Excerpt (From My Original Story - Evading the Clan)

My lungs screamed, my heart beat fluttered, and my visioned blurred. Although I knew my energy was failing me and my body was giving up, I held onto what little consciousness I still had and clung on for dear life; even when my back rammed up against a rock imbedded deep into the ocean-floor, I stayed alive. If not for my own sake, I suppose it was for the sake of Ian; he had never failed to come home from missions I knew even Queen Entraniane wouldn't have survived. For his sake, then, I thought, and struggled once more to swim to the top of the swirling mass of waves that threatened to throw me back down, and throw me down they did; every time. When that effort proved futile as well, I shrank back, deep inside my body, and held onto the sliver of energy I had. Just hang on until he comes, I told myself. Even though I knew there was no possible way Ian would get to me in time, I still had to hope. He knew I was sent to ambush the Clan, he knew I was strong enough to do so with the 80 warriors that had accompanied me, but what he didn't know was that our group had gotten sick. Over half of my warriors had dropped dead, still days away from the Clan, and so I had ambushed the Clan only to be overwhelmed within minutes and given only one option for survival: flee. And so I had. But then an ambush had been set up to ensure my demise, ironic, isn't it? The ambush had easily taken me, as it was over three dozen strong, and they had thrown me into the merciless waves the ocean angrily lashed against the cliff edge. I'd had no hope of living, and I should have died minutes after, but here I was, over eight hours after being sent into certain death. No help was coming, and I knew that, but I had mastered the ability to prolong energy most would use up in seconds to last me days, sometimes even weeks. Even if Ian didn't save me today, he was the one to allow me to live this long, he had taught me this skill, and he was the one person who made my heart refuse to give up. Well, him and our daughter, only fourteen months old. I couldn't loose them, I had to live, and I had no chance, none at all. It was with them in mind that I lost my grip on consciousness and surrendered my body to the waves as they carried me further and further from life; as it took me home, to the end of my life.

By: Alyssa Hellenbrand