Z is for In the Zone

For this year’s A to Z, I will be doing a collection of flash fiction featuring Steven, the MC from Blackbird, from right before he came to Newstead through his first week there.

 

Z is for In the Zone

     After giving me a schedule, he left me alone. I see now that was intentional. Foltz knew how right there I was; I just needed time to let it come to me. And that’s what he gave me: Time.

     I closed my eyes and let that part come out, the part I’ve always known about, but tried to keep hidden, the part Foltz seemed to know about, too. It doubled me over, the force of it, like it had been right there, just waiting to be released.

     I sank to my knees.

     That’s when I saw them, all of them: reds, blues, yellows, and greens. They were inside classrooms, out in the woods. They were everywhere, getting ready.

     And now I was ready, too.

 

Read more about Steven at Newstead in Blackbird, now available at Amazon

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Y is for Yellow

For this year’s A to Z, I will be doing a collection of flash fiction featuring Steven, the MC from Blackbird, from right before he came to Newstead through his first week there.

Y is for Yellow

 

     Sargent Foltz handed me a yellow uniform.

     “What’s yellow for, sir?” I asked. Everyone I’d seen at Newstead had been in a uniform, but there wasn’t just one color; there were lots of them. I knew it had to mean something.

     Foltz was wearing yellow.

     “Who is your father, Raynor?”

     I froze. I thought he was dodging my question; I didn’t realize he was answering me.

     “Your father is Azul,” he continued. “And Azul’s color is yellow.”

     “How the hell do you know that? I don’t even know who my father is.”

     His eyebrows rose and I looked at his uniform again. “We’re brothers?”

     His silence was answer enough.  

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X is for Xtreme

For this year’s A to Z, I will be doing a collection of flash fiction featuring Steven, the MC from Blackbird, from right before he came to Newstead through his first week there.

X is for Xtreme

We didn’t go back to the offices, like I thought we would. Instead, the man headed toward the woods that were just past the buildings.

     His mind was suspiciously blank.

     I looked further into the woods, but there was no one there. It was just the two of us.

     He turned to face me. “Stop doing that.”

     I flushed, I know I did. “Doing what?”

     He saw the confusion again. “You really don’t know, do you?”

     “I will if you tell me.”

     He paused, deciding. That’s when I heard his voice, not in my head; in his. “You can do things, can’t you?”

     I stopped breathing.

     “Don’t bother lying, I already know you can. And you’re not the only one. Everyone here can do something, and some of us can do lots of somethings. I’ve got a feeling you’re one of those, aren’t you?”

     I didn’t say a word.

     “Take my advice; this is the only time you’ll be getting it: Get better at keeping a lid on what you can do. I’m not the only one who can sense things like that, and this isn’t the kind of place you want to be standing out, if you know what I mean.”

     I didn’t know what he meant. At all.  

     “What’s your name?” I asked out loud.

     “Sargent Foltz,” he answered; all business again.

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W is for Wisdom

For this year’s A to Z, I will be doing a collection of flash fiction featuring Steven, the MC from Blackbird, from right before he came to Newstead through his first week there.

W is for Wisdom

Another bell rang and as a group people got up and herded toward the door. I looked down the wall. None of us made a move.

     A second bell rang.  And that one must’ve been for us, because that’s when one by one we got to our feet. I followed them out. Once we were all outside, everyone dispersed in different directions. Erikson didn’t give me a schedule, so I had no idea where I was supposed to go, but I knew enough not to go back to his office and tell him that; I’d learned that much.  

     “What in the world?”

     I spun around and came face to face with a man who was even taller than the behemoth from the dining hall. He took two steps toward me and gave me some of that same stare down Erikson gave me yesterday.

     “And who are you supposed to be?” he asked in that same gruff voice.

     “I’m Steven,” I answered. “I got here yesterday—”

      “Excuse me?!” A vein on his forehead bulged in my direction.

     Something on my face must’ve shown my complete ignorance, because he took a step back and he took another look at me. “You will address me and all those in authority as sir, is that understood?”

     “Yes, sir.”

     “What is your last name, private?”

     “Raynor, sir.”

