Now, I've included many of my poems and such here, but I thought I'd give you a taste of something a little different. I've written a story...it's more like a small novel, really, at 185 pages...and thought I'd put a little teaser taste here. It's still in the realm of revisions, and this prologue is actually my second attempt at an introduction, and for those of you who have read my first one, hopefully a much better one. The story's name has been changed many times, but at the moment the title is "A Fear of Madness: An Ultimate Betrayal", but I don't know if it'll stay that. If you want to read more...contact me (graytaillily@hotmail.com). Hope you Enjoy! Prologue Flashbacks Aside from going to the grocery store before Mom dropped me off at school, it was a rather ordinary day in Spokane, Washington. I wasn't looking forward to classes that day, but then, most high school freshmen don't. The school year was almost over and the May rains had started to cover the Inland Northwest. It was a cloudy morning; perhaps that's why none of us saw what was coming. Mom had gotten out to go into the store. I was dawdling, trying to get my legs untangled from my backpack and long trench-coat to get out of the car. Suddenly there was a bright green flash and I felt myself flying backwards. Everything went dark. I crawled out of the wreckage of the car and looked around at the ruins that were once a parking lot and grocery store. In an instant everything I had known and loved had been destroyed. I went into shock, wandering around, looking for something to remind me of what my life had been like only half an hour before. The wind whipped my brown coat behind me as I walked down the abandoned streets, searching. I didn't understand what had happened. Where had the light come from? What had the force to destroy whole city blocks in an instant? I saw people running, heard them screaming something about aliens attacking, but I was in a daze. Slowly I realized I was still in danger, that one green flash had been followed by many others and as I walked the streets, they continued. Now, however, there were smaller flashes all over and gunshots from all around me. I began to panic and some form of instinct took over. I found an army surplus store and began to stock up on weapons. From then on, things get a little fuzzy. In my shock and panic, something was triggered in my brain and a new personality was formed. Her name was Graytail, and while I was reduced to a quivering mass, she was solid as a rock and not afraid to destroy to survive. In fact, she rather enjoyed it. At that point, though, it didn't matter. We were at war with a superior alien race, trying to take our planet from us. Through the fog that was my insanity, I met up with my friends and together we made our way to Kalispell, Montana, where a major offensive was being planned. Though we were all only fourteen or fifteen, we took part in the war and in some small way helped win the war for Earth. My best friend, Marie, and her younger sister, Joe, were also orphaned by the first attacks. A pair of vigilante pilots, the Stealth Fighters, took us in. Jarod and Charlie, the alter egos of crime fighters Trigger and Maverick, respectively, owned and ran a slavage yard where their three young adopted daughters tried to rebuild their lives. The alien threat had been eliminated and life was gradually approaching something like normalicy, but my other personality, Graytail, remained in charge. Even as school began again, I was unable to return to my friends as myself. She created many problems in school, my sophomore year. Slowly however, through many hours of therapy and hard work, I began to come back to myself. Then I discovered that Graytail had been busy, cleaning the streets of certain unsavory characters. I was horrified, but unable to reverse any past actions she had taken. In the end, the commander of the Police Forces, one Commander Kingson, accused me of these crimes and sent me off to a very unpleasant place, Westridge Mental Institution. He and my adopted fathers had a long history of dislike and enmity. For Kingson, this was just another way to punish them for their past mistakes. Instead of staying in the institution for the rest of my natural life, Kingson came to me with a deal. I could leave the insanity behind me and join the Police Forces. I leaped at the chance and entered the Police Forces at the age of seventeen. Of course, my true age and background were hidden deep within piles of paperwork. My friends were entering their junior year of high school as I began my career as a Police Officer. At first I had a simple desk job, but eventually I transferred to the motorcycle unit. I enjoyed the work, but Kingson made life miserable. He was always giving me assignments to remind me of the real reason I was a Police Officer. One time he sent me to my old high school to give a lecture to the senior class on careers in law enforcement. Of course, I ran into my friends, and although I enjoyed seeing them all, it was a painful reminder of what I could never have. He also sent me on special patrol with my partner, Harper, for their graduation. In the due course of things, it turned out to be a very bad assignment. A gunman showed up and started threatening students. Somehow, he managed to take me hostage, and although half of the Police Forces showed up, including Kingson, we ended up in a stalemate. Graytail had never really disappeared and as in all stressful situations, she took over. I freed myself and killed the gunman, but snapped out of my other personality to find myself holding Kingson hostage. I couldn't resist the opportunity I had given myself. I couldn't kill him, but I could tell everyone the truth about my entry into the Police Forces. It was even televised. However, when I let Kingson go, all hell broke loose, and I ended up in a jail cell. *** I stood up and wiped the side of my mouth with the back of my hand. I glared at the Commander and leaped towards him, but was stopped by the two Officers in my cell. I growled and gave him my most menacing stare because I couldn't wring his neck. He smiled at me. "Come on now, Roan," Kingson grinned, stepping closer to me. "Don't you want to find out what the judge has decided about your most recent exploits?" "Bite me," I growled. "Now, I'm sure you'll behave yourself in court today," Kingson replied, looking at his large hand and flexing his fingers. "We wouldn't want a repeat of earlier. I can only do so much to convince the judge that you shouldn't spend the rest of your life in a mental institution." "Ha," I answered mirthlessly. "You own every official in this town. They don't need convincing." "Yes, but I do like to let them think that every once in a while they actually get to make their own decsions," he chuckled. "Now, be a doll and clean up your face, you're bleeding and that just won't do. I'll see you in court." He grinned, spun on his heel, and walked out of the cell. The two Officers dropped me and scurried after him as the door slammed shut. I picked myself up slowly, still a little unsteady from that last blow. I went to my small sink and mirror; blood was dribbling slowly down my chin from the right corner of my mouth. I grimaced, then stopped, surreptitiously rubbing my cheek. The man had a mean left. Well, everything about him was mean, truthfully. I washed my face and stared myself in the eye for five or six minutes, waiting for my escort. By the time they arrived, the bleeding had stopped, but a bruise was starting to discolor my cheek. I sighed and followed the Officers to the courtroom. *** "It is the decsion of this court that Ms. Theresa Roan be enrolled in Royal High School as a Junior and finish the last two years of secondary education in order to be granted her high school diploma. It has been brough to the attention of this court that interaction with other young people her age may help Ms. Roan overcome her mental difficulties. However, during this time, Ms. Roan will remain in Commander Kingson's custody and will be strictly monitored to ensure her safety and the safety of the other students. This court is now adjourned." the judge intoned. Kingson looked at me, shocked, though in his case that was simply a raised eyebrow. I was shocked as well. Me, in high school again? It seemed ridiculous. But in only a few weeks, I would be back in the mix. I didn't see how it could work. Truthfully, though, I was scared. Here ends the prologue. If you would like to know more about the story, or get a working copy of it...or would just like to correct some of my grammer/spelling mistakes, please email me at graytaillily@hotmail.com Thanks for reading! posted by Cassandra 4:57 PM . . .
