#authorwrites

[august-aches]

“Do you think we’re friends in every universe?”

We’re the Three Musketeers. Lemon, lime, orange. Three different blooms that grow towards each other, three birds that caw at one another. Rock, paper, scissors. You burn me like the sun but you keep us warm when winter strolls. I admire the moon because you appear in the sky, even when your phase is unseen. Call me the stars, let me dance around you, let me glow around you to illuminate your beauty. To light up the sky when you’re not there. Sea, sky, land. Spicy, mild, and sweet. Promises I will keep.

[dmbrightwell]

In the Garden of Sin

New Story: All Rights Reserved to D. M. Brightwell

“Time is a thief,” 

I told him, my eyes filling with tears as the walls I tried so desperately to build, to hold together, came crumbling down in a million pieces. 

“Time is a thief and it has stolen everything from me. I cannot stand it anymore.”

His hands shot out, so gently, grabbing my face like I was as delicate as a blossoming flower in the middle of spring. 

“Time is a prison for me. It has trapped me in a cell made of bars that are stronger than me. It has forced me to watch those I love and care about fade away into dust.”

Tears poured down my face as I looked up at him and into his steel colored eyes which almost seemed to glow as he stared deeply into mine. I have never felt welcome. Never felt I belonged anywhere but, for the first time, it felt as if, in his hands, this was where I was meant to be.

“Time will not steal me away from you,” 

he said gently, quietly, his voice almost trembling. 

And then his lips came down slowly upon mine, a kiss laced with more emotion that could possibly be expressed into words and, for once, I no longer felt alone.

[author-does-art]

Day Two: “Don’t think I forgot what you did last time…”

Reconcile

The meeting was unprecedented to say the least. Peyton was on a stalking mission, an order from Chorus after one too many bumps in the night. Reagan was out fetching supplies for himself, completely on his own, no other club kids in sight. No one could have guessed that the two would cross paths so soon, and no one could guess exactly how their meeting would go.

        It was Reagan who spotted Peyton first as he exited the shop, lucky that the stalker didn’t spot him first. But that didn’t mean they didn’t spot him next, not when he didn’t move, not when he didn’t keep quiet.

        “Don’t. Move.” Reagan’s voice was low, tired but warning them all the same. He wasn’t happy, and they expected as much. But they could never be sure about their former friend these days. “Drop any gear you have. Phone, book bag, the works.”

        Peyton squinted at Reagan, almost as if asking why, but they knew why. They both did. "Don't think I forgot what you did last time..."

        …That was fair. Even Peyton could acknowledge that, and the sadness and dare they say fear underneath that anger was enough for them to comply. In a few moments, they dropped their small bag. Their phone. Even their earpiece. Not that Reagan even knew about the earpiece, but… it would do them no good to listen to the Dispatcher when they couldn’t talk back.

        ‘…What do you want?’ Despite their compliance, Peyton was still very much tense. They’d been friends with Reagan for a long time. They knew how he could get. And that was why they were so scared of him, yet seeing him like this always seemed to scramble their feelings.

        While Peyton expected more violence from Reagan, the teen didn’t react much at all. All he did was stare at them, seeming lost, even as he sighed and shook his head. “…Fuck,” the teen grumbled, running a hand through his hair. When did he get so skinny? Shit… “…You know, when I woke up and figured out what you did, I wanted to beat the shit out of you.”

         Reagan seemed to find his focus as he began to speak, mismatched green eyes narrowing almost dangerously at the teen. “You were my best friend. I stuck up for you and you shaped me. You. Shaped me.” His voice grew shaky as he continued onward, the punk gritting his teeth before forcing himself to press on. “And you… You’re with them. You’re… with… them. You’re with-“

        Reagan suddenly diverted his gaze, hands running through his hair. Deep breaths, he seemed to be telling himself. Deep breaths. Peyton could see it, his attempt at calming techniques, and their first thought was to try and help.

        Reaching out, they tried to place a hand on his shoulder, but the second contact was made, Reagan jerked away.

        “Don’t touch me!” He snarled, backing up a few paces. It was aggressive. He looked angry, but under that was just… fear.

        They were why he felt fear. This was Peyton’s fault.

