming along, to be honest. And Lucy is on at me to finish Ambeth 4, so I’d better get busy. How’s the editing going at your end?
erm. not. I am trying to finish the draft of villains before I go back to Keepers because its TOO much of a temptation. Although, I say that, and I’ve already started re-writing the beginning from scratch. SIGH. Just need more hours and less blogging! haha
Oh yes, same here! Just want to write at the moment and so blogging is suffering. And forget about all the other stuff too haha!
Sometimes you have to give in to temptation, even for a little while…
Awesome, this. Love the last line! ❤
Ooh, thank you. I’m actually quite pleased with how this story is coming along, so it’s nice to be able to share snippets. It’s a way off from being a book yet though 🙂
Well, I look forward to when it is. Although you have a lot going on it seems. 😉 Think I’m going to read A Thousand Rooms next. It’s mocking me from my Kindle…
Ooh, thank you 🙂 I have your book on my Kindle too, and am shamefully behind on my reading. I’m hoping to get a chance to catch up over the Christmas break. Hope your book is going well xx
So am I (way behind on reading). It’s embarrassing. Your Ambeth series has been yelling at me but I’m reading Thousand Rooms first. (And thank you! Hope you enjoy Hinting.)
Oh, I’m sure I will – I always enjoy your writing. 🙂 And, a quiet heads up on Ambeth, I’ve just given Oak and Mist, the first book in the series, a bit of a tweak. Haven’t changed the story or anything, just gone back and fixed a few things I didn’t like about the language (one of the joys of being an indie). So if you’d like an updated copy let me know x
You have mail. ❤
Thanks, Sarah 🙂 Just mailed back x