Friday, September 29, 2017

Excerpt: Elemental Mazes

Excerpt: Elemental Mazes
Katy Lily Series Book 4
All Rights Reserved

She closed her eyes.  “Powers that Be, I need you to tell what to do here.  You sent me back from death for a reason, what is that reason?  Is it to fight this war?  To die in this war? Goodness died last time to destroy Darkness and look, Darkness has returned.  Why go through all this when Darkness just comes back?”  She sighed.  She did not expect an answer.  “I do not want to have to think about this!”  She suddenly yelled out loud.  “Help me!  Help me please!  This world is chaos!  Darkness hounds my every move!  She is even in my blood!”

Thursday, September 28, 2017

Monster University Part II

I have decided to challenge myself again in October. 1 short story a day between 750-2500 words centered in the Monster University Universe!

September 30th Prologue: Zoe and Aeron! (Rachel's sister and brother! What will happen?!)


October:

Day One: Draco

Day Two: Drake

Day Three: Frank

Day Four: Beth

Day Five: Lucas

Day Six: Kat

Day Seven: Mia

Day Eight: James

Day Nine: Ewan

Day Ten: Hal

Day Eleven: Sam

Day Twelve: Darin

Day Thirteen: Sebastian

Day Fourteen: Morgan

Day Fifteen: Tony

Day Sixteen: Bleu

Day Seventeen: Ian

Day Eighteen: Gabriel and John

Day Nineteen: Erik

Day Twenty: Gus

Day Twenty-One: Abe

Day Twenty-Two: Jo

Day Twenty-Three: Ajit

Day Twenty-Four: Viv

Day Twenty-Five: Bo

Day Twenty-Six: Kristoff

Day Twenty-Seven: Jon

Day Twenty-Eight: Caliban

Day Twenty-Nine: Cameron

Day Thirty: Naome

Day Thirty-One: Kitty, Lila and Ida

Bonus: Sherman

Bonus: Raven

Bonus: Alyssa

Monday, September 25, 2017

Countdown To Halloween Year II!

I have decided to challenge myself again in October. 1 short story a day between 750-2500 words centered in the Monster University Universe!





September 30th Prologue: Rachael
October:
Day One: Draco
Day Two: Drake
Day Three: Frank
Day Four: Beth
Day Five: Lucas
Day Six: Kat
Day Seven: Mia
Day Eight: James
Day Nine: Ewan
Day Ten: Hal
Day Eleven: Sam
Day Twelve: Darin
Day Thirteen: Sebastian
Day Fourteen: Morgan
Day Fifteen: Tony
Day Sixteen: Bleu
Day Seventeen: Ian
Day Eighteen: Gabriel and John
Day Nineteen: Erik
Day Twenty: Gus
Day Twenty-One: Abe
Day Twenty-Two: Jo
Day Twenty-Three: Ajit
Day Twenty-Four: Viv
Day Twenty-Five: Bo
Day Twenty-Six: Kristoff
Day Twenty-Seven: Jon
Day Twenty-Eight: Caliban
Day Twenty-Nine: Cameron
Day Thirty: Naome
Day Thirty-One: Kitty, Lila and Ida
Bonus: Sherman
Bonus: Raven
Bonus: Alyssa

Friday, September 22, 2017

Excerpt Elemental Mazes

Excerpt Elemental Mazes Book 4 of the Katy Lily Series
All Rights Reserved



            Katy sat with Riley; they were sitting on the plane. The first maze wasn’t so bad a few choices made, a bit of power out of control. She feared perhaps their birth mother was right and she was going dark.
            Riley could practically hear her thoughts. “Nobody is pure light or dark until they make themselves that. Those who are dark gave up. They were told they were dark or cursed or they had no choice. They didn't fight. They didn't try. And that is what made them dark. They gave up. They invited darkness into their soul. There isn't just light and dark. You can't have one without the other. And no being is perfect. They just try to be a bit better than they were the day before and they hope for the best. They fight to be light. They fight to be good. And those people where are they? Those who fight? They are light.”

Tuesday, September 19, 2017

Sold My Soul Poem

Sold My Soul
All Rights Reserved



I used to have a voice
I used to have a say
I used to have a life
I sold it for fame
I sold it for money
I sold it for material
I now only speak circles
I now only blend in
I now only am artificial
I used to have a voice
I used to have a say
I used to have a life

Monday, September 18, 2017

NaNoWriMo 2017

As I work to get Elemental Mazes ready for publishing in December, I have chosen my NaNoWriMo Project. The Midnight Phoenix!
From Earth to Hell and back again... He shall gain his redemption.

