Living in Tornado Alley has caused twenty-two year old Laura Pratt to grow cynical when it comes to storm warnings. When a tornado rips its way through her college campus, Laura becomes trapped in the library basement with fellow music major and longtime crush Aiden Barnes. After the storm clears, and the two are faced with the harsh reality of Mother Nature’s vengeance, will Laura and Aiden emerge from the rubble with their hearts intact?
About T.M. Franklin
Chantal Breelan is a
ward of the state, living under the care of a woman who is cold and heartless.
Her past is a mystery, and her future is even more uncertain. She can’t recall
why she had been taken from her parents and so she’s left with nothing but an
empty hole where her childhood should have been. When she awakens from her
nightmares, she’s left with terrible, violent images, as well as a boy whose
face is oddly familiar, yet can’t be placed.
Allie Jean was born with an overactive imagination.
She spent her childhood inventing stories and telling tales. Her mind never
shut down, even while she slept. Vivid dreams containing extensive, elaborate
plot lines of good overcoming evil villains captured her nightly visions,
lingering into her waking hours and filling the pages of her well-loved bounded
diaries. She was encouraged by her parents, even at a young age, to write down
her tales, and it has remained a somewhat secret hobby. As a busy wife, mother
and critical care nurse, Allie’s love of storytelling has been reborn through
the adventures of her unforgettable characters.
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“When men began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose. Then the LORD said, ‘My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal; his days will be a hundred and twenty years.’Now, there’s a lot of debate over who the Nephilim were—we’re not even sure if they were actually the “sons of God” or perhaps the offspring of the “sons of God” and the “daughters of men.” Some say they were the children of fallen angels and human women. The Nephilim are only mentioned twice in the Bible. The other place is in the book of Numbers, where they are described as giants. (Goliath, of David & Goliath fame, is believed by some to have been a descendant of the Nephilim.)
The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of men and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.” – Genesis 6:1-4 (NIV)
“They stared at her curiously, and Ava couldn’t help staring back. Some were so tall—so incredibly beautiful—that they took her breath away. They glowed brighter than Caleb without the Veil, their eyes shimmering with light, their every movement poetic and graceful.”What would you call a creature like that if you met him? An angel, perhaps? A fairy or witch?
-MORE, Chapter 13
I turned my head to look at him. He was lying onhis stomach, his face toward me, one hand tucked under his pillow. This wasonly the second time I’d seen him asleep. The first was shortly after I’d cometo live with him. I’d snuck into his bedroom—without permission—to give him ablowjob. It hadn’t ended how I’d thought it would. Then again, back then I’dknown next to nothing about him. I’d thought it would be what he wanted.Instead of being pleased, he’d ordered me out of his room and proceeded to giveme a lecture on how to thank him.
“I’ve never been out of Alaska,” Carly said. She wasn’t sure she could explain to him how awful a prospect it was to leave everything behind, to give up on the idea the world might return to normal if she just waited there instead of abandoning her hope and home.
“I’ve never been to Florida.” Justin took a large bite of his cold pork and beans and chewed with relish. “Here’s the thing.” He pulled a paper towel off the roll beside the sink and used it as a napkin. “We need to leave soon. It’s going to be a very long journey, and I don’t think we’ll manage to make it all the way to Florida, or even south of the Mason-Dixon for that matter, before the winter sets in. So we have to hurry and get as far as possible in the time we have left.”
Carly hesitated before asking, since she knew it was another dumb question, but she had to know. “If we can’t take a car or a motorcycle, what are we going to do?” “Ride bicycles. Walk.”
“Justin, you’re talking four thousand miles here.” The idea of moving into a house across town had been daunting enough, let alone the idea of traveling across most of North America.
Carly shook her head. “You’re talking about more than half a year, maybe more.”
“Do you understand, then, why I want to leave as soon as possible? We need to go somewhere we can grow enough food to sustain ourselves. Florida has an excellent climate for farming. I’m not saying we have to get all the way to Florida. There are other states in the South that would have a good climate for us, but I’m thinking of Florida as my goal. We may be able to use different vehicles during sections of our trip, but that’s not a guarantee. The ones we find may have dead batteries, or the fuel could have gone bad. If we encountered a roadblock or traffic jam, we’d have to unload the vehicle and try to find another. Bikes are more reliable.”
“Do you actually have this planned out, or is it just an idea you have?”
Justin chuckled. “Once you get to know me, Carly, you’ll find I have everything planned out.” He went out into the hallway and grabbed one of the bags that contained his gear. He opened up the front pocket and withdrew a map. A route had been highlighted, cutting across Canada and through the US, a bumpy line, but almost perfectly diagonal.
