NaNoWriMo - update 3

Well hello there, glad you're still here :-)
I'm still here, too. Talk about a coincidence.

Yeah, yeah, I'm feeling silly.

Here's another update on my NaNo project.
Due to work and other events, I've had a few really slow days (sometimes only managing a few hundred words), but the good news is that I have been writing every single day for the last 3 weeks!

So, days 12 & 13 were slow, 12 because of work, 13 because of the soccer game between Belgium and Italy. It was a friendly match, but that doesn't make a difference.
I shouldn't even have been able to watch it, since I had tickets to a classical concert by Andre Rieu that same night (bought them as a present for my mom's 70th b-day), but she didn't feel like going. I know she has a thing about crowds and being indoors with a lot of noise, but I thought she would've enjoyed going to the concert. I guess not!
Anyways, I was home for the soccer match, which we won 3-1 against a world class opponent.
Right after the game, we heard the news about the Paris attacks. Shit hit the fan in no time (but I've already written a blog post about that, so I'm not going to dwell on that now)

Day 14: with everything going on and shopping needing to be done, I didn't get to write as much as I would've wanted to (especially on a Saturday) and only managed 700 words or so.

Day 15: Sunday was a much better day writing-wise. A lot of stuff was going on all around us, but I managed to pull back from that and plunge myself into my alternate world. Added over 2.500 words.

Between day 15 and 20, I only added about 2.000 words in all. Not much writing going on. On Tuesday, I was planning on going to the soccer game against Spain, but that was cancelled the night before. Too dangerous. Despite that cancellation, I didn't get to write much.
On Friday, I went to the cinema for the Mockingjay marathon (both movies back-to-back). Upon leaving the cinema, we encountered massive police and security forces at the subway/bus station. I was wondering what the heck was going on, but didn't find out until the next day. The only words I squeezed in on Friday, were those written before bed that very early morning (I hate going to bed early and am never in bed before 1 am)

Day 21: Again, not a good day for a Saturday, more shopping, more lockdown consequences, more fear all around. Only managed 700 words.

Day 22: Now that was a good day!! The best so far I think, with a grand total of over 3.500 words added.

Day 23: Brussels is in lockdown, my workplace is shut down along with everything else. We are invited to either take the day off or go to a local branch to work from there. My son's school is closed as well (though not in Brussels). I took advantage of being home all day and added another 2.500 words.

Day 24: It has just ended (just after midnight now) and I have totalled 1.700 words today.

I am nibbling my way to my target and even though I'm not sure I will make it, I am thrilled to be writing again. Let's hope we can keep this going and I can finally get back to all those projects that are waiting for me.


Good luck to all you fellow NaNoWriMo's!!


Bye for now.

NaNoWriMo - another update.

Hello guys!

How is everyone today??

Here's another update on my NaNoWriMo project.

Since I decided to skip ahead from the troublesome part, things have gone much better. My daily wordcount is up and so is my average. I did have 2 more slow days on Monday and Tuesday because I was back at work after a week. Mother Nature also decided to leave me my monthly present on Sunday, so I was pretty much a wreck on Monday. If you're a woman, you probably know what I mean.

So, day 8 was a success. Skipping ahead really was a breakthrough and I added a big chunk that day, despite Mother Nature's untimely gift. Over 2.000 words written that day. I believe they call that victory.

Day 9 was okay overall I guess. I did write some after midnight, so that went to Monday's wordcount. I added about 1.300 words.

Day 10, Tuesday, was really bad. Since I hadn't written on Monday evening, there had been no update after midnight. I was worried about it and I kept telling myself I would have to update my count before midnight if I wanted a chance at getting all the badges. And I want them. Seriously! Thankfully, I wrote some during my lunch break at work, mailed it to myself and .... updated my wordcount on the spot. It was a good call because I didn't get any writing done at all that night. I stranded at a mere 520 words, but I got them in. That's another victory for me. Still winning the fight.

Day 11, Wednesday. We had the day off, like most people and I took advantage of it, pouring out another 2.500 words. It simply happened. No problem writing now that I've moved on to the central part of the story. I'll still have to go back to write the missing section, but those are worries for later.

Let's hope I can get a little more writing in the next few days, then it's the weekend again.

Whoop whoop!!!

Update on NaNoWriMo.

Nothing fancy, just a quick update.

First off: I'm still writing!!
And I've been writing every single day!!

That alone is a victory worth celebrating.
A victory over my writing lethargy (can't call it anything else, really).

