BexI’ve been tagged by Jenn (Bishop) Barnes in the 777 Challenge. Writers challenge writers to post the first full seven lines of the seventh page of his or her work in progress, starting seven lines down.

My work-in-progress is the second book in a speculative fantasy, tentatively titled Fountain of Dark:

Fir and his brothers are slave warriors who flee the Captains who seek to recapture them. The Captains are also their mothers, who’ve used surrogates to breed sons for war. Filled with doubt about his ability to lead, Fir believes his only hope is to ally with the Master at Seven Lake, a man who long ago escaped the Captains and built a fortress and a society of only men. Along the way, Fir meets a mysterious Queen and discovers that the Master has secrets of his own.

And here are my lines:

I fall hard against a boulder, twisting. I keep from going under, but Cedar slithers into the water. I reach for him, and for an instant hold his swollen hand. He screams, pulling away. The current tumbles him. Horrified, I see his gentle face rise above the froth. My brother is swept towards the falls. Tanoak grabs Willow before he can fling himself back in. Willow has always looked out for Cedar. Once, Cedar’s leg flails upwards, the knee joint bent backwards like a coydog’s hind leg. Then I’m alone in the river’s gaping throat. My fingers grasp the glassy froth and twist it into water. Because of me, I’m thinking, me, me, me. The rest of the way is a hole in the world. When I heave myself onto the muddy bank, I barely even remember my name. I killed my brother, I am thinking. I let him go.

To continue the challenge, I’m tagging Anne Bowen, Rebecca Maizel, Linda Washington, Didi LeavittLynn Miller-Lachmann, Heather Demetrios and Mary E. Cronin.

Can’t wait to read everyone’s seven lines!