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THE EARTH GIVES WAY TO THE SEA,
THE SEA BOWS BEFORE THE WIND,
THE WIND FEEDS THE FLAME,
THE FLAME BURNS THE WORLD OF MAN DOWN TO THE EARTH.
The sleepy town of White Halls harbors a dangerous secret. On a picturesque street, two houses down from a lovely little park, in a quaint little home with a wraparound porch, lives a family that seems rather normal. Sure, their twenty-year-old son, Xander, still lives at home, but he's going to college and dating the leader of the schools top sorority. It's all very... normal. However, when a man is miraculously saved from being hit by a bus, Xander's life turns in to the living embodiment of the tornadoes he can suddenly create with a flick of his wrist. Whether he wants this gift or not, Xander must learn to use his new 'super power' quickly if he wants to survive. For his kind is a dying race, and when this sleepy town has a sudden influx of new, blonde, fire wielders, no one is safe, especially Xander. It doesn't help that one of these blondes happens to be the most beautiful girl he has ever seen. Xander can't deny the instant connection he feels to her so, when she tries to kill him, it certainly makes things complicated.
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Excerpt from Wind Warrior:
Xander stood in the center of the field. From the periphery, standing well away near the tree line that lined the edge of the field, Sean watched Xander stretch his arms out wide. Xander closed his eyes and tilted his head backward.
“Are you ready for this?” Xander called. “Whatever this is, sure, I’m ready.” Xander heard the musical whisper of the wind as it called to him. Like a snake through the safari, the wind slithered between the tall grasses, causing them to sway and dance in rhythm. The wind kicked up around him, pulling at his clothes and hair. As the wind increased, it buffeted him from side to side, nearly causing him to lose his balance.
The sensation was like magic to Xander. The energy of the wind caressed his skinlike an old lover. It enveloped him where he stood and seemed to pour through his open mouth, filling him with its energy. When he was satisfied with the demonstration, he exhaled, forcing the soothing winds from his lungs.
As quickly as the wind began, it died away, leaving Xander standing alone again in the middle of the field. He lowered his arms and turned excitedly toward Sean.
“Did you see it?” “See what?” Xander gestured behind him, and then turned in a tight circle. “The wind.”
“The wind,” Sean replied flatly.
“Did you see the wind blowing through the field? That was me.”
“You made a breeze? That’s what you’re telling me? That’s what was so important? Xander, I love you like a brother, but I break wind all the time without having to drag you out to a field to see me do it.”
Xander frowned at his friend’s disbelief. “Fine. I was going for a small demonstration but if you want big, we’ll do big.”
Xander returned to the center of the field and held his arms outstretched again. He closed his eyes but quickly opened one to peer at his friend. Sean leaned against the trunk of one of the trees, his arms crossed defensively in front of him. “You’re going to want to back up for this one.”
Sean turned around and looked behind him. “I’m already at the trees. I can’t go much further back.”
“Get... I don’t know. Get behind a tree.”
“You want me to hide behind a tree while you break wind again?”
“Will you just do it?” Xander said, exasperated.
Tossing his hands in the air, Sean walked around to the backside of the tree he had been leaning against. “Is this good enough?”
“Thank you.” Xander assumed his position in the field once again, lifting his arms straight out from his side. “Come on, wind... spirit,” he whispered quietly enough that Sean wouldn’t hear him. “Let’s give him something memorable.”
Instead of slithering through the grass like it did last time, the wind pounced on Xander like a lion. It roared into the field and crashed into Xander. He staggered as the wind took up a dance around him. He quickly opened his eyes as a wall of wind formed around him, swirling like the birth of a tornado. The grass around him stood strangely still but the wind filled the rest of the field. Every exhaled breath came out of Xander’s mouth in a puff of smoke as the temperature plummeted around him.
As the wind swirled faster and faster, he saw cans and bottles emerging from the grass. Like puppets being controlled by a skillful marionette, the debris danced in the wind. It got caught up in the swirling madness and became part of the ever-expanding swirl of air.
Xander’s ears popped as the air pressure increased. He tried to call out for Sean, or even laugh at the excitement of the moment, but the maddening wind stole away his words as soon as they left his mouth. Instead, he tilted his head back and laughed silently into the swirling maelstrom.
The increased air pressure drew the heavier objects out of the tall weeds. A rusted hubcap emerged, followed by a dilapidated car radiator. They joined the rest of the debris in its swirl, spinning in increasingly fast circles as the whipping wind reached near gale- force strength.
The hubcap flew dangerously close to him as it spun past. It was gone from his peripheral vision as quickly as it had appeared. When it reappeared, it was quite a bit further away, nearly to the distant trees. Like a projectile shot out of a cannon, the hubcap slammed into one of the trees, embedding itself deeply into the coarse wood.
Startled, Xander broke his concentration. For a moment, the cans and bottles slowed their spin before hanging in the air. They collapsed onto the ground as the last of the magic dissipated from the air.
