by Skye, Relina
Cora
Book 1 Of Earth or Erda Series
By Relina Skye
Cora
By Relina Skye
Copyright 2016 by C. A. Mederos
Cover Design:
C. A. Mederos
Editors:
Amber Bungo
http://www.editingbyamber.com/
Teri the Editing Fairy
http://www.editingfairy.com/
All rights reserved, which also includes the right to reproduce this novel or portions thereof in any form, (paper, photocopy, electronic, mechanical, recording, etc.) without the prior written permission of the copyright owner. Exceptions are granted if a quotation is used in the publication of a review or blog.
The following novel and glossary are a collaboration of names, terms, places, and incidents that are used fictitiously. Many are also the products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, locations, businesses, events, or terms is entirely coincidental. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various references and products in this fictitious work which have been used without permission. The trademarks’ owners have not authorized, sponsored, or are associated with the publication and/or use of these trademarks.
Dedication:
For all of the National Novel Writing Month participants
Introduction:
Early one winter morning during 2014, I laid in bed in my normal semiconscious state. As someone with narcolepsy, my sleep cycles are abnormal. Somewhere in the middle of REM sleep, my brain waves shift, and my mind decides that it needs to play out whatever storyline is buzzing through my head. That’s when a good chunk of Cora was written. At the time I was in the middle of writing In-Between Work and Play and I knew I wanted to add a witch to the cast of characters. So, that night, I dreamt of Cora’s backstory. When I was conscious enough to drag myself out of bed, I headed over to the computer and typed out a detailed outline.
Fast-forward to November 2015, and I’d just recently finished writing the sequel to In-Between Work and Play titled In-Between Life and Death. Cora King is one of the main secondary characters in that novel. Most of my works in progress, have at least a chapter or two written out, so when I decided to participate in the http://nanowrimo.org/ contest, the only outline I had ready to go was “Cora”.
As part of the http://nanowrimo.org/ contest the challenge is to complete the rough draft of a 50,000 word or more manuscript in a month. Luckily, I was able to finish Cora on time. The bad thing was that with the completion of this manuscript, I had to figure out what to do with it. At that point I decided to use it as the first novel in a series of stand alones called Of Earth or Erda. Each story that appears in this spinoff series will focus on a protagonist that may be from Earth or it’s sister dimension Erda. It is not necessary to have already read The Jocelyn Frost Series or the Lost in Erda Series in order to enjoy these novels.
For more information about upcoming novels, works in progress, and everything in-between, check out my website: http://relinaskye.weebly.com/.
~Relina
Acknowledgements:
A big thank you goes out to my amazing editors:
Amber Bungo
http://www.editingbyamber.com/
Teri the Editing Fairy
http://www.editingfairy.com/
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Epilogue
Relina Skye Books
Sneak Peek: In-Between Work and Play -
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Sneak Peek: Hailstorm -
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter One
A piercing ring assaulted my ears before a throbbing pain shot through my brain in its wake. Other aches and pains took that opportunity to make themselves known. Especially one that spread across my back like an ugly stain.
Dampening my lips with the tiny amount of moisture I managed to produce, I discovered they tasted like dirt. A cough rumbled in my aching chest. Breathing in, it felt like I just inhaled a dust storm.
Not good. Not good at all. A never-ending expanse of blackness left me blind to my surroundings. When I held my hand in front of my face, I couldn't even make out my fingers. All I had to rely on were my other senses. Unfortunately, they were not working right, either.
Rolling over on my side to try sitting up, my fingers squeezed what felt like a mix of fine powder and the jagged edges of broken rock, or maybe even glass?
Nausea rolled through my gut, causing me to gag and cough once more.
Leaning forward, I placed my weight on my hands to help me stand, but whatever was originally supporting them gave way. Falling forward, my chin smacked something hard while my arms dangled in empty space. Shifting my weight back onto my hips, I sat back.
My heart pumped faster. Where am I? What happened? I had no answers. Nada. Zilch. The more I tried to make sense of my surroundings and what happened to me, the more my mind drew a blank. My lungs began desperately gasping for air, but all I received were more dust and dirt. Having no idea where I was or how I got here, I now had to find a way out.
I tried to scream for help, but all that came out was a scratchy whisper. The sound that returned was muffled by the ringing in my ears, but distinct enough to let me know that the place I was in at least had walls. Reaching out as far as my arms could stretch; I felt a rough surface on each side. The wall nearly crumbled under my fingers. I grasped a slight ledge of some sort and pulled my weight on top of it. Tiny pellets of dirt bounced off the wall, smacking me in the face. But at least it held. As I stood, I felt another ledge above me.
Okay, I thought as the lack of sleep clawed at the back of my brain, time to go up. I’m not sure why, but that seemed right. I needed to either take a chance, or risk growing weaker by the second with no food or water, much less, illumination, in sight.
The ledges were evenly spaced, giving me a place to dig my toes in. Nausea kept me from moving too fast. However after about ten feet, the ledges ended.