Sure, I've had a hard time. I wasn't used to it anymore. Sitting at my desk for so long and hammering away at my keyboard. I've had my distractions (Facebook mainly) and I've had my troubles (migraine, you suck!!) which caused me to fall behind on the target word count.

On day 3, I was really close, just a few dozen words away from the target.

On day 4, migraine struck, keeping me home from work, but away from my computer screen as well. I only managed a few hundred words and that's only because I forced myself to write at least *something*. I wanted an updated word count and I really didn't want to skip a day. I didn't. I didn't write much, but I wrote.
Another victory.

Day 5 was a small day as well, again a few hundred words only, again because I forced myself to get at least *some* writing done. Another updated word count. Another small victory.

Day 6 was better, the headaches less intense and the writing more focused.

Day 7 saw me getting back into it, but glaring at the receding target line. I was only about halfway where I should've been. The fact my story wasn't letting me write it as smoothly as I should be writing, didn't really help. I struggled mainly because the beginning of the story wasn't really planned. I had a "vague idea" of how things would happen. The main section was much more detailed in my mind, but I had a hard time getting there.

Day 8 (today): Breakthrough!
With a little advice from my friends over at FWG, I decided to skip the "hard" part and get cracking on the main section. In just a few hours, I added over 1500 words. The best part? This day is far from being over.

I'm gonna hit the hay for a few hours of sleep and then I'm gonna get back to it.
Hopefully I will get my wordcount up to where it needs to be (+/- 4k left to go). If I can achieve that goal, I can achieve anything.


Bye for now!!!

NaNoWriMo 2015

Well, despite everything that *didn't* happen the last year or so (writingwise I mean), I decided to do NaNoWriMo this year. I never thought I'd ever be able to write 50.000 words in just one month, given the fact I have a fulltime job and a single mom, but to hell with it. The least I can do is try it, right?

What more is there to say?
Just get your thumb out of your ass and start writing.

Plain and simple.

And guess what! I actually got it going.
I kept myself "busy" playing some Call of Duty until midnight, then started up the computer and actually did get some writing done. Not that I did a whole hell of a lot of writing, but those first 200 words are all that matters.

Actually, those first 5 words were the ones that mattered.

They put an end to a very longlasting lack of writing "juice". Aside from a short story I whipped up just about a year ago for the FWG Anthology (which I didn't even finish and ended up pulling out of the anthology due to a lack of interest), I hadn't written anything. Proof enough is right here on my blog. I hadn't posted anything since February until I took a leap of faith and asked one of my English speaking colleagues to beta my novel. I still needed to finish the edit I had been sitting on for over a year, but having asked, I knew I couldn't make him wait forever. That same night, I finished the edit and posted on my blog. A double victory.

My mind has been working overtime on stories lately (which is always a good sign), but I needed something to get me started on actually *writing* them. November 1st did the trick.

I will try to keep the updates coming, but for now, let me get back to my alien invasion .... lol.


For those of you who are joining me: Have a Fabulous NaNo!!!


Bye for now!!

Finally ... an update on my first novel

So, what can I say?
I've been soooooo absent lately and I don't even know why. I haven't written anything in nearly a year and I sure didn't work on my novel. Well ... until last night, that is.

I wasn't sure if I made the right choice in asking a co-worker to beta read, but apparently I did. I pulled myself up and out of that bottomless pit I had tumbled in and finished editing the final chapter and epilogue.

It's a bit scary to think I'm sending this to someone who can rub my failure in my face on a daily basis, but I don't think he will, he's too much of a gentleman for that :p

Either way, I have now finished the final draft and am hopeful for (maybe) and end-of-year release date. I'll have to make up my mind about the back cover blurb and see if the person who agreed to do my cover is still game, and then I'll be ready to rumble. Unless I get a chuckload of comments that force me to do a complete re-write .....

I'd better not think of that possibility or I won't close an eye.
Better to keep the focus on the good news: I finally went back to it and managed to finish the edit that had been going on for such a long time. Now, all I can do is send it on, cross my fingers and hope for a positive response.

For now, I'm heading to bed.

Night all!!

Just a reminder

Heya guys,

I just wanted to post a little reminder to all of you out there reading my blog.

Have you picked up your copy of the "Writers' Anarchy II: The End of the World as we Wrote it" already?