        “…Don’t touch me.” Reagan, realizing what he was doing, attempted to straighten himself out, brushing his shoulders and arms as if that would make any difference. “…Just. Urgh-!“

        He then shook his head, seeming angrier with himself than anything. “Why did you do it?!”

        …What?

        “Why did you shape me? Follow them? Save me?!” Reagan’s rambling almost made no sense to the teen, but he didn’t hesitate to put it into context. “You’re their puppet and you took me out. You tried and then you had the chance and then… Then you… At the Hunt you stuck your neck out for me! What the hell were you thinking?! Why- Why would you do that-?!”

        So that was it. Why did Peyton do what they did. What made Peyton tick. A question that Reagan had thought he’d known the answer to until their friendship fell through. Reagan wanted to know why everything had happened, and Peyton… Peyton didn’t fully know if they could explain. But maybe… if what Ara had said was true, if Reagan did seem to be getting better… maybe he could handle it.

        Taking a deep breath of their own, Peyton began lining up their own explanation for him. But they needed to make something clear to their former friend, something that they weren’t even sure they would understand.

        “…E-Everyth- I-“ Their voice suddenly clammed up. Too loud. Too much noise. They couldn’t speak, not out loud. With their trust in him gone, they reverted back to sign, hoping he would understand. ‘…Everything I did… Was to protect you.’

        “What-“

        ‘Let me finish!’ They gritted their teeth, already upset, but surprisingly enough, Reagan didn’t barrel over them. ‘…Thanks…’

        ‘Before the club, the blackouts, the voices… you were so much happier,’ they signed. ‘You still got into fights, you still got into trouble, but it was harmless. We were best friends. We were happy skating to school everyday and running late to class. Everything was fine. Everything was great.’

        ‘And then we noticed the blackouts. We met Bells, and she went missing and the voices… And you became so…’ Their hands shook for a moment, gesturing as they tried to figure out how to even break it to him. ‘…You became scary. Angry. You kept wanting… wanting to hurt things, talking about hurting people, because the club… the club let in traitors. You were mad about the voices- The kids- Everything! The Grudge Queen was blacking you out- The Hunter- The Hunter showed interest-!’

        Their hands shook yet again, eyes flicking all over the place but always returning to Reagan. ‘…You were… not yourself anymore… and when that watcher died and you figured out who it was… I didn’t know if you would actually hurt them, or if you were just being an ass… So I…’ They finally looked away, arms crossed as they shrank into themselves. At first Reagan thought they’d stopped talking, but then he heard their shaky whisper.

        “…I just wanted my friend back…”

        The two stood in silence for a while, opposite sides of the silent war unable to figure out what to say. Peyton had answered his questions, at least the ones regarding Reagan’s shaping incident. And Reagan had stood and listened, after of asking the questions he’d had. Maybe it was his time to respond, to answer to Peyton’s explanation. Maybe it was time to finally try to understand.

        “…We can never be friends again,” Reagan started, the teen shuffling his feet while his hands rested in his vest pockets. “…What you did to me fucked me up, and I’m sure as hell not ready to forgive you for that. Hell I doubt I ever will. And you work for Speak-ass so I sure as hell don’t like you right now.”

        Yeah, that was what Peyton expected. Even if he was better at… this, Reagan was never very good at forgiveness.

        “But…” He sighed, looking away a tad as Peyton glanced up. “…Look. I don’t hate you, I guess. I sure as hell thought I did. Still think I do, but I don’t think I do.” He paused, watching Peyton squint in confusion. “…I’m not good at this feelings shit okay!”

        A small chuckle then sounded from Peyton, surprising both kids for a moment as they went silent. But that didn’t stop the surprised teen from flashing a small smile at Reagan, a smile that he didn’t know how to receive, but… he didn’t react badly to it.

        ‘…That’s okay. You don’t have to forgive me,’ they replied. ‘I… still honestly believe that we’d all be better off in the Song, but… I won’t hunt you down and sell you out to your dad or something.’

      “Dad’s husband. I disowned that bitch.”

        ‘Reagan-‘ Wait. No. They were in no shape to lecture, and they knew it wouldn’t help anyway. ‘…Okay.’

        Giving them a nod, Reagan sighed yet again, now picking up the backpack he’d plopped on the ground. At the same time, the Instrument suddenly sounded, alerting both kids to the coming of the Shape. “…Damn. How fucking sloppy did those guys get?”

