Manuscript Intro Contest

So I did a thing.

I entered the first pages of The Power Within into the Writers' League of Texas 2020 Manuscript Contest! My mom's coworker is a member of the league and forwarded the information on both the league and the competition. Thanks to her, I have become a member of the Writer's League of Texas and entered the contest!

Want to check it out? The membership is only $15 for students and can be found HERE. They have some great stuff!

But back to the contest. The contest manuscript can at max be 2750 words, including your short synopsis which they recommend to be 250-300 words. And FYI, that's super short. It was such a brain exercise to try to summarize my 100,000 word novel into 300 words. But, thanks to some help by my editor Elizabeth, I did it! And that left 2,450 words for the manuscript.

Now, you can enter the manuscript into multiple categories, but each submission for a league member is $55 (if you want a critique) or $25 (only submitted, no critique). My beginning is pretty set (plus I am frugal) so I opted to not have the critique and just submit for the contest. I entered it into one category, Sci-Fi/Fantasy. Fingers crossed!

So yeah, I did a thing. Plus, I've included the manuscript below for your pleasure. Enjoy!

1. The New Girl

Thump. Bang! My head slammed back against the wooden wagon seat and I grimaced, clenching my teeth.

“Sorry about that.” Alex pulled on the horses’ reins. “Pothole.”

I gave him a sour look. His driving was as bad as his constant chattering.

He cast me a grin, shaking his blackish-red hair out of his eyes. “You okay, Elena?”

“I’m fine.”

I was sitting in the passenger seat on a small wooden wagon, the back filled with crates. Stars speckled the night sky, covered only briefly by clouds drifting on the wind. The ancient trees of the forest reached upward, their branches illuminated by the enchanted lanterns floating alongside the road. I flinched as a nearby vine slithered down a tree trunk, recoiled by the road’s barrier, and dashed into the mess of shrubs that hid the ground. The Iltex Forest was not the friendliest of places.

Alex whistled beside me as he edged the horses onward, gazing up at the night sky. “Sure is beautiful tonight, isn’t it?” I leaned back against the wooden seat, crossing my arms and legs, not answering him. He tilted his head to the side. “Come now, don’t be like that.”

“You’re not the one being sent to a boarding school.” I kept my voice flat.

He didn’t respond, and I sighed in relief. Maybe now he’d finally stop talking.

“So, is it true what they say about your memory?”

I stiffened at his words, my fingers digging into my skin. How dare he bring up such a topic.

“I was shocked when the judge told me your story. I mean, who in their right mind would do that to their own child?”

Once again, silence was my only reply. But my thoughts returned to my parents; my mother’s gentle touch, my father’s rough beard. My sight grew blurry and I blinked rapidly.

“Look, there it is.”

Jolted from my thoughts, I looked up to see the silhouette of a large building rising in the darkness at the end of the road. Several lanterns floated beside the entrance, revealing stairs that led up to a pair of large wooden doors. The forest followed the road right up to the building, almost, but not quite, touching the worn limestone. Moonlight glinted off the glass windows. I gave Alex a sidelong look.

 He patted me on the shoulder. “You could at least act excited.”

I shrugged his hand off, and it took all my self-control to not respond with a more sarcastic tone. “Excited about what?”

He gestured toward the school. “The Lords of Sedine send their children to this school and even our Crown Prince attended the school in his younger days. Surely, that speaks for something.”

Oh, it did. “Why would he choose here?”

Alex shrugged. “I think it’s supposed to have one of the best survival programs in Oraetha. The continent has never been a safe place, even in his time.”

And now even less so.

But if the nobles were here, then maybe it would have something worthwhile. “What type of library do you think they have?”

“Rumor says it’s second only to Enisha Library.”

“You’re kidding.” The words slipped from my mouth.

Alex laughed. “I should’ve brought that up sooner.”

“Yes, you should’ve.” My mind was turning with ideas. “What else do you know about the library?”

“Not much.” He pulled on the reins and the horses came to a stop at the bottom of the stairs, the wagon’s wheels crunching the gravel underneath. He placed a hand on his knee. “Besides, I’m sure you’ll know more than me in a few days.”

 “Yeah, I guess so.” I jumped off the seat, swinging my bag over my shoulder. “Thanks for the ride.”

“Wait.” Alex reached into his pocket. “I almost forgot. This is for you.”

He handed me a bag of sand, and then pressed something cold and round into the palm of my hand; a small brown pebble. My jaw dropped, words tumbling out of my mouth. “What? Thank you. Why?”