This awesome anthology features my first "officially" published story.
The title should tell you all you need to know, but let me tell you a little more about it anyways. This anthology is the result of a collaboration over at the Fiction Writers Group on Facebook, a great community of writers, young and old, beginning and established, self-publishing or not. There are 30 stories to be read, all by different authors, all with their own view of The End of the World.
Some have interpreted that in the largest possible way and have chosen to write the End of the World. Others have narrowed it down and tell the tale of an individual whose world comes to an end. Still others have written about the End of the World as we know it and have established a new world.

So what's your take on that?
Is there someone somewhere with his finger hovering over the "reset" button?
Are aliens stalking us, waiting for the best time to strike?
Or will Mother Nature put an end to human life on this planet?

"Writers' Anarchy II: The End of the World as we Wrote it" will give you a shot at each of those options and more, so pick up your copy today!!
Available on Kindle or paperback on Amazon, or at Createspace and even available for my Canadian friends on Amazon.ca

Make sure you get your copy and leave us a review.
You can also visit the Writers Anarchy website for more information on the project, the participating authors and upcoming project at the Writers Anarchy website.


Hey wait, there's more!!!
It's not the only thing I've published!!!

There's another anthology, called "Flash It!".

In this anthology, each author is featured with two stories. There is no general theme, just a collection of 60 stories you can read faster than lightning. That's right, you heard me. All of these are 1.000 words or less. You won't even have time to blink and you'll be done.
So, if you're always running short on time and are afraid you'll never be able to read anything anymore, pick up your copy of the "Flash It!" anthology and you'll get exactly what you're looking for; a quick read for whenever you find a gap in your busy schedule.

Available in e-book or paperback version, whatever fits your needs the best.

Paperback can be ordered here and this is where you go for the Kindle version.

I'm looking forward to reading some reviews, so hurry on over and get your copy now!!!

Happy reading!!!!!

Two down, many more to come .....

Okay, so I have sent in my second "release form" today.
This one will cover my short stories featured in the "Flash It!" anthology, which will have about 60 stories, coming from 30 or so different writers. No theme, anything goes. All stories are under 1.000 words, that is the only limitation or guideline for this one.

I haven't read any of these stories, so I have no idea what to expect, which makes it even more exciting.
As of now, I don't have a release date yet, but I will be sure to keep y'all posted about the developments on that side.

For now, October 15th is still a go for the WAII project, The End of the World as we wrote it, and I'm super duper excited about that.


I'm also in the final paragraphs of my first novel, so I'm hoping to get that finished within the next few days, copy it all to my computer and get it out to my beta (may have found my second one today, but that's not confirmed yet).
For the time being, I've got mixed feelings about the blurb that will go on the back flap of the book, so I'll share both with you. Feel free to comment with which one you prefer.

1) Head of the Federal Anti-Terrorism Agency and former Special Forces weapons specialist, Brian Tucker is sought out by an alien race in their attempt to find an ally. Tucker, a recent widower, answers the aliens' plea and –with his twin sons safely away at boarding school- embarks on an adventure far beyond his wildest imagination. But can experience alone suffice when the creatures' motives become more shady by the minute?
Tucker will have to fall back on his many years of training and find a way to put a lock on his excitement, in order to see this mission through and make it back home to his boys.

I've had some feedback on this and took some of the suggestions, thus making a completely different version, from a different point of view.

2) Driven to despair/desperation by a conflict they can no longer control, an alien race roams/crosses the stars in hope of finding an ally. Brian Tucker, head of FATA (will be spelled out in full) and former Special Forces weapons specialist, fits their profile.
Tucker, a firm believer, is easily convinced his combat/military experience can help these aliens restore order/peace on their planet. A recent widower with teenage twins in (military) boarding school, nothing holds him back and he embarks on a journey beyond his wildest imagination.
But will experience alone suffice when the aliens' motives become shadier by the minute?
Tucker will have to rely on his training and improvisation skills in order to survive and make it back home (to his family).

On this version, I haven't had as much feedback yet, because it's still pretty "new". The words separated by a / is when I'm unsure which one will fit best and the bits between brackets is extra info I'm not sure I'll add in.

I'd love to read what you think about these blurbs.
Would they convince you to pick up my book and give it a read?
What can I do to convince you if it doesn't?
Where can I improve?
What can I improve?
Is it too long, too short, too much info, not enough info?

Thank you!!

This is not the OK coral - Writer's Weekly spring 2013 submission - all audiences

Hey guys and gals.

