Tales From The Writer’s Desk: Procrastination and Productivity

Hullo, friends! It’s been a while since I’ve written a Tale From The Writer’s Desk, but I had a lot of fun writing this. This is also a way to announce my new Facebook page, which you can check out here if you don’t feel like reading to the end (I highly recommend you do). It’s basically a way to keep you guys updated on my writing without always having to write a blog post, plus a way to interact more with y’all. So check it out, and enjoy the post, too!

I sat at my desk, flipping through an old folder and frowning at the contents. A superhero retelling of Snow White might be a fun story to start on again. It needed a lot of editing though. I shrugged and set the folder down on top of the terrifyingly-large stack next to my desk labeled To Continue. I groaned. “There is no way I’ll ever get all of these done.”

“Yeah, no kidding!”

I jumped out of my chair, spinning around. My shock quickly turned into annoyance. “Blaze, seriously? Why don’t you ever use the door?”

Blaze grinned and pulled my chair towards him, flopping down in it. “Because I can teleport? Also, Benedict wouldn’t let me in.”

I lifted an eyebrow. “Am I supposed to be surprised by that? I told him not to let anyone disturb me.”

He spun around in my chair, ignoring my comment and my glare. “Yeah, he said you were finally being productive, so I needed to leave you alone.” He turned to face me, and I was shocked to see a serious look on his face instead of his usually teasing grin. “Bri, you need to write and be productive. And I’m not leaving until we get you on track.”

“I was being productive, at least until I was interrupted.” I motioned at the pile of folders next to my desk.

“Sorting through stories isn’t the same as actually working on them.” Blaze stood up and motioned to the chair. “So you’re going to sit here and write while I watch. Albany is working on your reward for when you finally make progress.”

I sat and glared at him suspiciously. “She’s not making cookies or anything, is she?”

Blaze smirked. “Yes, but that’s the punishment for not being productive.”

I immediately turned to my computer, pulled out a folder, and got to work. Before I even knew it, I was in the zone, writing as fast as I could. Who knew that writing was so much easier once you actually got started?

A snort from Blaze brought my attention back to the room. He was peering over my shoulder at my computer screen, and I moved to cover it up. “It’s not ready for anyone to read it yet!”

“That was an awful pun.” He stepped back and sat down in a very fancy armchair that he must have brought while I was writing. “And that’s coming from me.”

I rolled my eyes. “I’ll work on it. Besides, it’s supposed to be cheesy.”

Blaze shrugged. “At least you were productive. That’s all I can ask for.” He grinned. “That wasn’t so painful, was it?”

I couldn’t help but smile back. “Thanks. I needed a kickstart to get me going.”

“And now you get your reward.” Blaze pushed my spinning chair out of the way and bent over the computer. I watched over his shoulder in confusion as he pulled up Facebook. “Ta-da! Albany and I set up your very own author Facebook page!”

“Really?!” I’d been wanting to start one for a while, but I’d never found the motivation or the time.

He nodded. “Okay, so this way, people can like your page and get updates you post about your books and writing, and–”

“I know how Facebook works,” I interrupted, but I couldn’t keep the grin off my face. “Thanks, Blaze.”

Blaze sat back in his chair, looking like he owned the place. “Glad I could help. Now, please… work on book 3.” With that parting shot, he disappeared.

I grinned at the empty spot, then turned back to my computer and began to type.

I hope you enjoyed that Tale From The Writer’s Desk! Be sure to check out my new Facebook page for more updates on what I’m writing (and maybe Blaze will take over occasionally, too). And if this is your first time meeting Blaze, be sure to check out Twinepathy, which is currently free on Kindle Unlimited! Comment below your thoughts on this story, and let me know what you think Albany was trying to make!

Blaze Takes Over: 6 Pieces Of Advice For New Superheroes

Hey, peeps! Blaze here! So today is the last day to submit your creations for the IDIA Fan Creations Contest, so make sure and fill out the submission form before midnight tonight! We’ve received some awesome submissions, and I think C.B. is dreading picking a winner, with so many amazing creations to choose from.

So, in my last post, I talked about the life of a superhero, and in the comments, Sarah suggested that I give my advice for just-starting-out heroes. I thought that was an absolutely brilliant idea. So I present you with my amazing advice for new superheroes!