“Sean?” Xander called out, suddenly worried for his friend. If the hubcap had enough force to bury itself into the thick wood, he was worried about what any of the other smaller items would have done to his friend. “Sean!”
“That was so freaking cool,” Sean yelled, emerging from behind one of the trees. “That was so freaking cool!”
Xander sighed happily at the sight of his heavyset friend. “See, I told you hiding behind the tree was a good idea.”
“That was so freaking cool!” Sean yelled again as he bounded through the thick grass. He crashed into Xander, enveloping him in a bear hug. “How did you do that?”
About Jon Messenger:
Jon Messenger (Born 1979 in London, England) serves as an United States Army Captain in the Medical Service Corps. Since graduating from the University of Southern California in 2002, writing Science Fiction has remained his passion, a passion that has continued through two deployments to Iraq, a humanitarian relief mission to Haiti, and an upcoming deployment to Afghanistan. Jon wrote the "Brink of Distinction" trilogy, of which "Burden of Sisyphus" is the first book, while serving a 16-month deployment in Baghdad, Iraq.
Wind Warrior is Jon Messenger's break through novel published through Clean Teen Publishing.
When you look at a picture, what do you see? We gave authors around the world the challenge to write a story based on a set of five images. More than thirty authors rose to that challenge and created an amazing young adult anthology of drabbles, short stories, novelettes and novellas for you to enjoy. Flip the pages and prepare to be Wonderstruck!
Dive into a world where wind is a power that feeds the flames and love makes everything more complicated. A life where a scorned bride can cause a great deal of trouble and a place where silence as you will find out has a lot to say. Find yourself in a future where a powerful enemy can only be stopped by the most dangerous weapon of all: the truth. All of this and more lies within these very pages... Are you ready?
Wonderstruck is Clean Teen Publishing's first break through Young Adult anthology. All stories within this book have fallen within our YA rating scale, however, not all stories have young adult characters. You will find a great deal of entertainment within Wonderstruck that is appropriate for readers of all ages. To view more information on our official content rating system please visit: www.cleanteenpublishing.com
Winning Novella-
Wind Warrior by Jon Messenger (Clean Teen Publishing Author of Wind Warrior)
The sleepy town of White Halls harbors a dangerous secret. On a picturesque street, two houses down from a lovely little park, in a quaint little home with a wraparound porch, lives a family that seems rather normal. Sure, their twenty year old son, Xander, still lives at home, but he's going to college and dating the leader of the schools top sorority. It's all very... normal. However, when a man is miraculously saved from being hit by a bus, Xander's life turns in to the living embodiment of the tornadoes he can suddenly create with a flick of his wrist. Whether he wants this gift or not, Xander must learn to use his new 'super power' quickly if he wants to survive. For his kind is a dying race, and when this sleepy town has a sudden influx of new, blonde, fire wielders, no one is safe, especially Xander. It doesn't help that one of these blondes happens to be the most beautiful girl he has ever seen. Xander can't deny the instant connection he feels to her so, when she tries to kill him, it certainly makes things complicated.
Winning Novelette-
Pastiche by Maren Dille
A punishment far worse than death awaits Alim Hamal. Sylin Incorporated has a particular sentence for their rogue assassins: uncovering the darkest moments in their subconscious, then watching as they relive them through virtual simulation. Only one assassin has ever escaped. Alim plans to be the second.
The simulation demands the truth, something Alim has kept from his employers at all costs. But as his final moments emerge, Sylin will discover that the truth is Alim’s most dangerous weapon.
Winning Short Story-
The Silent Man by Kati Ellis
I thought my time with Silence would be peaceful. Heaven knows I deserve it after all those years of raising babies. Silence, however, had a different plan. If it weren't for Marigold, I don't think I would've seen it. She introduced me to the Silent Man, and Silence, as it turns out, has quite a bit to say.
Winning Drabble-
A Lady's Revenge by Jennifer Bull
A scorned bride can cause a great deal of trouble...
Wonderstruck Authors (By Last Name)
Radeyah H. Ali
Drabble~ Magically Fitted
Gabrielle Arrowsmith (Clean Teen Publishing Author of Concealed in the Shadows)
Drabble~ Joah and the Beacon of Light
Beau Barnett
Short Story~ Into Eternity
Eric, a widowed paralytic, knows he is dreaming when he sees a younger version of his deceased wife, Jessica, by a lake with his old dog. But the joy of seeing them again is replaced by the pain of knowing they won't be there when he wakes up.
Jennifer Bull
Short Story~ A Wizard's World
When Jack stumbled upon a strange jar in the middle of the forest he found the one thing he had always wanted—a friend, and now he’ll do everything he can to protect her. Born into a world unlike any other, a world within a jar, Lottie longs to explore beyond her glass home. Little does she know that even the smallest adventures can have dangerous consequences…
Drabble~ Life in a Jar
Drabble~ Round and Round I Go
Drabble~ Once In a Blue Moon
Liana Chau
Drabble~ Ahead and Beyond
MeMe Collier
Short Story~ The Fairy Jar
Gracie doesn't believe in magic. Disillusioned by their mother's abandonment, she dismisses her younger brother, Brennan's, claim that he's caught a fairy. But as the invisible Ileana works in her family's lives, memories of their mother's fairytales tug at Gracie's mind. They call into question everything she's come to place her faith in, making her wonder if magic really does exist and if love still lives on after loss.
