Book Review: Innocence and Carnality by J. Alan Veerkamp

    

Innocence and Carnality

Author: J. Alan Veerkamp

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

American release date: April 23, 2019

Format/Genre/Length: Paperback/LGBT Romance/350 pages

Overall Personal Rating: ★★★★★

Nathan is a bird in a gilded cage. A member of the Deilian aristocracy, his life is proscribed by a series of rigid rules. But something goes horribly wrong when his “inclination” is discovered—that is, his homosexuality. Suddenly he has become the black sheep of his family, and his future looks bleak indeed, as the people of Deilia do not tolerate such behavior. Nathan’s father has him fitted with a chastity belt to keep his virtue intact until such time as he can find him someone who is willing to wed him, sacrificing his very dignity in the process.

Nathan’s father eventually comes up with a husband for his wayward son… enter Lord Rother Marsh Delaga III. He shows up one day and is unlike anyone Nathan has ever met. He is quite open about being gay, and is very obviously interested in Nathan. The wedding takes place right away—this is a man who doesn’t let the grass grow under his feet when he wants something—and he whisks his handsome and innocent young husband off to the strange and seductive land of Marisol.

Delaga House is not what Nathan expected. In fact there’s no way around it, it is a bordello. With some very interesting occupants.  Such as Alexandra, the very competent manager, and Blythe, the rather large bodyguard with a mind of his own and a mouth to match, and Vivian, who has a sharp tongue and an inflated sense of her own importance. Luckily, Nathan has brought his valet Harston with him, with whom he is close, someone to anchor him in this strange land.

Thanks to his strict upbringing, Nathan has trouble adjusting to the sensuality of his new life, but it feels oh so good. And just when he thinks maybe life as a married man in Marisol will be good, he the blinders torn from his eyes. Has he traded one kind of cage for another? Where can he turn and who can he trust? If he doesn’t lost his innocence and learn how to deceive, he will never survive the experience.

Innocence and Carnality is my first book by J. Alan Veerkamp, but it won’t be my last. I’ve been looking forward to reading this ever since I saw snippets of it in our writer’s group. It was well worth the wait. It’s sci fi with a definite steampunk vibe that I love. I especially loved Nathan, and enjoyed reading about his journey, and the things he had to do to survive as he became less and less innocent through necessity. The author has a wonderful writing style that flows easily, and he creates very memorable characters. The sex scenes are very hot and steamy and very explicit.

If there is a lesson one can take away from this book, perhaps it’s that there are no absolutes with good and bad, and what may seem to be good may not be, and what is looked down on as bad might be just a matter of understanding. I think this book would make an awesome movie.

In all good books, a character should grow in some way, not simply exist. Veerkamp has accomplished that with young Nathan, who not only experiences new things, but learns from them and develops as a person. You can’t help but cheer for him and hope he rises above the bad in his life in the end in order to emerge triumphant. I highly recommend this book if you enjoy men having hot steamy sex but are also a romantic heart, and liked it with a touch of sci fi.

Well done, J. Alan, well done indeed!

Book Blast: Revenge of the Mad Scientist by Lara Nance

Welcome please Lara Nance and Goddess Fish Promotions Revenge of the Mad Scientist tour!

 To celebrate the release of her book, Lara will be awarding an autographed original map of Arabella's steampunk world to a randomly drawn commenter at each stop, and a $50 Amazon gift card and an original steampunk necklace to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour. 

 If people sign up for her newsletter on her website from Jan 29 - Feb 3, they will be entered for an autographed copy of her book as well as an original steampunk necklace.To find out where else Lara will be, go here, and follow her as she travels from blog to blog!

Revenge of the Mad Scientist

by Lara Nance

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

When Lady Arabella Trunkett’s father, the High Lord Minister of Urbannia, is kidnapped, all clues point to the mysterious country of Gandiss and the world is thrown into political upheaval.

Arabella is convinced the more sinister nation of Carabarras is to blame, urged on by a mad scientist seeking revenge. So, she sets out on a perilous airship journey across a variety of exotic locales to save him, and halt the potential world war.

