The Art of Procrastination

This month I have found that the best way to be a dirty little procrastinator is to blame my lack of writing  on anything and everything. The holidays, the strange school schedule, my inability to sit still and stare at the screen without wanting to kill myself. It's been one hell of an almost half of the month. I might have written a thousand words in the last two weeks, maybe, if I'm being nice to myself and lying, or trying out denial. So yes, I've been a bad bad girl. Wish the badness had been a whole lot more fun. I'm not even going to talk about the deadline I gave myself because it sure as hell isn't happening now.

After all of the good feedback, and a few good chapters, I'm still way way behind. So I'm going to try not to feel too horribly bad about it. I really hope the next book goes easier. But even if it doesn't taking a couple years to finish a book might just be my thing. Not all of us can pump them out every few months. Now I'm just whining so I'll apologize. Sorry. Seriously. With a big fat I. O. U. for this month not being done, maybe I'll insert a little snippet, out of shame. Actually that's not a half bad idea. So let's see, what about a great kill scene, or maybe a dream? Or maybe even a flashback?

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock.

There the time ticks by. Without further ado here's a few paragraphs of The Wild Hunt. This is a scene between Lorelei, and one of the Agent's investigating the No-Names disappearance. It is from Chapter Ten titled Hit and Run.................Enjoy!

The sun was warm on my skin and I sighed, closed my eyes, and pointed my face towards the light. I could hear the pleasant sound of children laughing behind me, and I relaxed into the bench. Maybe I could nap for a few minutes while Duncan was busy. It felt so good in the sunlight; surely it wouldn’t be a bad thing. My lack of sleep made me yawn, and I lay down gently on the bench curling my feet up behind me. I was so relaxed that I started to drift off to sleep. The dark warm embrace beckoned me closer. My body shook with a sigh of pleasure. The sound of footsteps drew near and I crinkled my nose in annoyance. Duncan shouldn’t be back so quickly. I just wanted a good ten minutes in the heat, just a few minutes to rest my eyes.

“Well, well, well, what do we have here?” Fear swelled in my stomach and my eyes flew open. Agent Brody’s voice was as clear and cocky as I remembered it.

“You shouldn’t sleep on street benches; someone might mistake you for trash. No wait; in your case it would be true.” His words were laced with venom.

I glanced past him into the window of the business across the street. Duncan was still out of sight, and Agent Brody was alone. Fear trickled down my spine but I swallowed it and smiled.

“Why Brody, don’t you know I’m a sucker for a compliment.” I said sarcastically.

Brody paled. “You should stay away from places where you could get hurt, and disappear. No one would even know you were missing at first. Weeks could go by before you were even found. Your body so abused by the elements they wouldn’t even recognize you. I would have thought the Benandanti would teach you better, being such an expert on the subject. Where is he anyway I can still smell him.” Brody sniffed the air and his face twisted in disgust. He narrowed his milky dead eyes in my direction and I shivered. I hated that I was afraid of him.

“Oh that’s more like it, I love your fear, you’re practically marinating in it.” Brody took a step closer, his legs rubbing against my knees.

“Tasty.” He practically purred the word.

I sat as far back on the bench as I could go. Something about him was terrifying, and the stubborn smart ass in me couldn’t get past it. Inside I was screaming but nothing I did could force my sarcastic comebacks to the surface. I was silent and locked in place.

“What no snide remark. Where’s the girl with fire under her skin, where’s that delicious little temper?” Brody leaned forward and breathed in the scent of my hair.

His own smell washed over me and I choked, he reeked of earth and sweat. I glanced defiantly into his face and thrust my chin out, daring him to touch me. He reached out one finger and drew a line down my cheek. A cold tendril of fear washed over me, but I refused to look away.

“It’s such a shame you were marked up by the Benandanti, such a waste, he’s a fool.” Brody’s fowl breath was inches from my face.

I sucked in my own and held it, forcing myself to be silent. A loud and angry growl cut through the air behind Brody, and he went still as a statue, his demeanor changing instantly from predator to prey. I could see the edge of Duncan behind Brody. A soft whine left Brody’s lips, and he turned. Duncan picked him up and hurled him into the street. And just like that I was moving. I jumped from the bench and ran down the cobbled sidewalk.