This was the first time I participated in this writing contest and I had loads of fun doing it. The wait for the results is now over and I promised myself I would post the story on my blog as soon as the 'votes' were in. I didn't win anything, but hey, I had fun and that's what's most important about these things. Having fun doing them. I've already registered for the summer edition, so you'll be seeing more of these coming up as time goes by.
Contest date for summer is July 13th, I'll have to keep that weekend 'free' and to myself. Good thing is that I'm in a different time zone, so I get the email with the topic at 7 pm. That means I have all evening to focus on the topic and I don't have to worry about getting the shopping done, cooking dinner and whatever else needs to be done during the day, that could keep me from getting started on the contest.

Anyways, enough of my rambling already.
Here's the topic:

She sat in her favorite spot on the porch of the weathered beach house, the salty air sticking to her skin, the oncoming storm blowing sand across her bare feet. The crisp envelope bent beneath her fingers as she laid it on her lap, and reached for the pen in her dress pocket...

Enjoy the read!!

This is not the O.K. Corral.

There he was, sitting at the edge of the field, looking out at the wasteland beyond the barrier. It still amazed him to see how abruptly nature could change. How suddenly fertile lands turned to barren, dry and useless stretches of dirt. To him, it didn’t look like dirt, even though he knew it was. It looked much more like sand and he knew it would feel the same should he take off his boots and test it. He didn’t take off his boots though, and he didn’t set a foot beyond the barrier.

They knew he came out here at times. He didn’t mind, he had other places to go if he wanted to be alone. Now, he just needed a moment to himself. A moment to prepare.

One last time, he checked the envelope in his pocket. One last time, he pulled it out and checked the contents. One last time, he double-checked himself. There was no room for error today, failure was not an option. He had worked too hard, too long to fail. If he failed now, he would be letting himself down in the first place.

Six months today.

It was almost like a birthday, but he didn’t feel like celebrating.

Not yet.

The cake would come later. It wouldn’t be a tasty one though. It would taste of tension, stress and fear. It would taste of blood, or bile, or both. It would taste of sweat, the salty taste of sweat, almost as salty as tears. Or the ocean. He missed the ocean. Hadn’t seen it in … How long had it been? He couldn’t even remember. It had probably been several years since he had last seen the ocean.

He made a promise to himself then and there. Once he was done here, he would get in his car and drive until he reached the ocean. He didn’t care which way he went and he didn’t care which ocean he reached, all he cared about was getting there, hearing it, feeling it, tasting it. If he closed his eyes, he could easily picture it, picture him, her. He shook his head. No time for that now. He lowered his eyes to the papers in his hands, reading the words he had written on them.

Everything was there.

Everything he needed.

Everything they needed.

With a satisfied grunt, he returned them to the envelope, closed it and reached for the pen in his pocket, scribbling his signature across the seal. A smile played on his face when he thought of hot wax and a ring, but then his mind came back to his own century and he slipped the envelope into the small backpack, dropping the pen in with it. He slung it onto his back and turned away from the wannabe beach.

The horse waited where he had left it and he whistled softly. It raised its head, ears pricked, but continued to grind down the bite of grass it had taken, before setting in motion.

“Good boy.”

He heaved himself into the saddle and pulled gently on the reins.

“Are you ready?”

The horse’s ears went straight forward.

“Let’s go home.”

The big horse leapt forward, almost throwing him off, but he leaned closer and tightened his legs, holding on with more conviction.

It only took minutes to reach the house and he sat up, digging his heels down before they reached the gate.

“Easy now.”

He guided the horse to the stable and jumped down, leaving it to the youngsters to take care of it.

He went to the house, entering through the kitchen door.

“Hey, Luis,” he greeted, “where’s your brother?”

“What’s it to you? You’re dealing with me, hombre.”

“Not today, Luis.” he replied, “Where is he?”

Luis glared at him, but his icy blue gaze remained unyielding.

“Upstairs.”

Without wasting another word on Luis, he crossed the kitchen and took the stairs, hearing them whine in complaint at his swift ascension.

“Jorge.” he called at the top.

“What do you want?”

“I need to talk to you.” he said, entering the large study.

“No, you don’t. Unless you’re ready to kill for me, you’re dealing with my brother, little man.”

“I have my reasons.”

“But you won’t tell me what they are.”

“I’ll tell you now if you want.”

“Sure, little man,” Jorge replied sarcastically, “tell me why you come to me asking for work, but then refuse to do the work I give you.”

“It’s really simple.” he said, nonchalantly reaching into his pocket.

Suddenly, the quiet day exploded into chaos when dozens of men in combat gear poured into the house, smashing through doors and windows to gain quick and easy access. Jorge’s eyes went wide in shock at the violent intrusion into his home, but when he looked back at his ‘little man’, they went wider still. The shiny, silver badge clasped in his left hand stalled his breath; the small, powerful gun aimed at his head, nearly stalled his heart.