But airship pirates, secret assassins, and slave traders aren’t her only trials. The fickle hand of fate has made the captain of the only airship available for charter the man who left her at the altar. For eight years, she's wished him dead. Now he's her only hope. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

EXCERPT:

Another scream sounded and then another. A group of people blocked her view and she didn’t hesitate in pushing them aside. She gasped when she reached a body sprawled on the floor and noted a trail of red blood tracking from a side room. She recognized the injured man as Conrad Bellows, her father’s assistant. Horrified, her champagne glass slipped from her fingers and shattered on the marble.

She pushed another man out of her way. What the hell was wrong with everyone standing around like statues while a man needed help? She knelt at Conrad's side. A knife protruded from his back but when she put her fingers on his neck she found him still alive, thank God. He struggled to his side and blinked as he looked up at her.

“Gone,” he whispered. “So…sorry, My Lady…gone.”

“Who is gone, Conrad?” She put a hand on his shoulder as panic shot through her.

“You’re, fa-fa-father…they took him.”

“What? Who took him?”

“Ahh, all in black, don’t know…” He closed his eyes and then slumped on the floor, unconscious.

Belle sucked in a sharp breath. She jumped to her feet and spun around. “Someone call for a doctor and help Mr. Bellows. Where’s my father?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Lara Nance grew up and lived in many cites throughout the South. She loves to write in a variety of genres, but the basis of all of her stories is a great tale that will take you on an adventure of imagination.

If you want to escape and lose yourself in a novel, you've come to the right place. Choose your genre and settle in to be entertained. From thrilling mysteries and steampunk tales, to paranormal romance and adventure, she's willing to explore a variety of compelling stories full of danger and suspense, along with a touch of romance.

Having been on the fencing team in college and now living on a sailboat convinces her that she was a pirate in another life, or possibly kin to Errol Flynn… However, due to the unfortunate demise of the romantic pirates of the past, she lives out her fantasies, thrills and adventures in her stories. Lara loves to weave interesting true historical tidbits into her fiction which invite the reader to explore further after the novel is finished.

Currently docked in Norfolk, Virginia (until the wind changes) Lara enjoys living on her sailboat and spends time reading, of course writing, indulging a variety of artistic endeavors, cooking and sailing with her husband, Joe and their Yorkie, Rio.

Link to Website: www.laranance.com

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/Lara_Nance

Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lara-Nance-Author/164262596944196?ref=hl

Buy link at Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Revenge-Mad-Scientist-Book-ebook/dp/B008XJ8LJ2/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1353853847&sr=1-1&keywords=revenge+of+the+mad+scientist+by+lara+nance

Wednesday Briefs: Trapped in Time

It's Wednesday, so it must be time for more flash fiction from the Wednesday Briefers!  This week, the prompt was: "Suffer the little..." or the alternate prompts:  Use: three, hairy, billiard ball or "When can I see you again?" or "He/she said what?" or Use: scales, tradition, engine or use: dapper, dandelion, direct or "If I were you, I'd..."

Last week, in Trapped in Time, Vittorio and Doll named their new son, and they discovered that they were near the end of their journey. Today, they push on to reach the mysterious Professor... Enjoy! Then don't forget to visit all the Wednesday Briefers whose links follow my tales!

Trapped in Time #21

We are far too nervous and excited for sleep, so we gather around the communal fire and discuss the subject of mutual interest to us all—the mysterious Professor. It is amazing to us that there is another human here in this prehistoric place. We’d assumed we were the only ones, as our arrival predates that of man by many years. So who is this man and how did he come to be here?

Charlie is unable to provide us with any answers. “I do not know,” he confesses, somewhat apologetically. “I’ve never actually spoken to him as I speak with you.” That’s only natural, as he has only met the Professor while he was a monkey, a condition that Myron has changed.

“It’s all right,” Myron reassures him with tender kisses and gentle caresses. They’ve become very close since Charlie’s transformation. I’m concerned at what might ensue should the spell that binds Charlie as he is should fail. For both of them.

“How old is he?” Vittorio asks. Good idea. Perhaps we can piece together clues from what Charlie can tell us.  “Is he our age? Older than we are? Younger?” Of course, this assumes that Charlie has been observant of these types of things, a rather broad assumption to make.

Charlie puckers his brow in thought. “Older. Definitely older.”

“Are there any other people like him or is he alone?” I ask.

“Only him. He is the only one.”

“Does he live in a cave?” Myron contributes.  It has become almost a game to see who can ask the right question to elicit the most informative response.

