I didn't write much extra today, so I clocked in at 46,135 words! I did write a lot of notes and was able to wrap up a chapter AND start a new one. Tomorrow will be for expanding scenes!
So because we are finishing the day up, this post will be shorter to make room for the excerpt. Yay!
EXCERPT
So to recap: my main characters have been chased into an abandoned research center by a daemon, a large black beast that can shoot chains and fire from it's mouth! They also met a rather...curious scientist and his warrior bodyguard living inside. My main characters have agree to go through some experiments to create some "thing" to help them fight the daemons outside. Thus, Jason and his sister go into the next testing trial.....
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They sighed
and whimpered as they went through the double doors to their next destination.
This room was well lit and looked like another long hallway, this time fully
covered in white tiles. A door marked ‘Exit’ sat at the back. It looked relatively safe, but way too easy.
The first
step Jason took turned the floor tiles red. An electric shock like fireants
crawled up his arms and burned at his skin, but stopped him from yelling out.
Shiri pulled him off the tile and the effect stopped. The tiles turned white
again.
“Welcome to Sensory Trial Level
2! Did you notice I’m using a different energy pulse this time?”
“Yes I freaking noticed!” Jason
yelled out. “You electrocuted me!”
“Oh really? That must have been
a malfunction. I’ll turn the power to a lower setting,” the man responded
absentmindedly.
“You wha…?” Jason was shaking, and
smelt like slightly singed hair.
Then all
the tiles in the room turned red and the room glowed with danger. The tiles changed
their arrangement into a diamond pattern along the floor. Jason noticed some of
their shapes were different as each one clicked into place: half were square
and the other half with rounded corners.
He heard another clicking sound. A third of the red tiles were replaced
with land mines.
“Now I want you to find the
correct pathway to the exit,” the man spoke with a hint of anticipation. “Use
your instincts and don’t rely on what you see.”
“I knew it. You are trying to kill us!” Jason exclaimed.
Well now
they couldn’t rely on colors or sounds to lead them in the right direction. Every
time they got close to a bad tile, the burning sensation would increase. Finally
stuck into a corner between a very real-looking mine and six different tiles
starting to burn their arms, Jason started to panic. “We’re stuck!”
Shiri was
smooshed back-to-back with him, occupying the same tiny space on the tile. She
breathed and repeated the man’s message again out loud. “He said…don’t rely on
what you see,” she said slowly. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”
“That you want to me to test my
lifespan by stepping a mine?” Jason quivered. “I don’t like that plan. At all.”
“Well we can’t just stand here
forever. Just…try it!” she exclaimed and pushed Jason with all her might. He
gasped and tripped forward. Both feet landed on the mine and the metal monster
started a horrible beeping countdown. Jason froze and Shiri instantly regretted
what she had done.
Then the
beeping stopped. Nothing happened. Jason blew out another string of curse words
and then quickly apologized. “But never
do that to me again, do you hear me?!” he blasted toward his sister. She side-stepped
over to him with a huge smile. “You’ll thank me later.”
The two of
them proceed toward the back of the room. He was grateful when his smug sister
volunteered to take the lead. She started hopping on landmines like they were
rain puddles and he cringed every time. In less than five minutes they were at
the exit doors. Shiri was waiting for him to praise her magnificent
performance. He just sighed and walked over to the touchpad out of habit. “Yes,
yes, thank you for potentially risking my life to satisfy your curiosity.”
His sister
just giggled and approached the other hand pad. “Why is it so hard for men to
accept help from a woman?” she teased. Soon the touch pads were activated and
accompanied by the cheerful robotic announcer.” Congratulations on completing
the second test trial!” Metal straps zoomed out of the panel and held both of
their hands in place. They couldn’t move!
“NOW what?” Jason yelled
outloud. Almost in response, the announcer continued. “Starting element
enhancement procedure! Please stand by!”
Shiri tried
to yank her wrist free, but it wouldn’t budge. The green touch panel started to
glow red and the bottom of her hand began to spark. The purple element on her
palm expanded, growing to reach through her fingers and wrap around the top of
her hand. The color changed from purple to a darker blue. It stretched thin
across her skin and it felt more like rubber instead of super glue.
Across the
room Jason was punching the panel only to get a bruised fist. His arm was stuck
in there and the element had grown up his wrist, spreading under his forearm.
It extended far past his fingertips now. It felt like a piece wood tied to his
arm. The substance changed into a more brilliant silver and was rock-solid.
“Element scan complete!” the robotic
announcer cheered.
“I can’t believe the readouts
I’m getting from the element’s transformation. Sun, come take a look – ah yeah
you don’t care about the numbers, I remember,” the man cleared his throat. “But
I’ve never seen chemical interactions like this before!”
“You better release us now!”
Jason yelled at the cameras.
The metal
straps clicked off and the exit door open automatically. “There you go! I’m
pleased with the results you are getting so far. The element responded to you
better than I ever hoped,” the man exclaimed through the speakers. “There’s
only one sensory trial left and soon the experiment will be complete.”
“Good, I’ll be glad to get this
splint off my arm,” Jason wiggled his left arm with disgust.” This thing is
getting really heavy all of the sudden.”
“Yeah how is this thing supposed
to help us, again?” Shiri asked.
The man sighed on the other side
of the camera. Jason could imagine the man rubbing massaging his forehead. “Did
I not say? I thought I did? Sun did I – oh well! These tests are to trigger the
element’s integration with your vital statistics and DNA markings. Hopefully
the end of the experiment will provide enough data for the element to evolve
into it’s final pattern. I’m hoping that pattern will be something useful.”
“Something useful?” Jason
questions.” I thought you told us it could help us fight; you made it sound
like a type of weapon.”
“Did I now? Well I don’t
remember using the word ‘weapon,’ my dear boy. The pattern created by the
element is very unstable and impossible to predict.”
“For crying out loud, that’s
just great!” Jason punched his arm to the wall. Surprisingly the solid element pierced right through it. Shiri raised her eyebrows in surprise and came over
to see the gaping hole.
“Wow that’s kind of impressive,”
she said, pointing at the silver plank glued to his arm.
“Yeah I guess. Still, I want to
get this thing off me. Let’s just go to the next trial and get this over with.”
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Seems to me like they've been tricked!! Mean professor... Grrrrr!
ReplyDeleteNice excerpt, as always! ^_^ But a tad predictable like, when he said 'don't trust what you see' I was like, yelling at my comp 'STEP ON THE MINES!" :P hihi
So keep up the good work... and send Jason to some anger management classes! haha He keeps punching stuff!! :P But I like how fiery he is in his words, really! :)
Write on, my friend! ^_^