“I’m a Federal Agent, that’s why.”

“What?”

“You’re under arrest. Put your hands on your head and turn around.”

Men in combat gear approached and he shrugged the backpack off.

“Everything you need is in here, six months worth of it.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“If anyone asks, you don’t know where I went.”

“Where are you going?”

“To the beach. I need a vacation.”

He walked away, his job finally done.

Now, the beach awaited.

Everything else could go to hell for a while.

Did you enjoy that?

Please let me know in the comments.

Thank you!

Video killed the radio star - Fiction Friday Challenge - all audiences.

Heya guys,

This week's prompt at Now Hark This! was an easy one .... if you know what to do with it: "Video Games".
I hadn't really been thinking about it much, because I'm on a roll writing a new fic, but I decided I would get my "2 cents" in for the week before I hit the hay, so I got busy on it.
I had a hint of an idea of where I wanted to take it, so I went with that and .... here's the result!

Enjoy the read and tell me how you liked it.


Thank you!

Video killed the radio star.

He knew things wouldn’t get any easier when the lights came back on. It had been a tough trip so far and he knew, just knew, it was bound to get worse. A lot worse. He could feel it in every inch of his body, in the way his skin tingled and his bones itched, in the thin layer of sweat that seemed to cover his entire body and in the fact the hairs at the back of his neck stood on end. He just knew this day was going to be a lot worse than the one before.

Clasping his weapons tightly, he inched forward, keeping his ears pricked and his breathing shallow so as not to give himself away. Quietly and carefully, he closed in on the corner, daring a quick peek to determine the dangers ahead. There were two. Two immediate threats to his advancement. Two targets to eliminate.

Taking a quiet but deep breath, he readied himself, tensing his muscles. When he was ready, he moved, fast as lightning, his weapons carrying his deadly message to the enemy, eliminating the threats before they could become real.

He crossed the room quickly, patted his victims down and retrieved their ammo. God knew he needed loads. He would never make it if he ran out of ammo. He needed to replenish it as often as possible. Thankfully his pockets were deep and he had loads of them. He could carry quite the stock. His backpack held some more goodies, but he didn’t need any of that right now, so he left it where it was, fit snugly against his back and secured across his chest and hips. He wasn’t about to lose it. If he did, he was dead meat.

Moving on, he spotted more enemies. Too many of them to take out in a frontal attack. He would have to be smarter than that.

Climbing up on some crates, he reached a platform from where he had a good angle and he fitted the sights on his rifle to help with his aim at this distance. He couldn’t afford to miss. Aiming carefully, he took out a first target. He went down without a sound and fell behind a crate.

Perfect.

He changed his aim and went for another kill, taking out the last of three as they walked the perimeter of the area. He changed his aim more quickly this time and took out number two as well, before anyone noticed anything. By then, he had given himself a good advantage. His aim was true and the third didn’t get a chance to reach cover before a bullet caught up with him. That was four down and nobody in a shooting position on their side. The fifth took a little more effort as he was hiding and only sporadically peeking out in the hopes of finding their foe. On one of those occasions, a bullet slammed into his forehead, killing him on the spot.

He moved forward on the platform while changing weapons. The last of the enemy was under him, hiding. He didn’t know if he was trying to locate the source of the danger, or simply hiding to keep from being killed. He put his money on the first option and proceeded with care. More men came running into the area and he cursed softly, backing up on the platform and changing back to the rifle. He didn’t need the sights this time but opened sustained fire on the group of men, killing half and causing the others to scatter. He flung a grenade in their direction, killing two more in the blast. The last one was hidden from view, but he could hear him and the other one calling out to each other. Taking a chance, he rolled off the platform and dropped down, controlling his drop with his left hand while his right held his handgun at the ready. His movement teased the others into action, but his reactions were faster and a first shot brought the first enemy down. Going low and spinning as he went, he brought the gun around on the last man standing as he ran towards him, probably intent on tackling him. He shot him in the face.

Alarms sounded suddenly and he realized he was running out of time.

He reloaded his rifle while he ran on, keeping his eyes on the area ahead.

Checking his watch, he knew he would have to hurry. His window closed in twenty minutes.

“Amanda!”

He froze on the spot.

“Amanda, time for dinner, honey.”

“I’ll be there in a minute.”

“Now, Amanda. That video game isn’t going to go anywhere while you eat.”