Charlie shakes his head. “No, the Professor built something from the trees. He is very clever, he is. He says he is also lucky that he had some of his things with him.”

“What kind of things?” I eagerly ask.

“I do not know,” Charlie says again.

By the time we are ready to retire for the night, we’ve learned little.

“We’ll get all of our answers soon,” Vittorio assures me.

At that moment, Myron and Charlie walk by us, hand in hand. Charlie says something, but I cannot understand his words. He looks over his shoulder at Myron, then disappears behind some rocks a short distance from our camp.

I look at Myron quizzically.  “He said what?” I swear Myron is blushing, but in the darkness it’s hard to tell.

“He said to meet him over there…” He waves a hand toward the rocks.

“But why…” I begin, only to have Vittorio squeeze my hand.

“Go on, Myron,” he says softly. “Mary and Kitty are both asleep. Everything is well.”

Myron doesn’t look at us; he mumbles a quick thank you and follows in the same direction that Charlie took.

It’s only when Vittorio draws me to him and our lips meet that I realize what is going on, and that we too need time apart from them, time for ourselves.

We quickly take advantage of this unexpected solitude to remove all of our clothes and press our naked bodies close together: stroking, kissing, touching, loving. We make love until we are spent, and then we cuddle by the fire and dream together.

Morning comes. Charlie and Myron have returned, and Charlie brings some fruit he has found. It looks like a banana, but fatter and sweeter. I slice them and cook them and they are very delicious. We clean up our camp and set off.  It is heartening to know we are close to our goal, and to the only other human being in this entire world. We can only pray that he has some answers to our questions. Undoubtedly he has an interesting story to tell of how he came to be here, and we can tell our tale to him, if he is interested in listening.

From what little Charlie has told us, it sounds as though this Professor is very self-sufficient. Perhaps, if we are lucky, he has some knowledge of our situation and how to reverse it.  Although I do not expect this to be the case. Unless he just happens to know magic, like Myron.

It’s a beautiful day. Kitty is in a playful mood. He’s tired of being carried, so we let him walk, even if it slows us down a little. Mary is just as watchful of him as we are, and is quick to put him back on the right path if he seems about to stray.

For lunch, we content ourselves with fruit, not wishing to take the time for a fire or to hunt for small game.  Our path leads us downward into a shady valley where we find a small stream. We jump into the water fully clothed. The sun will dry us again, and it is the best we can do at the moment regarding our laundry situation, but soon, I vow, we shall do better.

Afterward, we climb up the gentle slope until we reach the top.

“Look!” Charlie points. There ahead of us, to our amazement, we see what appear to be two wooden huts huddled close to some very large rocks, as well as a small pond.  Smoke curls up from one of the huts; a most welcome sight.

We cannot help but hasten our steps, eager to meet this mystery man if for no other reason than he is one of us, even if he is a stranger. Vittorio gathers Kitty, and holds him, despite his protests—good thing he has not yet learned to use his claws—while Mary sits on the seat of the penny farthing.

Suddenly a figure emerges from one of the huts, sees our group and stops, no doubt amazed by our sudden appearance.  As we draw nearer, he begins to wave.

Suddenly, I stop and I stare, and my mouth falls open in amazement.

“Doll?” Vittorio asks in concern.

“Doll?” the man also asks.

I stare at him in disbelief. “Vati?”

And then I faint.

to be continued


Don't forget to check out the other Wednesday Briefers:

Nephylim     m/m

Lily Sawyer      m/m 

Michael Mandrake     m/m

Cia Nordwell  m/m

MA Church     m/m

Tali  Spencer    m/f

Until next time, take care!

♥ Julie

Wednesday Briefs: Trapped in Time #20

Happy Wednesday one and all and welcome to more flash fiction from the Wednesday Briefers! We have a new Briefer this week, please put your hands together and welcome Cia Nordwell! We're excited to have her join us. This week, the prompt was: "You are the sunshine of my..." and the alternate prompts were: Use: butts, pudding, cat or "I'd like to make you an offer..." or use something with stripes in  your story or use: whole new world or "I always thought you look like..."

Last week, as you'll recall, in Trapped in Time, they came across a dying mother and an orphaned sabre-tooth tiger. See what has become of them! And don't forget to visit the other Briefers, whose links follow my tale. Enjoy!