Alex laughed, whipping the horses into movement. “Don’t thank me, thank Joseph.”

My head snapped back up. I didn’t know anyone by that name. “Who?”

But Alex was already yards away, waving goodbye and whistling another tune. He quickly disappeared around a bend in the path, and I slipped the gift into my pocket.

Caw! Cracaw!

I looked upward and stopped short. Razor-sharp claws extended from birdlike legs curling above me. The chest of the creature, however, was humanoid, covered in a bronze armor plate, while blue and green feathered wings extended from the shoulders, almost seeming to glimmer in the moonlight. A Harpy.

 A young woman’s voice spoke down to me. “Welcome, sweetie. New student?”

I bowed slightly. “Yes, ma’am.” In addition to her already fearsome appearance, curved alpha claws on the tips of her wings reflected the moonlight. This creature deserved my respect.

Wind buffeted me as the Harpy came closer, the lanterns’ light illuminating her features. Her lips were a voluptuous red, and light-purple hair curled around her face. A pair of golden eyes stared at me. I swallowed as she halted above me, her claws scraping together only a few feet away.

She tilted her head to the side and clicked her tongue. “You don’t look like much, if you ask me.”

I shifted my weight. “Sorry?”

She tilted her head the other direction. “Are you sure you’re the right one?”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“Hadassa!” a rough voice barked from behind me. I turned to see a man strolling down the school steps. He appeared to be in his mid-forties, with brunette hair and eyes to match.  He waved a hand. “Shoo. Harassing new students is not in your patrol agenda.”

She pursed her red lips. “Observing visitors is though.” And with a powerful beat of her wings, she took to the sky.

The man shook his head, scowling slightly, but then extended his hand. “Welcome. You must be Elena. I’m Mr. Jackal, the school principal. I apologize for Hadassa’s behavior. The Harpies don’t usually bother the students.”

 “It’s no trouble, sir. Do they live here?”

 “So to speak.” He gestured to the school. “The Harpies are the school’s guardians, so they’re around.”

I paused for a moment. “Is it true they can read vital points?”

“Let’s just say they can see much more than a human can.” He clasped his hands together. “Now, I trust you had no difficulties finding your way here?”

“It was uneventful, really.” I smiled as my fingers brushed against the gift in my pocket.

“And your driver was pleasant company?”

My smile disappeared. “He was chatty, if that’s what you mean.”

Mr. Jackal chuckled. “Ah, well, I’m sure it helped pass the time. Now, if you will follow me.” He walked up the steps, holding the door open. “I’d like to officially welcome you to your new home, Sedine’s National Boarding School for Humans.”

The doors closed behind me with a bang, and I took in the scene. The walls were an ashen gray with a matching cold stone floor. It smelt like soap, clean and dull, with hints of oil wafting from the gas lamps on the wall. This was the most prestigious school in Sedine for those of Human descent? Surely the nobles would’ve preferred something a bit more… flamboyant at least.

Mr. Jackal noticed my scrutiny. “What do you think?”

“It’s…fine.”

“Pretty ugly, isn’t it?”

I shifted slightly, not sure what to say.

He met my eye. “Don’t worry, you can be honest with me. I know it is.”

“Well, you’re not wrong.”

He grabbed a gas lamp off the wall. “Walk with me. Let me show you my newest initiative.”

We turned a corner and suddenly the dreary gray walls were gone, replaced with elaborate, overly bright murals. The corner of my lip rose. “Now this is more like what I expected.”

Mr. Jackal beamed. “I’ve been principal now for five years, and I thought it was time to bring some color to the school. All the designs and actual work are student-led, and the current project is their dorm hallways.” He pointed to a mural painted in tones of blue and white, mimicking ocean waves. “See the names written in the conch shells of the mural? This is their dorm room.”

We continued to walk, and I scanned the paintings. A knight in silver armor, his green flag billowing above him. A prairie of golden wheat, rabbits hidden among its stalks. “The detail is incredible.”

His lips turned up into a smile. “I’m glad you think so. The next phase is to paint the cafeteria.” He placed a hand to his chin. “Perhaps you will be able to help us out. Do you have any talent with art?”

I slowed to a stop. When was the last time I drew something? Suddenly, it felt like a ball was pounding on my head and I groaned, rubbing my temple.

 “I don’t know. I can’t remember.”

Mr. Jackal took a slow, deep breath, his eyes downcast. Finally, he spoke. “I have been brought up to speed on your condition. I am sorry for your loss.”