Blaze’s 6 Pieces of Advice For New Superheroes

1. Listen to Data. (This is the one piece of advice Data approved of.) Always listen to what Data says. She’s been doing this all longer than you have, so she knows what she’s talking about. Plus, reading people leads to a pretty big knowledge base, which means she’s much smarter than you. If you disobey her, you’ll figure this tip out the hard way. (I’m looking at you, Jazz!)
2. Explore your abilities. Not only is it fun to explore your powers, it can also come in handy when you’re on a mission. If you’ve tested your powers to see how far you can go, or different ways you can use your abilities, then you’ll be able to find more ways to use them on missions. That’s how I figured out that I could teleport, after all! That was a very weird day. Side note: Apologies to that Australian person I accidentally teleported behind. That was my bad. I had no clue what I was doing. Sorry. 
3. Meet new people. People with powers come from all over the world, from very different backgrounds, and unique powers. Step out of your comfort zone and meet new people. I got to meet an elderly man from China who could speak with animals, and he introduced me to his pet panda. Plus, he taught me Chinese! It’s fun to meet new people and learn their histories. But also make sure not to be too invasive with your questioning. Everyone else wants to keep their secret identities under wraps, too.
4. Bring food with you. I guess you should probably bring money too, in case of emergency, but food is more important, am I right? Seriously though, you don’t always know how long you’ll be at HQ or if you be able to go get food. I can teleport, but if you can’t, definitely bring food.
5. Explore IDIA. It’s good to know the layout of HQ, so that you’re prepared for emergencies. Just be careful where you explore, because there are a few off-limits areas, and you could get in very big trouble. There are also a few really dangerous areas, too… so maybe you should explore with a lot of caution.
6. Have fun. IDIA is a place where you can spend time with other superheroes, and you can be yourself and use your powers. Have some fun with that! Sneak up on other heroes, pull pranks, try to find Anvil’s secret stash of homemade candy… Have fun with your powers and your new superpowered friends! And if you actually try to find Anvil’s candy stash, watch out for booby traps and lots of pointy objects.

And those are my six tips for new superheroes! Did you guys like these? I’ve had fun taking over the blog, so maybe I can convince C.B. to let me present the winner of the IDIA Fan Creations Contest. Don’t forget that today is the last day to submit. Got any questions to ask me? Comment below!

Blaze out! 😎

Blaze Takes Over: The Life Of A Superhero

Hi, peoples! It’s Blaze here. So for some odd reason, C.B. agreed that I could kidnap her blog for the last week of the Fan Creations Contest. Speaking of which, there are only three days left to submit your creations! You can also go check out some of the awesome fanart you guys have submitted, including some very nice portraits of myself.

So I was trying to figure out what to do with the blog now that I’ve taken it over, and since C.B. said I couldn’t post a snippet from Lightporter (something about spoilers and editing and blah blah blah), I decided to look around for some suggestions, and Hazel West suggested that I talk about the life of a superhero, something that I’m definitely an expert on.

I guess this post is going to be introspective, which I am usually not. So I’ll just dive right in.

One of the top concerns for superheroes is this: who knows that we have powers? For myself, none of my family knows that I have powers, and the people who do know that I have powers don’t know my true identity. To put it more simply, my two identities, superhero and normal, are completely separate. Except for Data, that is. She is the only person in the world who knows who I am when I’m not Blaze.

And since that’s quite uncomfortable territory to talk about, I’m going to move on now.

I have it easier than most superheroes. My power is easier to hide, considering I can turn invisible or make illusions of myself doing other things. Teleportation is also handy for getting out of tight spots, although I have to be careful not to use any of my powers when I’m not acting as Blaze. The nice thing about having my personas completely separated is that it’s easier to just… become a different person when I put my mask on. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still me. I’m just a more outgoing and heroic version of me, and I’m more willing to do things I wouldn’t normally do. I feel like this is true for a lot of superheroes, and supervillains, to an extent.

Being a superhero has given me opportunities to do a lot of cool things. I mean, come on, I have teleportation. I’ve traveled all over the world, eaten so many different foods, and made friends in tons of countries (and a few enemies, thanks to some unfortunate accidents). I’ve actually learned bits and pieces of a few different languages as well.

But the best part about being a superhero is working with other superheroes and saving people. That’s the whole point, right? If I don’t use my powers for good, then what’s the purpose of them? Other than going out to buy food whenever I feel like it, that is. Saving people is what being a superhero is truly about.

