Last night I had this little story begin to nag at me. It all started with me looking out into the woods which were concealed in a thick fog. It almost appeared as though you could wander into another world if you were just brave enough to venture outside into that mystical misty veil.
So here is my work in progress, Elven Dreams. I hope you like it :) ***note: it is still in it's roughest stages ***
Elven Dreams
My morning started like any other countless days. I woke up at six and went for my obligatory run through my neighborhood woods. What with the big four zero approaching; I, Madelyn Carver, was going to fight gravity and those extra pounds with every ounce of strength left. Some women are afraid to run through the forest, especially before the sun is really up. It isn’t for everyone, but I love nature and the rough terrain really kicks my ass. Not to mention by being surrounded by all that foliage your mind can really motivate you to run harder. Nothing quite like a strange noise to really make you pour on the speed or run that extra distance.
A mile into my five mile run, my mind clear, I was enjoying the crisp smell of the dew soaked earth mixed with the freshly blooming honeysuckles. This was the scent Glade and Yankee Candle tried so hard to capture, but failed. As I crested the hill, the terrain grew a bit tricky. Leaves covered the ground and the evening rain had made the ground soft and slick. This mixed with a steep incline made it a struggle to maintain my footing. Twice I had slipped and narrowly missed eating a mud muffin for breakfast.
The morning sun barely broke through the heavy canopy of trees. My mind harkened back to the fairytales of my childhood. The sound of my dear uncle’s voice whispered in my ear reminding me of the stories of children who wandered into the woods alone. I could sense a smile tugging at the corners of my mouth.
“If only it were true. I would love to meet an Elven prince or even a warrior. Sadly, I gave up on love long ago, both real and imaginary.” My words echoed through the trees and magnified my solitude.
I couldn’t help but sigh as I rounded the corner and lost my footing. This time there was no recovering. I careened down the hill at an ever quickening pace. My only thoughts were to dig my heels in to attempt to slow myself by down and use my hands to try to steer myself away from the trees. All it managed to do was to throw me end over end, in a nauseating tumble. I squeezed my eyes shut in hoping to quell the sickening sensation coiled in my stomach.
The sudden and terrifying stumble ended as abruptly as it had begun. I slammed into something solid, but not as unforgiving as a tree.
“Goddess be blind,” a strange male voice uttered in the tone that meant it was a curse.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to run into you. I…I fell down the—”
I turned to point to the hill, but the ground was as flat as a prairie. Confused, I spun back around to explain myself and was dumbstruck by what stood before me. I was in center of a beautiful little town, cottages and stores lined the road with strange flowers flanking both sides. There weren’t any cars or trucks, just horses. It was just like a fairytale village. I half expected to see foxes walking upright and holding conversations with a fellow badger.
“But…but this can’t be real.” Sputtering, I looked up and finally saw the man who had stopped me.
He stood six foot four, solidly built, the epitome of tall, dark and handsome. Piercing eyes, the color of the Summer sky, sun-kissed tan skin, and hair so dark it had a bluish hue to it. My eyes were drawn to the tips of his ears that broke through his wind tousled hair…they were pointed.
~***~
Contest Week #2
I hope you enjoyed this little excerpt of my latest work in progress. This week's giveaway is for five lucky winners. I am giving away your choice of any one of the following pieces of jewelry. As an added bonus the piece will then also be named after you too. To enter all you have to do is leave a comment. Winners will be announced on February 13th by 10pm est.
