Hawaiian Earth Spirit

After Classical Lit, Ami had to run across campus to Practical Applications.  She slipped into a desk in the middle of the room next to Grace and said “hello.”  Grace smiled and nodded, and then looked down intently at the syllabus.  Ami was curious enough to follow suit.  “Practical Applications of Folklore” was the official name on the sheet.  Ami was puzzled why that would be worth an hour course, but she read on. 

This is an informative class with personal study and lab work used for emphasis. 

                                Characteristics                     Talents                   Banes                     Tips for working with

Earth Spirits                          *                              *                              *                              *

Fairies/Fay                             *                              *                              *                              *

Water Spirits                        *                              *                              *                              *

Lycanthropes                         *                              *                              *                              *

Dragons                                  *                              *                              *                              *

Ami peaked over at Grace who was flipping the paper over trying to find more information.  Unfortunately, that was all there was.  Ami heard students exclaiming “you’ve gotta be kidding me” and “Is this a joke?”  One guy a couple rows up said “just you wait and see.”  He was about four feet tall and thin, with wild red hair and thick glasses.

Nalanie Cochran came in and stood in front of the teacher’s desk up front.  She was a beautiful, large Hawaiian woman with a warm smile.  She welcomed everyone in with open arms and asked that each student stand up and greet the class.  Ami swallowed hard and glanced at Grace.  She’d expected something embarrassing like this in her first hour and it hadn’t happened.  She needed to remember to thank Ms. Leveque for that.

The redhead called himself Zee, but a heckler told the class his name was Xavier Benedictus Norwood.  To avoid a similar fate, Ami gave her full name first and then her nickname.

After the class’s introductions, Nalanie introduced herself and then her TA, William Richmond.  Everyone looked back to see Will’s toothy grin at the back of the room.

“Lights please, Mr. Richmond.” Nalanie called.  “Let’s get this show on the road.”

The lights went out and a projector flicked on, showing a funny caricature of a four-inch tall gnome with a pointy red hat.  The class laughed out loud.  Ami wondered how this could possibly be practical.  The next slide was of the seven dwarves walking home from the mine.  The laughter this time was more subdued.  The third slide was a line drawing of a gorged, tusked monster in a loin cloth with a pick axe over his shoulder.  Reactions this time were mixed.  One of the guys a row up from Ami and Grace said it looked like Leon.  Ami tapped him on the shoulder and said, “No way, have you seen Boyd?  Now there’s an Ogre for you.”  He actually nodded at her in respect and passed on the joke.

When the class calmed a little, Nalanie cleared her throat.  “We’ve all grown up with different fairy tales and stories that we’ve learned, told by different people around the world, but how much did these stories actually teach us?  I think you will all be surprised at how much we can glean from the folklore of the past.  There is a great well of knowledge we can still use today.”

The slide changed again, and it was a photograph of Nalanie herself performing a Hula dance on a gorgeous sandy beach.  “Earth spirits are all around us whether or not we realize it.”  Suddenly the class was silent.  

Book I finished today.

The Children's Picture Book: How to Write It, How to Sell It by Ellen E. M. Roberts
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Interesting information, but in need of an update.

View all my reviews

Will Richmond, local hero?

Rich kid, football star, honor roll... this guy's got everything going for him.  What's he hiding?

The Library and the Admin Offices took up the first floor of the Language Arts Building.  As Ami and Andy stepped inside, the cool air was a surprise.  It was probably 20 degrees cooler inside that is was outside.

A couple of women stood behind a long desk helping students and parents… or at least trying to help.  The small dark grandmotherly lady that Ami remembered from the plane was saying, “I’m sorry, but you’ll have to take it up with Mr. Peterson.  As it stands we can only sign up a student for one sport per season.”  The large man in front of her slammed his hand down on the counter.  Ami saw white sparks fly around his hand.

He glared down at the receptionist.  “Then where is he?”

