《A Gatored Community》Chapter 1 Shellfish Shoals
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A Gatored Community
By William D'Andrea
(MrBillyD)
and
Andalib Marx
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Dedication
I dedicate this novel to my co-author Andalib Marx, who was unfortunately killed in a traffic accident, during the first weekend in October, 2011. I consider this a very troubling tragedy. She was not only my co-author and friend. While writing this novel, she was also my inspiration, my star and my leading lady. However, now that this book is finally published, she will always be alive for me upon every one of its pages.
So here’s looking at you Andalib Marx! We’ll always have Shellfish Shoals!
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1
Shellfish Shoals
The MacKenzie family had farmed the surrounding fields for five generations. When Ted MacKenzie’s father Jake was a child, the fields had been covered by endless rows of corn.
“Corn as high as an elephant’s eye.” Just like the words in that old show tune said.
The farmhouse where his father had grown up remained in the spot where it had been built, but was no longer on its original foundation. When the rising sea level began to approach, the floor and walls of the basement had been replaced by a hull. The MacKenzie’s family home was now a houseboat, moored to a series of surrounding pylons, where it rose and fell with the tides.
24 year old Theodore MacKenzie sat alone at the rear of the family dinghy, beside the outboard motor. He guided the 15 foot long shallow craft through the narrow channels, between thick, putrid, patches of reeds and swamp grass, which grew as high as the rooftops of one-story houses. He thought of what now lay on the bottom of the water, where rows of corn had once grown, and he chuckled.
The firmly built, dark haired Ted, wearing blue jeans and a short sleeved yellow shirt, softly sang the words of an old folksong.
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“When I think of my happy condition,
Surrounded by acres of clams.
Surrounded by acres of clams?
Surrounded by acres of clams!” Clams, he thought. Yes! Not just acres, but miles! And miles of oyster beds! And shrimp! And lobster! And crabs!
“Cockles and mussels! Alive! Alive oh!”
And don’t forget all those cultured pearls!
Then Ted called out, “Thank you Lord for Global Warming! Amen.”
And for the schools of fish that swim in the channels, and the seagulls gliding overhead, carried along by the warm breeze, beneath the hot, heavy sun and glaring blue sky.
He slowly moved the small open craft following the channel, which now turned sharply to the right. He expected to see the usual houseboats, barges and masts of sailboats that made up his community of Shellfish Shoal. What he saw made him gasp. He immediately shut off the motor.
About thirty feet ahead, a bare patch of ground rose a few feet above the water. A ten-foot long alligator lay stretched out upon the muddy mound, basking under the heavy sun. The sleeping creature’s jaws were yawned open, with an item hanging from its lower jaw. The item was a woman’s string bikini top, with one of its strings caught around one tooth.
Ted held his breath so as not to wake the creature. He recognized the color pattern of dazzling red, yellow and blue triangles, on the garment’s cups. He’d seen Doris Sheldon, his ex-fiancée, wearing this bikini top yesterday afternoon.
As he sat there trembling Ted prayed softly.
“In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I ask God the Father Almighty, to send forth the Holy Spirit, and…”
And what? He wondered, but just for a moment.
“And keep this creature of yours, who’s already eaten, from eating me too.”
The alligator rose up. Its jaws snapped shut, cutting the bikini string, dropping the garment to the ground, as Ted tried not to move.
Then the creature quickly slid down the embankment into the channel, turned away from the dinghy, gliding just beneath the surface. The lines of scales along its back, moved rapidly away from Ted.
The man sighed and relaxed, while whispering, “Thank you Lord. Amen.”
