Prep-tober is in full swing! As the leaves change and the weather shifts, I’m joining the NaNoWriMo plotters in brainstorming the book I will write come November. The ideas come in bits and pieces, like the scene with the angels I wrote a couple weeks ago. This scene follows a prophetess as she puts her spiritual gift into practice.
The Prophetess
Daniela couldn’t get Ethan’s face out of her mind as she left the gym. She saw Mr. Peter clinging to a piece of paper on his desk, saw Ethan’s head droop. As she closed the car door behind her, she felt that knot in her stomach that told her she had to stay.
She had to follow Ethan.
Daniela watched Ethan’s truck shudder to life. She gently pulled out of the parking lot behind him. They turned through the town’s streets until the houses thinned out and got smaller. Ethan pulled into a driveway, and Daniela parked on the other side of the street. She turned off the car and watched Ethan trudge inside.
What am I doing here? Daniela thought. She shifted in her seat and tapped on the steering wheel.
Then she heard the yelling. She heard the crash of broken glass. Lord, help him. Protect him. Put your hand upon him that not a hair on his head would be hurt.
She didn’t stop praying until she heard the screen door creak open on its rusty hinges. Daniela opened her eyes and unclenched her fists.
Ethan slipped across the yard and crouched by the blooming rose bushes.
Ethan
Daniela quietly slid out of the car and followed him around the side of the house. She stood a few paces behind him as he bent over to pull the few weeds. “Your scholarship ran out, didn’t it?”
Ethan jumped from the rose bushes into a fighting stance, then dropped his fists. “Who told you?” His eyebrows furrowed as he studied her still face. Just as quickly as he’d jumped, he slumped and growled. “Dadgummit, why do you have to be prophetess?” He pulled at his hair, spun on his heel, and crouched back down to the weeds. “What? Are you going to tell me being poor white trash is a sin?”
Daniela closed her eyes in a silent prayer and took a deep breath. She knelt down next to Ethan and joined him in pulling weeds. “First off, you’re not white trash. You’re a son of God.”
Ethan didn’t say anything, but his rips at the weeds got a tiny bit softer.
“Secondly, prophets don’t just call out sin. God also gives insights to encourage other believers.” She sat back on her heels. “So now do you want to answer my question?”
Ethan turned and chucked a weed as hard as he could across the grass. He collapsed back and sprawled his legs in front of him. His face burned red, and his jaw ground silently.
“Yes. My scholarship ran out. I can’t afford to be part of the team anymore.”
Daniela clapped the dirt off her hands and settled cross-legged beside him. “Well, we’re just going to have to fix that, aren’t we?”
NaNoWriMo
Is anyone else planning on writing for NaNoWriMo? I’d love to hear about your project in the comments!