Title page
THE ORB
by
PAUL WHITE
Copyright © Paul White 2018
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.
Introduction
Around three years ago, in 2015, I accepted a challenge from a writers group.
The trial was to write a fast-moving short story, one which included a scene of driving in a desert. The protagonist must be a girl or young woman and the stories premise needed to encompass some form of fantastical magic… but, the story was to be written as an urban adventure, a piece of speculative fiction set in current time, the modern day.
Oh, and the word count was strictly two-thousand five-hundred words. Not one more, not one less.
No problem then?
Our stories were submitted anonymously, so no one knew who was responsible for which work. The authors then critiqued and comment on each other's stories.
Thankfully, my entry was relatively well received by my peers and they did not (too heavily) slate my work… some even gave it some slight praise.
It is from this short story, a piece which is only a little longer than a flash-fiction, this Electric Eclectic novelette has evolved.
While the basis of the story remains true to the original challenge, I have extended and opened the tale to encompass far more than a mere two and a half thousand words can express.
More action, more characters and more lingering possibilities are now woven into The Orb. This story has been a joy to write and I am sure you shall find it an enjoyable and pleasurable read.
Once you have read the Orb, I am certain you will see why I think it could be classed as a prequel, possibly a forerunner to a series of books.
At the moment of writing, The Orb is a stand-alone story, written as an introductory work to my writing style and narrative. Of course, I hope you thoroughly enjoy The Orb and reading this book encourages you, my dear reader, to purchase many more of my books, which you can find on my author website HERE.
Contents
Table of Contents
Introduction
Table of Contents
The South Hall
The Road Block
Desert Night
Bang Bang
The Filling Station
Peace and Quiet
Dead Rich
Fast and Loud
THE SOUTH HALL
The Orb should have remained sitting on the library mantelpiece next to the glass case clock. It is where it was placed all those years ago and where it should stay.
The Librarians were protective of it. They say the Orb held powers, ancient powers only the chosen could harness. I know nothing about such powers. All this talk about lost ancient knowledge and magic and so on, it is all balderdash in my opinion.
I am twenty-seven years old and I have never seen any magic. Oh, do not get me wrong, I have seen conjurers and street magicians pull off seemingly magical feats, but they are just acts, tricks to amuse and entertain. It is not real magic, not the ancients magic to which the Librarians refer.
I am trusted to work in the south hall, the historic records room of the library. This is where all those books, those old and fragile books which talk about the supernatural, the paranormal and the mysterious are kept. Here there are tomes pertaining to hold spells and voodoo incantations. Others chronicling alchemy or reporting on experimentations of enchanted sorcery and many more books delving into witchcraft and necromancy.
I can see the fascination, the captivating charm such fantasy and fiction may hold for those seeking something to fill the emptiness of their lost dreams, to fill the gap of lost love to bolster their lives. But come on, honestly… magic... huh.
No.
Not for me, thank you.
The Orb is the artifice the Librarians most revere. A few weeks back, I overheard three of them speaking of the Orb's intricate design, what skill of the craftsmen, the artisans who fashioned the gold and silver casings must have possessed. The Librarians wondered where the crystal originated and from what lands the precious gemstone came.
The Orb, they said, must be worth a small fortune simply an Objet d'art, let alone to those who knew of the powers it held. The Librarians chatted away, oblivious to my presence in the room. I sat
Impressum
Verlag: BookRix GmbH & Co. KG
Tag der Veröffentlichung: 21.03.2018
ISBN: 978-3-7438-6229-6
Alle Rechte vorbehalten
Widmung:
To all those who ride unicorns and dance naked under a full moon when it's raining.
My the magic be with you always.