Riftwalker

NaNo 2018 was another one where I started with one book but finished with a completely different one. In this case, the story I started with was called Riftwalker, and I had the vague idea of making into a series.

Here’s the blurb I had on NaNo:
The rifts have existed since the dawn of time. They are tears in dimensional space, making connections between worlds. Most people are unaware of the rifts but a few are not only able to sense them, they can travel through them (and take others with them). Those with the strongest affinity to the rifts are recruited as Guardians, assigned to guard the rifts that lead to the more vulnerable worlds from those who would try to exploit them. A very rare few can not only sense rifts and travel through them, but in extreme circumstances actually create temporary rifts.

This is the story of what happens to a woman on the run who accidentally stumbles through a rift, and the Guardian who finds her.

Like Knightsong, I realized it was a little too complicated try completing for NaNo, but I was at 9,000 words before I gave up. Today’s excerpt is the opening for this novel.

Mallory tried, unsuccessfully, to push the panic down to better concentrate on getting her breathing under control as she ran. Maybe leaving the path hadn't been the smartest idea after all. She was making so much noise pushing through the brush that she couldn't tell if her pursuers were gaining or falling behind.

If she got out of this she swore she'd never take a shortcut through the park again, even it if did shave twenty minutes off her walk home. She'd been in a hurry though; she hadn't meant to work so late but there was something funny about the account she'd been working on and she wanted to document it to bring it to Mr. Addison's attention in the morning. Now she just prayed she'd survive until morning.

Thank God she was in the habit of changing into running shoes for the walk home. She wouldn't have got far in heels, nor in her stocking feet. Now she wished she'd worn something more practical to work today, like a pair of dark pants and sweater instead of the bright yellow dress the men chasing her could probably see for miles.

She flinched as another low branch struck her across the face. It was so dark she could barely see enough to avoid running straight into a tree. She needed to get her bearings; did she dare slow down? A gunshot cut through the harsh sound of her breathing and the wind in the trees, making up her mind for her.

Oh, God! She was going to die! And all because she was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

She'd cut through the park hundreds of times without seeing another soul. This time she passed the fountain and went around the bend in the cobblestone path and there they were, three men in suits and two hulking brutes in leather. One of the men she’d recognized right away. The second one took a moment for her to place and when she did she stopped in her tracks. What was the CEO of the accounting firm she worked for doing meeting a known mob boss in the middle of the park at night?

The third man chose that moment to look up and Mallory knew she was in big trouble. She was already turning to run when she heard the yell of, “Get her!” Survival instincts took over and she sprinted back the way she'd come, then off into the woods that lined the path when it became obvious she'd never outrun the two goons in leather jackets. And now here she was, lost in the woods and running out of energy.

The park was never well used at the best of times and with the damp weather the few people that might have been around were safe and dry in their homes. There was no one to come to her rescue, even the cops seldom bothered to include the park in their patrols.

Suddenly, her foot slipped out from under her as it hit something soft. Mallory fell heavily onto her side, hands held out to break her fall, sliding through the slippery substance she'd landed in. The wind was knocked out of her and as she tried to catch her breath she could hear the sound of running water.

Damn it! She'd forgotten about the river that cut through this side of the park. She must be somewhere close to the bank. It had rained all day yesterday and part of today - she was lucky the water had receded and left only mud behind – she couldn't swim.

She grimaced as she pushed her hands into the mud to raise herself to a sitting position, trying not to imagine what kind of creepy, crawly creatures might be living in it. Moving her legs under her she winced as pain shot through one of her ankles.

Great. Not only was she lost and on the run from gun toting thugs, she was going to get caught because of an injured ankle and die covered in mud. Wait! The mud! Hadn't Arnold Schwarzenegger's character covered himself in mud for camouflage in the movie Predator? She'd watched a rerun of it just last week.

Surely sacrificing her favourite dress was worth it if it saved her life. It was probably already stained beyond saving anyway. With only a slight hesitation, she reached down and brought up handfuls of mud, shuddering slightly as she smoothed it down her chest and skirt. It took several precious minutes before she could bring herself to lie down on her back in the mud, rolling slightly back and forth to make sure she was fully covered.

Sitting up again, her breath caught as she heard voices in the distance. Now what she needed was a place to hide. Carefully, she got to her feet, stifling a gasp as she put her weight on her sore ankle. It hurt like hell, but it seemed like it would hold her weight.

She hobbled carefully towards the sound of running water and held onto a sapling for support as she reached the river bank. The river was running high and fast, but there was a faint path along it on this side. Vaguely she remembered there were rock formations further downstream. With any luck at all she could find a place to hide in the rocks. If she could make it that far.

The voices seemed to be drawing closer, although that could just be the effect of the sound on the water, but Mallory wasn't taking any chances. As quickly as she was able, she followed the path along the winding river, her ankle sending a shot of pain upwards with every step.

The trees began to thin out as a dark mass loomed up in front of her. Thank God! Now to find some place to curl up in. If she could hide here until morning, she just might make it out of this alive.

Of course the clouds chose that moment to roll in and cover the light from the moon. Mallory bit back a whimper of frustration. She was all but blind here. Hands held in front of her, she shuffled forward, barking the shin of her good leg on a low-lying boulder. She listed to the side and caught a quick flash of something glowing green that sent an electric tingle through her, and then she was falling, falling, falling, until at last darkness claimed her.