Drop the Needle: REVELATION #47

TITLE: THE EARTH FELL SIDEWAYS
GENRE: YA fantasy/steampunk

16-year-old Alison, stunt double for teen actress Pom, goes to Portugal to film on location and shipwrecks on Atlantis.

"Terrorists hijacked planes and flew them into the World Trade Center. Thousands of people died." Pom's voice started strong, but faded as she finished her sentence.

"And this disturbs you so?" he asked her.

"Well, yeah, it was a real tragedy for the US."

He leaned forward. "The US? That would be the United States, yes?"

"Look, what's going on here?"

"We've been fairly, well... isolated on our little island. We don't entertain visitors often."

"Island?" Pom raised an eyebrow. "Which island?"

The Captain cleared his throat and straightened his shoulders. "The isle of Atlantis."

"Ha ha, very funny," Pom said. "Is this a schtick you put on for the tourists? I've gotta say, you get a 10 for effort and set decoration, but can we borrow a phone now?"

The Captain sat perfectly still and studied his wineglass for a long moment.

"Ok, seriously? Jokes over." Pom waved her hand in front of the Captains face.

His eyes flashed up to hers and he stood up. He slammed his fist down onto the table, sending all of our cutlery into the air. "This is no laughing matter, I assure you."

"Ok, calm down," Pom said, almost to herself. She leaned back into her chair, her palms gripping the armrests.

"I will not be told what to do by a thieves, much less women. Take them away."

"Woah, wait, what?" Pom and I protested but were no match for the guardmen who grabbed us and hoisted us from the room.

Drop the Needle: REVELATION #46

TITLE: WORD UP VICTORIA
GENRE: Middle Grade

A story about ten-year-old Victoria, a quiet girl trying to win a spelling bee to get the money she needs to buy a guitar, and become a famous song writer. She's up against the other best speller in the school, Preston Murray. He's also the class bully and has done everything possible to make her lose the first round. This is a scene in the school cafeteria, after she discovers he cheated to win, and she's not being quiet anymore.

Preston pulled his spoon back. Great. It was mashed potato catapult day. Preston and his lunch table followers had contests to see who could throw the potatoes the farthest. They were pros at not getting caught.

"I hate him," I said. Then I felt the plop. Another. A third. I touched the top of my head. Thick, warm, grainy mush. I had become the potato target. I whipped around toward Preston's table and saw a glop of food flying at me. It slammed onto the left side of my forehead. Potatoes, corn and gravy slid down my face.

That was it. I stormed over to Preston's table. In his face I saw the guitar I wouldn't have. I saw my stolen Dictionary. The paper airplane. The word villain. Throwing up on stage.

"Preston Murray you are the meanest, most horrible person in the whole world! You're a cheater. And a big fat liar!"

"Well, you're a loser Vick-EEE," he said. Everyone at his table laughed. "Want some dessert?" Preston flung chocolate pudding at me. I ducked. It hit Sarah on the arm. I didn't know she and Juliette were behind me.

"You're the loser," I yelled. "You cheated!" I spun to face the cafeteria. Sandwiches were suspended in mid-air. Even the chewing stopped.

"Preston Murray cheated. He stole my list and gave me a fake one!" I turned back to him. My voice sounded like rolls of thunder. "And I know you stole my Grandfather's Dictionary. Give it back. NOW!"

Drop the Needle: REVELATION #45

TITLE: A Human Element
GENRE: Suspense

17 year old Ben's foster father, Frank, is a drunk who beats him. He has just now made sexual advances on him and Ben knows he must escape to survive.

Ben swung his backpack over his shoulder then looked back at the bare room that didn't belong to him. He fought off self-pity and pushed open the door. He heard the murmur of the television. Its ghostly light poured from Frank's bedroom.

Ben tiptoed to the door. Frank sat in bed, his eyes shut. He had passed out. A cigarette hung from his fingers, the ash still glowing. The television flickered, canned laughter filled the room. Ben kept his eyes on that cigarette.