Leah D.W.
Short Story~ Watery Grave
There is something in the water...something dark...something hungry...
When Ashlynn escapes from a life of abuse she is thrown into the swamplands rumored to harbor a nightmare. She should have listened to the rumors because there is something in the water...and it loves the taste of human flesh
Julie Gilbert
Drabble~ Keio and the Farsight Fire
Lisa Goldman
Short Story~ Oafish Me
In Oafish Me, teenager, Misty, considers herself a social outcast—an oaf—as her classmates remind her every opportunity they get. When Drake, a charismatic and gorgeous new student, stays by her side through their constant ridicule, she discovers she not only longs for a friendship with him but for the first time, a relationship. With her raw emotions on the line, she accepts his invitation to go out but when he takes her to a secluded wooded area, she starts to question if he is her knight in shining armor or her worst enemy.
Dominique Goodall
Drabble~ Fairy Capture
Brenna Harden
Short Story~ A Warriors Journey
Sandra Havriluk
Drabble~ Jedidiah
Sacha Hope
Novelette~ Glass Heart
Wolt is a brilliant scientist trying desperately to cure his wife's condition. Doctors suspected she had a type of cancer and their medicines offered little help to the ailing woman. Wolt finds a way to buy time for his wife, but his experiment turns her into something else altogether...
Erin Liles
Novelette ~ Outside the Walls
Outspoken, seventeen-year-old Jenna hates the settlement she lives in where disagreement is frowned upon. Fed up, she leaves one day, and meets a group of outsiders, only to discover that her home and family are in danger. It is up to Jenna to save them and in doing so, discover what is really important.
B.T. Lyons (Clean Teen Publishing Author!)
Novella~ Heartkeeper Short Story (Full series coming July 2013)
It only took fifty years for humankind to plummet from the turmoil of a population of ten billion people to a struggling group of two billion trying to figure out how to survive in harmony with the Earth. Under a new, peaceful societal structure, people have relearned their connection with the Land and the spirits of nature that live there. Young Adain has just reached thirteen years of age, and must undertake the dangerous Heart Chase to secure the spirit of an animal that will act as his conscience and companion for the rest of his life. It will be a year of trials and challenges, but the risks to the People may be even higher as someone else binds with an animal spirit that may not have their best interests in mind...
Short Story~ Peace
London in the late 1800's is a dirty, chaotic, and above all, loud place embroiled in a scientific war with neighboring France as each strives to outdo each other with technological wonders. A young married pair of university professionals finds themselves at odds over the benefits of this war: Nigel only wants to see England prevail – preferably through his own inventions – whereas his wife, Christine, dreams of quiet and a natural world that she has only seen in storybooks. Enter a street-side vendor offering “Peace In A Bottle”; this might be the answer to Christine's greatest desires, but it could be the beginning of Nigel's worst nightmare.
Julie Marcinik
Short Story~ The Executioner
Vivian Fletcher has a gift that’s given her a special place in the kingdom—the King’s personal executioner. Everything and everyone she touches dies. When she finds out that the world she’s living in is full of lies and turmoil, she’ll have to accept her gift and use it to right the wrongs.
Mia Marin
Drabble~ A Note To My Traveler
Drabble~ A Dear Dalliance
Miranda Maurin
Short Story~ The Dance of Time
Tabitha and Carter are a little too daring when they run through a tunnel to investigate the mysterious music they heard while running through the woods. The cave is well lit, and the dance looks fun, but they can't seem to stop.
Veronica Morfi
Drabble~ Shine
Ifeoma Ofuani
Drabble~ He Would Be Great
Paula Phillips
Short Story~ Skye in High School Wonderland
It started out just like any normal day for high school Plain Jane Skye Salisbury until tragedy strikes her school and out of nowhere, a glimmering hole appeared. The question on everyone's minds is—what lies at the bottom? Will it be another world or a different dimension?
Jocelyn Sanchez
Novella~ A World Unlike Mine
What would you do if you could see magical creatures from the early age of five? Well, for seventeen-year-old Tasha it gets pretty difficult when a fairy prince named Thomas appears with news that will change her life forever. But with the help of her best friend and pixie, Seamus, Tasha will find her place in a world so unlike hers. Will she rise to the occasion and become who she was destined to be?
Drabble~ Night
Drabble~ Darkness and Light
Cindy Saunders (Clean Teen Publishing Author of Double Star)
Short Story~ Nirvana
She looked at the picture she’d painted many years ago. It was a magical place—a place inspired by her dreams. Though, tonight it almost seemed... alive, as if it were calling to her.
Clemy W. Thompson
Drabble~ The Truth
Dana Wright
Drabble~ Fairy Lights
-Cassi & Katie
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