The Needle's Eye (novel preview)

Prologue

(A/N): THE NEEDLE'S EYE will now be published and available for purchase on September 13th 2016! Don't miss it!

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Once, there were three sons.

Their father gave to each a number of beautiful things, of which they were to choose one for keeping.

To his eldest son, he gave four beautiful things; to the second son, he gave three; and to the youngest, he gave two.

The eldest son threw all of his beautiful things into the wind and then began to chase them, but once he had found them all, there were none left for keeping.

The second son took his beautiful things and showed them his soul, but they did not understand.

The youngest son was so displeased with his beautiful things that he threw them into the sea.

The brothers were left with nothing.  There was no more beauty anywhere.

Their father was very disappointed...

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The Needle's Eye

Prologue

I

    

Is it still out there? The old man wondered this as he sat, staring into the distance.

Beyond a stretch of water that receded from the coast and slid easily into the greater mass of sea, an island had once been visible from the village. The mere width of the isle had been as large as the mainland settlement itself, elevated to a higher level in order to loom over everything of lesser standing. Despite the proud superiority of the land, it was not the surface of the rock that had inspired the man to lift his eyes and regard the island in the days of his youth. What had truly attracted a young boy's fancy was the castle that sat on the island's highest point, surrounded by a forest of jutting evergreens.

The structure had always seemed so distant and dark, sitting ominously on the horizon. Shadows of the pointed turrets fell across the surface of the evening sea, aiming at the village like sharpened spears. It had once been the old man's dream to explore that castle, but the time for that had passed. A blessing or a curse, the fog had come, and the island called Needle's Eye had vanished from sight. For those few who were able to remember it, the island and the castle that sat upon it were hardly more than a distant memory.

And a recurring nightmare, the old man thought. His frown deepened.

He sat quietly now—restfully—looking out over the sea as far as his failing eyes would lead him until the fog shielded the horizon. Did the castle still stand beyond that haze, walls crumbling and tapestries musty with mold? Or had the sea finally claimed the island it sat on like it should have done ages ago? More important than that: was he the only one still wondering these things? He would never know the truth, he supposed. All he could do was as he did now, to look over the water and speculate.

What happened to you, my sister? Why didn't you come home?

"Grandfather!"

An eager voice broke into the old man's thoughts, pulling him back to the present in the way that a bit commanded a stubborn horse. He sighed heavily through his nose, past hairs that were long and neglected. Just for a moment, he had nearly forgotten that he was old and that the tragedy had passed. Those horrors were long dead. And he'd almost forgotten his darlings.