'I always thought I was the hero. I tried to do good. I really did. I even deceived myself that I was. Bu at some point I started to make questionable choices. Making choices that I thought were for the greater good. I can see, now in my death, that I wasn't the hero. I was the villain. But in life... In life I thought I was invincible. After all nobody is born the Villain. And in death I shall gain my chance at redemption as I fight an evil I could never imagine...'

Wednesday, September 13, 2017

Perspective: Micro Fiction

PERSPECTIVE
MICRO FICTION: ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

I smelt of fire & death
My mentor would have stated I smelt of power & success
But all I can think is I smelt of failure
As I knelt to death

Tuesday, September 12, 2017

Death Presents: Flash Fiction



Death Presents

All Rights Reserved



I remember it like yesterday. Was it yesterday? Time seems to blur lately with my depressed thoughts. That Hollow’s Eve that ended my childhood and set me upon this road. A loss of childhood is a requirement of life I guess, but one that still comes as a surprise to everybody when they realize it is over. Those carefree days, gone forever, often times in a blink of an eye. Many have contribute to that day, many that regret the choices that led to that day.

Even as I lay here and listen to the voices talk about what is to be done with me. I listen as my godfather slams the refrigerator closed, I listen as my godmother cries, and I even hear her blasted pet bird squawk against its cage being thrown about as people went to and fro.

I close my eyes as I remember that day upon the pier when my parents said good bye to me. That day that was only a week before that terrible day, but seems so far away. The ship of iron and steel then was hit by a ship killer. And that is what that storm did. It killed the ship and along with it my parents.

So as I lay here, moments after hearing the voices talk about where they would continue raising my ten-year-old self, and try to think. At that moment I strengthen my mind, I create walls around my heart, and I make a vow.

A vow that I will become the queen I am about to be crowned, and nobody, not even my godparents, will control my ambition to show the world I am my father's daughter.Those voices would not be able to control my ambition to have the world fear the name, Anne Bathory. Because while I may not be Queen of my nation, I am queen of my land and my name would be feared. That I can guarantee in my last moment of childhood, as Death has presented me with the Queen’s crown.

Monday, September 11, 2017

Motivation: Flash Fiction

Motivation
All Rights Reserved 
 
 

I stood in front of the roaring crowd. Memories coming back to me. "How does one get to this point. Standing in front of a crowd on a campaign trail? I am about to tell you." I started. "Forty years ago I was but a secretary. No one of importance. I had the impression I would die a nameless face of society. It is sort of funny this path I am now on started with a bowl of soup and a glass of milk. I found a child without any armor against the cold, one that would tremble in fear when I tried to help him with a kind hand. As with an injured dove, I held the child and set about to make sure he was healed. I then set about to make sure no child ever was hurt, like this little boy was, ever again.

I found a group of like-minded individuals and united them. But to change the system we had to be within it. So we made a list, columns of pros and cons, and in the end I ended up in a public office.

As I raised this little boy, so did my ambitions to give him and children like him, everything a child deserves. And thus I moved up the ranks in the face of the public.

Then I sat there, on my son's birthday, one year, not long after he had graduated with his doctorate, we watched the television as it was announced. My end goal to show my son, the little boy I saved, that anything is possible with hard work. I turned to him and he pulled me into a hug. He was now a grown man of twenty-four and I am so proud of the man he has become. He kissed my cheek and smiled and stated, 'Congrats Madam President.' I smiled back at this young man that changed my life. 'Thank you, son.' I had told him."

I looked out at the crowd and smiled. "Why tell this story now? When I have long since been out of office? Why do I stand before you at the start of this campaign trail? Because today I introduce you to my son as he announces his bid to run for the office you all once honored me with and I am here to tell you that for every benefit I gave our country my son can increase it tenfold. So join me in welcoming the Senator of Iowa and to celebrate his bid into becoming your president!"

I stand back to clap as my son came upon the stage. My son kisses my cheek as he moves up to the stand and the crowd cheers. I smile, my little boy has come so far and it all started with a bowl of soup and a glass of milk.


