Kate Houser Snare

OPENING SCENE—Introduces protagonist, antagonistic force, and backstory, as well as foreshadows upcoming events.

 

CHAPTER 1

            “We are going to have a summer we’ll never forget, I just know it girls!” Isabella gushed, with a hopeful smile that temporarily replaced the worry lines and sadness that had plagued her face for some time now.

            “I already know that’s true,” grumbled Cora. “I’ll never forget that you are taking away my phone and forcing me into an internet-free summer away from my friends. How can you do this to me, mom?!”

            “Please Cora, can’t you at least try to have a positive attitude for once? I simply cannot take any more of your complaining!” Isabella rubbed at her temples in an attempt to ward off a brewing headache.

            “Then leave me here and you won’t have to!” Cora fought the urge to yell at the paid driver to stop the fast-moving transport car as it sped down the busy interstate. She took her hands off the door handle, afraid she might just fling herself out into traffic if she didn’t, and then with her hands clasped tightly together, she begged, “Can’t I just stay with one of my friends or even home alone? I’m practically an adult anyway. Pleeeeaaa-se?”

            “We have discussed this a hundred times already and the answer hasn’t changed. No, no, and in case you didn’t hear me—NO! Sixteen is hardly an adult and I am not about to leave you home alone in Florida while your sister and I are halfway across the world. Nor would I drop you on another parent for a whole month when they are no doubt already struggling with their own teen. Goodness knows, one teenager in the house is enough!” She threw her hands up in the air in complete exasperation.

Cora gave a haughty toss of her long brown hair as she declared, “I’m almost seventeen.”

“Almost is not yet and it’s not as old as you seem to think it is either. I cannot believe you are not more excited about this trip! Do you know how many people dream of having this opportunity?” She bit her tongue to keep from adding the biting remark, what is wrong with you anyway? It would have been a pointless question because she already knew what was wrong and that was part of the reason for leaving behind what they knew to go to a place they didn’t know. It was a rescue mission for her daughter, and in truth, for herself too. 

            “I’m excited about it, mom,” chirped Sadie from her spot in between them.

            “I know you are and I’m thankful for that. At least one of you is easy to be around.”

            Cora rolled her eyes and let out a dramatic sigh. “Of course she is, that’s because she’s always been your favorite.”

            “I do not have favorites,” protested Isabella.

            “Yeah right! You’re only saying that because it’s your motherly duty to give that response but it’s obvious that you do have a favorite and it certainly isn’t me.”

            “Enough already, Cora, I’m tired of arguing with you.”

“I should’ve just stayed with dad.” Cora instantly regretted saying it when she noticed a painful wince flicker across her mom’s face and then disappear with obvious effort. “I just mean that he would have let me have limitless use of the phone and see my friends as much as I wanted.”

Isabella’s lips pursed together tightly, then she let out her breath slowly. “I’m sure that’s true but I don’t think being able to do whatever you want at any time would be in your best interest. Besides, I told you to ask him if you really wanted to spend the next month with him. Although, we would have missed you terribly if you did.”

Cora crossed her arms and diverted her eyes out the window. “Staying with him and his annoying floozy of a girlfriend would’ve been worse than not having a phone I suppose.” She didn’t want to admit that she had asked him, and he had made it obvious from his long silence and then bumbling excuses that staying with him was not an option.  

“I can’t say I blame you for not wanting to spend the summer with her,” retorted her mom, unable to hide her obvious disdain for the woman she blamed for the divorce. “Well, sounds like you’re going to have to make the most out of being stuck with us. Do you think you can do that?” she practically pleaded.

“I guess I don’t have much choice.”

The driver slowed down as they pulled up to the drop off zone for departing flights at Orlando International Airport. Isabella sighed, “I guess not because we’re here.”

            Any further conversation was dropped for the moment as they grabbed bags and began the necessary bustle through security and a maze of lines in preparation for their long flight to Sicily. 

 

Their luggage was checked, their passports and tickets had been scanned, and now they just had to wait. As they sat on the hard, uncomfortable chairs in the noisy terminal, the girls were munching on giant pizza slices they had just bought from a nearby stand. Isabella stared out the large glass window at the planes coming and going on the tarmac. She watched as a small plane pulled away from the loading dock and began to roll towards the runway. Unconsciously, the smell of the pizza and steady humming of the planes made her mind wander back to a month ago. . .

Plopping the pizza box down on the circular table in the sunny kitchen, Isabella beamed at her daughters. “My proposal was accepted! You are looking at the newest travel writer covering the must-see sights all over Sicily!”

Sadie jumped up and down cheering. “Good job, mom!”

Cora eagerly grabbed a piece of hot pizza and took a bite. With a mouthful she grumbled, “What does that mean for us?”

