Barb de Normandie

I have written a very rough first draft and have begun my first edit pass. OPENING SCENE - Introduces antagonist, setting, tone, and a foreshadows the primary conflict. CHAPTER 1 Some days the loss weighed more heavily on Eliana Richardson’s heart than others and she knew the minute she woke up that today was going to be a rough one. She sighed from her bed as she watched the overcast sky slowly darken and bright green maple leaves wave their greetings to the birds hungrily visiting the bird feeder through the slatted blinds. Josh, her twelve-year-old Golden Retriever and constant companion, rested his chin on the side of the bed and offered his usual morning bark. Eliana rubbed his head playfully, acknowledging that it was time to let Josh outside to do his business. Eliana rolled over and stared at the picture on her nightstand of her beautiful daughter, Deidre. Deidre would be turning seventeen in a few days – wherever she was. It had been almost ten years since her disappearance. As far as Paul was concerned, Diedre’s disappearance was all Eliana’s fault, and their daughter was dead. But Eliana knew Paul was wrong. Deidre was still alive. It was only a matter of time before her baby girl was back home where she belonged. And today marked a new beginning for Eliana. Today, though, she had to get up or she wasn’t going to make it to the lawyer’s office on time. Eliana sighed loudly and threw the covers back. “Enough of that, missy. We wouldn’t want to keep Paulson Saputo now, would we?” She forced herself to an upright position, swung her toned brown legs over the edge of the bed, and with determination planted her feet firmly on the carpet. She completed her morning routine in forty minutes. Checking her appearance in the full-length mirror in the bedroom, Eliana concluded that she was satisfactorily dressed to impress but decided to pull back some of the cornrows around her face and clipped them in place. She half tripped going downstairs, fed Josh, quickly filled her thermos with coffee, grabbed her keys and backpack, and ran out. Eliana drove down the pitted gravel road past the neighbor’s barn and turned onto the paved road at the stand of mailboxes. The drive to the divorce lawyer’s office took six minutes, and she had ten minutes to spare. The full import of this meeting hit her like a ton of bricks as Eliana built up the courage to open the car door. This was it. The last day of her marriage. Eliana didn’t want to admit failure, but there was nothing left of the life and hopes for the future she and Paul had once shared. It had been seven months since Paul had moved out. She hadn’t laid eyes on him since then, even though he was still living on the island with his pregnant fiancé. At first, she thought they’d be able to get past the pain of losing Deidre, but living with Paul’s contempt slowly eroded any possibility of moving on. Then the silence started and after a few years they avoided each other altogether. What had been the pride and joy of her existence, a happy and loving family, simply evaporated. All that was left to do was for them to finalize the last details of the divorce and sign the papers. Eliana checked in with the young woman behind the desk. “Hello. I’m Eliana Richardson. I’m here to meet with Mr. Droit.” She was sure that the girl had attended the high school and was grateful that the normal reminiscing didn’t start. “Yes. Mr. Droit should be out in a few minutes. Please feel free to take a seat. Can I get you any coffee, tea, water?” “Water would be lovely. Thanks. I’ve already had two cups of coffee this morning and you might have to call the paramedics if I had anymore caffeine today.” The receptionist smiled broadly and bounced out of her chair with the energy that only a person without a care in the world could have. Eliana took a seat in a small reception room while the receptionist stepped away to grab a bottle of water for her. Within a few minutes, Paul walked in. He’d gotten a bit heavier in the gut and his thinning hair was prematurely gray. His suit was uncharacteristically rumpled, and he looked like he hadn’t slept in weeks. His shoes, usually polished to military standards, were scuffed and caked with mud. The gorgeous athlete she’d married; the man who’d built a successful commercial real estate development company by the time he was thirty-eight, looked defeated and demoralized. Paul identified himself to the receptionist with a stutter that had never been there before. He seemed to shrink into himself a little when he finally made eye contact with Eliana and quickly looked away. He didn’t seem angry. He just looked empty. He took the chair furthest from Eliana and nodded his head nonchalantly in her direction like he was greeting a buddy at a football game. “Hey.” Eliana had wondered how she would react when she finally saw him after more than half a year. And she wasn’t sure what she expected. She felt a boxer in a ring circling the mat with the adversary, both trying to size up the opposition. They’d been married for almost two decades culminating in this sad set of circumstances, and she was furious that he’d thrown away everything they had worked to build. But she was determined, in spite of the anger, to maintain some level of civility. “Hey. How have you been?” “Okay” he said, not looking up. “Hmmm. And