Frank and I have
wanted to collaborate on a story together for awhile now and this is
the beginning. I've written the opening here and Frank has taken this and is working on the next part.
Follow along as we work to complete the story of Carmella and
Trinity-Blue.
https://amazon.com/author/tdcooper
http://www.tdcooperbooks.com
#writing #amwriting #authors #authortalk #frankhweeden #tdcooperbooks
Carmella stretched out on her bed, closed her eyes,
and listened to the rain pound on the thatched roof of her cabin as she’d done
for the last week. The moist heat made her uncomfortable, almost sick to her stomach.
She tossed and turned until she gave up and sat on the edge of her bed. “Mom
closed my window again,” she said as she threw it open. The rain had stopped,
and a cool breeze puffed across her cheeks. Carmella stretched to look up into
the sky. “No rain! The clouds have broken apart,” she whispered. “I can see the
waning crescent moon and brilliant stars across the sky. I’m going for a ride!”
The
cupboard doors squeaked as Carmella opened them. She reached for her ruby
pinafore and a white blouse, slid the clothes on, and climbed out the window.
The village glowed under the soft yellow light of the moon and stars, and the
wet dirt smelled sweet. Happiness filled her soul until she felt like bursting.
“It’s the first night of
spring, and I’m free!” she whispered into the night sky. “A ride would be
fabulous.” Carmella knew that leaving the Kingdom at night and without an
escort would land her in trouble with her parents, the King and Queen, but
she’d sneaked away many times before and gotten away with it. She didn’t care.
Her day had ended at Court with her sisters tattling constantly, and she needed
a release. What could go wrong on this quiet spring night?
The aviary lay across the
soggy paddock and amongst the trees of the forest. Carmella walked through the
wide doors of the barn and clung close to the inside wall. One had to be
mindful of birds that were the size of horses when walking beneath them. Each
multi-colored bird roosted on a perch high above the ground and as close to the
ceiling as possible. A soothing variety of chirps reverberated from the
puffed-up birds as they slept with their heads tucked under their wings.
Carmella’s bird was more
prominent than most. He sported cerulean feathers with a white underbelly. Tiny
black pinfeathers outlined each eye. She’d named him Trinity-Blue when he was
just a chick. The two had grown up together and spent every free minute flying
along the countryside.
The ladder that led up
into the rafters smelled of wet wood and mold. Carmella inched her way up in
the dark until she reached the scaffolding, and then she walked the small
slates of wood to Trinity-Blue. She’d been in the aviary so many times the
darkness didn’t intimidate her at all.
“Trinny, wake up,” she
whispered. He didn’t budge. “Trinity-Blue!” she said louder. He opened an eye
and closed it. “Trinity-Blue, we’ll be home before they miss us,” she whispered
into the big bluebird’s ear. “Here I picked this raspberry just for you,”
Carmella said and waved the fruit in front of the bird’s nose. He squinted and
snuggled deeper into his feathers. “Oh, come on, Trinny! Wake-up! It stopped
raining.” He opened his eye again and surveyed the berry. “That’s it, come on,
we’ll only go for a few minutes, I promise.”
Trinity-Blue yawned,
stretched out a foot and wing, spun around on his perch, and put his back to
Carmella. His feathers puffed up again, and he closed his eyes. “Okay, I’ll go
see if Jaggers wants to go for a midnight cruise,” Carmella said and pretended
to walk away. Trinity looked over his shoulder and smoothed his feathers. “Now
that’s the spirit,” she said, climbed onto his back, and goosed him forward.
Trinity-Blue launched himself through the enormous open window and soared into
the night sky.
“I promise our flight
won’t take long. It’s so pretty outside!” Carmella said and exhaled.
Trinity-Blue screeched his birdcall and picked up speed. He flapped his wings,
reached for the stars high above the Ralle Kingdom, and then rode the air
currents, feeling the autonomy they both coveted. Carmella stretched her arms
wide, grasped the berry in one hand, and breathed in the fresh, brisk night
air.
“Head for that tree,
Trinny, and we’ll share the berry.” Carmella pointed to a large deciduous tree
that was pushing green buds. Trinity-Blue squawked and landed high in the top
of the tree. Carmella gave him the first bite, and she nibbled on a single
seed. “Here you can have the rest,” she said and held out the remainder of the
berry. Trinity-Blue gobbled it down as Carmella stretched out on his back with
her hands beneath her head. She closed her eyes to dream.
Moments later,
Trinity-Blue stiffened. Carmella patted his back and stroked his feathers. He
gurgled deep in his throat. “What is it, Trinny?” she said and opened an eye.
The stars and moon had vanished with a darkened sky. Camilla sat up and saw
what appeared as a giant cloud, moving over the Ralle Kingdom. “This doesn’t
look good. We better go!” she whispered and nudged Trinity-Blue off the branch.
He spread his wings and headed for the aviary. Faster and faster, he flew, but
the black mist continued to move in and cut off his flight path. Just then, a
massive door opened up on the underside of the cloud and swallowed them inside.
It closed before Trinity-Blue or Carmella could react. To be continued...