Trapped in Time #20

Although numerous suggestions are made as to what to name the new member of our little group, Vittorio and I find ourselves calling him Kitty—having ascertained his gender in the usual way—and Kitty he stays. I am nervous at first, but Vittorio remains his usual unflappable self. It’s obvious to me that he was born to be a father, he is such a natural at it, and my heart swells with pride when I look at the two of them together. I love him more and more with each passing day. He never ceases to amaze me.

Our first concern is what shall we feed our new son? Mother’s milk is not exactly flowing from the ground, if you know what I mean, and none of us are adequately equipped to supply the necessary nutrient for his diet. We give him some water from what we have, but it is obvious that he wishes for more, and for that I cannot blame him.

Our prayers are answered—in more ways than one—in an unexpected way.

We have decided to stay in this cave for a day or two, until we make sure that Kitty is strong enough to travel. Vittorio and I do not wish to take any chances, he is so young and has been through a most traumatic experience.

 And then my lover has a most brilliant idea! He takes some of the rocks that lie about the cave and beats them, one against the other, until he discovers which is strongest, and hones it as sharp as he can. Using that, he takes some of the small sticks that litter the ground, remnants of snapped branches that have fallen from the trees, and fashions a few stakes. Charlie and Mary help us, collecting some branches. From them, we remove the heaviest of the leaves and weave them together to form a rope of sorts. We add the rope to the stakes, and thus we have a snare! Vittorio sets out the snare, and we go about our business until he says it is time to check it, to see if we have caught anything. Shortly after that we find ourselves with a small animal that somewhat resembles a rabbit, but with shorter ears and longer tail, and my mouth waters at the idea of hasenpfeffer, but that must wait until we have a pot in which to cook such a rabbit stew. For now I am content to roast it on the spit that Vittorio makes for me, and such a feast we have!

As it cooks, we take the juices from the meat, add it to some water, forming a broth, and feed that to Kitty, anxiously watching his reaction. He loves it!

“Doll, his teeth seem pretty sharp,” Daddy Vittorio says, running a careful finger along the edge of one. Kitty doesn’t mind. He mews at him and tries to nip his finger, playfully. “I wonder if his mama was already weaning him?”

So we carefully offer him small pieces of meat, watching to make sure he can handle them, and he devours them as fast as we can feed them to him. Then he falls asleep in Vittorio’s lap, as we all sit about the fire and admire our beautiful new baby, and make plans to resume our journey on the morrow.

Morning comes and we set off once more. Myron generously offers to push our penny farthing for us, as we now have our hands rather full with our baby. Vittorio and I take turns carrying Kitty when he sleeps, which he often does. Sometimes Myron allows Mary to be a passenger; she climbs upon the bike and sits on the seat, enjoying the view. Sometimes she does gymnastics, such as hand stands and such, swinging herself from the handle bars. We cannot help but laugh at such a sight.

The weather is beautiful. Not too warm, not too cold. Just right.  Even when it rains, the water is warm and feels nice, as we take shelter under a large tree. When we stop walking for the day, we have no cave to sleep in, but we make ourselves comfortable near the base of a large boulder, and Vittorio sets his snares again. This time he catches a fat bird that reminds me of a quail. Together we clean it and remove all the feathers—Mary and Kitty and even Charlie are more than happy to eat the bird’s insides, although I say I would rather not. I season it as well as I can with herbs, and then I stuff it with vegetables and roast it. Kitty ignores the vegetables, but he happily devours the tender flesh. After dinner, we all sit around the campfire, watching Kitty gambol and cavort. He alternates between chasing his tail and chasing after our fingers and toes. Then He climbs into Myron’s lap, and at first Myron seems apprehensive, but we smile and tell him it’s all right, and Kitty falls asleep in his arms.

Vittorio and I stretch out together, and gaze up into the sky. So many stars. So very beautiful. I lay my head upon his chest and turn my eyes to him, as I simply drink in his beauty.

“Are you happy, Doll?” he asks.

“Very,” I reply.

Suddenly he looks away from me and for a moment I am disturbed as he rises to a sitting position, a frown creasing his handsome features.

“What is it? Is something wrong?” He pulls me up, placing an arm about my shoulder as he points to something on the far horizon. I squint into the distance. Is that smoke that I see?