        ‘I don’t know. I’ll figure it out in a moment.’ Peyton then began picking up their own gear, earpiece back in place as they got ready to go. ‘…You’re not going to stop me?’ A dumb question, but they were surprised by his inaction. Instead, all Reagan did was shake his head.

        “Not unless I find out you’re bloodstalking. Then I’ll have no choice but to come and kick your ass.” His tone was joking, but there was an air of seriousness to it. Even now, Reagan didn’t approve of the bloodstalking. “…I sure as hell hope you don’t bloodstalk like your ex-partner did at least.”

        ‘Not much. Only those causing serious harm,’ Peyton explained almost too casually. Reagan’s questioning glare, however, got them to pause and explain their reasoning. ‘…People who hurt sleepers and lucids excessively. My job is to keep them safe. That’s what I document as a stalker. And vandalism, there’s no reason to kick so many doors in.’ Well, usually. Reagan didn’t have to know the rest of it.

        ‘…Okay.’ With a small smile and a nod, they pulled out their phone and watched him go, now checking their phone for the total sin reports coming in. It was time to get to work, and so, they began their descent into the maze.

[ask-thetruebelieverhenry]

Henry felt his muscles burning as he strode through the castle. From the moment he docked to his mother’s kingdom he couldn’t stop moving. It had been five years since he’d been home, it was more than enough time though he thought plus.. maybe his mother could help him without her even knowing..

He couldn’t help but wonder if Regina would even recognize him.. at least this would be fun. Henry snickered to himself softly making his way through the castle. He couldn’t help the nervousness creeping up as he heard the clinking of his armor.

@askregalmills

[writers-community-in]

Beauty in words is the purity of heart ... Wonderful lines for father which are actually full of love towards him #loveforfather #family #poemforfather #poetslove #bestwriting #authorwrites #writers #writeup #poem #poemsofinstagram #indianpoet #indianwriter (at New York, New York) https://www.instagram.com/p/CCUAdpTlXsO/?igshid=1cuvxeqa4wk5j

[vitalwebmaster]

Interested in #Ukraine and it’s culture, people, religions, and traditions? I have written everything in “#vitalybook”. It is a personal and true story about #vitaly. See more details here https://vitalybook.com/synopsis-the-true-story-about-vitaly-book.html #memoirbook #memoir #bookstagram #writersofig #books #booklovers #bookcommunity #bookrecommendations #biography #readingcommunity #author #authorsofinstagram #authorwriting #writingcommunity #writing #readersofinstagram #ukraine #ukrainewar #ukraine #war #kiev #ua #militarystile #russia #ukrainenews #odessa #lviv #kyiv (at Salt Lake City, Utah) https://www.instagram.com/p/CaoLP9Dr6Hs/?utm_medium=tumblr

[l-a-bridger]

Character name giveaway

To celebrate 100 twitter followers you get to name the Antagonist in my book. Whoever reblogs and likes on Tumblr or retweets and likes in on my twitter account gets to name the Antagonist. Must be a follower. This will run till 9pm central time on May 31st Link to my twitter account 
https://mobile.twitter.com/LurieCulp

[consciousenneagram]

Wow, friends. What a fucking week. •• I announced last Saturday at my graduation party that I signed a book deal with @fortress_press, and life has felt like a whirlwind ever since. I had a great chat with @chattybroads sharing my love of the Enneagram with their listeners, and I’be been totally blown away by the response. •• To all my new followers, I’m so glad you’re here! My hope is that this insta can be a place for you to learn more about yourself through the Enneagram, and even more importantly, learn how to put all this to work to transform your life and relationships. •• I’m spending my Sunday trying to rest and prepare for the week ahead, which has lots of client work and writing (SO MUCH WRITING). I’ve got some new content coming out for this page, too! So, be on the lookout for that this week as well! •• If you love what I’m doing please consider becoming a patron over in Patreon. Even $1 a month helps me to keep this work sustainable in the midst of all the other plates I’m spinning. •• I’m so grateful we get to go on this journey together and I hope you’ll continue to find meaning and value in my work. Happy Sunday, y’all! •• How do you spend your Sundays? Let me know in the comments! • • • #enneagram #enneagram1 #enneagram2 #enneagram3 #enneagram4 #enneagram5 #enneagram6 #enneagram7 #enneagram8 #enneagram9 #millenneagram #spiritualgrowth #personalgrowth #enneagramcoach #spiritualwork #innerwork #transformation #contemplative #practice #yoga #meditation #yogatherapy #authorwriting #selfie #selfiesunday #theconsciousenneagrambook (at Starbucks) https://www.instagram.com/p/B2_5bH8lOfA/?igshid=gp2mamr64s25