“One moment.”  In perfect calm the woman picked up the phone and dialed an extension.  “Sir, Mr. Richmond needs to see you.  No, Sir.  Yes, Sir.  Right away.”

Ami fidgeted and waited in the background, not wanting the angry man’s attention.  Unfortunately, she didn’t go unnoticed.  The man’s son took a sidelong look at her and gave her a half smile.  It was the kind of smile that said “Hello, fresh meat.”  Ami practiced her dazzling smile again, and was surprised when his expression changed.  She couldn’t quite figure out what it meant before he followed his father to one of the back offices...

The fourth day, Ami drove the Gremlin all the way to the top of the hill they lived on.  There were two huge, well-lit homes at the top.  One could have been called a mansion.  It was a sprawling two-story Georgian style building with a covered porch with pillars and a porch swing.  The other was an A-frame that looked like a hunting lodge with the largest rack of moose antlers Ami had ever seen over the main double doors.  The black and chrome Skylark that Ami had noticed at the school was parked in front of the A-frame.  Leah’s map notation said “Rich Fools” over the whole top of the hill.  As if on cue, the front door for the mansion opened and out stepped Will.  He crossed his arms across his chest and smirked.

Ami cut the engine and climbed out of the car.  “Morning,” she called, waving as she walked up to the house.

 “That it is.  How do you like Aurora Bay?”

Ami grinned.  “I’d like it a bit less sunny.”

Will nodded.  “Then I’m sure you’ll love the winter… but take a look at this view.”  He gestured toward the bay and the town, and the view from the Richmond’s front deck was indeed amazing.  He pointed out the docks, the single shipyard, and the old end of town with the cemetery.  They chatted for a half hour before Ami got restless and said goodbye.

Enter Leah Adams

On the next block was a utilitarian concrete building with the Public Library and some government offices.  Ami decided to wander in and see if her Anchorage Library card would work here.  The mousy girl with black braids behind the counter shook her head at it.  “No.  But it’ll only take 5 minutes to get you one.”  She slid a clipboard across the counter with a form already attached.  While Ami filled in the blanks, the girl whose nametag said “Leah Adams” went rummaging through a drawer.  She came back with a shiny plastic card that read “Aurora Bay Book Club” and showed a Raven reading a book.  When Ami was done with the questionnaire, Leah peeled a sticker off the back of the card and stuck it to the paper.  It had a bar code that matched the card.  “I’ll have you in the system in a minute.”

Ami thanked her and found the fiction section.  She picked out a modern fantasy by Briggs and a cheesy looking historical set in Scotland.  As she walked back up to the counter, she saw the jock and his father from the school passing by the front of the building.  It looked to Ami like sparks of light were trailing them.  She figured the bright sun must be giving her a migraine and it just hadn’t hit yet.

The jock turned and caught her staring, and pointed straight at her.  He grinned and walked out of sight.  When Ami turned back to the counter she found Leah gawking at her.  “Man, you don’t waste any time do you?”

Ami blinked.  “Waste time with what?”

Leah sighed and looked severe.  “Making an impression, that’s what.  That was Will Richmond, captain of the Gargoyle Football Team.”

Ami rolled her eyes.  “He’s a right gorgeous Gargoyle, and probably the world’s biggest spoiled brat, if you ask me.”  She shoved the books across the counter.

Leah shook her head.  “Very likely, but playing hard to get will only make him more interested…”  Leah looked down at the books and started scanning them into the computer.  “You want him to back off then kiss popularity goodbye.”

Ami frowned and glanced behind her.  “Consider it kissed.  What do I do to keep off Creep #1’s dating roster?”

“Join the ranks of the freaks and geeks.”  Leah gave her a wicked sideways grin and stuck out her hand.  “Wednesday Adams at your service, Freak Extraordinaire.”

Ami giggled and shook her hand.  “Sounds like more fun than make-up and pom-poms.  If you get a lunch break, I’m meeting Nora at Ruby’s in an hour.”

