J.R. Wagner's Author Blog: October Writing Contest: First Place

The October writing contest has finally been scored!

Details regarding the rules can be found at my website

Prompt: Write your version of what happened BEFORE the first chapter of Exiled. I want to see your version if there were a chapter BEFORE chapter one.

The winning entry was written by Janae.

Shades of Gray

“Master Ammoncourt? What happens when you transport yourself to a place you’ve never been?” I asked. I was standing in the middle of a lesson, stalling for time.

“Son, I don’t rightly know, but everyone who has tried it never came back. So don’t even think about trying it, James.” He looked at me with a stern glance. “Now, continue to practice.”

“But…What happens when you try to transport yourself to a location based on an image of a person?” James asked, not really wanting to go back to the lesson.

“I said, let’s continue!” Ammoncourt started to get angry. “This is a pointless conversation!”

I continued to try to defend myself from Ammoncourt’s many incantations, but my attention was distracted. I wanted to know more about the transporting powder, and the abilities it gives.

After Ammoncourt knocked me on my butt for the fourth time in a row, he finally gave up on teaching me anything. He rode away on his gray horse.

* * *

I guess I was reckless. I am a 15-year-old boy… I never really thought about what would happen. I didn’t think of the Terminus. So at midnight, I summoned my will and tried to remember everything I knew about Akil Karanis. With a last thought of Akil in my childhood memories, I threw the transporting powder. I closed my eyes tightly and held my breath. After a few seconds, I reopened my eyes to a different world.

This world looked very similar to mine. There was a breeze and the tree branches quivered. The air smelled fresh and foresty. But there were two problems—one being that now I was completely naked (therefor very cold) and the other being that the world seemed to have no color. The trees, sky, and ground were all different shades of gray.

I looked down at myself, ignoring the nakedness, and saw that even my body was in shades of gray. It kind of freaked me out.

After getting over the fact that everything was in gray, I gazed around, wondering what to do. I stood in a clearing, facing a tiny pool of clear water. I turned around and saw what I had missed before. There was a neat little camp, with a fire in full blaze. No one was around, but I knew it wouldn’t be long until they returned. Whoever who was here before left all of their bags and food.

Quickly, I clothed myself in the stranger’s spare clothes and stoked the gray fire. While I warmed myself, I nibbled on the vegetables the stranger must have just gathered. I felt a little guilty about all of this.

Soon I fell asleep next to the fire. The next thing I know, I awake to someone calling my name.

“James? James! What are you doing here?!” I jump to my feet and say a defensive incantation.

The other man blocks my spell with ease, and that’s when I recognize Akil. He’s the only sorcerer alive that can still block my spells.

“Akil!” We stare at each other from opposite ends of the camp. A second figure approaches behind Akil. I do not recognize him, but I instantly see that he is one of them. One of my enemy, the one that kills all and seeks me. I knew what I had to do.

I sent incantations at him, trying to kill. Of course, we couldn’t have Akil on the wrong side! Once he went down a like a rock, I instantly regretted it. I grabbed a handful of transporting powder and threw it. With a bright yellow flash, I returned home.

When I had a little bit of time to really think about what I had done to Akil, I realized that the world had returned to full color. I fingered my favorite blue blanket and wondered at the color. Seeing its vibrant colors reminded me how the world where I met Akil was awash in shades of gray. This made me wonder if what I had thought I had done had actually occurred. Maybe it had been all a dream.

I decided to sleep on it, and spent a restless night in bed, worrying about Akil.

* * *

Here I stand in my trial, trying to keep my emotions at bay. I don’t really understand the charges against me, except for the one about me committing murder. I am sweating under my skin because I know it is a possibility that I could have murdered Akil. I just don’t know. All I know is that their “evidence” has been tampered with. I know that no one has ever done that before, but someone did. The world that I “killed” Akil in was in shades of gray. That memory orb showed a full range of life-like colors. Then again, this jury will incriminate me with it as evidence, no matter how fake or true it ever was. It is made up of the Enemy’s men. Hello, Exile!

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First place prizes include...

$25 Amazon gift card,