Happy Monday!
So I’ve realized something – I have a bit of a flash fiction addiction. It’s not really a problem, but it makes it difficult for me to go back to my regular writing (i.e. Withered Legacy). Thankfully, though, NaNoWriMo is coming up fast. With that, comes the motivation to get a ton of writing done on The Breach Trilogy #2. Not to mention, several flash fiction prompts in the past have inspired me to write pieces that contribute to Withered Legacy. That’s the case with today’s post.
On Friday, I was introduced to yet another contest: #FlashMobWrites, and one of the prompts inspired some character development for Withered Legacy. So yay! I’m not entirely sure yet if what I’m posting here will make it to the final draft of the book, but I do intend for it to be cannon.
Prompt: “don’t be surprised”
~~~
First Encounter
“You’re getting a new partner today.”
Derek called from the doorway. I shut my locker and adjusted my gun in its holster.
“What happened to Alex?” She packed a punch, and I trusted her with my life. Adjusting to someone new would be annoying, to say the least.
“She was spooked by what happened yesterday – realized she wasn’t ready for it.” Great. I couldn’t really blame her, though. Our job description didn’t actually include dealing with supernatural entities, and wraiths were the worst of the worst. It was only Lexia’s dagger that had kept me from getting killed.
“If there’s another attack like last night’s don’t be surprised if more people start quitting.” The guard was already down to barely thirty and most of us worked around the clock.
“Something tells me this new girl won’t be scared off so easily. She actually jumped at the chance to replace Alex after what happened last night.” Another woman? Alex had been one of only a handful. Something in the hall caught Derek’s attention, prompting him to lean back. “Speak of the devil! Saxon, meet Elle.”
Elle was tiny – at least a foot and a half shorter than me. She didn’t even look old enough to be a guard, never mind being able to hold her own against monsters. With a smile, she walked over to me, blue pony-tail bouncing behind her, and offered her hand. “Hello! So you’re the infamous Saxon?”
“Infamous?” Her grip was stronger than I expected, and something about her felt familiar. Extremely familiar.
“I heard about what you did yesterday. You basically took the thing down with your bare hands!” Not without a few scratches, as the pain in my side constantly reminded me. What she – and everyone else I worked with – didn’t know was that I was a psychic. That only made me barely more qualified than regular humans to take down supernatural monsters, and even I was surprised at my own success. Lexia was the only other human – well, half human – I’d ever seen survive a fight with a wraith.
“I got lucky.”
“Well let’s hope your luck holds.” Derek walked out of the room after, leaving me to show her around.
“So this is your locker. We have special issue handguns, so you should find Alex’s old gun in there.”
She nodded and moved to unlock the locker with the key Derek probably gave her. I leaned against the door to my locker, trying to be casual.
“So why a guard?”
“They wouldn’t let me be a scavenger. You?”
“A scavenger?” It was the only occupation more dangerous than being a guard. They were the only civilians allowed outside the walls. “Funny, they won’t let me be one either.”
“A shame, given your skill against the wraiths.” She smiled, her eyes darting to the dagger strapped to my thigh. Something about her look was borderline suspicious. Her eyes seemed to glow a pale emerald. “Maybe someday.”
“Yeah, maybe.”
~~~
I’m finally, really getting my feet wet with Saxon. Elle’s also been swimming around my head for some time, waiting for her chance to come out an play. Even if I don’t finish this story by the end of November, I’m pretty confident I’ll get at least halfway through, and definitely done by the end of December.
NaNoWriMo here I come! If you’re participating, I’d love to connect!
As always, think happy thoughts!
FictionTrials 
Can’t wait to find out more about your characters!
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