[pramodwriterbyheart-blog]

i'm broken but not dead... #lovestories #mydairy #poemsoftheday #poetrylover #poemoftheday #lovepoetry #lifepoetry #motivational #positivevibes #poetsoninstagram #writerssociety #writerscorner #wordswag #authorsofig #author #authorwritings #poemoftheday #poemsoftheday #instagram #instagramwriters #poemcommunity #poems #oneliner #authorsofinstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/BpWvqvaH3YY/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1k2sk7faacv1h

[august-aches]

He glares in the reflection

Clutching his white flag

Refusing to wave surrender

Seemingly strange but enraged

Reflection taunting, making him seem inferior

He had a grudge with the man in the mirror

[dozimusic]

#Regrann from @kasualkas Congrats to #Singer #Songwriter @leelonn for winning the @istandard "iWrite" showcase. he displayed ...Originality, Lyrics, Production selection and overall having the best records played at the event last night ... we will be in touch #authorwriters #playbook #kwl #istandard #GetExcited

[dmbrightwell]

DRAGON: Excerpt

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED TO D. M. BRIGHTWELL

Here is the new and improved excerpt/description for Dragon for the updated/manuscript version of it! This will be the description used when publishing as well as the cover!

He was a Saint. He was the Dragon. But even a Dragon has its treasure.

Drake Rivers, codename Dragon.

Intelligent, mischievous, and anything but weak.

He was a man hunted by the dragon on his chest, by his past. Being the Saints Brotherhood’s youngest member, he was underestimated.

Nothing has been able to wake the Dragon within him, until he met her.

* * *

She became a Saint. She was Reclusa. But even a spider can be poisoned. 

Lucy Steele.

Daring, stubborn, and anything but incapable. 

She was a trained mercenary, running from her past. Being with the Saints gave her a second chance at life, a chance to right her wrongs.

Nothing has been able to make her feel alive, until she met him.

* * *

They came from the same past, with creatures from within hunting them.

He’s forced to face his past, and she’s forced to trust someone other than herself.

No one could’ve prepared them for the strength they’d find in each other.

No one could’ve prepared them for the fire and poison they’d endure for each other.

Will Drake overcome the Dragon within and allow himself to heal? Will a spider use her poison to save or will she be poisoned by herself? Or, will they fall victim to the same fate their maker made for the others?

A fiery, enemies-to-lovers romance.

[author-does-art]

Day Ten: “Remember the night we learned how to fly?”

Grapple Lessons

Featuring @setsleepersablaze ‘s Milo, @unusualblackoutkiddo ‘s Sky, and mentions of @.t00lb0xx ‘s Steven!

“So here’s how you use a grapple!” Milo’s voice rang out loud enough for the two kids to hear as he began to fiddle with his hero weapon, unwinding the rope and preparing the device so that it properly stuck on whatever he was throwing it at. Before him were the other two members of the Gremlin Squad, Sky and Vien, the enby looking nervous but determined as they watched him toss the thing up and test it.

        While Sky seemed at least familiar with the process, Vien couldn’t help but be not only nervous, but embarrassed. The grapple was one of the most commonly used hero items in the boxcar, second only to the crossbow, which… dear gosh, she couldn’t believe the club had those. Because of the grapple’s popularity though, many kids knew how to use it, Milo being one of them. 