     “And why are you standing in the middle of campus when you should be in class?”

     I paused, choosing my words carefully. “I have no place to go.”

     His eyes narrowed.

     “Sir,” I added.
     “Come with me,” he said as he turned abruptly to the right.

     I followed, not knowing if it was the best idea or not.

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V is for Violence

For this year’s A to Z, I will be doing a collection of flash fiction featuring Steven, the MC from Blackbird, from right before he came to Newstead through his first week there.

 

V is for Violence

After I filled my tray I went into the dining hall and surveyed my options. Most of the tables were already full; there were even some guys sitting along the walls with their trays balanced on their legs. But there were still a few tables with some open spots left, so I made my way over toward one.
     I’d just set down my tray when the guy in the seat next to mine turned toward me. “What are you doing, newbie?”

     I looked at my food, then back at him. It seemed pretty obvious.

     He rolled his eyes. “By the wall.”

     “Excuse me?”

     He got to his feet, all eight feet of him.

     The table went silent as all eyes went to the two of us.

     He picked up my tray. “You have to earn a seat here, newbie.”

     Another guy at the table piped in, “I’m sure he wasn’t trying to sit here. I’m sure he was just putting that tray there for you.”

     Behemoth smiled, getting inspiration. “Is that what happened, newbie? Were you putting this here for me?”

     I was at least smart enough by that point not to say anything. Instead, I turned and went to the wall and sat down and watched as he ate my breakfast.

     Dean Erikson was right. I was beginning to see how things worked around here.

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U is for Understand

For this year’s A to Z, I will be doing a collection of flash fiction featuring Steven, the MC from Blackbird, from right before he came to Newstead through his first week there.

U is for Understand (beginning to)

     Something like a bell sounded from the lower levels of the building I was in. I didn’t know what it meant, but it was enough to get me out of bed and moving. I wasn’t the only one. By the time I made it to the bottom of the stairs, there were dozens of us heading toward the door. They looked at me as warily as I was looking at them.

     There were more outside. It took seeing them all together like that for it to hit me what I’d been missing. I wasn’t the only one who was a giant here; we all were. Not one of us was under six feet; some were pushing seven, even eight.  It didn’t look like all of them were fourteen like me, but still, it was a high school, none of them could’ve been over eighteen.

     The crowd that had formed became a line angled toward one of the buildings. I walked up and got in line behind some of the guys from my building. They were thinking they hoped it wasn’t just the same slop from the night before. They were hoping for some eggs; those weren’t half bad.

     That’s when I knew it was breakfast we were headed toward.

 

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T is for Time to Think

For this year’s A to Z, I will be doing a collection of flash fiction featuring Steven, the MC from Blackbird, from right before he came to Newstead through his first week there.

T is for Time to Think

The sun came up the next morning on my first real day at Newstead. I sat up in the bed they gave me and looked out the window and watched it rise up over the mountain. It almost didn’t look real, it was so perfect. Based on the silence, I had to guess I was the only one up to see it. It was good to have time alone, time to think.

     Newstead wasn’t what I’d expected.  

     There’s always been a part of me that’s been able to tell the truth from a lie. Jase called it my shitometer. I used to laugh when he’d say that. I wasn’t laughing now.

     Something wasn’t right with this place.   

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S is for Setup

 

 

 

 For this year’s A to Z, I will be doing a collection of flash fiction featuring Steven, the MC from Blackbird, from right before he came to Newstead through his first weeks there.

S is for Setup

The sun was just setting when Erikson showed me to my room. It was all set up for me, like they knew I was coming early. I turned to face Erikson who was waiting by the open door. He didn’t even bother to look embarrassed about it.

Would’ve been nice if someone sent a car or something for me then, instead of making me walk the whole damn way.

I waited for a reaction from him to that, but he didn’t look like he’d heard me that time.

Instead, he went on with his own agenda. “This will be your room until the rest of the freshmen arrive in August. For right now, we’ll have you taking classes with this year’s freshmen so you can get used to how things work around here.”

I nodded, hearing the threat just like he meant me to.

