Snippits

This is where you will find news and excerpts from the books I am working on now.


Ready for a sneak peek into the THIRD Amethyst Eyes...

Here is part of chapter one, and it has yet to be edited...but go on, let me know what you think!

Tommy pulled Jayden closer and leaned his forehead on hers. “Be safe,” she whispered. She could barely hide her nervousness, but pushed out of his arms when the alarm sounded. Her expression shifted and he saw her compose herself, becoming the serious doctor he admired. She shot him one last glance as she hurried back to medical bay to receive the injured. This colony transfer had been one of their more challenging.
Two other crew members raced into the room and joined Tommy on the transporter platform. With the slightest nod of his head towards the officer manning the console, the room faded from view and the three men found themselves in the near darkness of the cave’s entrance. This was the first time they had been able to transport to the planet’s surface since the beginning of their intervention. Transportation had been through shuttles and the transfer pod. The team of engineers had assured him that they had secured a spot and with the use of strategically placed emitters, a secure field had been generated to create a viable transport corridor. A little late for this intervention, but maybe not too late to save the lives of the children that had supposedly been abandoned just below the surface. Tommy hoped it wasn’t too late.
He blinked to adjust his vision to the black of the night as a tremor shook the ground. The air was heavy with the smell of acrid smoke from the volcanic activity. “We’d better hurry,” Tommy said to Mikah and Emran. They’d come a long way from the boys he’s first met on the ship when he’d arrived a lifetime ago. They were now part of the crew, putting their lives on the line to save others.
Mikah scanned the area. “Aside from within the perimeter created by the emitters, we are still unable to scan the area.” He huffed in frustration, his dark eyes searching the area.
“Then we’d better get a move on,” Tommy said. He led the way into the cave, waiting until they had taken shelter before activating their lights.  The inner cave branched off in several directions and the men paused, hesitating momentarily before splitting up.
“Nothing down here,” Emran shouted back to the group.
“Nothing down here,” Mikah echoed.
Tommy was about to declare his area clear when he noticed an opening close to the ground on his left. He braced himself while another aftershock shook the cave. Dust and debris fell from the earthen ceiling, and Tommy turned back the way he’d come, dismissing the tunnel. The tremor intensified, and he was forced to brace himself against the wall. A terrified cry amidst the loud rumble caught his attention and he let out a breath of frustration. He was going to have to go down that tight tunnel. “There’s something here!” he shouted over the fading thunder. “I think someone’s hurt!”
He only half considered the possibility that the tunnel would collapse before the crying grew louder. The sheer terror in the little voice urged him on and Tommy pulled himself to his feet into what looked like a typical family dwelling. Light came from oil-filled clay pots lying around the room haphazardly and Tommy switched his off. Emran stepped in behind him, his blonde hair covered in a layer of dirt. “We should leave the adults behind for this!” he spat out as he eyed the young kids.
Tommy dropped slowly to one knee before the huddled group of abandoned children. He smiled reassuringly as he spoke softly to them, knowing they could not understand. Their haunted eyes focused on Tommy as tears ran streaks down their dirt covered cheeks. “Careful not to scare them,” he said in a low voice to the men as Mikah crouched down beside him. Movement off to the right caught Tommy’s attention and he spotted a small child trying to hide under some worn mats.
“I’ve got this,” Mikah said. He pulled out a tiny digi-pad and made a few guttural sounds that caught the children’s attention.
Tommy’s skin began to crawl a second before the rumbling started again. “Take cover!” he shouted. A violent tremor spread underfoot, knocking the transfer crew to the ground. “Grab the kids and get out of here.” Tommy struggled to scoop up the boy half-hidden under the pile of covers and dove for cover. The fierce shaking raged on, and the frail child awkwardly grabbed hold of Tommy’s uniform. The pair crammed themselves into a tiny niche in the cold hard wall for safety.
The ceiling gave out with a thunderous crash, spilling rocks and debris into the space they’d occupied seconds before. Tommy shifted the best he could to shelter the child clutched tight to his chest. They huddled together in a space barely large enough to protect them from the worst of it. The rumbling grew louder and darkness engulfed them, leaving them with an eerie silence that somehow filled the obscurity.
Tommy’s lungs screamed through a fit of coughing as he choked on the dust filled air. The last of the rocks slid and fell, pelting his exposed shoulder and leg, and he grit his teeth. The pounding of his heart grew in his ears, filling the silence -broken only by the soft whimpers from his charge. Tommy blinked and accepted that they were in absolute darkness. The boy whimpered as Tommy loosened his hold and tried to readjust the boy’s position. “Shh, it’s OK, you’re OK. Let’s see what we’re dealing with.” He slid his hand across the upper part of his uniform sleeve to activate a light.
His gut tightened as he surveyed the area. Rocks of every size filled what had been the family’s main room, covering everything. Tommy could not imagine how they were going to get out of the cave before their oxygen ran out. “I hope they find us soon,” he said. His thoughts turned grim as he wondered if the others had made it out, or if the pod even knew of their situation to double back and help.
He tried to adjust his posture and find a more comfortable position, but his charge held tight, impeding any temporary relief. Fine. It was the least of their worries right now. A stab of pain from his outstretched leg let him know he wouldn’t be going anywhere just yet. He felt the slow trickle of blood slide down his injured limb and chose to ignore it.

“Got any suggestions?” he asked the boy? Of course, not speaking the language, the boy remained silent. “I didn’t think so. We’ll just sit tight until they dig us out.” He hoped they still be alive by then. 

3 comments:

  1. I did get one comment about this, posted on my facebook wall. Just wanted to share: You are so NOT nice! How could you leave us hanging like that (How the parent's met.)

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  2. I am anxious to read the rest so hurry a bit, Debbie!!! ;) I love your stories so much!

    ReplyDelete