        Milo… he’d only just joined the club and was so efficient, making friends, saving kids… Sky was also getting better with this item too, even when it wasn’t their main. Like Vien, Sky seemed to have a taser on them a lot. It just made escaping easier, and Vien wouldn’t be surprised if that made them feel safer too. And Sky was even newer to all of this, yet they… apparently had been practicing. There went Milo, asking them to demonstrate, and while it took some effort, they did make it a good way up the rope. Man… The two new kids had already more or less gotten the hang of the thing, and here Vien was, not knowing anything, which she thought they didn’t need to know until-

        “Your turn Vien!” Milo’s voice snapped her out of her daze, the teen blinking as she focused back on her friends. Oh. Sky must’ve finished their climb. They were already back down on the ground again, meaning they probably hadn’t been able to pull themselves up. Guess their arm strength was still weak, but it was getting there. With enough practice, Sky would be able to get up there eventually.

        “Sorry. I kind of slipped down when I tried to grab the ledge,” Sky wheezed, blowing on their hands to try and soothe the rope burn.

        ”You can probably use the sink in 922 to help with the burns,” Vien suggested, gesturing to the house behind them. “Just uh… don’t get dragged. Sometimes a sleeper wanders around up there, but I can totally buy you a tranq if you need.”

        ”Okay.” Giving Vien a nod, Sky smiled in thanks and hurried off to the house. Now, Vien and Milo were alone. Now, Vien would be left to fail at climbing up the rope.

        As Sky left, Vien hesitantly approached Milo, the kid staring up at the top of the rope with a worried frown. She had to climb up that? Oh dear. Already, her worries we’re proving to be a problem. Was that even safe? Would it hold her weight? Nonsense. Of course it would! But what if Milo got it wrong? What if she was too heavy? It was preposterous, but here she was, tugging on the rope to make sure it was firmly in place. Clearly the girl was jittery, and thankfully, her friend was able to read the room.

        ”It’s sturdy,” Milo reassured, giving the rope a much harsher than than what she was doing. “I’ve climbed this thing a bunch of times! Plus I still weigh more than you so if it can hold me, you’ll be perfectly fine! And if you fall, I’ll catch you!”

        He was always so considerate about this kind of stuff, which was always so helpful. But that didn’t mean she wasn’t any less nervous. Clutching the rope, the kid let out a sigh, shrinking into her green flannel a bit more. “…Good to know- I just… I can’t climb.”

        ”Huh?” Ah. That was what was happening. But that didn’t mean Milo wasn’t any less confused. “You can climb! I’ve seen you climb fences and run around on those rafters all the time! You gotta climb to get up there you know.”

        ”I know-!” That was different. Climbing up objects and using a rope were different. “But that’s- Those things are blocky objects- This is a rope-! It’s- I’m gonna fall- I don’t have this kind of strength- I can’t climb it-!”

        Vien’s knuckles turned white as she gripped the rope tighter, the kid gritting her teeth in frustration from her own fear. This was stupid. She knew it was! It was a climbing rope! But it was necessary, what with some of the unreachable things in the maze. That and it was an easy getaway from sleepers and lucids. She needed to learn this if she wanted to stay safe. So why couldn’t she just do it?!

        While the kid stood by and had a some sort of breakdown, Milo quickly picked up just how bad things were and placed a hand on her own. “Vien, if it stresses you out that much, you don’t have to learn how to use a grapple.”

        ”But I should learn it! It’s an extra edge in the game, and I’d be stupid to turn it down.”

        ”Well yeah, but you don’t have to give yourself an anxiety attack over it.” Milo then gave his grapple a few precise rugs and let it fall back down beside them, the rope going slack in Vien’s hands now that it was no longer attached to the rock wall. “You’re just as new as the rest of us, right? You’ll get it.”

        ”No- I’ve still been in the club longer than you, and Steven uses the grapple too- I just…” The kid eventually dropped the rope, crossing her arms and sinking into herself again. “Logically, I should be good at this by now. My best friend is a grapple-runner and he’s the one who took me out in my first few missions. Hell I even tried to use grapple too but like… I never really had the strength for it and stuff… And now you guys are learning how to use it. You took to it easily, which is fair- That does happen, but even Sky’s ahead of me and they pretty much just started and are shaped like a twink!”

        Milo couldn’t help but snicker at that last bit. Haha Twink Sky, but also, that wasn’t really important here. It was clear that Vien felt useless. Inferior even, and Milo wanted to do something about it.

        ”Did Vien just call me a twink?” Sky’s voice only barely reached the duo as they climbed up and over the fence, the kid seeming confused but also vaguely amused by the idea. “Also how’d the climb go? Are we done?”