I reached around and found a jagged, rough, stone-like shelf that felt cool to the touch. I continued to explore with my hands and realized I did not touch a wall. Perhaps this shelf was the exit of what I had to guess was a cave? I could only hope I was right.
Transferring my weight to that shelf, I pushed down on it to test its strength. Once I felt sure I was not going to fall, I slowly pulled myself up onto it.
I took a deep breath as exhaustion pushed my head back down to the ground. I would have fallen asleep again, but a slight change in the light caught my eye. It bounced off the walls for several seconds before turning back on itself.
Muttering voices followed. Some were high-pitched while others were lower in tone.
People!
"Help!" My voice came out in another scratchy peep.
They were too far away.
I pushed myself forward, my limbs drooping as if they had cement blocks anchored to them.
Several more lights bounced off the walls. As the voices grew louder, I pushed myself to keep moving.
"So far, we've dated this site to the Jurassic Period," explained a monotone, soprano voice with a Boston accent. "Many of the remains show what these dinosaurs were doing at the point of impact. Curiously, ground-penetrating radar indicates the volcano’s crater may have been a watering hole due to the d
iversity of the species found there."
"Isn't that just all speculation?" a high-pitched guy’s voice asked.
"It's an educated guess." Her tone hardened.
"Help!" I yelled a bit louder.
White light blinded me the same way the stark darkness did only a few minutes before.
"Who are you?" asked the guy with a harsh tenor voice.
"This is a restricted area," declared a baritone.
My head felt heavy. I didn't say anything; not because I didn't want to, but because I didn't know.
"Professor, should I call for help?" questioned a woman with a perky voice.
"Yes, do that," ordered the harsh tenor. His flashlight blinded my vision as he kept its beam pointed on my face. "Trespassing at a dig site is grounds for expulsion, young lady. Not to mention, all the damage you are doing! Walter, help her up and confiscate her student ID."
I heard them without processing what they were saying.
"I'm not getting any reception," complained the woman.
"Then use the walkie-talkie," ordered the professor.
"Walkie-talkie?" She sounded confused.
As the professor explained what a walkie-talkie was and where to find one, I stopped crawling and began slipping back into unconsciousness.
"Walter."
"Yes, Professor?"
"The girl."
"Right!"
Two strong hands hoisted me up onto my feet. The world spun so fast that whatever was left in my stomach flew out.
"For the love of Lucy!" cursed the guy holding me up. Bright spots blocked my view of his face, but I could tell by the sour waft of what I just did that it was not only gross, but embarrassing.
"Pull her to the surface and get her a cup of coffee to help her sober up," the professor demanded.
"Must be a pledge," whispered one girl.
"From which sorority?" asked another.
"I don't know," came the response.
Walter pulled me away from the gossiping coeds. My brain barely registered that my legs were moving uphill. Loose rock and dirt caused me to slip, but Walter’s vise-like grip continued to pull me forward. Was what they were saying true? Was I some sort of dumb coed being pledged to a sorority? I doubted it. The idea of pledging felt wrong. Heck, even being a coed felt wrong.
Dim LED lights appeared all of a sudden as we rounded a corner, supporting the idea that I was in a cave of sorts. The lights were barely strong enough to help us see where we were going, but bright enough that my escort turned off his camping lantern.
"Tell me." He stopped.
"Huh?” I tilted my head to the side. He must have asked me something, but I hadn't a clue what it was.
"You heard me." Walter's voice turned harsh.
When I didn't say anything, he shoved me forward, forcing me to land on my hands and knees. "Some gentleman!" I muttered. Granted, he must have still been angry with me for ruining his jacket, but he was acting like a total jerk.
"What was that?" He pulled me up again, but let go once I was on my feet. "Shit!" The lantern went on once more and he held it next to my head. "Wow, I'm sorry. I guess you’re not just some drunken coed." His fingers touched the side of my head. When he pulled them away, they were covered with blood. "Come on, you need to go to a hospital."
This time, he hooked his arm across my back instead of just gripping my arm.
The throbbing in my skull wasn't going away, but I knew that a visit to the hospital wasn't a good idea. They’d ask too many questions. Questions that I did not know the answers to. Why didn't I know any answers?
Every time I tried to think of something other than the here and now, it was like hitting a wall. A massive, steel wall that refused to allow me any access to what was rightfully mine.
If Walter said anything else, my brain didn't register it. Nothing stuck in my short-term memory. Did I respond to anything he said? I don't know.
Some time passed before my brain finally registered what was happening around me. I found myself leaning against a box of university apparel. All along the walls were shelves and boxes. Some were opened while others were taped closed.
A coned-off area on the floor revealed a small sinkhole with a ladder jutting out of it. That so did not look safe. But what did I know? I couldn't even think of anything beyond right now. I was alone. Walter, whom I’d yet to get a good look at, wasn't even there. Where did he go? To get help? Call the police? Huh, at least I could identify general concepts. Maybe my head was getting better.