I feel like that’s enough musing for now. I’m going to try and keep control of the blog for as long as I can, so comment down below and let me know what you think I should post about! Did you like this post? Got any questions to ask me about the superhero life?

Blaze out! 😎

It’s Twinepathy’s Birthday!!!! (Cake, Characters, and the IDIA Fan Creations Contest)

Hullo, everyone! I’m so thrilled to tell you that today is Twinepathy’s 1st birthday! It’s been exactly one year since I published the book, and I can’t believe it’s been out so long! So enjoy today’s celebration post, and the launch of the IDIA Fan Creations Contest!

It had been a long week, and all I wanted to do was sleep. My desk had somehow filled with hundreds of papers, and I was afraid that if I moved one, the whole pile would come crashing down. Benedict had tried to keep up with it all, but even he couldn’t keep it all in line.

I glanced at the time on my laptop. Only a minute until midnight. If I’d had my wish, I would’ve been in bed several hours ago, but I had yet to finish the section I’d planned out for today. Maybe I shouldn’t use sleep as a reward for writing, but it seems to work. I sigh as the clock hits midnight.

“SURPRISE!!!!!”

The scream in my ear makes me jump out of my chair, but I trip over my own foot and send the hundreds of papers on my desk flying into the air. Blaze appears next to me, grinning. “Hey, you brought confetti, Bri!”

“Blaze!” I half yell, half moan as I flop into my chair. “How in the world am I going to take care of all these papers?”

He shrugs. “Maybe you should put a speedster in book 3. You’re plotting that, so there’s room there.”

I tug on my ponytail. “Blaze, why are you here?”

Blaze slaps his forehead. “Ah, I forgot to bring in the others. I’ll go get them.” He pauses. “Wait, you really don’t remember? It’s our birthday!”

Honestly, I did forget. With all of the editing and other craziness going on, I hadn’t thought about Twinepathy at all. How in the world had it already been a year since it had been published? “Yeah, I kind of forgot,” I admit.

“How could you forget, Bri?” Blaze laughs, but then he sobers. “But if you don’t have anything planned, what are we going to do to make it special? I just planned for cake.”

An idea flashes into my head, and I grin. “I know just what to do. Let’s let the fans take over!”

Blaze scratches his head. “What do you mean?”

I stand up, pacing. “Let’s have a fan contest! You can host it, Blaze. They can make fanart or fanfiction and win prizes…”

He grins. “I like that idea. When do we start.”

I point at my computer. “Right now!”

Well, hello, wonderful fan people! I’m Blaze, and I’m going to be hosting the first ever IDIA Fan Creations Contest! I mean, I’m the obvious choice, right? To start off, I’ll tell you that anywhere you see words in this color, it’s C.B. speaking. She’s also supervising me for unknown reasons, and insists that this has to start out organized.

Here’s how the contest will work! We’ll be open for submission (any kind) up until July 31st. After that, C.B. will spend a day or two (or as many as needed, since the beginning of August is going to be crazy for me) gathering everything together, and then all of you will be able to vote on who wins! One first place winner will be chosen, and everyone who participates will receive a short story featuring Denver and me! And just so you know, that was my idea. You’re welcome. Below is a basic summary C.B. put together, and you can comment below if you have any questions! You can also ask for me to answer them, specifically, and we’ll hope C.B. lets me.

Oh, and before I go, there are these cool things going on right now called the Silmarillion Awards, and I got nominated for the Most Epic Hero Award. So if you wouldn’t mind going over there and seconding that… After you finish this post, of course. Blaze out!

Contest Rules & Guidelines

1. This contest is open to an IDIA-themed creation! Fanfiction, drawings, digital art (that includes quote pictures), costumes, pictures of the book, fanmade covers or book trailers… pretty much anything! If you want to know if something counts, just comment below and ask me. 🙂
2. The number of submissions is unlimited! You are welcome to submit as many different creations as you want.
3. Please keep all submissions clean! No cussing, inappropriate romance, etc. When in doubt, leave it out or ask!
4. You must submit your creation by July 31st. I’ll do my best to post reminders in between now and then, but I am human. 🙂
5. Submit your creation using the form below. If you are not posting your creation online anywhere, just put “None” in the link section, and I’ll send you a reply email asking for your submission. Also, make sure and check whether or not you want your artwork to be displayed on a special fan creations page!
6. First place will win either a signed paperback copy of Twinepathy or a $10 Amazon gift card if they already have the book. (Note: Prizes may change, and more categories may be added depending on the number of submissions received.)

