It’s been a while since I visited Viola and my In Time series which first appeared on My Write Side. You can find more by click the WIP tab above or searching for “In Time.”
Viola stood with her feet shoulder width apart on the ground. Her arms extended forward from her body and the fingers of both hands curled around a pistol. Her tear smudged face was the only indicator of her fear as Father Lee stood before her, weaponless. She’d stripped him of his own pistol, which she’d now pointed at his heart.
“If you kill me, you will never save him,” Father Lee pleaded.
“I’ll drag you back from the pits of hell.” Venom dripped from her tongue.
“Roderick will destroy you.”
“Wicked words from a dying man. I won’t back down.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I’m linking this up with Lance and Leeroy for the 100 Word Song challenge. This week’s song was one of my favorites, from Tom Petty: “I Won’t Back Down.” Since Viola is also in survival mode here, I’m linking this up with Velvet Verbosity, too, since it meets her 100 Word Challenge requirement. The prompt there this week was “Surviving”.
I welcome and appreciate honest feedback. Please share your thoughts in a comment.
The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed. If she squinted just so, she could still make out the black speck on the horizon. She urged her horse on, loosened the reins to let him run, and kept her eyes ahead. A storm brewed behind her and she knew that the man in black would disappear in it. She had to get to him first. Her future depended on it.
A shower of dust revealed she was gaining on him. She glanced behind her quickly to check the proximity of the storm. Pleased that it was still far enough away, she squeezed her thighs to her horse’s middle, never losing hold of the pistol in her hand. He took off, stretching his legs as wide as they would go before bringing them together in full gallop, unmindful of the sweat that slicked his brunette coat or the foam that decorated his white lips, though Viola took stock of it. He would need a long rest and gentle brushing for his service, and she intended to give it to him once she caught the man in black. She had to capture the magnet in his possession, the magnet that would allow her to manipulate time and take it all back– back to the woods with Cage. This time she would accept his proposal instead of running away. That was what caused it all to change and she had to change it back.
The man in black was the key. Implicated in the shooting of the Time Keeper, he snagged her pendant and stole Clockworks magnet. Now they were stuck in Clockworks, with the storm of the century brewing. The black speck on the horizon grew larger as her horse covered the distance smoothly. Within in minutes she could make out his figure. She smiled savagely and took aim. She allowed for the rhythm of the horse’s cadence before she fired.
Bang! Steam hissed from the back of the pistol. Viola watched as the man ahead of her moved. She knew her shot rang true when he slumped over. His horse slowed and stopped and she easily caught up. With her pistol aimed at the man in black’s head, she got off her horse and stepped closer to him, her trembling finger on the trigger. Silently, she let her eyes roam over the man in front of her. He seemed too slender to be Father Lee. She stepped closer, using the tip of her pistol to raise his hat up while remaining out of arms reach. She gasped when she saw his face.
It was Roderick.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This piece is prompted by Sinistral Scribblings Master Class. This week, we are using the first line from Stephen King’s The Gunslinger. It fit with my Steampunk serial “In Time” so I let Viola take over from Brennan and Sienna for a moment. At this rate, I’m not going to win NaNo anyway, but I’m okay with that. I have a great story going, and I’m excited to see how it all turns out.
This post is also linked up to 3 Word Wednesday. The words this week are: cause, implicate, and stretch.
I always welcome constructive criticism. Please share your thoughts in a comment.
Thanks for stopping in! On your way out, will you please take a moment and leave your thoughts on my story “Gloria” and vote if you haven’t already?
Cage opened his eyes. His flesh ached. Bandages covered his body. The light hurt his eyes so he closed them, and then opened them slowly. Two people hovered nearby in white jackets. He stared, his mouth working as if it had forgotten how to talk.
“Who-who-who?” he stammered, his tongue feeling thick and foreign in his mouth.
“We are scientists, and you are very lucky to be alive,” one of the white jackets answered. Cage shook his head once. He lifted his finger and pointed to himself, his eyebrow arched in question.
