The one area that I lacked was with my blog. As a result, I wanted to give back to my followers and decided to share for the FIRST time the beginning pages from Black Legacy. The novel is a bit long, so I am still editing it, but I hope enjoy the excerpt.
Across the gymnasium, Katz’s eyes glazed over into a non-blinking distant haze. It meant one thing—my sister entered someone else’s thoughts.
On my right, Margaret, our mother and Master, instructed four and five year olds on the next karate move. I didn’t think she saw the change in Katz. If Mom had, Katz would be reprimanded. Entering one’s mind and speaking to them was strictly forbidden but often an ability Katz couldn’t control.
Strong unexpected emotions like lust, hatred, fright or excitement from someone pulled Katz’s mind into theirs. Being Katz’s identical twin sister, I once thought I had these same abilities but whereas Katz could enter anyone’s mind, I could only enter one person’s mind—Katz’s.
“Katz.” I mentally cried, trying to break through her mind’s barricades. If I was lucky, I could hear her conversation and break the other link.
She showed no response. As usual, Katz prevented me from entering. She never purposefully broke the rules, even for my good intentions. Still, I knew she didn't want this.
“Katz,” I shouted. “You have to stop.”
Her eyes fluttered. She let me in. A little. Many of the blockades were still in place. With a rush, I felt my sister pulled deeper into someone’s mind. The vision was disorienting. The few times I entered Katz’s mind while she was pulled into someone else’s had never been clear. It was like watching separate frames on from a movie projector. Sometimes the frames made
sense, but more often they didn’t. To Katz, however, the visions were clear and felt hauntingly real. After a few seconds, Katz usually threw up a mental wall, blocking out the vision. This time seemed different. She tried to pull away, but whoever Katz interacted with was more powerful than she.
I felt a sudden urgency to snap her out of her stupor. Warnings came not just from my mother’s potential scolds but something darker, more sinister forming in Katz’s mind. Again, I couldn’t make out the visions, only a feeling—one I greatly feared.
With the hopes of reaching my sister before Mom noticed or Katz screamed in terror, I created an excuse. “Mom, I’m going to help some of the students with the karate move.”
When I started to walk away, she said, “Lexi, help the Brenson boys.”
I nodded and set out on my mission.
Instead of practicing knee kicks, the energetic Brenson brothers, Nick and Tripp, kicked each other. I faced Nick forward and moved Tripp to the front of the class. My mind remained focused on Katz and her thoughts as I casually weaved toward the back of the class, pausing once more to reposition an arm.
My glances darted between Katz and Mom, looking for changes. Mom still had not noticed. Katz, on the other hand, sat on the floor with her knees pulled into her chest, rocking
back and forth. Her ivory skin had always been paler than mine, mostly because I enjoyed soaking in the summer sun, but now her face looked a shade lighter than milk like the blood had drained out.
I lowered myself onto the wooden floor with my back toward Mom and the rest of the class, panting with apprehension.
Suddenly, as if something grabbed Katz, she stopped rocking. I thought maybe she felt my proximity and could break the mental ties that held her. Her eyes remained glazed and unfocused. Before I spoke, I realized I was wrong. Her breathing became shallow. Her head slumped forward letting long bronze hair drape over the skin of her folded arms. I pushed strands behind Katz’s ear, my hand grazing her cheek. She felt clammy and trembled. Then, like an electrical current, an evil presence surged from Katz to me.
I jerked my hand back, gasping.
The vision was only a glimpse, but the evil was strong, stronger than I imagined. Through Katz’ eyes, I saw and felt what she was experiencing. She looked through the eyes of a hunter—a controlling hunter that felt nothing but resentment and twisted lust toward people.
I struggled to force the darkness from my mind while imploring Katz’s. “You need to put up a wall. Don’t let these thoughts take over.” I leaned forward, not wanting to touch Katz again but knowing I had too because she wasn’t responding. I grabbed her shoulder, over her collared blue shirt hoping the fabric would buffer the images, and shook. “Come on Katz, snap out of it.”
Katz lifted her head. Her glassy eyes grew big and round staring over the top of my head. Her body became rigid where only her mouth moved, whispering one word that was filled with fear and loathing.
“Nathaniel.”
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