Name(required)

Email(required)

Website

Type of Submission

Fanart Fanfiction Picture Other (Write in the comment box)

Submission Link (Enter "None" if you're not posting your submission anywhere)(required)

Yes, I want my submission on the fan page! (Not required to enter)

Comments, Questions, Suggestions, or Concerns?

Submit

Δ

I’m super excited about this, guys! Are you? Do you have any ideas yet? Any questions? Comment below and chat with Blaze!

Twinepathy (Part 42): Big. Time. Trouble.

Hullo, everyone! Had a good week? I forgot about posting on Friday, but never fear! I remembered today! Check out part one if you’re new.

Jen has us go over the story twice – first from my perspective, then from Blaze’s. Blaze informs me that the man couldn’t see us because we were invisible to everyone but each other. He apparently forgot to mention that tiny detail. I feel like an idiot, and now I realize how many smarter, less risky things I could have done after catching up to the guy. But what’s done is done, I guess.

After we both describe what happened, Jen presses us with questions, asking about everything from the color of the guy’s eyes (neither of us noticed) to the exact spot we left him. I have to say, I don’t think we’re very helpful.

Ezra’s still not awake. Before we started, we moved her onto the couch, which I’ve unofficially dubbed the Couch of Pain… but it seems more like she’s just a sleep instead of being unconscious. I feel a spark of anger toward the jerk who did this to her. Then a thought punches me in the stomach, making me gasp for air. “Do… do you think this is related to all the amnesia stuff? Could she have amnesia?”

Jen looks over at Ezra with a frown. “I don’t think so. This seems completely unrelated, and it doesn’t have much in common with any of the memory thefts. There’s a small chance, though.”

Memory thefts. That makes it sound so trivial. But I’m glad that Ezra most likely won’t have amnesia. She might make Brooklyn grumpy sometimes, but she’s not all that bad. Not to mentions what Denver would do if Ezra got amnesia… “That’s good.”

“For Ezra, yes,” Jen says. “But if we had some clue that this was related to the amnesia situation, it would help us a lot. Now we have two mysteries.” She narrows her eyes slightly and leans towards us. “Although this one shouldn’t have involved you two.”

I lower my eyes. I really, really just want to pin this all on Blaze, but I have to admit that it’s not all his fault. He didn’t make me go after the guy. That was my choice. “But it’s good that we got involved, right?” I ask. “We saved Ezra.”

Jen rests her elbows on the desk. “Yes, you did, but there was a lot that could have gone wrong. For instance, if Blaze hadn’t turned the two of you invisible, or if someone had started shooting. I really like you, Jazz, but you need to work on controlling your impulsiveness. A little self-control would go a long way.”

I gape at her. “Self-control? Ezra could have died!”

“You could have died, too,” Jen growls. “Blaze could have died. There are reasons that we have things set up like we do. The better, safer choice would have been to come back here right away, and Blaze could have grabbed one of our agents with physical powers to take him down.” She pauses. “We might have also been able to bring the guy in.”

Ouch. I hadn’t thought of that. So much for Anvil messing up missions – here I am, destroying one of my own. “I’m sorry,” I say quietly.

Jen nods. “What’s done cannot be undone. Blaze… you should know better than to take another agent into the middle of an assignment. You know that there will be consequences… but for now, I’ll let you two go see the others.” She holds up a hand. “But you are not allowed to speak of what happened to any of them without prior permission from me.”

My heart sinks. I can never keep secrets from Brooklyn. Well, I can, but it always hurts, especially when she knows that I’m not telling her something, unlike the whole Keller and Genesis incident. And she will definitely know I’m keeping a secret from her now. “Can I have permission to tell Pop?” I ask. I think I’m getting the hang of these code names now. Maybe.

“Why?” Jen asks, studying me.

I shrug. “Because she’s going to pester me and bug me and be grumpy until I tell her anyways, so I figured I might as well get your permission to tell her so I don’t have to go through all of that.”

I may be mistaken, but it looks like Jen’s struggling to hold back a smile. “All right. You have my permission to tell Pop and only Pop.” I get the warning and nod in thanks. “One more thing. I’m moving the two of you to active status, since you have an agent, Maddie, at your home.”