how’s… ah… Melissa, right?” The question sounded contrived even to her and she regretted asking the minute the question was out of her mouth even though she took a little pleasure when Paul flinched. “Yeah. Melissa’s okay, I guess.” There wasn’t much else to say so Eliana opted for an awkward silence and Paul followed suit. Eliana was very grateful when Frances Droit walked in the waiting area adding some relief to the pregnant moment. “Good morning, folks. Why don’t you come on back.” The attorney stood to the side holding the door into the ancillary conference room. Eliana was a little put off when Paul stepped in front of her and went through the door first. Mr. Droit seemed just as surprised as Eliana, offering a commiserating smile of apology. Paul plopped down into a chair on the opposite side of the room while Mr. Droit held the chair for Eliana before taking his own seat. “This shouldn’t take too long. I know Ms. Richardson needs to get over to the high school.” “We definitely wouldn’t want to keep anyone at the school waiting.” Mr. Droit raised his eyebrows but continued. “You both should have received the final divorce decree with the amendments we discussed in our last meeting. Unless there are any objections, we’ll get your signatures, and I’ll file the documents this afternoon.” Eliana looked at Paul sadly, once again taking in the full import of what was happening. When Paul didn’t respond, she took the lead. “I am satisfied with the terms indicated in the decree and I’m ready to sign. I’m also prepared to write Paul a check today to buy him out of the house as discussed.” “Paul, are you satisfied with the paperwork?” Paul shrugged noncommittally. “Yeah, sure.” Mr. Droit handed them both pens, called in the receptionist to serve as a witness and indicated where Eliana and Paul were to sign. The receptionist added her signature and Mr. Droit notarized the document. The receptionist made copies for everyone and within minutes Eliana followed her ex-husband out to the parking lot. Eliana took a deep breath and turned to face Paul who was already getting into his car. “That went much faster than I thought it would.” “Yeah. Guess so.” “I assume you’re planning on staying on the island.” “Probably.” “Well, I just want you to know that I’m moving on with my life and I have no interest in creating any drama.” “Appreciate that.” Paul started to get in his car and then changed his mind, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “So, uh, I’ve been thinking. You know the baby’s coming in about two months. I was thinking that maybe I could stop by and pick up some of Deidre’s stuff.” “Wow. Interesting day to ask.” “It’s not like I run into you these days and I thought I’d kill two birds with one stone.” “Well, bird or no, I don’t think that’s going to work for me. Sorry.” “Passive aggressive as always.” “And what’s that supposed to mean?” “It means you’re still the self-serving bitch we’ve all come to know.” “Alrighty then. You take care, Paul.” He seemed to grow in stature as he menacingly approached sneering at her. “What? Can’t handle the truth?” This was a side of Paul that she’d only seen once before when a man sitting on a park bench threatened to harm Deidre for throwing a ball that hit his leg. Deidre was three years old. With a heaving chest, Paul pulled the man up by his collar and promised to kill him if he even thought about touching his little girl. Eliana had no doubt that Paul meant what he said, and it took almost two hours for her to calm him down afterwards. Eliana recognized that blank stare and wasn’t interested in trying to talk Paul back down to earth. She jumped in her car and slammed the door, quickly engaging the locks. She started the engine and backed up to leave. With unbelievable speed, Paul rushed to the front of her car and pounded on the hood glaring at her through the windshield. Eliana was so startled by the suddenness of the reverberation from the impact and the level of vitriol that she froze. Spittle flew out of his mouth as he snarled at her with a shaking voice. “This is all your fault! You’re the one who destroyed us!” Every ounce of her was shaking uncontrollably as she gripped the steering wheel and slowly pulled forward. She didn’t want to hurt him, but she also refused to take any more abuse. He eventually stepped out of the way as her bumper pressed into his thighs. Eliana kept looking forward as she drove past, only glancing in her rearview mirror as she got close to the exit. Even from this distance she saw the raw pent-up hatred that he’d barely managed to conceal for years seething through his eyes. And for the first time in years she wasn’t intimidated by this man felt standing in the pouring rain, his fists balled up and his nostril flaring. It was only when a car horn blared that she remembered she was behind the wheel. Eliana slammed on her brakes, narrowly avoiding a collision. She took a cleansing breath, smiled ruefully at the startled driver and after checking both ways this time, she pulled away. Never again was she going to allow Paul to manipulate her or cause her to doubt herself. And regardless of what Paul thought or said, she wouldn’t stop looking for Deidre. Nothing would ever change that. Not Paul or the searing pain that felt like a hot poker beginning to burn its way from the center of her skull out between her eyes.

