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Overview
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781458212429 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Abbott Press |
| Publication date: | 12/24/2013 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 144 |
| File size: | 236 KB |
| Age Range: | 13 - 17 Years |
About the Author
Violeta Evans is an eighth-grade student in Redwood City, California. Her favorite authors are Rick Riordan and Veronica Ross. A musician, she plays the piano and the guitar. She loves pop music as well as classical music, but what she loves most is chocolate.
Read an Excerpt
SUN'S LAST HOPE WITHOUT A SUNRISE
By VIOLETA EVANS
Abbott Press
Copyright © 2013 Violeta EvansAll rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4582-1241-2
CHAPTER 1
WILLOW
The Sighting
Life is Dark. I am about fourteen years old. The sun has not shown over any of the planets for many years. So many years that some people are getting ... sick. So sick they die. Personally, to be honest my life is pretty ... boring and uneventful besides the quick and painful epidemic of the Pla:gue. Speaking of the Pla:gue, it's how our language has changed from the world that you knew. I live in a nice planet and have a ... well I would be seeing a guidance counselor if I was on the Dark: Planet a couple hundred years ago (More on the Dark: Planet later). I was about to release the string when a bright light I had never seen before rose from behind the trees. I raised my hand instinctively in front of my face trying to block the blinding light from my eyes. I glance anxiously at the deer silently praying it didn't run at the sight of this light. We are running out of food at my house and the stores are always closed on ... whatever day it is. The people of the past called it Sunday but there is no sun so what's the point? The Deer pricked its ears and ran away to its den. I cursed loudly and turned on my heel. I stormed out of the forest and into my house throwing my bow onto its hook and plunked my quiver noisily underneath my bow. I scowled as my older brother giving my younger brother a noogie as he put it. It was from the past, or so I'm told by my father and brothers. I smiled at them as Bransten kept messing with Nikko's hair as he was groaning but they were obviously having fun. I laughed and tackled Bransten. "Hey!! Stop that," I laughed as Bransten moved onto me. He tousled my hair playfully and then stopped. "Hey ... where's that nice heavy deer you promised huh Willow?" "Ugh ... some bright light chased it away ... I couldn't keep up," I growled. "Aww it's okay Willa, we can just ... have some bread for morning breakingfast," said an optimistic Nikko. I smiled and tousled his hair. "You better believe it," I told him. "Right now ... where's Dad? Hmmm?" "Er ... ask Braners," said Nikko. Nikko had these nicknames for all of us and we didn't mind it too much because he couldn't say our names when he was little so he said what he could and well ... the names stuck pretty much forever and ever. My Dad clambered down the stairs and I thought he would be all depressed as usual, but his face was bright and he had clean clothes on for a change. He was always ... depressed for some reason but ... we never could figure out why. Anyway He was NOT depressed so we were all happy to see him in a good mood.
"Willow ... Bransten, Nikko did you see it?!" he asked excitedly. "See what Dad?" asked Bransten. "The ... the sun. You DID see it right?" he asked suddenly concerned. "Ugh," I groaned. "That bright light that scared our supper was the SUN?" "Oh yes Willow I haven't seen it in YEARS! This is certainly a very important occasion," my father says. Seriously though, this doesn't make much sense to me All I can understand right now is that we lost our dinner because some glitch in the M.I.B.O's reign. I picked up my gear to attempt at some dinner when as soon as I was leaving Nikko doubled over and I dropped everything and caught him before he hit the ground. "Nikko? Nikko what is it? Answer me!!!" I shrieked. "Sun, sun ... wasn't there a sun?" he muttered deliriously. I parted his bangs and felt his forehead. To my horror it burned like the fever I had felt in the village from the illness. I held Nikko close and struggled to help him to our padded chair Bransten called the Sofa. Bransten helped me and I snapped my fingers at my dad and he came with a bowl of cold water and a clean cloth. I murmured softly to Nikko and I put the cloth into the bowl and onto his forehead. My heart dropped as the second the cloth touched his forehead it heated up. "Branners?" I asked scared. "I'm right here" he said. I leaned against him wetting the cloth then putting it on Nikko's forehead. I stroked Nikko's head and looked at Bransten. "He needs help ..." I said my voice catching on every word. "Who would help him? He might get better for a few weeks ... under your care but ... he wouldn't last-," he started. "NO!" I screamed. "He is NOT going to die" I shrieked. Nikko opened his eyes and looked at me with those huge eyes and blinked up at me sadly. "Willa?" he asked weakly. "Shhh Nikko" I said as I stroked his forehead. I stood and looked at Bransten, "watch him till I get back" "o-of course Willow", he said. I picked up my hunting gear and ran out the door just as my tears slipped down my cheeks.