I tilt my head. “Maddie’s an agent now?”

Jen nods. “And since you’re both active, you’ll need to come to an orientation meeting here.”

I try to see if she’s joking, but her face looks natural. “You’re… serious?”

She nods. “The next one is tomorrow evening. Are you open then?”

I shrug helplessly. “I guess?”

“Good.” Jen hands me a thin, spiral bound stack of papers. “This is your list of rules to look over before the meeting, both you and Pop. Be prepared.”

Well, then. I look at Jen and sigh. “This is absolutely…” I shake my head. “What happened to Lava Java?”

Jen frowns. “What?”

“We tried to go there this afternoon,” I begin. “Maddie and I did. It was closed and empty, and it was as if it was never there.”

“That’s because it wasn’t,” Blaze says with a grin.

Jen gives him a look. “That’s a long story that can wait. We’ll get to that later. In the meantime, I have some important things to get to…” She motions towards her computer, and she doesn’t even have to say another word. Blaze and I both nod and leave her office.

“Well, this has been a long day,” I grumble as we step out of the office. Thank goodness I don’t get tackled by Brooklyn – in fact, she and the others are nowhere to be seen.

“Ready to head home?” Blaze asks.

I pause, my eyes widening. “Home! Oh no, Denver’s going to be freaking out…” We are in big. Time. Trouble.

Twinepathy (Part 40): Drain Pipes And Punching People

Hullo, everyone! I hope you’ve had a great week and a nice Good Friday so far. I completely forgot to play up that cliffhanger last week, didn’t I? I’m sorry. Sort of. 😉 If you’re new, check out the first part.

Blaze sees the man holding Ezra’s limp form at the same second that the people around her notice. Most of them back away from him and some of the women squeak or scream and run away. Several people pull out their cell phones and tap the screens frantically, probably trying to call 911, or whatever it is in England. But apparently they don’t get any response, because they all drop their phones and flee. If their phones aren’t working, something must be really, really wrong. Ezra controls electricity, so does it have something to do with that? Or does this guy have something to do with it?

I reach out frantically, and relief washes over me as I feel Brooklyn’s mind. Need help, tell Data we’re in trouble. Brooklyn immediately begins asking questions, and I consider shutting her out, but instead I just tell her, Stop distracting me and get help. Her questions stop, thankfully, and I turn to see the man taking Ezra into the alley. I hurry to the edge of the building we’re on.

“Albany, wait,” Blaze hisses, grabbing for my arm and missing. “We need to get Data and get out of the way. This is something for—”

“We can’t let them out of our sight!” I exclaim. “We’ve got to help! And I’ve already told Brooklyn to get Jen.” I watch as the man pulls Ezra toward the back of the alley.

“No,” Blaze insists. “We have to follow protocol.”

“I’d guess we’re already not following protocol, just by being here,” I point out. I spot a drainage pipe on the edge of the building and rush over to it.

“Albany, please!” Blaze begs, hurrying after me. “Don’t be an idiot!”

He’s one to insult my actions. Bringing me here was idiotic, so I might as well continue that course of action. I choose to ignore Blaze and swing over the edge, clinging to the drainpipe and sliding down to the ground.

Sliding down drainpipe things is absolutely stupid. Don’t do it. If the drainage pipe is covered in oil and you have protection on your hands, go ahead. But otherwise, no.

When I hit the ground, my hands are raw and bloody. Blaze appears next to me, taking the cheater’s way out by teleporting, and I send him a glare before taking off in the direction the jerk took Ezra. Blaze yells something at me, but I ignore him and keep running.

I’m not a runner, and I’m certainly not fast, but the guy is moving pretty slow, probably because he’s overconfident – and he’s carrying Ezra. I catch up to him quickly. He glances behind him, probably hearing my footsteps, but his eyes pass over me. I’m surprised he doesn’t see me, but I don’t have time to stop and think about it. I lunge forward and swing my fist at his shadowy face.

Denver’s taught me some martial arts stuff, basics he’s learned while taking a class for some kind of college credit, but I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve never hit a real person before. And I never expected it to hurt so much.

I yelp and stumble back, cradling my definitely bruised, maybe broken fist. Sure, it makes the man stumble a little bit, but I think it hurts me more than it hurts him. He looks around wildly in confusion, acting like he doesn’t even see me.

