Book Excerpt July 10th

#amwriting "The Owl from Oblivion", 194,554 words #LiteraryFiction #scifi #fantasy #Gifted #writing #ChildrensBooks

Book Excerpt posted on Twitter July 10th.


Jenny materializes on the matter-transport pad, holding a hollow hexagonal shaped, crystalline vessel. She runs over to Theo’s ashes, kneels down, unscrews the vessel’s lid, and frantically brushes and scoops the dust from Theo into the vessel. Stefan stands up and Tova2 walks over, standing beside him, pulling him close to her side. He reciprocates.

Tova2 whispers in his ear, “Not now, my love. We are still performing our royal duties.” They both begin to look down at Jenny as she frantically works. She carefully screws the cap onto the vessel and then realizes everyone is watching her. She stands up tentatively, cuddling the vessel tightly.

“You do realize that I will be giving him back to you free of cancer and certain vulnerabilities he had before,” says Stefan softly.

“Schillerenes’ folly, Atreyeu. You are so daft.”

“It’s Stefan now, and why do you cuddle a vessel full of salt and carbon?”

“Because this was Theo, my Theo, the kind man who saved me, was a father to me, and who I swore I would protect his entire life. It was my debt to him for loving me so strongly despite… despite… despite me being abandoned, thrown away in a desert… he loved me and cherished me anyway… even though I was thrown away like reproductive garbage. I loved him with all my heart and filled the lonely void he had.”

“But you will be able to continue to love him and I am sure he will love you,” says a troubled Tova2. 

“You and Dad never understood… never. You abandoned me like all the other children you made, with never a thought.”

“But it is our way, right Atreyeu?” Tova2 says with tears in her eyes, turning toward Stefan.

“You will never understand, Atreyeu, never. Theo needed me. And I needed to repay him—a debt I could never give him enough to repay. Now I will never be able to repay him. He will never need me again—never need my protection, my physical care, my love, and my affection. You have freed him from his physical limitations and now, I am a burden that prevents him from truly exploring who he has become.”

She collapses in tears, hugging the crystalline vessel tightly.