Halloween is one of our favorite times of year. This year, we’re a little behind due to my Husband’s grandfather passing away, and the fear of what might happen with the union contract vote (It passed. Phew.). Me going back to college didn’t help matters either, but now that the one class is finished, things have calmed down a lot. We were finally able to decorate the yard to look like a cemetery (with all the rocks, I don’t think we had much of an option there) and we’re adding more and more every day. It’s no where near as cool as our neighbors down the hill – they have a mobile home that looks like a log cabin, and they go all out with the cobwebs and skeletons – but it’s pretty cool and I’m pretty proud of it and I’m sure we’ll add more as we get closer to the big day.

It always seems like around this time of year, The Undying Ones really begins to plague me. I think that’s because it was inspired by my time working at Knott’s Scary Farm’s Halloween Haunt, and because I want to release it in October when it’s finally finished. But, yet again, another year has passed and I’m no closer to reaching the end. I think that’s due to the fact that it feels like a big mess even though I’ve taken the time to sit down and plot and outline everything out.

Well, I refuse to let that happen again. This year is going to be the year that I finish this damn book. I swear on all that is holy that it will get finished. It may not be perfect. I may want to throw it in the trash afterwards, but it will be done.

So that’s what I’ve been tinkering away on this week now that I’m done with the one class and I have a little more freedom on my hands – The Undying ones is coming to life again under my fingertips.

Since today is WIPpet Wednesday, I figured I would share a particularly creepy snippet with you this week. The last time we checked in with Mattie, she was hiding out in the library reading stories about things she would never get to see due to the castle being cursed. You can read that here. While engrossed in her stories, she was interrupted by someone else. Someone who has a very ominous message for her to deliver.

Today is the 19th of October, so here are 19 sentences for you to enjoy.

Mattie was used to being surrounded by monsters in various forms of decay. It was part of every day life in the castle. But the change in Marionette’s appearance was truly shocking. Since that night she had first spotted her in the toymaker’s workshop, her beauty had begun to fade drasticly. Her perfect skin was turning sallow, and dark purple circles hung under her pale white eyes. The neat black stitches that the toymaker had made across her arms were beginning to tear through her skin. Her hair, however, was still perfect – the tight ringlets hanging around her head like a copper crown.

“You’ll see him soon.” She spoke, her voice crackling like dried leaves being crunched against the cobblestones of the courtyard. “Tell him not to come. Tell him not to follow. Only death lies this way.” And then, her message delivered, she turned towards the right and disappeared out of sight.

Mattie rushed forward, wanting to ask who Marionette was referring to, but when she crossed the threshold, she discovered that the room was empty.

Her chest heaving to suck in air that she didn’t need, she peered into the shadows, looking for any sign of the girl in the red cloak. However, the only thing they contained was a bit of straw, and a forlorn skeleton or two that no longer had the muscle or sinew to move. She started to press against the stones in the wall and tug on the torches, looking for a secret entrance out of the room. After all, if they had used one to get here from the library, surely there was another one out of here. Where else could Marionette gone?

But if there was a passage, the walls would not give up their secret.

To read more WIPpet Wednesday posts, go here.