Story Excerpt: Thirteen Chapter 5

Elijah chuckled to himself quietly enjoying the road when he noticed the gas meter was low. He groaned, already knowing they gave the RVS with only half a tank of gas. He rubbed his face and saw a sign that said Gas & Rest stop five miles ahead. “Hey guys someone text Logan and say that we are pulling over in five miles” Elijah called.

“Munchies” Jacob shouted as Mohammed high fived him. Tiffany giggled at the boys while Michael closed his Sherlock Holmes book. Elijah continued his drive passing the lavish grass and trees when he noticed the gas station to his right. He signaled his lights before pulling into the rusty lacking lights gas station. He stopped the bus and could hear everyone running towards the door.

“Guys please grab a snack which I don’t think we need since we are on a bus with a refrigerator” Elijah suggested rolling his eyes. Mumbling came from the anxious teens as if Elijah was their father and they were young children. Brooklyn opened the door and saw everyone huddled up and she rolled her eyes. “Let's go Logan said we need to hurry so we can be on time!” She chastised and walked towards the 24 hour store.

The other six walked off the bus and stretched following her steps. The bell ringing over their heads as they each split up to get their snack of choice. Brooklyn, Delilah and Kiera dragged Allen and Jacob to the ice cream section. “I want mint chocolate chip” Brooklyn whined as Jacob pulled at her curls. “No I don’t want toothpaste ice cream nothing wrong with cookie dough” Delilah said.

“Can we bake the cookies in the ice cream?” Kiera asked and Allen grabbed a vanilla tub of ice cream. “I’m going to pay for this how bout you guys hurry up” Allen said as the girls each grabbed an ice cream of their choosing. Logan and Nicole grabbed handfuls of beef jerky while arguing if they should get cheese.

“How are you feeling?” Elijah asked as Ashley fingered through chips and blushed at his closeness. “I feel fine everyone seems to be having a great time” Ashley said, grabbing two jumbo bags of Doritos. “Kiera told me about the ‘rubber’” Elijah said smirking at her. “Oh god I’m going to slap her it was nothing, just being paranoid” Ashley mumbled as they walked over to the counter.

Mohammed had handfuls of sour candies while Tiffany, Michael and Jacob were ordering hero sandwiches. “We have food on the bus” Elijah complained. Everyone laughed at his annoyance while the man gladly took Elijah’s debit card to pay for the gas. As everyone grabbed their goodies a small petite girl bumped into Elijah.

“Sorry sir” She whispered as Elijah remembered her from the party. “You’re that girl” He said as Ashley’s jealousy flared. “Yeah that girl” Ashley mumbled. “Lola” She said as the others watched the interaction. “What are you doing over here?” Elijah asked. “Backpacking the states before heading home” Lola replied, feeling the eyes on her.

“Isn’t that dangerous?” Jacob asked. “There goes the dog following his bone” Kiera said as everyone laughed. “Sir everything processed, have a great day” The Clerk replied handing back the card. Lola swiftly bypassed everyone and walked out the store. “Stalker much” Ashley said. “Don’t worry Ash you’re the only girl in my eyes” Elijah said, draping his arm over her shoulders.

Holding back the smile she nudged it off and walked towards the buses. “Player Eli!” Allen and Mohammed chanted. As everyone began to break up in their groups Elijah saw Lola walking down the side of the highway. She stuck out her thumb hopelessly hoping for a ride and Elijah felt bad for her. “Guys you know that heart of mines?” He called as Logan sighed.

“Have a heart attack later man!” Logan called out. “I can’t leave her alone out here look, maybe we should take her to New Jersey it’s the next time we will probably stop” Miguel began. “We are not picking up some random chick ever heard of Stranger Danger?” Brooklyn said as everyone laughed at her. “I don’t trust her Eli” Ashley said as she grabbed his arm.

“Just till the next stop it’s going to be dark soon Ash I just can’t” He replied. “Fine but she is on Logan’s bus then” Ashley said crossing her arms. “Logan …” Miguel called. “Fine just till our next stop” Logan added. The girls groaned and shuffled onto the bus.

Happy 3rd Birthday Inksoaked Page

Three years ago I had the pleasure of revamping this blog from a 2009 diary type blog. After asking some opinions of my peeps on Google + and close friends, I decided to go for it! Now three years later a small blog has grown exponentially into everything I've dreamed of and more. I never had the idea that this can slowly develop into a business which it has or that I would gain a publishing partnership with Random House. 