We beckon to Myron and Charlie, and we all look into the darkness. Straining to see the faintest trace of smoke there.

Charlie dispels the mystery.

“That’s from the Professor,” he announces.

Our journey is almost at an end!

to be continued

Don't forget to visit the other Wednesday Briefers and see what they're up to!

Nephylim     m/m

Michael Mandrake     m/m

Cia Nordwell   m/m     virgin alert!

MA Church     m/m 

Elyzabeth VaLey      m/f

Tali      m/f

 Until next time, take care!

♥ Julie

Wednesday Briefs: Trapped in Time #19

Happy Wednesday! Hump Day is here, so it's time for some more flash fiction by the Wednesday Briefers! This week the prompt was: "Yesterday, you said..." or the alternate prompts were: Use: blessing, blacksmith, blunder, or "When did you become such a ..." or use some sort of dance in your story or use: trail, whisper, divine or "Maybe next time we can..."

As you'll recall, in last week's Trapped in Time, Myron was able to control his magic and make fire - without harm to anyone! Are he and Doll finally shedding their enmity? See what's up in this week's episode! Warning: I shall probably pull the story soon so that I can sub it to a publishing house. I'll keep you apprised. I'd love any and all comments and suggestions! Don't forget to see what the other Briefers are up to, their links follow my story!

Trapped in Time #19

 We seem to be falling into a routine. Walk, eat, rest, then walk the trail again. The one that will lead us to the Professor. What  will come after that, I do not know.

We are fortunate  to be on this side of the canyon, in that the rocky terrain provides us with better shelter when we stop for the night. Charlie finds us another cozy cave. Myron makes another fire, and I am able to cook again, although no animal flesh, I am sad to report.  After we eat, we leave the fire burning low, and the warmth that it imparts feels divine as I snuggle against my Vittorio and he and I whisper far into the night, before sleep claims us.

I dream I am a young boy again, in my father’s workshop. I always liked to spend time with mein Vati, especially in the shop he built for himself in our back yard. It was a magic place, always filled with the most amazing devices, ones that he loved to tinker with for hours, whenever he was not working. He was very patient. He never yelled at me for touching anything, which I invariably did. There were mysterious flying machines with spinning propellers; elaborate clocks with moving figurines that danced and whirled; other devices I could not begin to imagine what they might be used for, but which held my rapt young attention. After I met Vittorio, I would bring him there as well and Vati welcomed him like another son.

I wake to find myself unexpected sobbing against Vittorio’s chest. He cradles me in his arms and murmurs soothing words until I calm down once more.

“You dreamed of Rolf again, didn’t you?”

I nod as he tilts my face up to him, kissing away my tears…

Our tender interlude is interrupted suddenly by a terrible scream; it resonates throughout the cave, echoing from the walls, although it does not originate there, rather from somewhere outside, in the jungle.  We look at one another in what little light enters the cave, for the sun is barely up. Mary is screeching excitedly. She tugs at Charlie’s arm, and they rush from the cave, with us hot on their heels.

We anxiously follow the terrible sounds. The screams are now interspersed with growls. I can’t help but wonder what we shall find this time. The noises escalate, and then a sudden silence ensues, as if the whole jungle is catching its collective breath.

“This way,” Charlie points, and we follow him, trusting in his confidence, and his superior sense of direction.

 We come into a small clearing, and our eyes are met with a most horrific sight. A large black bird that looks like a cross between an enormous crow and a vulture, likes on the ground, blood and torn and very dead.  Nearby a large animal lies, also bloody, and barely alive. With the help of the rising sun, I make out a tawny orange coat, punctuated with black and brown stripes. And very large teeth, that overlap its mouth.

“A saber tooth tiger,” Vittorio says raptly, and we both gaze in awe at the beautiful creature, keeping a healthy distance from it. It raises its head and gazes at us, before releasing a weak cry, falling back.

“She’s hurt!” Vittorio starts toward it, and I cling to his arm.

“No! She’ll kill you.”

“Doll, she is hurt, I must look after her.” He turns anguished eyes to me, and I swallow my fears and nod.

