Stephanie Denise Brown
Excerpt:
It all happens in slow motion. Victor and I slip into the dream realm where ocean carpets our feet; we walk on water. My eyes adjust to darkness in the crumbling skyscraper spotted with mold.We’re tracking him on the 33rd floor. Victor tilts his head, uses his hearing to steer him forward. I unlock my piece. Each step we take makes a silent wave. We’re made.Our perp dashes around the corner, his luminescent skin temporarily blinding my sight. My body temperature rises as he streaks in flight. I pursue.The hallway’s walls lengthen like a rubber hose, stretching and pulling us through space and time as our target glides. We chase and float behind him. He’s just out of reach. There is no husk to weigh him down, so he’s faster in this realm. I cock my piece, aim for my target, the ghost guy. It’s the only way to stop him. I am the needle, and Victor is the thread. I am the point, and he is the hand. We mend things that no longer bind, that have been separated in the waking world.I catch up, catch him, pump the trigger to cast a net. The ropes eject in rounds, extending like lines of phosphorescent spider silk from my barrel.Ghost guy is thin, his body is made of skin created only in dreams, so my trap binds him easily. He is pinned to the wall like a glowing sack. Trapped. I remove my magazine. Dump the empty clip. Victor initiates the scan and checks for a positive ID.“Brandon Trimarco,” he says. “It’s him alright.” Victor’s voice ripples to me in the dream like a sound trapped beneath water, muddled and far. We are.
Bio:
I'm Stephanie Denise, a graduate of Clarion West Writers Workshop in 2010. I like reading and writing stories. When I'm not in this blissful or blistering state, you can find me teaching at Los Angeles Harbor College.
Publications:
"Separated," Reflection's Edge
Writing Description:
I'm mostly interested in cross-genre stories (though I probably read them more than I write them). I often write about family, fear, freedom, future, first love, friendship, fractures, failure, and/or forgiveness.
Writing Goals:
I would like to draft part of my next YA novel, which is about basketball, physically enhanced teens, and corporate intrigue. The idea for this book originated as a short story during my third week of Clarion West Writers Workshop.To state a clearer goal, I plan to write at least 750 words a day!
Fundraising Goals:
For my goal of writing 750 words a day, I hope to find a minimum of six people (a new donor each week of the Write-a-thon) to pledge $1 each day I reach my goal. That means I'd like a $7 donation from each donor.Sounds reasonable, right?
Website:
http://scififanatic.livejournal.com