Isabella laughed. “It means that the magazine will cover my travel expenses, and I am going to dig into my savings to take you girls with me. It means we are going to spend a month in Sicily this summer!”

“Isn’t that where our ancestors were from?” asked Cora before picking off a pepperoni and popping it in her mouth.

“Yes, and I’ve always wanted to go. Now I finally have the chance and there is no one I would rather go with than you two!”

The girls watched as their mom whipped out a world map and showed them where they would be spending their summer.

When Sadie peered down at the map of Italy and Sicily she declared, “Look! Italy is like a woman’s glamorous boot and Sicily is like a jewel she is balancing gracefully on the tip of it!”

Cora glanced over her shoulder. “You’re right about the boot part but wrong about the jewel. Sicily looks more like a rock that the boot is kicking. It is trying to fling it far out to sea, but it’s stuck like gum to the tip.”

Isabella squeezed between them and put her arms around both girls. “I can see what you both see and although the land is close to each other they are not physically attached. A narrow strip of water called the Messina Strait runs between them. See,” she pointed to the small details on the map. “Some would look at the map and simply say that Italy is a peninsula and Sicily is an island, but where is the fun in that? I’m glad you both can see a story because stories are meant to be told, no matter how different they may be.”

“Do you see a story, mom?” Sadie asked as she took a bite of pizza.

“Yes, I see one too.”

“What is it?” Sadie looked at her inquisitively.

            “I see. . .” but before she could finish, Cora’s phone started buzzing.

            “I gotta take this,” she interrupted. She quickly grabbed one more slice of pizza then walked off with it to talk to her friend.

            Isabella hollered after her. “Thanks for taking an interest!”

            But Cora didn’t even hear her as she squealed into the phone and disappeared into her room with a slam of the door.

            “I’m interested, tell me,” Sadie begged as she handed her mom a plate with a pizza slice on it.

            Isabella tore her eyes away from the closed door and smiled at her youngest. “Okay, I’ll tell you . . .”

            The memory faded as Isabella was brought back to the present by the announcement on the loudspeaker. “Now boarding Flight 5432 at Gate 35 to London, England. We will begin loading rows 1-10.”

            Isabella nudged her girls excitedly. “That’s us! Are you all ready for an adventure?”

            “Yes! I can’t wait!” Sadie stuffed her final bite of pizza in her mouth then jumped up to throw away the paper plate.

            “If you’re talking about the 8-hour plane ride to London and then the 3-hour plane ride from there to Sicily, then no, I’m not ready.” Cora wiped her greasy hands with the napkin, threw away her empty plate, then grabbed her carry-on bag. “But seeing that there is no getting around it, I guess we minus well get in line.”

            Isabella helped Sadie get her bag and followed Cora to the boarding line. “There will be movies and plenty of food onboard so I’m sure it will pass in no time.”

That was all Sadie needed to hear to remain cheerful despite the daunting travel time ahead of them. Movies and food were two of her favorite things after all.

           

            A few hours after takeoff, Cora was staring out the oval window at the soft white clouds below them, thinking about what it would be like to jump into them, above the earth but not a part of it. She shivered at the realization of how lonely it would be and wondered if that was the view from heaven---if it was what Molly saw.

            Sadie leaned into her and studied the clouds. “Do you think we are closer to Molly up here?” she asked, reading Cora’s thoughts.

            “I dunno,” mumbled Cora irritably, not wanting to talk about her deceased best friend.

            Without taking the hint, Sadie continued sadly. “It’s hard to believe she’s been gone a year. I still miss her a lot.”

            “She was my friend,” snapped Cora as though her sister didn’t have the right to miss her.

            “She was mine too,” said Sadie defensively. “She practically lived at our house! She always treated me nicely, like she wanted me around. She never acted annoyed by my presence, not like you.”

            “Well, she didn’t have any younger siblings so maybe that’s why. She saw you like a cute babydoll or something,” was all Cora would say, afraid she may choke on the words if she tried to say more.

“I am not a baby so I wish you would stop saying that all the time,” protested Sadie, crossing her arms, and pouting out her lips.

“Well, you really were a baby when Molly first started coming around,” pointed out Cora. Then she couldn’t help but add, “And you still are sometimes.”

“I am not,” Sadie frowned.

“Are too,” she smirked, then before Sadie could protest it more, Cora shoved headphones over her ears and was about to turn up the music.

However, before she could completely block out her sister, Sadie nudged her side.

            “Look at mom,” she whispered with a giggle.

            Cora glanced over Sadie’s silky sun kissed brown hair to her mom who had fallen asleep. Her mouth was wide open, and her head kept flopping to the side. Every now and then a snore would escape from her open lips making her jump slightly. Although startled, rather than waking up, she simply straightened her head until it once again flopped to the side a minute later.