“Be careful,” I whisper, but I don’t let go as he approaches the animal, kneeling beside her. She is bleeding from a number of wounds, and she makes no move to harm us. Vittorio gently strokes the large cat behind her head, and a rumbling purr reverberates through her body as she looks toward him, raising her head, rubbing against his hand. Her beautiful green eyes become cloudy, then glassy, and she collapses onto the ground once more, and stills.

Charlie and Myron and Mary approach, taking up positions around the dead animal. Charlie wears an expression of intense sorrow, mirrored in Myron’s mien. I take Vittorio’s hand in mind and clutch it securely.

“Why do you think they were battling?” I wonder aloud. “Are they perhaps natural enemies?”

“No, I do not think so.” Vittorio furrows his brow in thought. “Charlie, what do you think?”

“I think she could have gotten away from him, easily, but she fought him to the death,” he commented. “But why?”

A tiny mewl fills the air just then and we gaze at one another with wonder.

“What was that?” Myron asks apprehensively.

We look around us for the source of the noise, and we hear it again. A plaintive sound, almost demanding.

It is Mary who solves the riddle. She starts screeching at us, excitedly pointed to a patch of high grass, not far from the tiger. I can’t help but remember the last time she found something and we came far too close to dying for my comfort.

We quickly run to her side, and Vittorio draws aside the thick blades of grass while I clutch him apprehensively, fearful for his safety—only to discover a smaller version of the late animal there. The baby’s coat is not as distinctive as it’s mothers, and its teeth not nearly as long. It yowls at us plaintively, no doubt calling for its mother.

Poor baby. She cannot hear him now.

Vittorio reaches for the small creature and I make no move to stop him, understanding his intent, although I watch him carefully nonetheless. He takes the kitten into both hands and cradles it against his body, cooing to it in Italian.

I think we’ve just become parents.

to be continued

Now visit the other Wednesday Briefers!

Nephylim    m/m Lily Sawyer     m/m  Tali     m/f MA Church     m/m Elyzabeth VaLey     m/f

Until next time, take care!

♥ Julie

Wednesday Briefs: Trapped in Time #18

Hello and Happy Wednesday! Welcome to another edition of Wednesday Briefs, your weekly dose of flash fiction from the authors who love it so! This week the prompt was: "Pride goeth before a fall" and the alternate prompts are: use: window, hovercraft, eels or use : comfy chair or "Nobody expects..." or "That is a dead (fill in the blank)" or use: silly walks, balloon, a larch.

Last week in Trapped in Time we witnessed a battle between a TRex and a triceratops. What next? Stay and find out, then go see what the other Briefers are up to! Their links follow my tale!  Enjoy!

Trapped in Time #18

Morning comes again and my hand feels much better, thanks to the poultice that Charlie applied. Vittorio gathers fresh material for a new bandage and promises I shall only have to wear it for one more day. I can live with that.

Charlie peers into the canyon below us, although I am careful to keep as far as possible from the edge. The memory of crossing the flimsy bridge, and the fear of the huge battling dinosaurs on the other side, are still too fresh, and I have no desire to exacerbate my fear of heights.  Charlie whistles. “That is a very dead dinosaur,” he comments. Myron stands beside him, but I notice he doesn’t look down. From here, he seems a little green. But I have to admit, he is braver than I am, to stand so close to the precipice. “I don’t think he expected to end up down there.”

Myron shakes his head. “Nobody expects to die, do they?”

“Pride goeth before a fall,” Vittorio murmurs as they turn away from the edge.

If it weren’t for its location, so close to such a steep drop, I think I could get used to his cave. It’s more shelter than we’ve had since our arrival. But our destiny does not lie here.

Breakfast consists of more fruit, and some more insects, which I again decline, although Charlie persuades Myron to ingest some of them. I cannot stomach the thought.

The terrain on this side is rockier, and the trees are farther apart, so we spend more time beneath the blazing sun than I would care to spend. My fair skin is taking on a reddish hue that passes into a light brown. I can feel freckles popping out too, but there is nothing I can do about it.

 We have the penny farthing with us once more, although Vittorio walks it by his side, his other arm about me. I am trying to take notice of our surroundings, to keep a mental map in my head for future reference. If we are to live here—and that seems a very great likelihood—it would be good to choose the best location where we shall live.

Vittorio and I. Living together. The thought makes me smile.

“You think of something amusing?” Vittorio asks. His skin has taken on an even darker olive hue that is so very attractive.