I am giving out review copies of Blackbird through Story Cartel, in exchange for Amazon Reviews (And blog reviews would be great, too) before it’s official release date on May 1^st.  You can get your copy here  Also, Story Cartel is doing a big giveaway of its own this month, so signing up for a review of any book featured there puts your name in that pot. 

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R is for Reactions

 

For this year’s A to Z, I will be doing a collection of flash fiction featuring Steven, the MC from Blackbird, from right before he came to Newstead through his first year there.

 

R is for Reactions 

His eyes narrowed when he saw my face. “You’re tired,” he said, like that was my excuse.  

He got to his feet and I followed his lead.

Guess that’s all the intro I’ll be getting. I began to wonder if I would’ve gotten more if I reacted the way he wanted.

We left his office, then the office building in silence. No one was walking outside that time.

I am giving out review copies of Blackbird through Story Cartel, in exchange for Amazon Reviews (And blog reviews would be great, too) before it’s official release date on May 1^st.  You can get your copy here  Also, Story Cartel is doing a big giveaway of its own this month, so signing up for a review of any book featured there puts your name in that pot. 

Don't forget to sign up for my A to Z Rafflecopter:

 

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Q is for Questions

For this year’s A to Z, I will be doing a collection of flash fiction featuring Steven, the MC from Blackbird, from right before he came to Newstead through his first year there.

 

Q is for Questions

After he was done he sat back in his seat, but he didn’t look comfortable.

“I suppose you have some questions for me,” he finally said, breaking the silence.

I did, but I didn’t know where to start; all my questions sounded like craziness to me. So I went with something safe, or so I thought. “What is this place?”

That time Erikson’s smile was real. “Newstead is a school for gifted young men.”

“Yeah, I got that part.”

Erikson’s eyes narrowed, measuring, deciding. That time the question was for me. “Have you ever fit in, Steven, you know, really belonged anywhere?”

No.

Erikson nodded, like I’d said it out loud. “That’s because you belong here; with us.”

“What is this place?” I asked again, only that time I got a different answer.

“This is Newstead; where you, and those like you, are trained for the New Order.”

My gut twisted uncomfortably. I don’t know why, but I didn’t like the sound of that.

 

I am giving out review copies of Blackbird through Story Cartel, in exchange for Amazon Reviews (And blog reviews would be great, too) before it’s official release date on May 1^st.  You can get your copy here  Also, Story Cartel is doing a big giveaway of its own this month, so signing up for a review of any book featured there puts your name in that pot. 

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P is for Possibilities

 

 For this year’s A to Z, I will be doing a collection of flash fiction featuring Steven, the MC from Blackbird, from right before he came to Newstead through his first year there.

P is for Possibilities

“We weren’t expecting you until later this summer,” the man said as he led me into an office building. There was weight to his words; it was almost like he knew all about what had happened in Wilson.

I kept my mouth shut. If he didn’t know, then I didn’t want to be the one to change that.

He smirked, sensing my distrust. “By the way, I don’t think I introduced myself. My name is Erikson; I’m the dean here at Newstead.” He held out his hand like he wanted me to shake it. After a half second pause, I did.

“Steven,” I answered, even though he already knew that. His grip was more than it had to be as he pumped our hands up and down a couple of times before sitting down behind his desk.

I followed his lead and sat down, and waited for a little more of what he’d said in his letter: the welcome, the promises; but that’s not what I got. 

Instead, he just sat there looking directly at me for a full minute, like he was trying to read my soul or something; and as it turns out, that wasn’t too far from the truth.
 

I am giving out review copies of Blackbird through Story Cartel, in exchange for Amazon Reviews (And blog reviews would be great, too) before it’s official release date on May 1^st.  You can get your copy here  Also, Story Cartel is doing a big giveaway of its own this month, so signing up for a review of any book featured there puts your name in that pot. 

Don't forget to sign up for my A to Z Rafflecopter:

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O is for Others

For this year’s A to Z, I will be doing a collection of flash fiction featuring Steven, the MC from Blackbird, from right before he came to Newstead through his first year there.

O is for Others

He turns and leads me toward one of the buildings, and not knowing any better, I follow. He’s not the only one walking around now; there are lots of people, all of them as big as the guy I’m following, as big as me.