The lights went out … for now.

They would come on again soon.

Right after dinner.

More entries can be found right here

Instincts - all audiences

Hello friends.

This post is based on one of the prompts given by Writer's Weekly for one of their previous 24-hour writing contests. I saw the link to that posted on my Facebook wall the other day and decided to join in. The friend who posted it is going to share the prompts for the other contests she participated in, and I'll see if I can come up with something that could've been submitted.

This is the first one.
I hope you'll enjoy the read.

Prompt:

Blue ice stretched to the horizon, fading into the blinding rays of another waning winter sun. She shivered violently as the shifting mass groaned under her feet. She instinctively glanced down, looking for cracks under the transparent sheen. Suddenly, she tensed and dropped to her knees. Desperately clawing at the ice, she screamed...

Word count: Stories for today's topic must not exceed 850 words.

  

Instincts.

Blue ice stretched to the horizon, fading into the blinding rays of another waning winter sun. She shivered violently as the shifting mass groaned under her feet. She instinctively glanced down, looking for cracks under the transparent sheen. Suddenly, she tensed and dropped to her knees. Desperately clawing at the ice, she screamed.

Her voice carried over the white plains, unstopped and unhindered by nature's obstacles. It was a heartbreaking, heart wrenching scream, cutting through bone and marrow. Well, it would if it encountered those on its path, but it didn't. There was no echo, nothing to bounce the sound of her voice back at her. There was nothing. No one. No one who could help her. No one who could save her. If the ice beneath her feet broke, she would fall to her doom in the icy waters below, a certain and near-sudden death awaiting her. A horrible death too, or so she had been told by the elders.

If only the elders could be there now. If only they were with her, to help and guide, to protect and comfort. But they were nowhere to be seen. She was very much left to her own device and that scared her more than what she saw before her eyes. No one would help, for no one was near.

The ice suddenly cracked, making her jump and scream in surprise, the sound of her voice now completely different. Her surprise turned to anguish as the crack shot outward, zigzagging away from its point of origin. She jumped back, away from the danger, away from the looming threat of an unwanted swim. She realized with a pang she herself had caused the crack in her fear and surprise, clawing at the shiny surface the way she had. She stepped back even more, slowly now, carefully. Hopefully, the ice would hold.

Her feet slipped somewhat and she looked down, finding the ice wet beneath her feet. In shock, she raised her eyes and scanned the area immediately around her. More cracks were appearing, the jagged lines crisscrossing in a diabolical pattern. She jumped a first, trying to stay light on her feet. Then, she jumped another. This time, she slipped and nearly fell. An almost unnatural reflex kept her from going flat on her belly on the slippery ice and she steadied herself before moving on. The ice kept moaning as she moved on, complaining about the weight it had to carry, disapproving of her constant movements.

She had to get away from the edge as fast as she could, find thicker ice and more stable ground under her feet, preferably with a thick layer of snow. It would absorb the energy, hers as well as the ice’s and she wouldn't see the cracks any longer. It was never smart to tread blindly, but she preferred to be blind rather than scared. The cracked ice frightened her, so she preferred not to know it was there. Even if the ice gave way, she wouldn't see it coming. She wouldn't have time to anticipate and her fear would have no chance to paralyze her. And so she moved on as quickly as she could and dared on the slippery, treacherous surface, jumping more cracks to avoid stepping on them. Thankfully, her feet were light and her progression swift, leaving no opportunity for the breaking ice to swallow her whole.

She did not want to die frozen.

Her foot sank away in the soft snow and she breathed a sigh of relief, then quickly joined her other. The snow gave her a feeling of safety, of serenity. Of security. She ran more quickly now, the snow a welcome cushion beneath her feet, hiding the dangers and allowing for much better grip. Her feet were still light, kicking up puffs of snow as she ran, feeling the cushion thicken and the safety grow. When she reached the top of a small incline, she knew she was safe.

Finally.

Looking back, she saw large chunks of ice drifting away on the waves, driven by the currents.

She shivered again, thinking she could have been trapped on one of them had she not taken to a run so quickly.

One last look at the treacherous ice below, then she turned her nose to the wind and started down the other side, taking to a trot to cover the rest of the distance separating her from the camp.

She was greeted with enthusiasm, as always.

They were always happy to see her return.

She stopped, surrounded by those she loved most, and looked around the group, seeing admiration and concern in their eyes. She smiled and shook the snow off, then she threw her head back and howled at the moon, her cry echoed by every single member of her group.