Writing is more than just a side hobby for me, it’s a genuine passion. Stories fill my head, and I love to day dream about different characters in their unique settings embarking on fun adventures. It’s a great way for me to unwind from a long week, but also helps me to be a creative thinker in my day to day life.
My latest writing project has been a young reader’s pre-teen story for my little sister. (See my post from 11/11/22 for more details.) The goal was to have it finished in time for her 13th birthday (back in April), and present it to her as a gift. Well, it was an absolute success, and she loved it! Anyway, it got me thinking that I should find a way to make it reproducible for her to share with her friends (because printing from a computer is way too much work, and imagine having to lug that thing around a middle school). So, that means I am currently in the process (yes, you guessed it) of publishing another book! Here is a sneak peek…
My neck started to twinge again. Peeking out of the corner of my eyes I saw someone coming towards me. Should I run?
“You’re early. Didn’t get to go in to the castle I’m guessing?”
“Oh, it’s you.”
“Were you waiting for someone else?”
I debated whether I should tell Tristan about the man I saw. Or thought I saw. Nah, he would just tease me for being a big baby.
“Haha no. I’m just ready to go, that’s all. And yeah, you were right about the castle. Guess I’ll have to stick to the library for my research.”
“Yeah, sorry about that. I could have told you that before so you didn’t waste time coming with me.”
“It wasn’t a complete waste. And besides, I had fun. So, uh, thanks.”
“You’re welcome.”
Tristan smiled and helped me up onto the cart, before swinging himself up next to me. When he nudged the cart into motion, I felt a wave of relief. Whatever strange things were going on here, I was glad we weren’t sticking around to find out.
The horse pulled us forward, moving a lot swifter now that the cart bed was empty. Once outside the main gate, Tristan pulled the reigns to the right, turning us down a different road from the one we had come in on.
“Do you have another stop to make?”
“No, I just thought since we both finished early maybe you’d want to stop by Grandfather’s old place. You probably don’t remember it as well as I do.”
“Really? Are we allowed?” What I really wanted to say was how nice that was for him to think of me. I guess he’s not such a bad big brother after all. But I settled on, “that would be cool.”
“I mean, it still belongs to our family and I remember where Father said the key was, so I don’t see why not.”
We pulled up in front of the massive stone cottage, which despite its crumbling exterior, was bound to house a world of cherished memories for us both. And boy, was I right. The minute we passed through that wooden doorway I was transported back to my childhood. Which, really wasn’t that long ago, but still. Everything my eyes touched reminded me of the countless times we would come over and visit with Grandfather.
“Tristan, why did we move to the valley?”
Tristan had already walked over to the nearest window and pulled back the heavy drape to let some light in.
“Hmm. I don’t remember exactly. Only that Grandma Muti was sick, and Mother wished to be closer to her own parents. Plus, for some reason Grandad had been eager for us to go. I remember him coming over to bid us goodbye and saying that it was for the best.”
“But wouldn’t he miss us?”
“Of course. He did come to visit a time or two, but then he passed only a few years after we moved.”
“I miss him.”
“Yeah, me too. Hey, maybe you can find something for your project in Grandfather’s old library?”
“Oh yeah! That’s a great idea. Thanks!”
“No problem. I think I’m gonna go see if his telescope is still working.”
I smiled to myself as I watched him walk away. That was something that Grandfather and Tristan had shared: their love of the night sky. Whereas with me it had been books. And if I remembered anything about my grandfather, it was that he had lots and lots of books. Eeekk! I giggled and went in search of the library. The door was a little rusty, and I practically had to throw myself against it to get it to open, but once I did, I was in manuscript heaven.
I could have spent days in that place, curled up beneath the curved window in Grandfather’s soft leather wing backed chair. Something about the place made it almost feel like he had just gone to another room instead of away forever. Almost.
Of course, I would have had to do some dusting first. I sneezed not just a few times with each book that I pulled from the endless shelves stretching all the way to the vaulted ceiling. All of these books were different than the ones at the Academy; most of them were written in a language I didn’t recognize.
My next choice was one a few rows higher than the last, but for some reason it stuck out to me. I pulled the ladder across its railing and stepped up to reach it. Ahh, this looks promising. Carefully peeling back the worn cover, I started flipping through the pages. I stopped when I saw handwritten notes scribbled into the margins. Who did these belong to?
Check out my newest book on Amazon and get your copy today! “The Quest” by Emily Hamsher