That’s new.

The man turns and faces me. “I’m sorry, what?”

“Nothing,” I mutter and look around. He’s not the only one looking at me expectantly.

My thoughts go to the sign out front: School for gifted young men.

I’m starting to think they weren’t just talking about sports.

I am giving out review copies of Blackbird through Story Cartel, in exchange for Amazon Reviews (And blog reviews would be great, too) before it’s official release date on May 1^st.  You can get your copy here  Also, Story Cartel is doing a big giveaway of its own this month, so signing up for a review of any book featured there puts your name in that pot.

 

Don't forget to sign up for my A to Z Rafflecopter:
 

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N is for Newstead

For this year’s A to Z, I will be doing a collection of flash fiction featuring Steven, the MC from Blackbird, from right before he came to Newstead through his first year there.  

N is for Newstead

The sun is just coming up over the horizon on the fourth day when I see the small sign by the side of the road: Newstead, school for gifted young men. It’s right in front of a long drive that snakes through the woods just past the open gate.

For some reason I don’t feel like going. It’s like I can’t walk one more step.

A car comes up alongside me and turns onto the drive that will eventually lead to the school. It’s the first car I’ve seen since my walk to the pier in Wilson.

That gets my feet moving. 

The road ends in a parking lot with more cars and the school’s there, too. It’s small, but it’s there; just twelve buildings set on a semi-circle walkway with fountain right in the middle. That’s when I see him: The man standing by the fountain, looking like he’s waiting for me.

I make my way over toward him.

He smiles big and bright. “Welcome to Newstead, Steven.”

I’m so happy to hear those words it doesn’t seem strange to me that he knows my name.

I am giving out review copies of Blackbird through Story Cartel, in exchange for Amazon Reviews (And blog reviews would be great, too) before it’s official release date on May 1^st.  You can get your copy here  Also, Story Cartel is doing a big giveaway of its own this month, so signing up for a review of any book featured there puts your name in that pot.

 

Don't forget to sign up for my A to Z Rafflecopter:

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M is for Miles

For this year’s A to Z, I will be doing a collection of flash fiction featuring Steven, the MC from Blackbird, from right before he came to Newstead through his first year there.  

 

M is for Miles 

Three hundred and seventy miles; that’s the distance between Wilson and Weston, where Newstead is. In a car, I could probably get there in half a day, but I’m not in a car.

And it appears I’m not in civilization, either, I think as I look around. I’m surrounded by trees and more trees. That’s probably because I haven’t taken any of the main roads, but maybe not; maybe it isn’t just Wilson that’s gone silent. I try not to think about that, but as the miles stretch on and I still don’t see anyone, I can’t help but wonder if it’s true.
 

I am giving out review copies of Blackbird through Story Cartel, in exchange for Amazon Reviews (And blog reviews would be great, too) before it’s official release date on May 1^st.  You can get your copy here  Also, Story Cartel is doing a big giveaway of its own this month, so signing up for a review of any book featured there puts your name in that pot.

 

Don't forget to sign up for my A to Z Rafflecopter:

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L is for Left

For this year’s A to Z, I will be doing a collection of flash fiction featuring Steven, the MC from Blackbird, from right before he came to Newstead through his first year there.  

  

L is for Left

The road that butts up to the pier is empty. There aren’t even people out walking like there normally is this time of night. It’s as still as the lake.

Was it more than just Coach? I wonder frantically. Did I kill everybody?

Silence is my only answer.

Three choices flash through my mind; and I can’t do two of them. If I walk through that town, and it’s as empty as I think it is…I shake my head. That’s just something I can’t take. And I can’t go look for my mother; which just leaves option number three.

I close my eyes and start walking toward the left, toward Newstead.

I am giving out review copies of Blackbird through Story Cartel, in exchange for Amazon Reviews (And blog reviews would be great, too) before it’s official release date on May 1^st.  You can get your copy here  Also, Story Cartel is doing a big giveaway of its own this month, so signing up for a review of any book featured there puts your name in that pot.

 

Don't forget to sign up for my A to Z Rafflecopter:

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