Blaze appears next to me, but even though the guy is looking right at him, he doesn’t react at all. Is he blind? Blaze shoves the man hard and pulls Ezra away from him. He grips my arm firmly, and the next second, we’re gone.

Twinepathy (Part 36): Finch And Anvil

Hullo, everyone! For those of you who were interested in Finch… you’ll get a better look at him in this part! And… we get to meet one of my FAVORITEST characters. *rubs hands gleefully* I can’t wait to hear your thoughts on them… oh, and look out for a special post some time this week with big news… Speaking of news, if you’re new, check out Part One.

The Finch looks at us and gives us a polite nod. He looks disinterested, but I can see the truth in his eyes – pain. I feel a pang for him. Maddie lost just eight, nine, ten years… how old is she?… due to the amnesia, but he lost so much more, probably over twenty years. I’m sure it’s changed him, hurt him. And he might never get that back. Maddie might not get her years back, either, and then what of her relationship with Keller? They were clearly close before, and yet I’ve seen Keller’s pain, too. And what of The Finch’s siblings, parents, family… girlfriend? “Nice to meet you,” he says, his voice flat.

Jen motions to some chairs that I know weren’t here the last time. They must have been brought in just for this occasion. We all sit down, and I notice Keller watching Maddie, her expression pained. “Now all we need is Anvil,” Jen says.

Blaze noticeably perks up at that. “Really? I get to meet the mysterious, elusive, efficient Anvil?”

Jen gives him a withering glare. “Don’t start, Blaze.”

Blaze leans forward, interest sparking in his eyes. “But I haven’t even seen this guy, Data! I haven’t! He’s been here for how long?”

“Three years,” Jen says tiredly.

“Exactly!” Blaze waves a hand in the air. “And I haven’t seen him once. Neither have any of the other agents I’ve talked to.”

“Blaze.” Jen’s voice is tight with warning.

“I just don’t get why this guy’s so special and secret,” Blaze continues, ignoring Jen. “I mean, it’s not like his powers are that different from other manipulators…”

“Hello, Anvil. Have a seat,” Jen says politely, tossing Blaze something between a glare and a smirk.

We all turn. Behind us stands a tall guy, probably close to Jen’s age, his posture forced casual and his hands in the pockets of his leather jacket. I get the feeling he’s uncomfortable, but his face is a mask, not giving anything away. His eyes, though, have a spark of… danger. It makes me glad that Keller and Jen are here, in spite of Keller’s hostility and Jen’s secrets.

“I’ll stand,” he says, his voice quiet but strong.

This is probably the first time I’ve ever seen Blaze embarrassed, but he definitely is. Jen nods at Anvil. “All right.”

“That’s definitely him,” Keller speaks up, eyeing Anvil suspiciously.

“I assumed so,” Jen says with a small smile. “Ca… Anvil, why don’t you go ahead and report on that mini-assignment I gave you last week, so everyone here can know what happened?”

Anvil gives us all a suspicious once-over. “Trav dropped me off, and I headed over to the house. I noticed I was being followed. It was her,” he adds as an afterthought, nodding at Maddie. “She didn’t seem like much of a threat, so I stopped her and asked her to deliver the ‘package’. I watched her go up to the house and then slipped off to a safe observation point and saw her,” he motions toward me, “take it inside, so I figured the girl had dropped it there…”

“You?!” Blaze exclaims incredulously. “You’re the one who messed this up?”

Anvil‘s eye’s flash, but a warning look from Jen is enough to subdue both of them, at least temporarily. “No one messed anything up. In fact, this has turned out better than I could’ve hoped, except for Maddie.” Jen gives Maddie a sympathetic look and receives a shy look in return. She turns to Keller. “Does this satisfy you?”

Keller crosses her arms. “It explains how L… Maddie ended up where she is, but it still doesn’t convince me that you’re not responsible for her amnesia.”

Twinepathy (Part 31): Lila or Maddie?

Hullo, everyone! I hope Monday’s post hasn’t left you hanging too much. 😉 Let’s learn a few more things today, shall we? Enjoy! New? Check out part one.

I gape at Keller, mouth wide open. Maddie looks panicked and freaked out and tries to pull away from Keller. Her whole body is rigid. Keller pulls away, frowning. “Lila?” she asks.