Black Hydrangeas: Flash Fiction

Black Hydrangeas
All Rights Reserved
I stand here surrounded by hydrangeas. They remind me of a time so far away. A time of happiness. Though hydrangeas are common, these weren't. Their color almost black. Blood black I called them.
Why am I standing here surrounded by them and memories? Memories that started with a scribble after just learning the alphabet, a potato, and a game of tug-of-war? Memories of helping a smiling woman and a happy boy plant these blood black hydrangeas?
Memories that turned from games of hot potato to making sandwiches for a picnic, and the word boyfriend? Memories of my brothers threatening him to not hurt me? Memories of hand holding, sweet kisses, and so hot summer nights? Memories of a childhood love? Why?
Today I am surrounded by those hydrangeas, not for the wedding I always imagined, the wedding that was expected.
No, today I am surrounded by them as the man who was my childhood sweetheart marries my little sister. Today I am surrounded by them as we watch one of the most unexpected unions. After all, they had seemed to always hate each other. Or at least they had until I found them in our bed four months ago.
Today I stand here surrounded by hydrangeas as I finally give into the pain and watch as those hydrangeas that were once white join their blood black companions. I stand until I fall, and I give into this unexpected union of myself and Death...

Tumultuous: Flash Fiction

Tumultuous
All Rights Reserved 

I glared at my husband. "Scrounge up some dignity and try not to look like you are a prisoner that escaped from a mental asylum."

My husband let out a sigh but straightened his bow tie. Why he had to go to this he didn't know and complained regularly about it. "Well, you can be more ladylike, instead of keeping this frenzy of a yelling match going!"

"Me? You are the one that is in the wrong!" I yelled once more. We have been having the same argument for the last two days, well really longer than that, it just came up again in the last two days. They were both on different sides of this argument since they were eight. I placed our invite into the slot in front of the house that I hated. I could hear the sprockets clicking against each other as the door opened. So bloody pretentious.

"Richard! And Lillian." The man greeted, and I hope nobody would oust the hate I had for the man; it would break my mother's heart. But he was family.

"Step-Father." I greeted, as a tray of champagne and stuffed mushrooms went by me. Ignoring the food I grabbed the champagne, not drinking it but handing it to my husband.
"Bruce! Tell my wife that apothecary is the word for the place and not the person!" My husband demanded.

Bruce sighed. This battle, argument, conflict, whatever it was, had been going on between them since they were eight. "I am not getting into this fight again." He turned to the woman that came up next to him. "Rose, tell your daughter to stop fighting with her husband over this."

"Dear, these two have either been at each other’s throats, or so sickeningly loving since they met at eight years old. They are soulmates, tumultuous, but soul mates. And dear, I don't like the mushrooms, they are wrong. Throw them out." Not caring they costs thousands of dollars.

Right then I realized I and my husband were the sane ones in the family. "I love you." I told my husband.

Richard smiled. "And I live for you. But why drop this now?"
"Pregnant woman's choice. But at least we are sane." I smiled.
"They are family, and we are far from sane."

"Please family members have but one goal," at his raised eyebrow I smiled. "Find the sanest person in the family and drag them into pure insanity."

"Again, we are far from sane." He laid a hand on my six month along stomach.

"The sanest person doesn't have to be sane." I kissed him. "Just saner than the rest."

9/11

16 Years Ago Our Country Was Attacked. I remember the moment I found out. I had gone to to the Media Center in my high school, we were allowed to go see all the home rooms gingerbread houses we had made, something to bring the students closer together. I had looked up at TV as I knew CNN would be on. And there it was: A PLANE had hit one of the towers. The person sitting there thought it couldn't be real. As I was watching this news the second tower hit. I and the rest of the class that had gone down rushed back to our Spanish class to let the rest know what happened. We sat there in shock. We were told to turn it off at the end of first period. Many didn't listen. It filled the news. People panicked. There were lines going many, many blocks at the gas stations. The world had stopped turning for the US that morning. The fear that ran through the country was high. Would their city be next? Top Ten Lists of places that could be hit came out, would they be hit? What more damage was going to happen at the hands of the, then, unknown attackers. The country put their faith in their leaders and their military. And we declared war on terrorism. And we went after those that dare attacked our civilians. Looking back, it was a surreal time. But one thing is for sure, I will NEVER FORGET!

Friday, September 8, 2017

Blink: Flash Fiction

Blink
All Rights Reserved


In a blink life can change. I sit here in contemplation as I stare out the window on this plane. This flight from change.

I close my eyes and I see my white picket fence, my happily ever after. The ending of my hard lived fairy tale. I fear the change now. I fear what happened after the happily ever after. I closed my fist around the box I have had in my hand this whole journey.

