I'm in the midst of planning the long-awaited series that Affinity spawned. So far, there will be two other books to follow Affinity and I'm toying with the idea of a prequel. Here's a sneak peak from the second story, tentatively titled, Synchronicity.
"What's the matter with you?"
His head shot around so fast, he saw stars. It took a few seconds for his sight to clear before he focused on a little girl with black hair standing beside him, a teddy-bear clutched tight to her chest. She waited patiently, big gray-green eyes glued to his face. The solemn expression mesmerized him and he found himself opening his mouth to answer her.
"I've got Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma." Seeing her lack of comprehension, a burst of self-pity swept over him. "Cancer. I'm dying." His mouth twisted as he tried to hold the tears at bay. No way was he crying like a baby in front of this girl. "Probably won't make my eleventh birthday next week."
"Oh." Her mouth turned down at the corners and those big eyes glimmered with tears. "That's sad." She glanced down at her teddy and rubbed at the fur between her thumb and forefinger. Finally, she nodded as if coming to a conclusion. "You can have Polly. She always makes me fell better when I'm sick."
Ethan glanced down at the bear and blinked fast. The bear was obviously a favorite judging by the grubby nature of its fur. Well-worn patches spoke of the amount of times it had been stroked, offering quiet comfort. The girl's hand hovered over the toy's head for a few seconds before it dropped to her side. He cleared his throat and swallowed hard. "Thank you. That's very kind, but I can't let you do that. Polly looks like your special toy."
"That's okay," she replied, her face lighting up with a smile. "You need her more than I do. If I get sad or scared, I just hug her extra tight. She'll make you feel better in no time."
A bitter smile stretched his mouth. "I'm sure she will."
A woman's voice floated through the door, distracting the girl. She turned back with a quick smile. "I've got to go now. It was nice to meet you." She stretched a hand out to him and his brows rose. "We're supposed to shake." She kept her hand out and pouted. "My aunty told me its the polite thing to do when you've just met someone."
"Oh, okay then," he grinned, humoring her. She was cute and reminded him a little of his younger brother. All earnest and sure life was going to work out the way they wanted it. He wished he could feel the same.
As his fingers closed over her smaller hand, a shock travelled up his arm and hit him square in the chest. He opened his mouth to yell but couldn't draw a breath. It was as if all the air had been sucked out of the room.
His eyes locked on hers to find them frozen in twin surprise. As he stared into the black irises, they...melted. And if that weren't terrifying enough, he felt parts of himself being sucked into them. Panicked, he tried to pull away, but it was as if his flesh were fused to hers and he was drawn steadily closer. Desperately, he searched her features for a flicker of life, but they remained slack, the spirit of the precocious young girl of before gone, taken by something else that scared him shitless.
"What's the matter with you?"
His head shot around so fast, he saw stars. It took a few seconds for his sight to clear before he focused on a little girl with black hair standing beside him, a teddy-bear clutched tight to her chest. She waited patiently, big gray-green eyes glued to his face. The solemn expression mesmerized him and he found himself opening his mouth to answer her.
"I've got Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma." Seeing her lack of comprehension, a burst of self-pity swept over him. "Cancer. I'm dying." His mouth twisted as he tried to hold the tears at bay. No way was he crying like a baby in front of this girl. "Probably won't make my eleventh birthday next week."
"Oh." Her mouth turned down at the corners and those big eyes glimmered with tears. "That's sad." She glanced down at her teddy and rubbed at the fur between her thumb and forefinger. Finally, she nodded as if coming to a conclusion. "You can have Polly. She always makes me fell better when I'm sick."
Ethan glanced down at the bear and blinked fast. The bear was obviously a favorite judging by the grubby nature of its fur. Well-worn patches spoke of the amount of times it had been stroked, offering quiet comfort. The girl's hand hovered over the toy's head for a few seconds before it dropped to her side. He cleared his throat and swallowed hard. "Thank you. That's very kind, but I can't let you do that. Polly looks like your special toy."
"That's okay," she replied, her face lighting up with a smile. "You need her more than I do. If I get sad or scared, I just hug her extra tight. She'll make you feel better in no time."
A bitter smile stretched his mouth. "I'm sure she will."
A woman's voice floated through the door, distracting the girl. She turned back with a quick smile. "I've got to go now. It was nice to meet you." She stretched a hand out to him and his brows rose. "We're supposed to shake." She kept her hand out and pouted. "My aunty told me its the polite thing to do when you've just met someone."
"Oh, okay then," he grinned, humoring her. She was cute and reminded him a little of his younger brother. All earnest and sure life was going to work out the way they wanted it. He wished he could feel the same.
As his fingers closed over her smaller hand, a shock travelled up his arm and hit him square in the chest. He opened his mouth to yell but couldn't draw a breath. It was as if all the air had been sucked out of the room.
His eyes locked on hers to find them frozen in twin surprise. As he stared into the black irises, they...melted. And if that weren't terrifying enough, he felt parts of himself being sucked into them. Panicked, he tried to pull away, but it was as if his flesh were fused to hers and he was drawn steadily closer. Desperately, he searched her features for a flicker of life, but they remained slack, the spirit of the precocious young girl of before gone, taken by something else that scared him shitless.