Leah’s eyebrows rose.  “Really?  I’ll walk with you.”  Leah turned around and poked her head into a side office.  “Mom, I’m going to lunch with some friends.  Want me to bring you anything?”  A whispery voice said something in reply, but Ami couldn’t quite catch it.

Leah threw on a black jacket that said “Go Away and Stay There” in hot pink letters across the back and propped a black fedora on her head.  If it wasn’t for the braids it would have been way too big.  She grabbed a brown card out of an organizer on the wall and punched it in the time clock before putting it back.  “Let’s Rock!”  

Day 7 of my new Writing Project!

It's been a week and I've got some great new ideas to enrich the first draft of Welcome to Aurora Bay.  My biggest challenge is to rework the timeline to put more action in the first five pages.

 

Words: 10,800

Pages: 21

 

Can anyone think of some interesting Alaskan details to add to story set on the south central coast?

Setting some ground rules

Well of course it would be difficult for a single guy to take on the responsibility of a teenager.  The trick is to use humor when you lay down the law.  At least that's what Andy thinks.  It's a good thing Ami has an equal sense of humor.

By the time she was cleaned up and ready, breakfast was on the table.  She enjoyed the simple meal of bacon, eggs, and toast with jam.  It was comforting to go through a normal morning routine.  Andy set some ground rules for the house.  It was all the usual stuff: no boys, no loud parties, no letting strangers in the house, no bon fires, no wondering alone in the woods… no wondering alone with boys in the woods.  She interrupted him at that point to tell him that she wasn’t stupid.  “Don’t do anything illegal, dangerous, or embarrassing if it ends up on the front page of the paper.  I got it.”

He laughed out loud.  “Okay, okay.  I’ll lay-off unless something goes wrong.  We’ve got to head down to the school today and make sure all your paperwork is in order.  Then Nora wants to meet you at Ruby’s for Lunch, so I’ll just drop you downtown.”

“Ruby’s?”  Ami looked up from her toast.

“Ruby’s Ribs is the barbeque place just across from the docks.  You can watch the boats while you eat.”

“Ah.”  She nodded.  “So what’s a girl do for fun around here?  I mean besides lighting bonfires and wondering alone through the woods.”

“Ha-ha.  You’ll have to ask Nora.  I don’t make a very good girl.”  Andy scratched his stubbly chin.

“I don’t know.  A little make-up, a shave…”  Ami got up and washed her plate and fork in the sink while Andy groaned and clutched his chest...

As Ami walked out, she saw Nora and Jean walking in.  Ami gave Andy a questioning look, but he put his finger to his lips.  Ami smiled and accepted Nora’s overzealous hug, and then left her as she skipped up to the receptionist.

Andy met her at the door and followed her outside.  On the other side of the door, Ami turned around.  “She can’t be more than 10-years-old.  What’s she doing in High School?”

Andy pointed at the sign over the door they had just exited.

Aurora Bay High

Home of the Gargoyles

Offering Gifted Programs since 1943

“Obviously,” Andy replied, “You’re not the only gifted child in the Universe.”  Ami blushed a little and then stomped off toward the green Gremlin.

Grace

Grace is a girl just coming into her own, hoping that a full makeover in Anchorage will create a whole new life for her in village.

A mother and daughter fussed over bags with pricy brand name labels.  They were both brunettes with streaks of blonde and vibrant red.  The girl strutted around in a hot pink sun dress with black lace.  “I dare them to call me a boy now!” she said triumphantly, spinning around.

Ami marveled at her perfectly feminine shape and glowing makeup, wondering how anyone could mistake her for a boy.  Then Ami caught her own reflection in one of the windows.  Her hair was pulled back tight, she didn’t even own makeup, and she wore a t-shirt and jeans.  She looked more like the biker boy than the pretty girl...