The enclosure that holds a gold band that symbolized the trading of my last name for another. What a trade it was. To shed my past for a future I saw only full of happiness, never imagining the pain it would cause as it changed through the life I was living. I have the papers to make the change back to my old name.

But instead of facing it, I stared at the blacktop roads for hours running from that change, just to get on a plane out of the country to avoid it all. Back to my home, hoping to ignore my failure.

I remember the tense feeling of the room when I walked into my bedroom. I had left work early for a doctor's appointment. I was pregnant. I saw him with her. I spit out three words 'We are done.' I walked out.

But now I flee from the change. I hold the papers but fear signing them. Fear the change it will bring in my life. Perhaps when I stop running I will be able to face it. But for now, I run, to protect my mind as my heart breaks and my soul weeps.

For now I run from change, but I know one day I will have to stop running. But today is not that day.

Transformation: Flash Fiction

Transformation
All Rights Reserved


I look into my mirror. I smile; it is old, centuries old, and mine. I touch up my lipstick, after all, I am about to assert my mask I have created to the masses. My transformation was not an easy one. I came from a lower life form upon this space station, called Earth III, to a twenty-seven-year-old Queen. Well, a queen in my own right. There is not much I can't obtain now in this new life. From the cleanest of water to actual plants that are so rare, to the rarest of processions, such as my prize horse, Silver Speed. I am due at the studio soon, an interview about my life and how I made it from nothing to everything. I smirk as I snapped my compact mirror shut and take a deep breath. It had nothing to do with the distribution of my books and my music, but due to the last diamond from Earth resting upon my knuckle. As I said my transformation wasn't easy, with the cost of saying yes, because now after ten years I am finally a widow. The year is 2563 and the fifth revolution for equality ended with hemlock upon one man's lips and one woman's sacrificed innocence.

Thursday, September 7, 2017

Running: Flash Fiction

Running

All Rights Reserved



I sit here at my desk and twirl my elm wand as I create a water lily. Honestly, I do not know why I like that bloody flower, but I do. My husband used to bring me them from the pond he had built just outside our property line. We couldn't have the pond on the property because of some if the rituals we did. Being necromancers, powerful ones at that, the lilies would have disintegrated into dust every time we did a ritual. Thus, to make sure he could bring me them when he fancied, the pound was built off our property. I flicked my wand and set the water lily ablaze. I roughly wiped the tear that fell down my cheek and stood up and left the study. I was leaving the house. Moving away from the memories. I had never felt so powerless than the night my husband was murdered. A thousand years and my heart still burns. I never saw immortality as a curse until I realized I couldn't spend it with the love of my youth.

I walked to my car. I snorted as I looked at it. After all, I have been around since before Christ. However, those GPS units are a lot handier than roadmaps, especially when one is alone and can't read a map and drive. I turned the key and pressed the button to start the directions towards my new home away, finally, from my past.

Six hours later I stopped at a truck stop. I walked in, used the restroom, and walked around the place to stretch. Almost twenty-five hundred years old, though I barely look twenty, I need to move my limbs more than a standard mortal. I snorted at the choppers that one would see on television. Why would anybody need that? But the place had everything from twine to glass and plastic trinkets. Why I would never understand and I had spent centuries being a nomad.

I soon grabbed some water and snacks, paid for them and my gas, and left. Strange places truck stops, all walks of life gather there, reminds me of watering holes in ancient times. I drove off shaking myself out of the thoughts of my past.

Thirty hours later, and a few more stops, I parked in front of my new home, sleek, modern, and across the country. So different than any other house I owned. Running from my past, mostly. I stood in the back yard with my elm wand pointed to the ground, and created ad pond with water lilies. My only reminder of my past. But then again, I always had a soft spot for the flower my husband gave me, always. For eternity... just like I would live. Immortality had never seemed a curse... until it was.

Wednesday, September 6, 2017

Alats

Copyright Katherine Rochholz AKA a crazy little creature I made up long ago!

Alats- They are funny little creatures they talk in their own way; they are never more than a few inches high.  They are cousins of the brownies.  Except where the brownies are helpful, Alats are destructive most of the time.  Now they can be tamed and helpful just like the brownies, but most are playful, and want to play and wreak havoc. Their fur is a bright pink, their heads shaped like a humans but with a cat’s nose and ears. Alats like to play common everyday things like string and little tin toys.