        ”Nah, we’re not done yet,” Milo replied. “Come on. I’ve got another idea.”

        And so, Milo took off trotting up Upper Hoadly, gesturing for the others to follow, which Sky and Vien of course did. Up past the houses and further into the woods by Old Growth, the trio went, all up until they encountered one of the caves they used to take their exit. Here, Milo tossed his grapple up by the cave, only to then draw the rope out and make sure it could be grabbed by someone in the nearest tree. “Vien’s worried about not having any arm strength, so! I’ve decided we’re gonna do arm strength training the fun way!”

        Oh this looked like fun, but it also looked like pain if they messed up. In a way though, Vien couldn’t help but consider this, the kid watching as Milo climbed the tree and prepared for a swing. “Train your upper arms to hold on while swinging around! Is it safe? Eh, but it’s fun!”

        With that, he then proceeded to jump out of the tree, holding onto the rope tightly as he swung around inside. Laughter echoed through the cave as he swung into it, the sound of boots eventually hitting the cave wall drowning them out before he lowered himself back down to the ground, grinning. “See? Perfectly safe! Just make sure you try to steer yourself into facing the nearest cave wall.”

        This looked so dangerous, but somehow it was overriding whatever logic told her not to do it. Apparently this was more acceptable than your average climbing test, which was bonkers to say the least. Clearly this should be even lower on her list of acceptable activities, but unfortunately for her, Vien was still a teenager, and teenagers are legally obligated to do stupid shit at least once.

        As Milo handed her the rope, Vien got to work, climbing up into the tree and wrapping the rope firmly around her hands. “You sure I’m not gonna straight up die?”

        ”Eh. Probably won’t.” Milo sounded so casual, yet there was something picking at the back of her mind. Even with her teenager brain, her anxiety still wished to come out and over-analyze.

        ‘Don’t think about it,’ she told herself. ‘If you start thinking now, you’ll lock up again.’ So she didn’t. She tried to stop thinking about it, instead taking a deep breath before swinging out of the tree and into the cave.

        The fun was over in mere moments for Vien as she  swung back outside then back into the thing, eventually steering herself so that she could plant her feet on the wall and stop the spinning. Her head hurt just a smidge from getting so disoriented, but for the most part, she was laughing, both afraid and entertained all at once. She couldn’t climb just yet, but she had a grip. She could hold on, and she could only get better from there.

        And that was true. She had gotten better. Now she could keep up with her friends and race up the rope whenever a sleeper was on their tail. Now she could toss up a grapple and even switch with her group if for whatever reason she ever needed to. Now she could climb and swing and play the same game with more certainty than she ever could back then.

        ’Remember the night we learned how to fly?’ The words slid into her mind as she stared at the pictures on her phone, some of Milo and Sky swinging around while a few were of her that she’d gotten from Milo at the time.

        ’Yeah,’ she replied. ‘I remember.’

[ask-thetruebelieverhenry]

AUish- Arrows and Intentions

-

Henry watched as his family had moved around Granny’s. It was crazy for him to think about escaping the curse only to walk into another, thankfully he and his mother broke that. Henry slid into the booth with a smirk sliding into the seat across from Robin. “Hey, So.. Robin, How are you liking Storybrooke?” He asked as a hot chocolate was placed in front of him.

@askrxbinhood

[willzeilinger]

Here is our animated greeting for June. Enjoy! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1r4R8yGIHN0&t=3s If you wish to be removed from this mailing - please let me know. BILL ZEILINGER Graphic Designer and Authorwriting as Will Zeilingerhttp://www.willzeilingerauthor.com Janet Elizabeth Lynn and my latest Skylar Drake Mystery, SLICK DEAL is available at Amazon.com and Gatsby Books in Long Beach, CA. Find the E-Book version at amazon.com, barnes & noble.com, iTunes, Kobo.com and smashwords.com

[l-a-bridger]

My book characters as cinnamon roll types

looks like a cinnamon roll but could actually kill you: Karina looks like they could kill you but is actually a cinnamon roll: Darion looks like a cinnamon roll and is actually a cinnamon roll: Aderes looks like they could kill you and would actually kill you: Varian the sinnamon roll: Liam