FIRST ASSIGNMENT: Many women struggle once we have children to define where the need to nurture ourselves ends and the responsibility to our children and by extension, our community begins. I was inspired to begin this project because I wanted to explore these relationships and how trauma and self-doubt can skew our sense of self and our view of reality. SOUL WATER SOLE HEIR begins as a devastated woman discovers her missing child is being held in a parallel dimension ruled by a tyrant seeking the final stage of immortality. This ruler must absorb the Soul Water of a direct descendant of pure Nepheshite blood in order to achieve his goal and this woman is his last remaining option. Risking her freedom and her life, the woman navigates dangers in an alternate dimension triggered by greed, indifference, indignation, and politics to save her child only to learn more is at risk. She must decide if it is her responsibility to join the fight to end civil war in her newly discovered native home world and prevent the destruction of the world she calls home. SECOND ASSIGNMENT: Chancellor Barzel, ruler of the Nepheshites, seeks the final stage of immortality reserved for the elites. He must consume the Soul Water of a direct descendant and complete the ritual within the coming year or lose this zenith of existence forever, but no descendants live in his world. After decades of searching, the Order of Absolution locates Barzel’s sole heir living in the Realm of Humans. This heir, Eliana Fortner, is Barzel’s granddaughter who was whisked away as an infant by Hokmani, one of Barzel’s most trusted courtesans. Hokmani took the infant from the arms of her dying mother. She couldn’t bear to have her last surviving child subjected to a life of serving as Barzel’s breeding courtesan or worse, being interned in the River of Souls. Then Hokmani with her own surviving child, Kavua, joined the Balamsian rebels fighting the bloody war to end the brutal quest for immortality. The passage of an adult between the Nepheshite world and the Human Realm requires the individual to open and enter a Pyramid of Radiance portal willingly. So in a desperate attempt to facilitate Barzel’s ascension, the Order of Absolution kidnaps Eliana’s daughter and uses her as bait. THIRD ASSIGNMENT: River of Immortal Souls Soul Water and Sole Heir Soul Harvester: River of Immortality FOURTH ASSIGNMENT: Missing Daughter by Rick Mofina (2019) for missing children & mystery meets The Library of the Dead (2022) for portal travel & lost souls The Thinking Woman’s Guide to Real Magic by Emily Croy Barker (2013) for female protag, family & portal travel Witchmark by C.I. Polk (2018) for fantasy, romance & world war NOTE: The project might also appeal to fans of N.K. Jemisin (The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms), Samantha Shannon (The Priory of the Orange Tree), Tasha Suri (Empire of Sand), Robert Jordan (Wheet of Time), and Terry Brookes (Shannara Series) FIFTH ASSIGNMENT: The sole heir of an interdimensional tyrannical ruler must stop the consumption of her missing daughter’s soul and prevent the enslavement of humanity. SIXTH ASSIGNMENT: Inner Conflict: Eliana needs to feel loved in spite of being betrayed by her husband who is moving on with a pregnant fiancé even though the divorce isn’t final. She blames herself for asking Paul to pick Deidre up from school instead of leaving her job as originally planned. She blames herself for not being strong/good enough to hold onto Paul through the pain of losing Deidre. And she even wonders whether there was something wrong with her that caused her biological mother and father to throw her away. Maybe she doesn’t deserve to be loved. Hypothetical Inner Conflict Scenario: Deidre is safe in the Balamsian camp but has been brainwashed to believe that Eliana abandoned her in the woods, leaving her to die. Eliana and Deidre argue causing Eliana to question whether all this happened because she failed as a mother. Eliana’s response is to run away and sulk providing the perfect opportunity for Deidre to sneak out of their confined quarters in an attempt to run back to Barzel. When Deidre is recaptured by the Balamsian patrol and taken to Hokmani, a wise mother who suffered great loss, Eliana listens to Hokmani explain the error of Deidre conclusions. In the process, Eliana begins to evaluate how she feels about her worthiness to be a mother. Secondary Conflict: Eliana wants to be in control, often at the expense of reading other people’s feelings. This is a protection mechanism to stay her fear has served