She traced her finger over the long line. “What if I refuse to go?”
“I can’t leave you here to die, Carly.”
Die? She gave him a startled look, but he didn’t back off and admit to exaggeration or soften the comment with a shrug or smile. Instead, he looked straight into her eyes, and his steady gaze told her he wasn’t trying to scare her or embellish. He saw it as an inevitable consequence if she were left there on her own, not as a possibility.
She looked away, unable to meet his eyes any longer. “Because you knew my dad?”
“No, not just because of the promise I made when I joined The Unit, but because I fancy myself to be a decent human being. One way or another, I’m going to have to convince you, but I hope to hell it doesn’t take very long. I know you don’t know me very well yet, but you’ll find I’m a person who keeps my promises. And I promise you I will do my best to keep you safe, warm, and fed. I’m your best shot at survival.”
He tugged up the sleeve of his T-shirt and showed her the symbol tattooed there, the same symbol that was on her father’s ring. “This once meant something. It meant enough that I had it permanently etched into my skin because it’s a part of me. It wasn’t just a military unit. It was a code of honor. I may be the last man standing, but I swear I’m not going to let that code die, too.”
And gazing into his eyes, Carly believed him. She might have very little experience of the world, but she knew sincerity when she saw it. He truly cared about what happened to her, for whatever reason. Her doubts and fears warred with her instincts, which told her Justin was what he presented himself to be. He was a nice guy with a mischievous sense of humor and a strong sense of honor and duty. Her father had told her to trust no one, but he had also told her about the symbol and what it meant to the men who wore it.
“I’m scared,” Carly said. She felt her cheeks warm in embarrassment at the admission, but she felt like he deserved her honesty.
“I am, too. None of this is going to be easy, but I’d put our chances at reaching Florida higher than most.”
“That doesn’t sound too encouraging.”
Justin was quiet for a long moment. “Do you want me to be honest or comforting?”
Carly blinked when tears stung her eyes again. He already thought she was stupid. She didn’t want to add whiny to the list. “Just for a little while, can you be optimistic?”
He took her hand in his own. “Sure, honey. I understand.”
“We need to go—now,” he replied abruptly, striding through the room and throwing their extra clothes and toothbrushes in a small duffle bag. “There’s a safe house in Mead. If we can get there, they won’t be able to track us.” He cracked the door, peering out and then slamming it shut suddenly. “Too late,” he muttered, grabbing her hand and dragging her into the bathroom. Ava’s heart raced, adrenaline surging through her body as Caleb shoved the window above the shower, tossing the bag through the small opening then turning to her and lacing his fingers together. “I’ll give you a boost,” he said urgently. “When you hit the ground, run. Don’t go to the car, just run, you understand?”Ava and Caleb’s journey take them north to the Canadian border, as they head toward what Caleb hopes will be a safe haven, a Colony in Ontario about twenty miles from Red Lake.
“But—”
“We don’t have time,” Caleb said through gritted teeth. “They’ll be breaking down the door any second. Just run, Ava. I’ll be right behind you.”
Ava stepped into his hands, pulling herself through the window and out into the cold morning air. She landed on the ground with a grunt, rolled to her feet, and began to run. She heard Caleb hit the ground a moment later, his pounding footsteps closing in quickly. He grabbed her hand, pulling her to the right.
“This way,” he said, looking over his shoulder. She heard a shout and turned back to see Tiernan under the open window, pointing their direction. Caleb cursed under his breath, yanking her behind the motel office. “Wrap your arms around me,” he ordered.
Ava didn’t think. She just did what he asked.
“This is going to feel a little weird,” he said. “Close your eyes and take a deep breath. Don’t move, whatever you do.”
Ava inhaled deeply, clenched her eyes shut . . . and the world fell away from her feet.
- MORE, Chapter 8
A wide valley spread out at their feet, rolling lawns and landscaped gardens interspersed with modern buildings of white stone, glittering metal, and glass. Laid out in a perfect circle, the city wound out from a large central building—itself circular, with a two-story balcony running around the entire structure. Like spokes on a wheel, a dozen or so pathways fanned out from the central building at even intervals, intersecting with roads laid out in concentric circles. Beyond the city, the mountain rose up into the clouds, curving slightly around the city borders as if a chunk was carved out of the peak with a giant hand. Like the path, the city was surrounded by snow, but there was none actually within its borders. The city was jarringly structured, but still beautiful, and Ava took a moment to gape in wonder.
“What do you call it?” she asked, her voice a near whisper.
“New Elysia,” Caleb replied.
- MORE, Chapter 13