I looked away, rubbing the back of my neck. “It’s fine.” But it wasn’t.

He placed a hand on my shoulder. “If you ever need anything, don’t hesitate to let me know. You were sent here because we believe our staff, with our renowned historians, healers, and casters, can help you. You just have to give us time.”

But how much time? I’d much rather be back home, searching for answers myself. But I didn’t voice my thoughts, instead wrapping my arms around myself. “Thank you, sir.”

He squeezed my shoulder and we continued forward. As I followed him, I messed with my butterfly fairy necklace, checking the stone’s color, but nothing changed. Everything was as it appeared.

We then came upon a hallway with only one door, and unlike the other hallways with murals scattered throughout, this time, the entire hallway itself was a mural. Brown-black stalagmites grew from the floor, while water dripped down slowly from their partners above. A large cavern peeked out from between the rock formations, but its inner secrets were covered by a crimson cave. There was only one such location in the legends—the Elmist Caves.

I gaped openly, and Mr. Jackal chuckled beside me.

“To celebrate my fifth year as principal, the student body decided to decorate my hallway as a way of saying ‘thank you’ and to congratulate me on my success. They may have been a little too extravagant but…” He shrugged, as if to say, what could I do?

I chuckled as well. “It’s beautiful, sir.”

He held his hand over the lockless knob, muttered something under his breath, and swung the door open. We walked into a small office with a desk in the middle, a chair on either side, bookshelves along the walls, and a window on the far end. Mr. Jackal flicked on the gas lamps, their light reflecting off the gentle blue walls, and he took a seat, motioning for me to do the same. Movement at the window caught my eye, and I found myself peering into a small garden. Vines crawled up along the walls, while flowers of all shapes and sizes thrived throughout the area. Even in the dark, I could make out a few students gardening under the moonlight, along with some glowing Purple Llixia flowers. Something seemed off though. The students kept glancing around, fidgeting, like deer ready to flee.

Mr. Jackal noticed my attention and stood, coming to peer out himself. “This is the school garden. It is still too small in my opinion, but it’s starting to look better.”

“Another project?”

His eyes crinkled. “Exactly.”

As he spoke, a redheaded girl looked toward the window, a grin lighting up her face as she saw Mr. Jackal. She waved energetically. Mr. Jackal chuckled and returned the wave. She spoke, and the other students looked up and waved as well, the nervousness from earlier gone.

“The girl who waved first is Lisa. She is the president of the garden club and has a knack with plants. I wouldn’t be surprised if she became one of the greatest horticulturists of our time.”

“Impressive.”

“Don’t let that intimidate you, though.” He shut the blinds and motioned for me to take a seat again. “She is very easygoing, and I could see you two becoming great friends.”

Friends? I wasn’t here to make friends.

He took a seat and pulled out some papers and a small book. “Now, onto business. Here is the school rulebook, a school map, and your class schedule based on the entrance exam you took last week.” I took the items from him. “I must admit, Elena, I was impressed with your test scores. Your parents must have taught you well.”

I stared at the ground again, my chest tightening. Why did he have to keep reminding me of all I had lost? I shuffled my foot against the floor. “Thank you.”

“Elena.”

I looked up at him. His gaze was soft but strong, as if he was holding me up with his eyes.

“I know this is difficult for you, but I meant what I said earlier. We can help you, and my teachers and I will do whatever is necessary to do so.”

My chest loosened and I swallowed. “I… I really appreciate that, Mr. Jackal.”

He reached over and squeezed my shoulder again, then leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers. “Now, I have a serious question for you.”

“Yes, sir?”

“What are you hoping to achieve while here at my school?”

His question caught me off guard. What did I hope to achieve? I didn’t even want to be here. I fidgeted. “Mostly, I just want to recover from the accident. Or practice my sword fighting. Make some friends.”

Mr. Jackal’s eyes never left mine. “That’s good. I know things are rough for you right now and you were uprooted from your life. However…” He paused. “If you give this place a chance, you might find it offers more than you think.”

I wasn’t so sure about that.

“Now, do you have any questions for me?”

Before I could answer, there was knocking on his office door.

“Come in.”

Lisa, the redheaded girl from the garden, stepped in. “You signaled for me, Mr. Jackal?”

“Yes, thank you for coming. I’d like to introduce you to your newest roommate, Elena Pierce.”

She grinned, reaching out. “I’m Lisa Georgelous. Nice to meet ya.”