her well in her goal of being totally self-reliant and doing so with the precision of a perfectionist. Hypothetical Secondary Conflict Scenario: Eliana drops out of Pyramid of Radiance portal in the woods near home like a sack of potatoes landing with a thud. Half crawling and limping, she drags herself up the back stairs of the house with only enough strength to lay on the porch and bang on the locked door with frustration. Who the hell locked the door that she deliberately left open since she was only going for a short walk!?!?!? To her surprise, Cameron cautiously looks through the glass and rushes to help her into the house. He stayed at her house, searching the woods, and praying for her safe return even though the police and Paul hadn’t taken his concerns seriously. When he tries to console Eliana or offer aid, just like when they were kids, Eliana shoves him away and talks over him, ignoring his attempts to show her how much he cares. She’s oblivious to the pain in eyes or the bent shoulders from the rejection and she charges ahead to activate a plan to get back to Deidre. No woman is an island, but she doesn’t seem to understand that. FINAL ASSIGNMENT: Human World: Eliana’s home base is located in the Pacific Northwest on a thickly wooded small island with approximately sixteen thousand inhabitants. There’s a small village near the ferry docks with a few much-appreciated restaurants, a well-stocked grocery store, and boutique shops. Eliana is the principal at the one public high school that is highly regarded throughout universities across the country. She lives within walking distance of the 240-acre Grand Forest which is a setting steeped in local mystical legends where some have been known not to return from. Land of Nahar Am: The hidden land of Nahar Am is accessible through a portal open only to those tied to the mystical world of water. It was once a beautiful and peaceful land benevolently ruled by the magical Iyrin who were worshiped by the Balamsians. The Iyrin Temple was located in the middle of a jungle but visible from the sea to the west. It was an honor for any Balamsian to make the annual pilgrimage to the temple to present the fruits of their labors. Life was simple and the Iyrin prevented pestilence and disease, providing for the basic needs of the inhabitants. Technological advances were few and weapons other than swords and spears used to defend against wild animals was all that was needed. Life as the Balamsians knew if was destroyed when the Nepheshites from a distant kingdom adjacent to Nahar Am invaded seeking the secrets held by the Iyrin for an eternity… the secret to immortality. The Nepheshite conquerors killed all but a handful of the Iyrin forcing them to uncover how to adapt their science for use by the Nepheshite elite. The Nepheshites saw no reason to destroy the temple, so it fell into disrepair with only the shell to represent what has once been a great civilization. Nepheshite Supreme Ruler Barzel was so enthralled with achieving immortality that his only interest in the Balamsians was interning the young in the River of Immortal Souls to achieve his ultimate goal. He ordered Balamsians slaves to extend the Iyrin complex over the River of Immortal Souls and called it the Citadel. In this place he set up his home and installed a garrison of elite soldiers to allow the Iyrin research to continue without interruption. And he harnessed the volcanic fires on the island to the south of the Citadel for power. A walled city for the Nepheshites was created to the west of the Citadel where all manner of temptation and vice was entertained without question. The surviving Balamsians fled during the war forming four clans: Bal Clan of the North, Bal Clan of the Green, Bal Clan of the East, and Bal Clan of the Seas. But one rebel group made the decision to fight for freedom. Beyond the ruined remains of a Balamsian village far to the west, they uncovered a secret passage behind a waterfall. Descending more than 100 steps from the plateau, the passage opened into a forested area. The Balamsian rebels built a raised encampment in the tree canopy to house their warrior Protectors and families. Life was hard living in the trees, but it afforded them critical protection and allowed them to conduct clandestine patrols and launch attacks against the Nepheshites. So had life continued in the land of Nahar Am for more than three hundred years, but change is the horizon when a young mother discovers that she was born in another dimension and her child has been kidnapped to lure her back.