            Cora’s face crinkled up in an expression that was hard to read as she noticed the slight worry lines around her mom’s eyes and mouth along with sparse sprinklings of gray strands mixed in with the dark locks. “I guess preparing for the trip wore her out,” she observed quietly.

            “Yeah.” Noticing the uncharacteristic softness in Cora, Sadie asked, “Do you know what mom saw when she looked at the boot?”

            “What boot?” asked Cora in confusion.

            “The boot on the map. Ya know, of Italy and Sicily?”

            “Oh yeah,” Cora nodded. “What did she see?”

            “She saw a little boot dancing on the toe of the mother boot the way we used to do when we were little. She said she could still picture us giggling and holding her hands while we tried not to fall off her feet as she danced around the kitchen. Do you remember when we used to do that?” Sadie asked, laughing.

            Cora couldn’t help but smile. “Yeah, I remember. I used to like to do that.”

            “Me too.”

            “Now my feet are as big as mom’s,” reflected Cora, observing her mom’s petite frame, “and even though you’re only ten, you’re too big to do it now too.”

            “I know, too bad,” sighed Sadie sadly. Then, she quickly perked back up. “What do you think our summer is going to be like?”

            “I don’t know,” Cora folded her arms and leaned her head back. “If I’ve learned anything this past year, it’s that things never turn out the way I want them to, so I guess it’s better not to make any plans or have any expectations.”

“I think it’s going to be full of wonderful surprises,” Sadie sighed dreamily.

“Why do you say that?”

“I just have a feeling something unexpected is going to happen.”

“I have that feeling too, only it’s ominous.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means something bad is going to happen.” Cora didn’t want to admit that she had carried that sense of dread every day this past year, so it didn’t necessarily mean anything specific to the trip, but just the same fear she couldn’t seem to shake since Molly had died.

“Well, I hope I’m right and you’re wrong.” Sadie lifted her chin defiantly. “And I am usually right.”

Cora’s mouth dropped. “Yeah, right, you only wish!”

“I guess we’ll see.”

“Yeah, I guess we will.”

Cora closed her eyes and turned her music up. She could feel Sadie looking at her but forced herself to keep her eyes shut in the hopes that she would stop talking. It worked. A minute later, she was humming quietly as she drew a picture in her notebook. Cora watched her through tiny slits without moving her head. It seemed so long ago since she was that hopeful and carefree. She didn’t think she could ever be that way again, not now, not since everything had changed. She closed her eyes for real this time and willed herself to go to sleep. At least when she was sleeping, she could temporarily forget.

 

Assignment #1: Write your story statement.

Cora tries to disprove her sister’s belief in a mysterious ancestral story. 

Assignment #2: In 200 words or less, sketch the antagonist or antagonistic force in your story. Keep in mind their goals, their background, and the way they react to the world about them.

Cora’s cynicism is a sharp contrast to her younger sister, Sadie, whose bubbly personality delights their dreamy mom but constantly irritates Cora. Whereas Cora prefers to accept the harsh realities of life, Sadie believes there is still magic in the world.

While overseas, the sisters stumble upon an heirloom with hidden letters inside, so they decide to unite to try to find out more about the stories revealed in the letters. Cora is determined to show that they simply stem from their ancestor’s imagination, but Sadie is convinced the fantastical stories are true. Neither sister could know the adventure that would unfold when they set out to prove the other one wrong.

Sadie’s fearlessness frustrates Cora who is eager to look her best in front of the charming local translator assisting them. So, refusing to be outdone by Sadie, Cora pushes her cautiousness aside to venture into the unknown. When the opportunity finally presents itself to be alone with their handsome helper, Cora eagerly takes it. She has no idea the danger this will cause her sister until it is almost too late. Cora must force herself to face her fears to save the sister she refuses to lose.

Assignment #3: Create a breakout title (list several options, not more than three)

Sea Song

When Land and Sea Collide

Moon Tears

Assignment #4: Develop two smart comparables for your novel. Who compares to you? And why?

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy (Magical Realism)

Comparables: Where the Forest Meets the Stars by Glendy Vanderah -- Like my story, there is a modern character who has  been through recent hardships who encounters a mystical character whose presence helps her deal with past wounds.

The Mermaid’s Sister by Carrie Ann Noble--Similar to my story, this story deals with a sisterly relationship, a magical mermaid element, and lots of adventure and danger along the way.

Assignment #5: Write your own hook line (logline) with conflict and core wound.

Cora blames herself for her friend’s unexpected death but is guided by her presence when a dangerous overseas adventure mirrors a childhood game they used to play.

