Midwinter Blogfest

I mentioned a while ago I signed up for Marieke's awesome Midwinter Blogfest. Well, today's the day! Woot! If you still wanna sign up, I'd run over there NOW. Basically, you show how your MC spends their Midwinter in under 500 words. (My entry is 497! Double woot!)

Annnnyway, I wrote a scene using Skye, the MC from BROKEN. Chronologically, this would fall smack dab in the middle of my book. Skye has just arrived at her new home and it just so happens to be right around Christmas time, so her new friends are showing her how they celebrate.

A VERY BROKEN CHRISTMAS

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Romulus, Remus, and the others treated me to a special Shriek Show Christmas Spectacular--their title, not mine--just a week after I came to stay with them. The bonfire, normally bright enough to light up our whole camp, burned low, allowing shadows to creep up from the woods. The fast music had been replaced by the flutter of a pan flute.

I sat by the fire with my friends while the dancers twirled on time with the music. A line of people were standing in the shadows, shooting flickering balls of red and green from their fingertips. Then came the singing. A group of robbed women came from the tent, faces hidden behind their hoods. Their voices seemed to blend and merge, becoming one soft, slow hum.

Next thing I knew, the fire was completely out and shadows consumed the camp. Even with my enhanced vision, I couldn’t see passed my nose. The singing continued, growing more powerful and haunting with each passing second.

A huge ball of wispy white light suddenly burst into the center of camp, bathing us all in its unnatural warmth. Normally, even dim lights are enough to blind me, but this one is different somehow.

The ringmaster, Cecil, was standing just below it, shining like a God. “Good evening. And a special hello to our new additions,” he booms, nodding at me. The others clapped quietly and smiled. I just waved and grinned like a moron. Probably one of the warmest welcomes I’ve ever gotten. “Now! Let’s celebrate!”

The singing soared, but kept its unearthly beauty. Romulus appeared beside me and pulled me to my feet. I couldn’t do anything but gawk at him. “What’s going on?”

“Dancing, of course,” he said, spinning me around. I stared around at the sea of swaying bodies, under the music’s complete control. I only had a second of discomfort before the music took me as well. I didn’t know what I was doing or why, but I couldn’t stop. There was something hypnotic in the rhythm.

The green and red orbs flew through the air, popping like fireworks, leaving trails of glitter in the sky. The music spiked, echoing around us. The forest seemed to swallow every sound, casting it back at us until the rest of the world faded away. All I knew at that point was the camp and the amazing sensation of dancing beneath that shimmering orb of white light.

I looked to the orb. It pulsed with the beat.

Suddenly, the light intensified, touching every corner of the camp, nearly blinding me. Then, just like that, it flickered and disappeared. After it was gone, the music died away and the singers lowered their voices. My heart pounded, pumping pure euphoria.

“That was amazing,” I cheered.

Romulus clapped his hand against my back. “It’s a cleansing spell. Clears out all those bad feelings for a little while. It’s Cecil’s gift to us.”

“We do this every year?” I asked, gleaming.

“Sure do.”

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Remember to check out the other entries!