The ash grew. And then the cigarette fell.

It hung in the air, then tumbled in slow-motion. Nothing happened. Then the sheets smoldered. Laughter rang out again. Ben looked at the television. Some character ran around a kitchen. Ben's gaze returned to that fallen cigarette. Minutes passed. It seemed like hours to him.

He needed to choose. Run or pick up the cigarette and prevent the certain fire? If he did nothing and Frank died, would he be a murderer? But Frank could have killed him just now. Might still kill him - or worse - if he ever caught him. He stared where the cigarette fell.

The flames burst up from the sheets and fanned along the comforter framing Frank in a soft glow. They licked with hungry abandon through the old bedspread until Frank's image blurred. He looked so serene, so harmless. Ben felt free and safe seeing him like that.

And he knew then. He had to live. He wanted to live.

He ran.

Drop the Needle: REVELATION #44

TITLE: Countless
GENRE: Urban Fantasy

After a week of disturing visions, my main character Eva has just been saved from demons by mysterious hottie Ambrose. She has no experience with the paranormal, and she's questioned him about what she just saw him do.

He looked at her with a strange intensity. "You should know what I am. You should know what you are." A vortex of emotion swirled in his eyes - frustration, fascination, even a trace of fear. "How is it you don't know?"

She closed her eyes and shook her head. "Know what? What is it I'm supposed to know?" Her voice quavered.

He put his palm on the side of her face and her eyes opened. "You should know that you are the biggest mystery of all."

Eva's brain was trying to swim through what he'd just said, when suddenly his lips were pressing against hers.

She struggled and shoved back hard on his chest. "What the hell are you doing, Ambrose?" But through her anger she felt something emanating from him, a swirl of magic like she'd felt in her vision.

"I'm trying to show you something," he said, pulling her against him again. His lips found hers and the power washed around them and she didn't pull away.

His magic rushed around her, familiar and normal. It surrounded her, melding with her. Then suddenly a power of her own shimmered through her. It felt so recognizable that she didn't know how she hadn't noticed its absence before. Like a missing limb or lack of vision, it was so vital a part of her she couldn't imagine not having it.

"Do you understand now?" he asked, piercing her with a laser gaze. "You're not normal, Eva. We share that."

Drop the Needle: REVELATION #43

TITLE: I'm Here to Save Your Day
GENRE: MG Adventure/Fantasy

Bo Wolf has come to a new school and discovered the playground's been overrun by an abnormally huge bully. He discovers a playground gang that's been beaten off the jungle gym by the bully, and are now hiding out in the trees. He has an idea of recruiting them.

A bit further back, in a worn down, high backed teacher's chair, sat a boy. His eyes were fixed on me. Other kids surrounded him, like they were his bodyguards or something. He had dark hair and looked like he could be pretty dangerous, but why was he sitting in a teacher's chair outside in the cold? We stopped, and Reagan went and stood by him.

"I saw you sword fighting with those...nerds," said the kid in the chair. "You were pretty good. Where did you learn that stuff?"

"I take fencing class," I said. "Where'd you get the chair?"

"This is my gang, so I get a cool chair. Is that a problem?" I shrugged.

"You're here by my permission. Don't forget that," said the kid. "Your name's Bo, right?"

I couldn't let this dummy think he was better than me just because he had some playground gang and a cool chair.

"Maybe. Maybe not," I said.

"Just answer my question, or else I'll break your puny arms." He chuckled. "They look like flexi-straws." Everyone laughed but me. And then all the stuff Eddie had said yesterday came together for me. This gang, hiding out in the trees...of course!

"You're Harry, aren't you?" I stepped closer. "This is your gang! This is your new hideout since Grendul brought the smackdown on you and your boys?" I laughed. "It sounds to me like you ladies got kicked off your home turf by just an ugly kid."

Harry's face burned red.