Yet here we are in 2016 and it is very possible. Now this blog has become my portfolio for other business prospective, a platform for other writers and a creative outlet for myself. This year Inksoaked Page is expanding even more and I cannot wait to see what will happen in one year! Thanks for the followers and help from everyone! Even the doubters, haters and certain people that claim that this will fail. Youve inspired me the most! 

HAPPY WRITINGS!

Book Review: Wonderland by Amily Shen

  

Wonderland by Amily Sheen

Rating: 3/5 Stars  

This new type of coloring is making its way onto the shelves in stores. Adult coloring books are all the rave and not too long ago I reviewed some. Now I am back with another one! This coloring book features Alice in Wonderland and the characters we love. One should understand that this book does not follow the Disney movie, but sort of a classic British one. The story-line was quite cute and very simple the author Amily Shen leads the reader to sort of become Alice and travel to Wonderland to attend the Mad Hatter's tea party. However, it lacked the characters that make the story come to life such as the Mad Hatter or Queen. Its main focus is on the tea party, flowers and food which are great to color, but still it needs that Alice feel to it. 

 I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a spring feeling.

Story Excerpt: Legion Part 1

They lay within one another arms in the dark with just the moonlight spilling into the room. It was a perk that Theo had no roommate so the luxury of privacy was at its peak. Lia could be whoever she wanted to be and acted how she contented. This would be the moment she would take the leap and tell Theo her secret.

“I dropped out of school” Lia whispered and Theo looked down at her. She didn’t raise her head to look at him instead she listened to how rapid his heartbeat was and the heat emitting from his skin.

“Why?”

“They wanted me too, I have to focus on being a Guardian but yeah, no more Social Work for me” She whispered and quivered when he traced his name onto her skin with his finger. The goosebumps rose on her radiant skin and sent a chill down her spine. His hands stopped by her hair and began to run his fingers through it.

“One day”

“One day?”

“One day you will be exactly where you need to be, don’t worry, I am here for you always”

“Theo … I love you so much”

“I love you too Celia”

She rolled her eyes and he let out a lax laugh. Years later she still detested the way he said her name but not the same way as others did. He could repeat it all day and her heart will still swell with nervousness. She never felt this way before. Sure she had feelings for guys, hell girls, but Theo; he touched a nerve that no one else could.

“Let’s sleep” He whispered and pulled her up so she could lie on the pillow.

“No let’s stay up” She appealed and he laid his hand on her cheek to calm her.

“I have class at 10 AM”

“I don’t want to go yet. I want this to last Theo”

“So don’t go”

Book Review: Wet Sand in an Hourglass by Lana C. Marilyn

Wet Sand in an Hourglass by Lana C. Marilyn

Rating: 4/5 Stars 

I've watch this work grow since it was just an idea by Lana. I have been following the development of Lana but known to me as Ciinnie from Tumblr. When the opportunity to review this work came along I jumped at the opportunity to review it. When I review books I have an ideal of what it will be but for this one I decided to go in full blind to stay strictly unbiased. The story is broken up through short snippets of her life through her eyes. Some of these snippets get very intimate and you get a rush of excitement of peeking through someone else's eyes. The work starts with a story about her Mother and how she shifts between Animal and Animalé. She describes her Mother and how she embodied everything that Ciinnie wanted to be. As all daughter do as a young age, we strive to be mothers until we learn who we truly are in the inside. That is what this work is about, finding yourself or rather Ciinne finding herself.

 What stopped this other than stellar work from being a five were the works that were meant to be breaks.It was cute but I felt it pulled away from the emotions and distracted from the main idea. However I would figure that this was the ideal that Ciinnie was trying to portray with her work. It is a representation of her and how she is. Full of life, constantly moving and bouncing in between emotions. I would say that my favorite excerpt had to be Nine Lives of Love.  She goes into depth about a woman name Carmela and I just could imagine her and then about the cats which reminded me of my own experiences with Love.

I would recommend this book for all ages but especially to women of color. This is what kind of work we need in our shelves. Support one another and read one another tales.

"MY EARLY LESSON IN love were always administered under the circumstances of loss, the depth of which correlated to the value (Sentimental or monetary) of the missing entity in question. 

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Check out her blog

http://cinniie.tumblr.com/