Grace and her mom were met by a lean dark man in EMT coveralls, who loaded their fancy bags into the back of the black F150.  Grace tried to do a little pirouette to show off her new look, and stumbled.  Her dad laughed out loud and hugged her, lifting her into the cab of the truck.  He lifted up one of her feet to get a good look at the strappy black high-heel.  “I don’t remember authorizing the acquisition of a deadly weapon.”

Dyllan the Drifter

Dyllan enters as a teen boy in a biker jacket and jeans with his blonde hair pulled back in a rouge's knot.  He is a dynamic storyteller with a flare for the dramatic.

Dyllan pulled a copy of the Complete Edger Allen Poe out of his backpack.  To the women’s discomfort he read “The Raven” and then “Tell Tale Heart” with a great deal of flare.  He smirked as the women tried to talk over him, but Ami and Grace just listened intently.  He had a definite talent for storytelling...

As rivers opened up to the Cook Inlet, Dyllan said, “Here we go!”  The women in the seats ahead tensed and chatted excitedly.  Grace pulled out her headphones and turned her music on MUCH too loud, closing her eyes.  Ami had just enough time to wonder what all the excitement was about, and then they began to turn.  The wide turn angled the plane down to the left and Grace leaned on Ami, pushing her into Dyllan’s shoulder.  She hadn’t realized how tall or solid he was until that moment… or how warm.  The smell of musk, old leather and aftershave was terribly distracting.  Her heart rate picked up and she prayed she was the only one who could feel the beat.

The plane shook a bit as they turned in almost a circle.  They straightened out just in time to line up with the runway and slow down for landing.  After a minute Grace realized she was still leaning on Ami and sat up quickly.  Ami righted herself and nervously said “thanks” to no one in particular...

As the plane came to a stop, Andy gave a short “Welcome” speech in an exaggerated British accent.  Ami and Grace giggled.  Dyllan said, “Thanks Gov’ner,” as he leaned forward and slid the side door open.  

Uncle Andy

Ami's uncle Andy likes playing the part of aviator and owns his own plane.  Not a jet, but a sturdy little Cessna.  Ami's dad drops her off with uncle Andy at Merrill Field in Anchorage, and she flies with a small group back to Aurora Bay where she'll live at her uncle's cabin.

“You’ve got a choice,” Andy told her in his best game-show-host voice, standing in the hallway between two rooms.  “The Susitna Room or the Alyeska Room.”  She rolled her eyes at the names that sounded like bed-and-breakfast suites, but they were definitely well named for what they were.  The first had a huge picture of the Sleeping Lady at sunset over the blue and white bed, with a matching lamp on a side table.  There was also a comfy looking chair in front of a wooden desk and a bookcase that was mostly empty.  The second room had pictures of ski slopes and skiing, and the bed and matching couch were a sporty blue and red plaid.  Ami wrinkled her nose at the second one and turned back to the Susitna Room. 

“This will be perfect,” she told Andy, honestly.  They brought in her bags, and she left them on the floor for the time being so she could test out the bed.  She was so tired that she barely heard her Uncle’s “good night” as he closed the door.

Amelia Ann "Ami"

Our eyes and ears on the scene, Ami in a smart home-schooled girl with a love of music.  She is on her way to a new life in Aurora Bay.  Her biggest fear?

It wasn’t the part about being alone that bothered her the most. It was the part about making “real” friends. After seven straight years of homeschooling, the idea of going to a real high school was more than a little intimidating. How do you make friends in a place like that? They’ll all know each other. They’ll have their circles and clichés, and making friends with one person would mean making friends with a whole group. Ami wondered if anyone would even like her.  

Blizzard in Juneau!

White out conditions and a turkey in the fridge!  I'll have plenty of time to work on my Aurora Bay project.  Have a great Thanksgiving!

Electric Words

The epiphany that strikes like lightning
leads my hand to the page.

The images flow into words
and the story pours onto the page.

A new world forms in my hands
and I will share it with you.