Sunday, July 1, 2012

Special Guest K.D. Emerson Shares Her Latest!


An exciting scene from the upcoming novel, Digitus 233 by K.D. Emerson

It had been a lazy sunny afternoon. The boys trotted home on the calls from their mother’s to come to dinner. They didn’t mind as the wind was picking up, making their game impossible to continue. They didn’t realize what was racing toward them from the ocean only a few miles away.

Jackson’s mother was late coming home from work and dinner wasn’t ready at their house, so he took to “his” tree; the big old cypress that stood in the yard of the abandoned house next to his.

From his favorite perch he could see for miles in any direction. He peered down the street toward town and watched people scurry into the shops to get out of the rain. The wind snatched hold of the branches and swung him wildly back and forth. He didn’t mind. He had been in the tree many times during storms. It filled him with the feeling of freedom, of flying.

Jackson held to the branch and swung backward until he was hanging upside down. He loved watching the ocean waves upside down. It made it look as if the ocean was really the sky. What he saw this day filled him with dread. Jackson watched in horror as a raging monster roared toward him. The hurricane smacked into the coast. It hurled lawn chairs, BBQs, toys, people into the air. The streets filled with water. Jackson tried to pull himself up. His knees slipped from the branch. He grabbed the trunk as his body crashed against it with a sickening thud.

He yelled for his family to get out of the house as the waves of water smacked into their tiny home, splintering the doorframe, smashing in the walls.

Dirty, filthy water continued to rise, devouring everything in sight. He sat in the fork of the branches of “his” tree. The tree he spent his summers in. The tree he climbed during those times when the arguing and fighting got to be too much for his young soul to take. The tree that many times was his only friend in the sweltering heat of the humid summers. Now it was his life line as the storm raged, whipping leaves and limbs, thrashing against buildings, swallowing his home below.

He clung to the tree. Hours. Or days, he didn’t know.

The rain rushed at his face and whipped against his arms. His feet slid from below him and he nearly lost his hold on the rain slick branch. He clutched at it with all his strength. He set his strong jaw. ‘You will not fall,’ he willed himself.

The wail of the wind ripped the clouds into a boiling cauldron above him. The water below crept higher until his legs were in a foot of filthy water. Garbage floated by. From the distance a dog paddled through the water toward the tree; on his last ounce of strength.

“Come here boy,” Jackson called. The dog panted and paddled.

Jackson stretched his arm out. He was only inches away from the dog’s collar. He leaned his body out above the water. “Come on boy, come here.” The dog’s soulful eyes looked up at him. It flapped his front legs in a churning motion. The dog moved an inch. Jackson tried again to grab the collar. It slipped from his grip. The dog sunk under the slime.

“No!” Jackson yelled above the storm. He quickly wrapped his legs around the branch and hung upside down. He stretched his body and swung out over the water. His knees slipped, he ignored it and swung himself again. The dog popped up, his nose barely clearing the water. Jackson grabbed the dog’s ears and pulled with everything in him. He dragged the dog to him, held it close to his chest and then swung himself and the dog back to the trunk of the tree. He grasped the trunk with one hand while clutching the dog with the other. Tears streamed down his face and mixed with the rain.

The dog hung onto his arm with its front paws like he was part human as tears poured down Jackson’s face. He had watched his whole family die in front of his face as the waves of water rushed through the streets and slammed into his home. His sister had tried to get to the roof, but the water was too fast for her and snatched her off the roof, carrying her away before Jackson could react. He sat in the tree and cried over the near loss of this mangy mutt who clung to him. He pressed his face into the wet fur and sobbed.

As the water receded so did his tears. Ten years had passed, cementing the ducts of his eyes closed. Jackson was now a hard and disciplined man.

Author, KD Emerson was born (or is that hatched) several years ago. We won’t go into how long it has been because she has this fantasy that she is still a teenager off to conquer the world. She has a passion for the written word and assisting other writers in becoming the best they can be. She also loves to promote others and cheer them on to victory. Follow her on twitter @MstrKoda or you can find her at www.masterkoda.com and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/kimmutch.emerson



25 comments:

  1. Oooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!! That's terrible!!!!! Don't they call those Tsunami's?? That's terrible!! *Hugs boy* (It was excellent!!!!)

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  2. Thanks Sian. Your words mean the world to me.

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  3. wow...that made me cry (and that's hard to do)

    laurie

    parisfan_ca@yahoo.com

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    1. Laurie, this means so much to me! Well not that you cried... but that the writing touched you. They say no tears for the author, no tears for the reader.

      Blessings to you,
      Kim

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  4. Oh my gosh! Heartbreaking! I'm so glad he got the dog. I would have been crying the rest of the night. You caught my attention with the very first word, I love it!

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    1. Betty, You are such a sweet spirit and friend. Thank you for reading and sharing your heart.

      Big hugs!
      Kim

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  5. Wow, well done, Kim!!!! I could easily see and feel what Jackson did. Kudos to you :)

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  6. Joyce, Thanks for taking your time to read and comment, honey bunny!

    Kim

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  7. WOW! Incredible. Powerful. Gripping. And I'm so sorry that it happened...glad the 'tree' saved him.

    Well done!

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  8. Jane, I will never forget how the story of your student "The Tree" supernaturally fit with the timing of my writing this piece. I know the Creator had much more to do with the writing of this scene than I did. The symbol of the tree in my story is "The Tree" from your past.

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    1. Kim, I love that, too. It will always be a special memory for me and a connection to you as well as 'Tree'.

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  9. OMG!! Was on pins and needles until he got the dog! This would be a definite read for me!!

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  10. Arlene, That means a lot to me as I consider you to be a very gifted author!

    Thanks!
    Kim (KD Emerson)

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  11. Loved, loved, loved the excerpt. I have to go back and see what the name of the book is.
    Patti
    yagerdelagrange@gmail.com

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    1. Thanks Patricia!

      That is quite a complement :) It will be coming out this fall.

      Kim (KD Emerson)

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  12. OH my heart was pounding the whole time. To find something so lov'd so dear to your heart where memories are calm and sweet. Then to have that become your lifeline your only hope and to save a dog from death to find yourself alone abandoned by natures furry. Gosh I think I am sprinkling again. Very well written and you painted a moving picture. 3 thumbs up if your an alien. :)

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    1. Thank you Dvora! This was a scene that tore at my heart. I am glad it touched you.

      Kim (KD Emerson)

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    1. LOL. Thanks Corinne. And thanks for your insights last night.

      Kim (KD Emerson)

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  14. What a heart-wrenching scene. So moving!
    Happy July 4th
    catherinelee100 at gmail dot com

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    1. Dear Catherine Lee,

      I'm touched you stopped by and took time to comment. I know how valuable time is and I appreciate yours!

      Blessings to you,
      Kim (KD Emerson)

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  15. WOW! Awesome and heart-wrenching! I absolutely want to read more. Great job Kim!!

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    1. Dear Tamy,

      You have always been one of my 233's (best friend forever). Thanks honey bunny for your encouragement.

      Big hugs,
      Kim (KD Emerson)

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  16. Kim, I loved it! I am excited to read more! I am so glad Jackson got the dog. I can already see many layers to this story! Great writing!
    Thanks for sharing it!

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  17. DeEtte,

    I value your input so much! It's always a big boost when an editor gives a thumbs up.

    Thanks!
    Kim

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