NaNoWriMo update #2

Okay, another week has gone by and time for another update on my National Novel Writing Month project. I had the free time to write this week and have been able to power through a significant chunk of the start. The chapters ended up being a little meatier than I expected, but as of today I've written four chapters adding up to 21,500 words.

I've also decided to use Smashwords NaNoWriMo set up in order to keep publishing my work in progress. So if you want to read what I have written so far (through chapter 3 at the moment, I'll update it at the end of today), you can download the entire thing for free here:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/252206

Here's a little excerpt from yesterday and please follow the links below to the updates from my fellow Absolute Writers.

A Daughter's Revenge: A Necessary Evil Tale (Chapter 4 excerpt)

“Down here.” 

A voice from my feet startles me. I look down to see a grate in the cobblestone. Two tiny hands push the grate up and slide it out of the way. The resulting hole is tiny and black.

“Come on.” I can tell the voice belongs to a child but can’t see anything. I don’t know if it’s one of the gang luring me into a trap or an angel sent to save me. I look at the approaching guard and realize I don’t have a choice. I crouch down, drop my feet into the abyss, and lower myself down. My feet hit something solid while my head is still in the air. My shoulders hit the top of the hole and I’m stuck halfway in and halfway out. The guard makes a desperate lunge to grab me and I feel hands on my waist pulling me down. With a pop I descend into darkness. 

The ham fist of the guard follows me, but it’s all that the guard can fit through the opening.  I’m sitting on wet stone and slide myself back from his reach. I bump into something soft that gives when I hit it. I can just make out the outline of a tiny person.

“Come on.” A hand grabs mine and pulls me away from the cursing guard and down a tunnel. With one hand on the ceiling to protect my head, I walk hunched over, led on by the gods know who. It feel like we’re walking downhill. The reek of the city is replaced by a stronger reek of shit and piss.

“Wait. Who are you? Where are we going?” I ask.

“I’m Jack. We’re going to sunnyroom.” I’m pretty sure he’s a boy. His voice is calm, as if his answers are complete. For some reason I don’t think he’s a threat, but I keep my guard up. There’s nothing I can do in the dark, anyway.

“Thanks for the help, but if you can just show me a way out I’ll be fine.” 

“Them snipers gonna be around for a while. Best wait them out.” 

I’m not sure what to ask or how to refute his logic so I follow in silence. It feels like we take several turns before I notice that my hand can no longer reach the ceiling. I can now walk fully upright. And I think my eyes are adjusting to the gloom when I can start to make out the outline of Jack walking in front of me. Then I realize that the tunnel is getting lighter – there is actually a light at its end.

Jack leads me out of the tunnel and into a cave. The cave is the size of a small room, the ceiling a large latticework of iron. Beyond that are brick walls that lead up to a sky that’s grey but bright. The walls of the cavern are rough stone, cut out of the earth itself. They sparkle. Like a million gemstones flashing their brilliance, the crystals in the stone reflect the day’s light and make the place feel alive. There is another tunnel leading out opposite where we entered, but Jack stops in the middle and releases my hand.

“The sunnyroom,” he states.

List of AW participants:

Aheïla: http://thewriteaholicblog.wordpress.com
Orion_mk3: http://nonexistentbooks.com/
CJ Michaels: http://www.christinajmichaels.blogspot.com/
Meowzbark: http://www.lizzylessard.com
Michael Shoemaker: www.michaelshoemaker.com
Moreferarum: http://mahirnaem.blogspot.co.uk/
Wonderactivist: http://luciesmoker.wordpress.com
Ito: http://www.thehammerdott.com/
Lady Cat: http://www.carolsrandomness.blogspot.ca
MaggieAmada: http://maggieamada.com/mblog/
Randi.Lee: http://emotionalnovel.blogspot.com
Tezzirax: http://thomascardin.blogspot.com
Proach: http://deannaswriting.wordpress.com