Things are really starting to happen now - 23,519

Totally unrelated to my novel, but I was perusing Look at This F*cking Hipster.com and found this gem. It seems as though this person may be walking back from an emergency bathroom trip to the woods, involving a plastic Zehr's bag, and another person not caught on film.

I didn't have as epic a writing day as I had thought I might. I know now everything that has to happen in my story (all of the major stuff, at least), but I had no idea where to start. Luckily, I had Scott here to help me out with that.

I can't reveal very much, but here is an excerpt that occurs after Mark overhears his parents talking about something the night before.

                Mark sat for awhile by himself on a bench in the sunlight, waiting for his friends to come. While he waited, he thought about what his parents had been talking about the night before. When he got too hot, he moved to the grass in the shade of a tree. Sadly, the shade provided little comfort, from the heat or from the terrible thoughts in his mind. He needed to talk to his friends about this, needed to talk to them right now. He could not wait. After about ten minutes, Mark’s clothes were drenched with sweat, and he was wishing that he had packed some water to bring along with him, and yet again wondering where everybody was. His mouth felt dry, his skin too hot. The air felt like it was closing in on him. And the smell of the nearby hydrangea bush was cloying. By the time Mark had been waiting for thirty minutes, he had stopped sweating and he was starting to feel funny. His vision had become a little blurry, his heart was beating too hard and too fast. It seemed to Mark that it might beat right out of his chest.

                Then, he heard voices. But they seemed far away, too far away. He tried to call out for help, but his mouth was too dry. He could not form any words. It seemed like it was a miracle when he heard the foot steps, moving very quickly now, drawing closer to him, and the voices becoming louder. Through the darkening blur of his vision, he saw worried faces hovering over him, and the next thing he knew he was immersed in cold, refreshing water. His senses were coming back to him now. He could taste the grimy algae, and he could feel it in his mouth. To Mark, nothing had ever tasted better. The cold water was soaking his clothes, his hair. It was bringing him back to the world he seemed to be so eager to leave moments before. Mark reveled in the glory of this moment, feeling so vital, so alive. When Mark finally pulled his head out of the water, he could see his friends’ pale, worried faces looking at him.

                “A-are you okay, Mark? What was going on there?” Tom asked him, his voice no higher than a whisper.

                “I’m feeling a lot better now that you guys are here,” Mark replied honestly, but he was still feeling a little shaky. He was not sure if the episode he had just had was the beginning of a heat stroke or if it was the beginning of a panic attack, a panic attack created by his mind because he could not deal with the information he had discovered last night alone. “I think I was just too hot, guys. Man is it ever hot out there. You should come in for a dip.” Mark splashed Tom and Jake.

                “Hey, man, leave us alone!” Jake said.

                “Alright, alright. But you guys are lame!” Mark said. “But, listen, thanks for helping me out there. Things were getting a bit weird, and I’m not sure what would have happened if you hadn’t come along. So thanks.”

                “No problem,” Tom said.

                “You would have done the same for us,” Jake said.

                Mark looked around to make sure that The Lake was still empty. And, strangely, it was. What was going on today? Where were all the kids?

                “Look, I really need to talk to you guys. I….know some things. Do you want to go down to the woods?”

                “Sure, man, let’s go,” Jake said.

                Together, the boys walked down to the woods, Mark leaving little wet footprints and dripping the whole way there. Once they got to the woods, they walked for about ten minutes, and ensured that no one was around. Mark told them word for word what he had heard from his parents, leaving out the part about them wanting to make him leave. Mark, you see, did not want to leave this place. He wanted to take it back from the evil that was holding it captive. When Mark looked at the faces of two friends that he had come to love, he realized that he wanted to stay here and fight for the things he loved.

Until next time, faithful readers!