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Dominating Sword Immortal
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8 732Fantasy World Epsilon 30-10
New Dive Assignment: 0B5 Personnel: Citizen of Gamma G-037-072 Jonathan Kelly World Designation: Epsilon H-037-072-030-010 Classification: Pre-industrial Exotic World, significant outliers in biosphere including atypical flora and fauna. Quarantine protocol in effect pending more data and acclimation testing. Further anomalies include populations of morphologically distinct humanoids, and aberrations in otherwise normative physics laws. Causal chain appears provisionally stable. For the purposes of delaying onset of collapse as well as above mentioned factors, only one subject is cleared to Dive. Initial mandates shall proceed with scouting and surveillance. Further details are classified. Warning: All other qualifying personnel are currently dispatched. Refusal will result in deployment delays and possible unsupervised causal decay. Do you wish to accept this assignment? Note to Readers: This is not MC isolated in a new world. This is new world joins the multiverse. What I'm tentatively coining Subverted Isekai (Formerly I used 'reversed' but, as pointed out, that would be fantasy MC goes to the modern world. Hey, there's idea! Not this book though.). There is plenty of scientific and philosophical stuff; I know that can be a turn off for some. It has a strong bearing on the story, but is mainly covered in the 'Comments & Calculations' section (optional reading of course). If you are looking for an extreme suspension of natural laws with no technical considerations, you will not find it here. Formatting Notes: Audio chatter from characters that are not currently in the scene I format in "inverted commas and italics". Given the layered nature of modern communication, I thought this distinction was best denoted visually in my prose. Critique is welcome. Language Notes Jon is a South African ex-pat. As such he will use some Afrikaans colloquialisms plus a dash of Japanese. Most importantly he says “Ja” meaning “Yes”. Pronounced with a J sound like “yo” and an A sound like “bar”. As in: “Yo, let’s go to the strip bar.” “Ja.” And not the Rastafarian /jya/. Other words: Nee - /niya/ : no Juffrou - /yif-row/ : Miss Lekker - /lacker/ : nice, good, delicious Nooit - /noit/: never The rest is mostly swear words. Indisputably the most useful words in any language and simultaneously holding the least innate meaning. Fok - “fork” without the “r”: fuck Bliksem - /Bluksim/: darn, damn. Also common noun meaning damn person or thing. Donner - “Dorner” without the “r”: originally meaning thunder, can also mean darn or damn. It is often used as a verb meaning: ‘to hit hard’ Kak - /kuck/: shit Voetsek - /foot-sack/: go away
8 297Dana and The Legend of Apollo and Daphne
She is the reincarnation of a Greek god's former lover. Did anyone bother to tell her? No... at least not until the god shows up at her door.I couldn't explain his features any way besides perfect. He was probably the most handsome man I had ever met. Something about him was familiar, as though I had known him for years.One hand still grasping mine, he moved his other into my hair, stroking softly. His warmth surrounding, his touch calmed me.I couldn't move. I could barely breathe. My mind was blank. It was like nothing I ever felt before. I was lost in his eyes, in his warmth, in the feeling that I was safe. At that moment I wished to stay forever. I also knew better than to remain here. However, my muscles went numb under the warmth of his hands. I couldn't move.I layed there him stroking my hair in shock for what in my head felt like forever. Eventually, he leaned down and spoke into my ear making my whole body shiver."My dear, I have waited for this moment for years," his voice was beautiful, strong and warm. Like the wind on a summer day. He had humor in his eyes and I found it extremely unsettling.There was something off about his tone. Almost like I was dreaming, but I knew it wasn't one. Something powerful and dangerous was in his voice... Ohhh no! This wasn't some random mortal standing over me. This.... this... this was a god...Credit to Rick Riordan for building such a wonderful world to put stories into and creating some of these amazing characters.
8 94Summer of 62
Nancy Sawyer is best friends with all the boys from the sandlot. Ya, read if you want. She likes Benny and stuff so. Just read I guess.Also (obviously) I didn't come up with most of this. Most of the characters are from the movie The Sandlot and only a couple are mine.
8 135Why The Hell Not
Sweat started to form all around my body as the pain consumed me. It was 9pm and this had to be the worst wave of heat I've ever experienced! My body ached as the flames traveled from my core, spreading to the rest of my body. I hate heat, every type of heat, but mainly this one. Heat, in my pack, is a bitch! The second you turn 16 your heat starts. Then for the rest of your life you get a heat cycle once a month, as if having a period isn't bad enough. The heat happens right after your period, leaving you 2 weeks of peace as a woman if you find your mate your 16 years of life! If you did not find your mate at 16, when you turn 17 it will be every 2 weeks! Your period is still once a month, thankfully, but the heat cycle directly after your period is the strongest! Leaving you ONE week of peace...unless of course you don't find your mate by the time you turn 17. If you are unlucky enough to not have found your mate by the time you are 18, then yes it will be EVERY week! Leaving you NO peace!!Basically the longer you go without finding your mate, the more heat you will go through. If you're 20+ then it could be EVERY hour! Once you find your mate it goes back down to once a month, thankfully. Lucky, or lucky for me, I'm 17...meaning I've gotta deal with this every 2 weeks. This one in particular is the worst one yet! I grabbed the water on the side of my bed and tried to fix my dry throat.......
8 65How To Get Reads, Votes, and Comments - A Guide
How do I get more reads, votes, and comments?If you find yourself asking that question, then I have some answers for you. What can you do to reach out to readers and potential readers? How can you encourage readers to comment and vote? What are all the different ways you can promote your stories?This #1 ranking guide is written by a Wattpad ambassador and especially geared for new Wattpad authors. Lots of tips, advice, and personal opinions await you - including everything thing I've done to promote my own Watty's finalist and winning stories - but only if you turn the page.Reader testimonial by @AyushiPandey-- 'I read your guide for Wattpad success when I first started writing my story last year in August, and now it has been an entire year when I stumbled upon it again. I just have to say, I loved reading it again, it has the best tips one can find (take it from me, I have read many, many guides here). Thank you so much for taking out your time to compile such an amazing book!' Reader testimonial by @suspishfishy-- 'I have to thank you again! As soon as I wrote a book that focused on what I wanted to write, instantly people started to read my books and give me feedback!'**THIS IS NOT A PLACE TO ADVERTISE YOUR STORY. This is where you'll find detailed instructions for the proper places to advertise and find readers. If you ask people to read your story here, your comment will be removed.**Thanks to @EnjxiiBlxck for the cover.
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