Ivy? Who is She?

Lily looks at Ivy and grabs her hands in hers. “Ivy you must go now time is ticking, you must return in seven days at midnight or you will be stuck in that dimension forever.”

She kisses Ivy on the cheek and, steps back with tears sliding down her cheek.

Ivy looks frantic and scared, “can’t I say goodbye to everyone first Nana?”

“No sweetheart it makes it harder.”

Ivy walks a few steps away from her grandmother with her left hand around the star pendant. She looks back to see if her grandmother was going to tell her this was all a joke. Instead she hears her grandmother release a sob and sees her leaving the room. Ivy puts on the mantle and recites the words Lily told her.

 

Hi Fellow Bloggers,

The scene above is a familiar (recent one) that I have posted from the books. I could have found some more enthralling scenes, but I didn’t want to give too much of the book away ahead of time. This scene was included in the excerpt I just posted last week so if you want to read about this bit of information I suggestion reading that before you dive into this post. I don’t want to spoil any perceptions about Ivy’s personality or character traits for you.

I have worked with Ivy for a few years now. She has developed into a lovely girl. Much more outgoing… She was really guarded… even in her family dynamics. I think she was afraid to prove that she was less than her sister Anna. She didn’t realize the very thing that made her different from Anna is what made her special. They are two different girls.

In this scene Ivy is being prepared to leave to find the herb for her mother. She is given a rundown of her history and then she is kind of thrust into the unknown. This scene shows Ivy’s vulnerability the most throughout the beginning of the book. She is very distraught. She planned to go on this journey with her sister. She didn’t feel she was qualified by herself.

This scenes represents her innocence and loyalty to her family. It is the precept of events that pushed her into being the Ivy I love. The one who is strong and is willing to fight for her family. She still has weakness, but they are more sharpened. She knows that she has thicker skin. It’s just sometimes life really sucks and makes you test the thickness, and it really hurts. Ivy goes through a lot in this book and the next two that follow so she has to experience this life changing journey on her own to be prepared for the rest of it. Breaking a family curse isn’t easy.

As I reread over this post I am always brought back to the sheer disparity and fear she feels her. Her thoughts float through my mind and I can hear her second guessing herself. I can feel her extinct to run away from this. Her desire to pretend that she has another choice. I mean she just got sweep away from her birthday party to be told you have to leave. When all she really wanted to do was go sit with her mother and show her the pictures she took from the party. She wants to curl up beside her and feel the love they share. She was is mentally distraught. I mean Ivy is on the edge of a breakdown. Somehow in that moment of putting on the cloak, reciting the words of travel, and stepping through into the Hall of Doors. She finds her resolve. She finds the strength to follow her destiny.

I guess I choose this scene, because it is when I saw Ivy for who she really is. I saw her strength and I admired her for it. I wished for the same thing in my life. This is where I become a champion of her.

Chapter Four Excerpt One

Hi Fellow Bloggers,

As I was trying to figure out what to post this week, besides updates I keep getting distracted. I have a ton of stuff going on writing wise and I wanted to start the year off right on this blog. I don’t know why you decide to subscribe to my blog, but I thank you. I am hear to give my books an audience and a voice. I want them to become your friend while I also build a relationship with you. I am going to try my hardest to post on here at least once a week. It might be on the same day every week, but it will happen. I am going to try and get more organized with this blog. I have several other book ideas floating around in my head. Thanks to my sister I have journals now to write them down in. I also am trying to get a job while helping my mom out at the restaurant. I just want you to know that I am dedicated to this blog, and making it into a success. I want to create something we both can be proud of and interested in.

Needless to say once I finally got myself together I thought what better way to start off this year with an excerpt from the book. That is why I am here after all. Like I have said previously my writing has changed a lot. I feel like it has matured and better something refined. It still needs work, but its getting to a good place. Well I will hold you no longer below is a short excerpt. It is the beginning of Chapter four. Ivy learns a lot about herself, and her family here. I hope you enjoy.

As the party whined down, most of their family members had returned home with younger cousins who fell asleep. Ivy walked off toward the garden and stood under the gazebo, thinking about her mother. Thanks mom for throwing the best birthday party ever. I wish you could have been here with me. Every time I smiled or laughed about something, I would look up. Wanting to share the moment with you. In the midst of her leaning against the gazebo to watch everyone cleaning up. Her grandmother comes and stands next to her. She wears a plain yellow dress that forms to her waist and flares out, her yellow sandals perfectly matching Tennessee’s sunflowers. She gently pats Ivy’s hand and smiles.