I touched my scalp behind my ear and felt a large lump, but at least, there was no more blood.
My instincts took over. Slowly, I stood as my bones protested by cracking several times. Looking down, I realized I was covered in dirt and dried blood. Oddly enough, I didn't feel as awful as I did when I first woke up. The ringing in my ears stopped, and the pain in my head had dulled enough to allow me to think.
I needed to leave what I guessed was either a basement or a storage room. But if I attempted to walk out of there looking like this, someone would probably notice. Stripping out of my leather jacket, I crammed it into a black backpack from one of the boxes. I pulled off my shirt and shook some of the dirt off, then put it back on. I searched through the boxes filled with university apparel again and found a navy blue hoodie. Carefully, pulling the sweatshirt over my head, I tucked my hair into a matching navy cap. Did I look like a coed? I wasn’t sure, but hey, it was worth a try.
Scanning the perimeter of the room, I spotted two exits besides the hole in the floor with the ladder sticking out of it. One went to a flight of stairs, and the other one appeared to lead directly outside. That's the one I headed toward.
Above, I heard the wail of sirens and the heavy footsteps of several frantic individuals. Their mumbled voices grew louder as they echoed down the stairs.
My fingers worked on the doorknob before I used most of my weight to push the door open.
On the other side of the doorway, natural light illuminated the cramped space of an alley. Dumpsters overfilling with rotting garbage and the unique scent of stale urine punched me in the nose.
Keep going, my inner voice commanded me. Nodding, I agreed. The longer I stood there, the greater the chances I'd get caught. Which, my gut told me, was a bad thing. I just wished my gut would tell me why that would be a bad thing, but it offered no clue.
At the edge of the alleyway, a gathering crowd of coeds were milling about. They all seemed lost in their conversations, or on their cell phones as they waited to see who was getting wheeled out of the school store and into the waiting ambulance.
Two uniformed police officers with their backs to me chatted with a couple of university security guards. No one even seemed to notice me.
Crossing the street, I adjusted the backpack on my shoulders as my eyes took everything in. Nothing looked familiar. Blue and white banners dangled from gas lamps along the sidewalk. Flowers bloomed on the trees, and the mixed scent of mulch and manure filled the air as landscapers prettied up the grounds.
It was picturesque. Even though I couldn’t fathom where I was, or what I was doing here, a part of me longed to actually belong here. Deep down, I knew that concept was foolish of me to even consider. Why? My brain still had no answers.
My gut told me this type of lifestyle was not meant for me. I belonged somewhere else. Someone must be missing me. Someone must be looking for me. Who? Again, I didn't know. But I felt an unnatural pull to keep heading in the direction I was already moving toward.
Cracking my neck, I noticed a sign for a ferry. That’s where I needed to go; it just felt right for me to head in that direction.
Coeds poured out the doors of a large, Colonial-style building as I walked by. I guessed that a lecture must have ended. Some coeds lingered nearby on the grassy spaces, while others rushed past me.
I jumped when the vibrations of a loud horn filled the air, losing my hat in the process. I bent over to pick up my hat off the ground, but was nearl
y trampled by a stampede of coeds heading toward the ferry.
Following their lead, I grabbed my hat and rushed toward the waterfront. The orange-red sun dipping behind distant hills on the opposite side of the water was hard to ignore, but my gut told me not to linger.
A line formed on the dock. Overhead, the drone of a recording prompted the coeds to pull out their tickets.
Tickets? My heart felt like it suddenly stopped. Patting myself down, I remembered I was wearing a hoodie, not my leather jacket. I slipped my fingers into my jeans front right pocket and fortunately found the return ticket.
Breathing a little easier, I handed it to the man collecting the tickets at the end of the line before stepping onto the ship. Not wanting to draw attention to myself by looking completely and hopelessly lost, I climbed up to the middle level. An empty seat next to a support column was calling my name.
Taking a few deep breaths, I attempted to calm my racing heart. Questions, so many questions were buzzing through my brain. Who am I? Why am I here? Why was I down in that hole?
I was so distracted that I didn't even notice the kid trying to make his way over to the empty seat in my row. As he pushed past me, his overly loaded backpack nearly slammed into my face. Too bad my reaction time sucked. I moved my head so fast, I forgot about the pole next to my head, and smacked it soundly.
Chapter Two
"Hey, look at me," ordered someone over the piercing ring that suddenly returned to my ears.
After blinking several times, my vision failed to focus.
The world bobbed up and down, nearly making me lose my lunch, but all that resulted was just a bad taste in my mouth. It was beginning to feel like deja vu as I realized this just wasn’t my day.
"Follow my finger."
Were there two of them, or three? "Which one?" I asked.
"Help me get her below deck. I think she has a concussion," stated the guy who was holding his fingers in front of my face. His features were a bit of a blur and hard to distinguish. Whatever. I just wanted to lie down somewhere.