“I wasn’t expecting this,” Jen comments from the doorway. I jump in surprise, my eyes meeting hers. She raises an eyebrow, and I look down at the ground sheepishly.

Keller grabs Maddie’s shoulders. “Lila, what’s wrong? What’s going on?” She sounds panicked.

“She has amnesia,” Jen says quietly. “You know her?”

Keller stares at Maddie. “She’s… my sister.” She whirls on Jen, eyes flashing. “What did you do to her?!”

Jen stands calmly, watching Keller. “I didn’t do anything to her. Why don’t we go inside and see if we can piece together everything that’s going on?”

Keller looks back at Maddie, a look of mixed horror and anger crossing her face. Then her shoulders slump and she nods.

We head inside and Maddie grabs my hand again, looking up at me with fear and worry in her eyes. I avoid looking at Keller as we head into the living room. I’m surprised to see Blaze relaxing on the couch, again with his mask on, but I’m not as surprised as he is. I’ve never seen so much shock on his face, not even when Brooklyn passed out. Then again, I’ve only known him for a week.

“What…!” he sputters.

The corner of Jen’s mouth twitches. “What perfect timing, hm?” She sits down next to Blaze, somehow looking just as at home as he does but still appearing poised. Keller slumps down into the armchair across from Jen, her eyes occasionally straying towards Maddie.

Jen turns towards me. “Let’s start with the easiest string to untangle. What are you doing here?”

I take a deep breath and dive into the whole story of how we tracked down Keller, doing my best to keep it short. Jen nods periodically, but when I finish, her expression doesn’t change. I squirm in my seat.

“Well,” she begins slowly. “You certainly have a knack for investigating. And being too curious.”

My face turns pink. “Maybe just a little bit,” I admit.

“And Brooklyn doesn’t know anything?” Jen asks.

I shake my head. “Not that I know of. She might be a little suspicious, though.”

“I would be,” Blaze says. He pauses. “Maybe not, if I was Brooklyn.”

I turn a fiery glare on him. “Are you insulting my sister?” I say in an icy voice.

Blaze grins, but Jen steps in. “Enough. Let’s move on. I used the same technique to find Keller, except I gained more information from Genesis. Keller is one of the people who was fighting in Brooklyn’s brain. That’s as far as I’ve gotten.” She turns to Keller. “I’ll let you explain the rest to us.”

And Keller begins.

Twinepathy (Part 16): Normal

Hullo, everyone! Is it Monday? I guess it is. I nearly forgot about a post today! Whoops… but, luckily, I remembered… and I also remembered to post Jen’s interview! Click here to check it out, and if you’re new to Twinepathy, check out Part 1! Enjoy, my friends!

Antarctica.

What. In. The. World.

“What?” Brooklyn squeaks. She’s about as shocked as I am, but when she’s shocked, she can speak. Or… squeak.

Blaze grins. “Antarctica. You know, that giant continent at the bottom of the earth that’s ruled by penguins and seals?”

Sarcasm helps me recover from shock, I know from experience. I glare at him and gaze up at the ceiling. “How?” I ask Jen.

She nods. “We have a guy here with powers that fit the climate.”

“Frosty,” Blaze says, holding in a laugh.

“He keeps the place from melting or shifting or anything like that. He also made it so we could keep it heated and not freeze.” Jen gives us a wry smile.

“Why here, though?” Brooklyn asks, blinking.

“The privacy.” Jen motions around. “It’s – mostly – a secret organization. This makes it even more secret. We have enough teleporters that it’s easy for us to get in and out. And the only things we have to deal with are the research stations and the penguins.”

Makes perfect sense. Not really.

Jen takes Maddie’s hand. “Well, let’s get started on our projects. Blaze, you can take them to school. Remember, land in an isolated spot.” She gives him a pointed look.

Blaze nods. “Yes, ma’am.” He looks passive and obedient. But of course that doesn’t last long. He turns to us with a grin. “Well, let’s go, girls.” He grabs our hands, and the next instant we’re in the middle of a shady, deserted alley.

Brooklyn shivers from the creepy atmosphere, and even I feel uncomfortable here, but Blaze leads us through several alleys and out onto the street, right next to our school. “Have a good day,” he says, smiling. “Contact me when you’re ready to pick up Maddie, and I’ll come get you.”