“I hope you had a good birthday Ivy. We need to go upstairs to my room to discuss things as I promised,” Lily says and they both leave to head upstairs.

Ivy stands in front of her grandmother’s door, waiting for her to take her key ring out. I always found it strange that she locked her door. Ivy can’t remember a time that she has actually gone into her grandmother’s room. As she opens the door, Ivy is assaulted by a scent uniquely Lily’s. It smells of fresh flowers, sunshine and chocolate chip cookies: her favorite guilty pleasure.

They walk in and there is a small sitting room with a couch and a table. She turns the light on and they enter her bedroom. Her bed is in the center of the room and there are two large windows on each side of the bed, because Lily loves sunlight. She walks over to her dresser and unlocks a small drawer; she pulls out a beautiful gold jewelry box and sets it on the dresser. Over her shoulder she beckons Ivy forward and tells her to sit on her bed.

“Ivy dear there are things that need to be told” She says shaking her head in regret. “I know that this is going to be difficult to understand but you must listen and focus,” Ivy nods her head and says okay.

Lily unlocks the jewelry box and sets it back in the dresser. From it she removes the most beautiful piece of jewelry Ivy has ever seen. Awestruck she just gazes at it trying to comprehend why her grandmother would give this to her.

“Ivy, our family is cursed. Centuries ago a woman, Haley fell in love with a man, Drake from another planet. This sort of thing is strictly forbidden between planets. Despite this rule they got married and had a baby girl. Her name was Smyrna which means forbidden love on his planet. That baby was born six generations ago. As punishment for their crimes Drake was banished, and Haley became very ill on the eve of her daughters eighteenth birthday. Before he left Drake made her this necklace and gave her his family’s mantle. The necklace combined with the mantle would take their daughter to a different dimension, to find this natural herb rarely grown, to heal her mom. Each day she was there her mother grew worst at home. That curse has been passed down to every first born daughter ever since. It is your turn now Ivy,” She says.

Ivy looks at her grandmother and her pale skin turns ash white, her green eyes get huge and she begins to shake. This can’t be right. Her hands are sweaty and she is frantic just from the thought of having such a task placed on her.

“Nana I can’t do this, I feel like David going up against Goliath. Why can’t Anna do this, she’s much more equipped for this task. We were trying to come up with a plan to go together.” Ivy says.

Lily grabs her hand “the necklace only works for the first born and the pure of heart. When you put it on you must have good intentions or it won’t work. You must allow your soul to operate in the fruits of the spirit: Love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These are the things that will take you to the dimension and bring you home safely. You are much stronger than you know Ivy. Besides Anna cannot go with you.” she replies.

Lily pulls her up and places Ivy in the chair she was sitting in. She turns the chair around facing an empty wall near the window. She reaches around Ivy from behind with the necklace. She puts it on, and Ivy lifts up her hair so she can clasp it. Lily walks over to the wall and starts feeling around for something. Ivy hears a soft click and the wall opens, in the wall there is medium sized green box.

Lily pulls it out and the wall closes back on its own. She set’s the box on Ivy’s lap and motions for her to open it. She pulls the top off and removes the tissue paper from the box. Inside is a beautiful mantle resembling the necklace Ivy has on. The mantle is silver embroidered and has green vines intertwined around the entire cloak.

“Come Ivy there is much to tell you still” she says hurriedly.

Looking into her eyes she says “pay close attention to these instructions because if you forget one or skip a step your mother will die.” She grabs Ivy’s hands and pulls her directly in front of her. “Ivy you have seven days to find this herb. I cannot tell you what it’s called because it has different names in different dimensions. It has gray-green leaves, and large, showy, bright scarlet flowers. You must not cut the plant from the tree, pull it from the root. This necklace and mantle is the key to getting to the dimension you need, and back and must not be lost. Put the mantle on and recite these words.”

 

“Whosoever coverest thyself with light as a garment,

Will take this mantle upon thine self

To perform the task set before thee.”

 

         “The energy from your words will allow you to go through the portal for seven days. You will be transported to the Hall of Doors. Once you are in this room Ivy, you must think of what you need. The necklace will act as a guide to show you which door leads to the dimension you need to be in. The necklace won’t lead you to the herb, just the right dimension. Once you find the herb and are ready to return think of home and it will bring you back here,” she says.

Lily looks at Ivy and grabs her hands in hers. “Ivy you must go now time is ticking, you must return in seven days at midnight or you will be stuck in that dimension forever.”

She kisses Ivy on the cheek and, steps back with tears sliding down her cheek.

Ivy looks frantic and scared “can’t I say goodbye to everyone first Nana?”

“No sweetheart it makes it harder.”