“Nein, nein.” I shake my head. “I am just happy, that’s all. Thinking about us. Together.”

He leans close to me and I feel his lips brush over the top of my head. “That makes me very happy too, mi amore.”

Lunch is more fruit with some wild vegetables that we discover growing along the edges of a small field. Something that resembles potatoes, and wild scallions. What I could do had we some heat to work with! I moan about raw food and the lack of meat in our diet. What I would not give for some wurst! Or a thick veal chop. Somehow I do not think we shall be running across any calves any time soon.

Vittorio whispers in my ear, arching his eyebrows in a question. I am apprehensive, but nonetheless, I nod. He turns toward Myron and Charlie, who sit across from us, while Mary is swinging from the trees above our heads.

“Myron, perhaps you can use  your wand and make us some fire?”

“Fire?” he repeats uncertainly.

“Si, fire. Just a little one, so Doll can cook a little food, and then tonight, maybe for a little warmth.” He offers Myron a confident smile.

“I… I’m not sure.” Myron looks rather doubtful, in fact. He glances my way, and Vittorio squeezes my hand.

“You can do it,” I offer, trying to sound more sure than I am, but perhaps I should give him the benefit of the doubt.

“Come.” Vittorio rises and pulls me after him, and we gather some rocks together, so I shall have something on which to cook, crude and makeshift though it is. We also father some wood and some greenery to burn.

Charlie is stroking Myron’s cheek, looking into his eyes, lending his own moral support. Mary is nowhere to be seen.  “You can do it, Myron,” he says encouragingly. Finally Myron nods and grits his teeth.  He raises his wand, aims it at the pile we have assembled, and mutters something I cannot hear. We hold our collective breaths and wait.

Nothing happens.

Well, it could be worse, I think. He could have turned us into toads or something.

Myron looks frustrated. He takes a deep breath, one hand automatically going to his villainous moustaches, twirling it, the other holding the wand. Then he aims and mutters again.

At first I think nothing has occurred… again. But then Vittorio nudges me and points. Do I see a tiny bit of smoke? I peer more closely, as a small blue flame curls and consumes a large leaf, and spreads to the wood as it envelops it.  He’s done it! Myron did it! And without killing us in the process!

Cheering loudly, we circle Myron, clap our hands upon his back and congratulate him, all bad things forgotten in our excitement. Charlie grips one of the moustaches between two fingers. “Can we make this go away?” he asks hopefully.

Myron blushes, as he nods. “When I can find a razor,” he promises.

I hold my hand out to Myron. “You did a very good thing. Thank you very much.” He takes my hand and we look eye to eye with one another as we shake hands.

If I only had a knife, but I don’t, so I must make do with what I have. I take the potatoes and roast them in the embers, and then I season them with what I can find, add a bit of the vegetables that I have also roasted, and we make a very fine meal indeed. Maybe later, meat?

 to be continued

Now go visit the other Wednesday Briefers!

Tali      m/f Nephylim     m/m MC Houle      m/m

Until next week, take care!

♥ Julie

 

Wednesday Briefs: Trapped in Time #17

Good morning one and all and welcome to the Wednesday Briefs! Your source for fun flash fiction! This week's prompt was: "I thought I knew you, but..." and the alternate prompts were: Use: daft, punk, rooster, or "The first time we kissed..." or use: Danube, power, kiss, or "High as a kite, he..." or write a sex scene, but without removing any clothes!

As you may recall from the last episode of Trapped in Time, we left our heroes in a pretty pickle, what with Doll too frighened to cross the flimsy bridge, followed by the appearance of the t-rex. See what's happening there, then go visit the other Wednesday Briefers, whose links follow my story!  Enjoy!

Trapped in Time #17

I am seeing my life play out before my very eyes, but my time on this earth has been so short that it would  not even make a decent one reel film. I quickly cross myself and begin to pray. “Our father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy—”

The monster roads and I jump, my foot sliding too close to the edge. Luckily Vittorio has quick reflexes, and he keeps me from a horribly rapid descent into the water far below.

“Can he reach us, do you think?”

“I’m not sure, but I’d rather not find out. We’d be better off on the other side,” Vittorio replies, urging me toward the bridge. “Please, love, we need to move.” I do not resist quite so adamantly as I did before, although I am far from confident about what I am doing.