I drew back my bow string again, barely breathing and released it finally hitting a bird then silently loaded my bow again and knocked the arrow and hit another bird. I was about to hit another bird when another bright light chased away our dinner. I was about to start yelling when I broke down. Nikko, Sick. Mom, unknown or worse dead. Dad, Unreachable. I started to sob. It was all over I looked at the light that burned my eyes then looked down and picked up my kill and ran back home. Nikko looked a little bit better and when he slept he wasn't as restless. I sighed and cooked the kill and cut it up into a soup for the rest of us and prepared a broth for Nikko. I brought it to him and fed it to him and he fell asleep while the rest of us had our dinner of wild turkey and rice. I sighed and went to Nikko's side and told him stories I made up and true stories until I guess I fell asleep when I woke up to be lying next to Nikko on my bed. I sighed and felt Nikko's forehead and couldn't believe it. His fever broke. I kissed his forehead falling asleep again.
I woke up late into the morning and saw Nikko still dead to the world. Obviously still fighting the illness I shook him and he woke up and looked at me with those piercing ice blue eyes smiling. "Hey Willa. What's for breakingfast?" he asked. I hugged him close and told him, "anything you want Nikko." His face lit up and he hopped out of bed and was down in the kitchen and plopped down on his seat and told me, "I want ... pancakes ... with," he looked down embarrassed. "Go on Nikko," I said softly. "With Mom," He said barely louder than a whisper. I nodded, "Well ... how about I get you some syrup instead?" I asked as though the question hadn't bothered me at all. He nodded and hummed a song I had never heard before and started to draw a picture in his notebook that was always kept at the table. I smiled and tousled his hair and made pancakes for everyone. It was a regular feast but something ... was missing and then it hit me. Mom was missing. I kept eating and told everyone, "Nikko is better. But we need more food. Understand? So Dad I'd appreciate it if you actually took care of us for a few minutes." My father's eyes filled with anger and a slight hint of shame but spit at me, "I have taken care of my children. I succeeded for eighteen years. I think I should manage Nikko and Bransten." Branners is about eighteen years old. What he's said is basically a lie and I don't want to get angry. I nodded curtly and I went into the forest and hunted for the animals for our supper. Little did I know the Forest ... was a blessing and a curse. I stepped into my domain and took a deep breath of the fresh air. Suddenly the Trees were swaying and Bransten asked suspiciously, "Why are they moving ... there's no wind." I whipped around and saw Bransten yelling and I glanced down as the earth was opening beneath me. I screamed and Nikko leaped and tackled me and we fell down screaming our heads off and clinging to each other falling to an unknown situation.
CHAPTER 2ELMIRA
The men in Black
I can never sleep in the dark. A bad ... trait and habit I must have gotten from my mother. Amias always said that she was afraid of the dark as well. Somehow she must have managed. I mean look at Amias and me, we were alive so that had to count for something. In my dream I was running through the forest tripping on roots and screaming as the men were chasing me with their guns and poisoned arrows. I ran to my house and the men cornered me. I looked around and spread my hands. "C-can't we talk about this?" I asked stammering in fear. The men hissed and I woke up screaming my head off.
My older brother Amias was shaking me awake and I looked at him. "It was them," I whispered. He nodded and sat next to me and stroked my hair till I fell asleep again. He was still stroking my hair staring into the fireplace when I awoke. I looked at him and he looked at me smirking. "How's sleeping beauty?" he asked. I rolled my eyes and sat up. Amias still had a curious glint in them. "What scares you so much in those dreams anyway?" "Well ... they have weapons and they want to kill me. I don't like the thought of anyone getting hurt because of people we don't know," I say. "So you'd like to be betrayed?" Amias asks confused. "No, I wouldn't I just ... don't like the idea that you could die because of me," I reply sitting up. I stood and said, "You know the men ... there's the possibility that they might exist. I don't want anyone to get hurt." He shook his head. "Nah ... you know what Dad said. It's just your ... imagination," he said. I shrugged, "But Dad ... being Dad who never helped us grow up ... or live ... you actually trust his judgment about me whom you've known in more depth and longer than HIM?" Amias shrugged nonchalantly. "To be honest, I'm just ... trying to find an explanation. I hate your nightmares as much as you do." I went into the kitchen and made our breakfast. The breakfast had to be cold because Amias had slept in and helped me with my nightmare. So we had no meat. Also we didn't have a working fireplace. Amias told me that before Mom passed away Dad loved having our fireplace lit. Amias loved it too. The smell of the smoke tickled your nose. That's what he always told me, and I believed him. I put the food on plates and took Dad's up to his room. Us kids weren't allowed in it. I thought he would be in there but ... he wasn't. I looked at his dresser. All the pictures ... were faced down, I frowned and peeked underneath one and saw ... Mom holding ... Amias. I could tell because he was gazing up at Mom with fierce adoration that only Amias had. On her hip ... was a baby in a little backpack sack thing. I was in it looking at ... my Father? No ... he didn't love me did he? But he had the same adoration look as Amias and he was looking at the three of us. I felt confused. He ... loved us? But ... if he did ... wouldn't he have HELPED us after Mom's death? He did NOTHING. I studied the frame and moved onto a different picture and I saw my mom was running after Amias and I was running away from them with a huge smile on my face. They were both laughing and my Dad was laughing from a picnic blanket. I looked at the picture wondering was that really us? I set it so the picture faced up and I could look at it without having to peek when Dad thundered, "What are you DOING?!!" I yelped and shoved his breakfast in front of me like it would protect me until Amias ran up the stairs. "Dad? What are you doing?" he asked confused. He saw me with a grimace and the plate stretched out. Dad had a frown on his face and he looked angry. "Who told you that you could be in here Elmira?" he asked in a voice that he was struggling to keep calm. I whimpered, "I was trying to give you your breakfast." Amias looked at dad and then to me "I'm sure she didn't mean to look through you-," he stopped. "Those are pictures of Mom, Why don't we have any Dad?" I looked at him. Dad pointed to the door way, "Out." I scowled at him, "Jerk, we deserve to know about our own Mother." My Dad just gave me the helpless look as he always did. I shoved him aside, brushed past Amias, then went into the forest shaking my head.