Assignment #6: Sketch out the conditions for the inner conflict your protagonist will have. Why will they feel in turmoil? Conflicted? Anxious? Sketch out one scenario in the story wherein this would be the case.

Next, sketch out a hypothetical scenario for the "secondary conflict" involving the social environment. Will this involve family? Friends? Associates? What is the nature of it?

Cora’s inner conflict is the result of going through two difficult circumstances in the past year. Shortly after her father left her mother for another woman, her best friend, Molly, tragically died of an accidental overdose after her first time ever trying a drug. Cora blames herself for her friend’s death because she was the one who had convinced her to go to the high school party and then left her there when they got into a fight. Rather than dealing with the guilt, she has buried herself in her phone and social media. She has lost much of her joy for life in the process of adjusting to being without her constant companion while at the same time dealing with the increasing absence of her father. She carries around a lot of unresolved hurt which sometimes results in an anxious inability to act while at other times it is disguised as reckless rebellion.

Cora’s defiant attitude is seen in her decision to break her mom’s rules by leaving the hotel while her mom is visiting other towns gathering information for her travel writer job. She is undeterred by Sadie’s threats to tell their mom and remains determined to do what she wants. However, Cora’s immobilizing fear is seen throughout the story, especially when the people she cares about are in dangerous situations. When Sadie ends up in the ocean and is struggling to stay above the water, Cora is so terrified that she can hardly move. It takes a childhood memory of Molly to trigger her into action to come to the rescue of her sister.

Final Assignment #7: Sketch out your setting in detail. What makes it interesting enough, scene by scene, to allow for uniqueness and cinema in your narrative and story?

In the first chapter, Isabella and her two daughters are sitting in the back of a taxi that is speeding down a traffic-filled interstate to the international airport in Orlando, Florida. They are about to leave their hometown to travel overseas to Sicily for the summer and Cora does not want to go.

When they arrive at their destination, they are stunned to behold the breathtaking view from the top of the medieval town that is staggered precariously up the mountain. The quaint seaside village boasts panoramic views of the Ionian Sea, the Strait of Messina, the Bay of Giardini Naxos, and Mount Etna in the distance. Though, perhaps the most exhilarating sight, is the mysterious crumbling castle that stands guard on the cliff above the town.

The charming historical hotel they will call home for the summer is a small but cozy space, with a tiny wrought-iron balcony overlooking the sea and the castle. The floor to ceiling windows opens onto the balcony bringing in the saltwater breeze mingled with the scent of the colorful flowers around the piazza. It also lets in the sound of the seagulls above and the chatter of the locals below.  

On the first day of exploration, Isabella, Cora, and Sadie wander past the wishing fountain in the center of the village. Then, they stroll along the narrow cobblestone streets passing underneath drying clothes strewn between colorful buildings and eventually into an antique shop with a mermaid sculpture in the window. They are fascinated by the historical items inside the overcrowded shop. Especially of interest are the stories the elderly storeowner tells them about some of the items retrieved from the castle. She recognizes Cora’s startlingly similar features to a portrait among her collection. They soon come to realize the painting of the sea captain’s daughter who used to reside in the castle is an ancestor Isabella once heard stories about as a child.

The next day, they explore the dilapidated castle and discover an intricately detailed mural painted on the walls of the tower room. The pictures seem to be illustrating a story, but they are unsure of its meaning. They stroll over colorful mosaics into the open aired courtyard where a fountain bubbles with fresh water rising from deep inside the mountain. Beautiful white flowers bloom beside the fountain and possess an enchanting quality they cannot explain.

Later, the sisters discover hidden letters inside the portrait’s frame which reveals an ancestral story seemingly too magical to be real. Determined to find out more, they explore further around the castle and then along the river streaming from the courtyard fountain. This eventually takes them over the cliff beside the waterfall, through a narrow rock tunnel, and into a remote sea cave where they stumble upon an heirloom washed inside by the tide.

These locations continue throughout the story with the variety that comes with the time of day. During the midday siesta, the sleepy village grows quiet in the afternoon heat when shops close, only to liven up again for the nighttime festivities when the locals come out to socialize. The castle’s mysteriousness grows in the night when the moon casts its glow on the white flowers by the fountain which the villagers have nicknamed lacrime di luna (Moon Tears) due to the way they reflect the moon’s light.

One day, the girls join their mother on her work by sightseeing in the larger historical town further down the mountain as she takes notes and photos. While visiting there, they stop in a toy shop full of wooden puppets, churches full of relics and detailed architecture, ruins of an amphitheater, museums with ancient artifacts, and a cozy café full of delicious aromas and stunning ocean views.

The final chapter brings them full circle to where the story began as they ride down the interstate in the back of a taxi on the return trip from the airport. The setting Florida sun illuminates the way towards the familiarity of home and a new hope.