“What will you be doing?” Brooklyn asks curiously.

He tilts his head with a hint of a smile. “I’ve got school, too, you know.” He ducks down the street, and I have a feeling that if we headed that direction, we wouldn’t see him. I look at the school, then at Brooklyn. I open my mouth to say something, but then her eyes widen.

“Our homework!” she yelps.

I moan. “Great. Do you have the contact thingy?”

Brooklyn shakes her head. “It’s at home.”

Perfect. Brooklyn’s an amazing student and pretty much every teacher’s favorite, but while I’m good, I’m not that good. They might let her get away with no homework, but they won’t be letting me, I’ll bet. With this and everything else that’s happened, how are we supposed to act normal?

Well, that might be trouble. How are they going to get out of this? Guess we’ll have to wait to find out… And yes, we’re building up to something BIG. Next part… 😉

Next Part –>

Twinepathy (Part 14): It’s A Mystery

Hullo, everyone! How crazy is it that we’re nearly to part fifteen? I’m so glad for all of your support, and enjoy!!! If you missed Part 13 on Saturday, check it out, and if you’re new, check out Part 1.

“She can stay,” Mom finally says, looking at Dad for confirmation. He nods, pleased.

I’m shocked. Mom never changes her mind like that. And I thought it would be way harder to convince them. What did Blaze do?

“Okay,” Brooklyn agrees, confused. “We’ll take her upstairs and get her set up in our room.” She looks around the living room pointedly, hoping that Blaze gets the message – we want to talk to him. Now.

We head upstairs with Maddie while Mom and Dad go into the kitchen. I drag my sleeping bag out from under my bed for Maddie, but that’s not what we’re really doing up here. Brooklyn puts her hands on her hips. “Blaze, we know you’re here. Come out.”

Blaze appears, an annoying grin on his face as he leans against the wall. Maddie goes over and – to my surprise – hugs him. “You were right that they would agree,” she told him.

“Of course,” Blaze says, attempting to look offended that she wouldn’t trust him, but his eyes sparkle a little. “Everything worked out fine.”

“Fine?!” Brooklyn squeaks. “I don’t know what you did, or how you did it, but you messed with their brains! That is not fine!” If she was a cat, she’d be hissing and spitting.

Blaze’s eyebrows lift. “Who, me? I didn’t do anything to your parents.”

My eyes narrow. “Then what did happen? Obviously something happened to change Mom’s mind, and it had to be something in her mind.”

Blaze laughs. “Ohhh, you mean that! That was all Nudge. And he did an amazing job, let me tell you.” He grins impishly.

Silence.

“Nudge?” Brooklyn gives him a skeptical look.

Blaze nods. “Yeah.” He motions towards the closed door, and a boy appears. He looks like he’s only about fourteen or fifteen. He gives us a small smile and an awkward wave.

“Nudge,” I say icily. I’m probably getting that look in my eye that Brooklyn calls my “dangerous” look.

“Yeah.” Blaze is smirking at me. “’Cause he nudges peoples thoughts in different directions. Get it?”

“Yes, I get it,” I say. Brooklyn steps between me and Blaze. Calm down pops into my head, so I sink grumpily onto my bed.

“Please explain what you just did in detail,” Brooklyn says firmly.

Blaze shrugs. “I thought you two would need more help, so I got authorization from Data to bring Nudge in to help out. Which, I might add, was a very good decision. You may have noticed that.”

Data agreed to this? That makes me feel a teensy bit better… but just a teensy bit. “Well, then I guess your work here is done,” I hint, crossing my arms.

Is it my imagination, or does Blaze’s grin fade a little? He tosses a shrug. “Sure, sure, we’ll leave. But be careful, and don’t hesitate to contact us. We don’t want anything happening to… to you guys.” His face turns serious. “Something’s up.” He motions over to Nudge and the two of them disappear. Brooklyn and I double-check to make sure they’re actually gone before we sink onto our respective beds, facing each other. Maddie sits down next to Brooklyn.

“Well, what are we going to do?” Brooklyn asks softly. It’s only been a couple hours, and everything has changed so drastically.

I look over at Maddie. “It’s a mystery. And mysteries need to be solved, one way or another.”

So Albany’s stating the obvious a teensy bit, but they’re finally jumping into action! Woohoo! Can’t wait to see what happens next…

Next Part –>