I slunk away as Amias and Dad were yelling at each other about me. Amias must be learning the truth I thought to myself as Amias yelled for the last time and ran to his room slamming the door. I noticed I had gotten to the forest near our house and had a flashback of those men in my dream. I took a deep breath and walked deeper into the forest pondering why our Father would hide this from us ... until I heard a twig snap and I took out my dagger and crouched tensing. A man in total black took a step forward towards me and I asked my voice trembling, "Amias?" The man laughed, "no brother to protect you from a dream ... that's not a dream?" I screamed at his grotesque features burning into my mind and ran away. The man barked orders to his buddies in a language I didn't understand but I kept running screaming," Amias!! Amias!" when it hit me. They were after me and my house. I shouldn't run there ... they'd find me and we'd all be toast. Amias looked out his window and saw the men grabbing his crossbow and disappeared yelling for Dad and they both ran out the front door. "Elmira!!" Amias yelled and I sprinted to him and he held me close. "It's okay Elmira" I trembled terribly and my Father stepped forward and asked the men, "What were you doing?! You've scared her! Now she'll never trust you" "I knew I shouldn't have trusted anyone but Amias!" I screamed. Amias looked at Dad and I confused. "Wh-what?" Dad looked at us and growled, "You both are the son and daughter of Wendy Lucas and she was part of the S.L.H. We are the Men in Black and you will not see the next day break." Amias shoved me behind him and raised his crossbow. I drew my knife and snarled back, "That's what you think Dad." Dad frowned and tackled me. "ELMIRA!!" Amias screamed as the other men in black held him back. I screamed and slashed at dad with my knife. He let go of my gasping. I saw his shoulder gushing blood and I whispered, "I'm so sorry" He nodded and closed his eyes forever. With their leader killed the men weren't so sure of themselves anymore but knew that they needed to keep Amias and me apart. I screamed at them, "Let him GO!" The men laughed evilly, "Our orders are to take him and leave you here to die. You will have to find a way to the dark planet called Earth. You will have every opportunity to stop us. Now good bye Wendy's daughter and say good bye to your brother." I stretched out my hand and touched Amias' hand and a memory flashed through both of us:
"Okay Amias, your job is to hold Elmira's hand no matter what okay? Don't get separated okay?," said the woman with short brown hair held back with a colorful bandana to her young children in a red wagon as she told them to wait outside of a store while she went in not wanting to expose them to the dangers of the shop because she knew that the time would come for the two children to find their way to the shop and her job would fall to them soon enough. The Boy's fingers latched onto the little girl's. He took his job seriously and wouldn't let go for anything. A bright flash was seen in the store and a woman's scream was heard. A man rushed in and the same woman who was talking to her children lay on the floor and with her last breaths told him to take care of her children, protect them, help them when the time was right, and give the two children the necklaces on her neck that would protect and help them. The prophecy would be hidden inside for when they needed it. She closed her eyes and her last breath escaped her lips.
Amias clung to my hand his hazel eyes meeting mine. "Don't let go Elmira," he told me with his voice breaking. I clung with all my strength but we were separated by the men in Black's black magic. I fell to my knees sobbing whispering down to my denim covered knees, "I knew this would happen. Yet I didn't do anything. I couldn't do anything!" Hot, wet tears fell down my cheeks at a slower tempo. They landed on my jeans in splatters. I felt the earth open underneath my knees and sucked me underneath but I suddenly realized before I slipped down that I had the necklace that had the prophecy. The necklace glowed and I fell down into the world's crust screaming my head off.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from SUN'S LAST HOPE WITHOUT A SUNRISE by VIOLETA EVANS. Copyright © 2013 Violeta Evans. Excerpted by permission of Abbott Press.
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