“Your memory is gone. You have been reinvented.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This week’s 100 song challenge was Ben Harper’s Faded. The challenge is to write a post in response to the song prompt in 100 words exactly. This is my response.
Want to read more of my WIP currently titled In Time? Click here.
I welcome your feedback. Please share your thoughts in a comment.
A single shot was fired and Viola Grace slumped to the ground.
“It doesn’t have to be like this,” she whispered, the pleading in her eyes disappearing behind the lids as they closed.
The Time Keeper caught Viola in his arms. His eyes caught the villain who’d fired the shot hovering fifty feet in the distance. It was the man with the metal face again. This time The Time Keeper could smell the evil coursing through his lethal veins. He laid Viola gently on the ground and stood his full height. His hand reached up and pulled his cowboy hat down so the shade would cover his eyes. He’d had enough trouble out of this guy, and he was ready for more. With one hand on his holster, he stepped forward, blocking Viola from the man’s path.
Their eyes met and challenged each other. Roderick pulled his second pistol from its holster, aiming them both at the Time Keeper. “I won’t be so nice this time, Old Man, if you don’t get out of my way,” he said.
“Out of your way? This is my land. None shall pass without my saying so.”
Roderick released the hinge that kept the safeties intact. “Look, I really mean you no harm, but if you don’t move, I’ll have no choice but to kill you. What happens to time when you die?” The Time Keeper remained where he was, amused as Roderick’s eyes lowered, becoming barely noticeable slits on his face. His eyes followed Roderick’s as they found Viola’s discarded pendant. His eyes never left Roderick’s face as he bent down and scooped it up, letting the wind swing it as Viola had done only moment ago. He caught the snarl that curled Roderick’s lower lip in response to his actions.
“This is my land. None shall pass without my saying so,” the Time Keeper repeated.
“And yet, in a flash of light and shake of hand, I did exactly that last time I was here.” Roderick turned his face just enough for the sun to catch on the metal of his cheek. The Time Keeper laughed.
“Your attempts to blind me have failed. I see more than I have ever seen before.” The Time Keeper raised his pistol, preparing to fire. Roderick raised his in return. “I am prepared to die to keep you from taking what you need.”
Roderick’s wicked smile exposed more of the metal on his face as he fired. The Time Keeper fired in retaliation. Both men slumped, the Time Keeper taking to the ground with one knee. More shots fired. Some went wild, missing both men, but more made contact. They both collapsed to the ground as bullets entered their bodies. The gunfight continued in a swirl of dust until the Time Keeper lay still on the ground, a puddle forming beneath him.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
For the Scriptic prompt exchange this week, Michael gave me this prompt: “The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good.” – Samuel Johnson.
I gave Eric Storch this prompt: Pitter patter, / Lightning spree / People of the mist / I summon thee!
This short piece follows Part 2. In case you’ve forgotten, you can read the introduction of the four girls and their names here.
“I’m going. Anyone coming with me?” Blubber said, turning to her three friends. They stepped to the edge of the gaping hole in the playground and looked down. The swirling mass within resembled the black hole they’d studied in science class recently. They glanced at each other, fear mimicked on each face. Six eyes turned to her as their hands clasped together.
“What if we don’t come back?” Kristin whispered.
“At least we will be together,” Nitwit answered.
“On three?” Tweak asked. Three heads bobbled agreement. “One…two…three! Party time!”
A blue flash exploded from the ground as the girls vanished.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This week’s 100 W0rd Song of inspiration is Warren Zevron’s Monkey Wash, Donkey Rinse! I had a story with a hole in it, so I went with that.
Constructive criticism is welcomed and appreciated. Won’t you please share your thoughts in a comment?
I’m linking this up with Lance and Leeroy for the 100 Word Song challenge. This week’s song was one of my favorites, from Tom Petty: “I Won’t Back Down.” Since Viola is also in survival mode here, I’m linking this up with Velvet Verbosity, too, since it meets her 100 Word Challenge requirement. The prompt there this week was “Surviving”.
This piece is prompted by Sinistral Scribblings 
