While it wasn’t my first book release, Child Eater was my first full-length novel. In 2011, I spent a feverish November spinning a novel from a nightmare. I managed to complete my first NaNoWriMo in time for Thanksgiving. The prize was a number of free copies of my published novel if I published via CreateSpace by January. Throughout December and most of January, Clark and I worked to prepare Child Eater for publication.
On January 25, 2012, Child Eater was released. To celebrate the 10th-anniversary of this amazing event, I am releasing a special 10th-anniversary edition on January 25, 2022.
I will post a chapter every Saturday and Tuesday beginning today with chapter 1, which you can read below.
Chapter 1
She held her mother’s hand as they walked down the hallway towards her hotel room. Her room was attached to her parent’s room by a connecting door, but she was actually sleeping in her own hotel room for the first time. Her white-blonde hair hung straight down her back. It brushed the top of her bottom as she walked. She took in everything as they made their way to the rooms at the end of the hall.
She could hear her brother and his friend laughing as they passed their closed door. They had the room on the other side of their parents’. She glanced in at daddy as they walked past the open door. She wondered why they didn’t just go through there to get to her room. The door between was unlocked so they could get to each other if they needed each other.
As they approached the door to her room, her tummy started to feel funny. She guessed she was a little nervous to be staying alone for the first time. Hers was the last room on the right. The rest of the rooms down this hallway remained empty. Not too many people came here to vacation. They only came here to visit family.
She thought she heard a funny sound coming from her room as mommy unlocked the door. She wanted to scream at her not to open it, but then they’d think she was a baby and not ready to have her own room. She was 7 years old and definitely not a baby. She took a deep breath and slowly pushed the door open.
Inside, everything was strewn about the room. Things were still flying in every direction. In the center of all the chaos, she saw the most beautiful light. She couldn’t take her eyes off of that light. It was mesmerizing, perhaps even hypnotizing. It spoke to her. She didn’t hear it with her ears. She glanced sideways at her mother, who stood there gaping at the thing in her room.
“Honey! Get over here NOW!” she heard her mother shout.
The light, that beautiful light, was calling to her. Telling her not to be afraid. Telling her to come to it now. She let go of her mother’s hand. She began walking into the light. She felt at ease. She felt peaceful inside.
“It’s okay Mommy. You don’t have to be afraid of it,” she said as she walked towards the light.
She felt her mother’s arms wrap around her waist, holding her back. She knew she had to get away from mommy and to that light. The light was telling her that. She heard it getting louder and louder inside her head. She couldn’t hear what her parents were saying. She could only hear the light. She could feel it too. It was pulsating through her body now. Coursing through her with an energy she couldn’t understand. It made her feel warm and tingly inside. It felt safe. It was comforting her.
She struggled against her mother’s arms. She fought with all her might. She had to get into that light.
“Let me GO!!!” she screamed at Mommy.
“Take her outside! Get the boys and get out of the hotel!” Daddy ordered Mommy.
She knew they were afraid. She tried to tell them that there was nothing to be afraid of. No one was listening to her. She felt herself being lifted into her mother’s arms. This was all wrong. She was supposed to be here. She was supposed to go somewhere with the light. Why didn’t her parents understand? This thing came to her room, the first time ever she was given a room, and it needed her. What was that word her brother told her? Kizmet? Yeah, that was it. Kizmet. It was kizmet that it came to her. It chose her.
She fought and struggled and pushed away from her mother. She had only one thought. She had to get to that light. That beautiful, bright, colorful light was still calling her. It whispered her name. Mommy’s arms tightened around her. Had she heard it? She must have.
Mommy held her tight and began pounding on her brother’s door. When he opened the door, she shouted at them to follow her.
“Don’t look back, don’t grab anything, just go,” she ordered.
They made their way outside. Daddy wasn’t with them. How come he got to stay with the light? She tried to escape the arms that encircled her and held her too tightly. She could feel her mother’s heart racing in her chest. It was pounding so fast and hard it should have pounded right out of her chest.
Continue Reading
Want to know what happens next? You can preorder Child Eater: 10th Anniversary for Kindle, now.
Give me a follow to be alerted when you can read the next chapter of Child Eater; coming January 11th.
ShldBWriting 
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