This is number twenty-three in a series of posts where I document the complete process of writing a novella - Day By Day!
INTRODUCTION
I am documenting (via my blog) the complete start to finish experience of writing a novella that I will be releasing for FREE once it is written.
I will be writing approximately 900 words per day and I will post each day's writing the following morning, unedited, on my blog. This means you get to see my draft with all its original spelling mistakes, bad grammar, and clumsy sentences
The timeline for the experiment is as follows:
- Plotting, Characters and Scene Outlines - April 1to April 20 - COMPLETE
- First Draft Manuscript - April 21 to May 18 - IN PROGRESS
- First Manuscript Edits - July 1to July 5
- Reader Proofs - July 6 to July 25
- Final Manuscript Edits - July 26to July 31
STATUS
Today's Date: May 11th
Progress: Day 20 complete. Following is the day's writing (Chapter Ten continued)...
Back inside the kitchen, Ryann broke free of cook and rushed toward her bedroom. How could this have happened? This was only supposed to be a duel. No one was supposed to be killed. She flung herself onto her straw bed and pressed her face against her pillow. No, this wasn’t fair at all. Now what was she going to do? Kieran was everything she lived for; her best friend. In the space of a few short days, she had lost so much. First Megan, and now Kieran. Life as a sclava was the most unbearable thing ever.
Ryann rolled over and sat up. She rubbed her eyes and got to her feet. She had to do something, but what? Crossing over to the doorway, she stepped out into the corridor and hurried along it. Within a couple of minutes she was standing outside his room. She took a deep breath and pushed open the door.
“You did it,” she screamed, walking across the room and standing in front of Bramwel’s table. She watched him as he sat up on his bed. “You deliberately killed Kieran.”
“He deserved to die,” Bramwel said, laughing as he spoke. “That little brat made me look foolish in front of my father. Now he will never do that again.”
“He didn’t deserve to die,” Ryann said, trying her best not to rush over to Bramwel and take out her emotions on him.
“Either way, he’s dead now. He’s not coming back. And he’s only a sclava after all. We can get another.”
Ryann screamed and rushed toward Bramwel causing him to jump down from the bed. He laughed again.
“And you’re going to do what now?” he asked.
Ryann took a deep breath and stopped short of Bramwel. She dropped her clenched fists to her side and looked up into his face. “I don’t care what you say, I know you deliberately killed my friend. And I will never forgive you for that, Bramwel. I don’t care what punishments you take out on me. One day I will get my revenge and I will make you pay for what you have done. You cannot take life so cheaply. Sclavas are people, just like you. You will never be clever enough to run this castle. It is like your father said, you are just a boy, Bramwel. Just a boy.”
Bramwel took a step toward Ryann and slapped her hard across her face. “And you are my sclava and you will do whatever I say.” He punched her in the stomach causing her to double up in pain. “And how dare you speak to me like this? I am your master and you had better not forget it.” He pushed Ryann roughly to the ground and stormed out from his room. “And clean up the mess in here.”
Ryann held a hand to her stomach and tried to regain her breathing. Bramwel had knocked the wind out of her and she felt like throwing up right where she was. The only thing stopping her was the knowledge she would be the one who would clear it all up. But he almost deserved it.
She breathed in deeply and got back onto her feet. Damn his room. It could stay like it was for a while. How dare he think so little of people? Bramwel was lower than the pigs they kept in the pens outside; he wasn’t even human.
She made her way back to the kitchen and sat at the big table where several other people had gathered.
Cook ruffled Ryann’s hair. “How are you, little one?”
Ryann smiled. “Okay.”
“We were just saying a few words to each other about Kieran before we went outside to burn the body.”
Ryann got to her feet. “No, you can’t burn his body. It’s not right. That’s not what we do to our friends.”
“It’s what we always do here, Ryann. You know that.”
“But this is Kieran. It’s not fair. We should bury him somewhere in the castle grounds.”
Cook took a hold of Ryann and pulled her to herself. “We cannot, little one. You know the Lord’s thoughts. We have to burn the body. And very soon.”
Ryann pounded her fists into cook’s side and cried. “But he was my friend. My best friend. I was going to leave here with him one day. Now he is dead. How can they let this happen?” She buried her head in cook’s chest.
Cook put an arm around Ryann and squeezed her tightly. “Now, now. Just you let it all out. Remember Kieran for his smile and his happy nature. He was a fine lad and would have grown up to be a fine man too.” She kissed the top of Ryann’s head. “And yes, he would have made a great husband for you if you had both gained your freedom.” Cook looked across the kitchen and nodded to a couple of the others and watched as they left to go outside. “Would you like to come watch?” she whispered.
Ryann sniffled once more and then pulled her head free of cook. She looked up at cook’s face and nodded. “Yes,” she whispered.
Cook let Ryann free and got up from the table. She turned around and followed the others from the kitchen. Ryann trailed behind them as they walked through the garden, past where the vegetables grew, around another corner, and toward a place where a bonfire was being built. She swallowed hard as she saw the body of Kieran laid out on the ground beside it, covered with a white sheet. She breathed deeply again as she controlled the urge within her to rush over to it and hold him tightly to her. Kieran was dead now. There was nothing she could do about that. But there was one thing she could do. Of that she was certain. She would make Bramwel pay for what he had done. Somehow. No matter what it cost her.
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