“Hurry!” Charlie yells across the bridge, echoed by Myron.

I try to bolster my failing courage by whistling. But my rendition of The Beautiful Blue Danube sounds more like something one might hear from a hurdy gurdy so I give up any pretense of bravery and take a step onto the fragile bridge, under my own power, at least while I may.

“You are doing good, Doll,” Vittorio praises me, leaning in for a quick kiss.

I can’t help but remember the first time we kissed. It was one of those moments, just like in the movies. Eyes meet, and you find yourself holding your breath because there is nowhere for it to go as  your heart has suddenly take all of the room in your chest. And your move toward each other without thinking about it, as your lips meet for the first time.

I knew then that I loved Vittorio, and always would.

As I’ve been reminiscing, apparently Vittorio has been inching me across the bridge. I sincerely pray the creature does not follow us. This flimsy structure will barely hold our weight, much less his. Daring a glance behind us, I see that the large dinosaur has halted at the edge of the cliff, bellowing at us, probably in anger at seeing his dinner escape his clutches.

“Don’t look back, look ahead, love,” Vittorio cautions me. I heed his words and slowly work my way across the bridge. He is right behind me, encouraging me, but the bridge, it is so fragile, and it shakes so much… I am convinced that it will collapse long before we reach the other side.

We’re half way across now, although it feels as though the bridge is sagging even more greatly than it was before, which is too much for my taste. Suddenly the cry of the great beast. From anger to a challenge.

Vittorio and I both turn our heads to see what is going on.

Another large animal has come upon the scene.  It is shorter, with a large bony ridge on its head, and three horns. And it is undoubtedly angry.

“Triceratops,” Vittorio says, awe in his voice. “Doll, this is amazing. No one has ever seen such a creature before. Not alive anyway. Just in fossil form.”

I’m not sure if I’m more honored or scared, but the triceratops has accomplished one thing. It’s diverted the attention of the tyrannosaurus from us.

“Keep moving, you’re doing fine,” Vittorio encourages me. I glance at my injured hand, which is red and swollen. I really do need to get to the other side, don’t I? I take a deep breath and plunge ahead, refusing to look down, or anywhere but the other side. Vittorio keeps one hand on me at all times, calming me, so that within a reasonable period of time we have reached the far side and I fall onto the blessed ground with relief.

Vittorio is right there, his arm about me, murmuring sweet words. He pulls me into his lap, and we turn our attention to what is happening with the two gargantuan creatures. The shorter dinosaur charges the larger, using his horns to tear chunks of flesh from the predator. The tyrannosaurus responds by snapping at whatever he can reach, ripping and rending the triceratop’s body. It’s a horrific sight, but we cannot seem to look away.

Charlie seems particularly upset, and Mary is agitated as well, jumping up and down and screeching. I’m not sure which animal she is rooting for, if either.

It seems that his unease is merited, for the two creatures, locked in mortal combat, pay no attention to their own personal safety and roll off the cliff, plunging into the water below, bouncing on the rock walls along the way.

It is not a pretty sight.

Charlie leads our somber little group to a nearby cave, and this is where we decide to spend the night. While Vittorio and I bring out food for the evening meal,  Charlie busies himself in looking for a particular plant, which he mixes with something else, and then applies to my hand, wrapping a leaf about it. At first it feels odd, and has a strange texture, but soon I find that the heat in my hand is lessening, and so is the pain. I lean against Vittorio, and Charlie sits beside Myron, with Mary  on Myron’s lap.

“Do you think we can have a fire?”I ask hopefully, but Vittorio shakes his head. “Not tonight,” he says. “Too dangerous. Besides, I’m not sure how we would light one.”

He has a point.

“Come, I shall keep you warm.” He wraps his arms around me, as we press together closely.  “You were very brave today,” he whispers into my ear, and I melt at his words and his touch. “Maybe tomorrow, we shall see what else Myron can do with that wand, si?”

I think for a moment, before I respond, “Si.”

I hope we won’t live to regret that idea.

to be continued

Now go check out the other Wednesday Briefers:

Nephylim    m/m

Lily Sawyer      m/m 

MA Church    m/m

MC Houle      m/m

Michael Mandrake  m/m

Until next time, take care!

♥ Julie