#tempest unleashed

Word Count: 523

It was an afternoon at Dartmouth College filled with students all across the country, setting up their booths and preparing their science projects. There were tons of colleges scattered throughout the floor, each of them focusing on their specific.

Charlotte was filled with energy and filled with confidence, setting up her science project to show off. She stands wearing Muskogee University weather jacket with her name tag. She was gazing at the floor with her eyes preparing herself. Scott, on the other hand, was dressed in a MIT jacket, name tag, and jeans. He was standing tall, filled with arrogance. He was busy making sure his project was perfect and ready to go as he was giving those who walked by a smirk.

As Charlotte finishes up so does Scott as the two look at each other's projects before the two lock eyes with one another, a challenge for the two of them.

"Wow, someone decided to bring the big guns to this thing. Especially coming from MIT. Must be nice to have all those resources." Charlotte said, scanning his project before looking at him crossing her arms.

"Well, it seems to me that Muskogee University must be thriving on the strength. What is it? Oh yeah, tornado research? I didn't realize they were in the business of weather control." He said, looking up with a smirk.

"You don't get it do you? We actually make a difference, not like you guys who play with fancy gadgets and try to be all perfect." She raised a brow.

"Fancy gadgets? For the love of God, people like you always say that. My project's about quantum computing. Now tell me, what's your big breakthrough for what was it? Muskogee University. Is it predicting tornadoes? If it is, that's a really great party trick." Scott said, leaning against his table.

"That actually sounds pretty boring. You should really know that some of us like me actually care about making a strong impact. But I guess when you're busy showing off your quantum crap you miss the point."

"Nothing about quantum computing is boring. But I guess when you're busy chasing storms, you miss out on the real science of it all. Classic Muskogee University fashion." He mocked.

"Whatever you say, Quantum Jackass. Let's just see how your 'quantum computing' holds up against a real challenge like mine." She scoffed doing air quotes.

"Bring it on, Tornado Brat. Now, let's see if your storm-chasing skills are worth more than your weathered jacket there."

As they exchange a quick and simple argument, a competition official arrives to start the long event ahead of them. Charlotte and Scott turn their attention to the task at hand. Throughout the competition, the tension between them is evident and continues to grow. Despite their disagreements, their competitive spirit drives them to push each other to do better. The day wraps up with both teams performing well, but the rivalry remains. As they pack up, Charlotte throws a final comment over her shoulder.

"See you around, Quantum Jackass at more competitions I will beat your ass at." She smiled.

Anarchy was a lonely seventeen year old girl. Standing at 5’3, she was easy to miss, especially when she wrapped herself in layers of black clothing, paired along with her army boots of course. Alone, she roamed the empty streets of London, in the fall weather she so loved; she was searching for her journal. She needed to find it. Her journal contained within its leather bound pages everything she was. When she was sad, she would pour her despair unto the pages, which would always listen, unlike her father. The little book seemed to be the only thing in this world that cared about her. Angry or happy, the journal was her one confident in life, and she’d be damned if she didn’t find it.  So, with the steely eyed resolve of a girl about to lose what she believed to be her entire world, she checked all of the places she would normally take it- the bench in the park for when she needed inspiration, her log in the woods where she could try the trees and, the corner seat in the cafe with the sweet coffee and bitter people. However, everywhere she went, she found only memories and dying leaves.

 Exhausted both mentally and physically, she decided to check the docks as the sun began to descend. Without her journal, she felt lost. What if someone had found it, and was tearing through the depths of her mind, as she stood there, desolate. Unable to cope with such a loss, she closed her eyes and lay down on the old, familiar, creaking brown dock, with her legs swinging precariously over the edge. One slight nudge and the rest of her would fall in too, but that didn’t bother her much at all. The sounds of the ocean calmed the dissonance in her mind, making her forget why she had gone there in the first place. With a sigh, she focused on the sounds around her; the waves were crashing down upon themselves, imploding in an odd, frantically ferocious way. The winds were picking up, almost howling in rage. The world around her was getting louder and louder, but she didn’t mind in the slightest, even as the water hit her, or when she started trembling because of the cold, because she didn’t have to focus on her own mind anymore. It was due to the fact that she was in this odd, semi-conscious state of peace that she did not hear the footstep rushing behind her, and startled when she felt large rough hands shaking her small shoulders.

“Lass, what’re ya doin ‘ere, ya wanna die? These ‘ere waves are gonna kill you! A tornado is comin’, don’t ya know!”

Slowly, as if she had all the time in the world, Anarchy opened her eyes, peering curiously at the frustrated fisherman, who was still trying to get her to move. Little did he know; she wasn’t going anywhere. Conflicted between getting out of the growing storm himself, and helping the small looking girl with a glint in her eyes, he swore in such a way that only a sailor of insurmountable experience could, and ran.

Chuckling to herself, Anarchy watched the large man run and stumble, while she waited. She was trying to be patient, but in all honesty, she was itching for the storm to deal unto her body the same fate her mind had a long time ago. Looking to the angry beast that was the ocean, she remembered what she has last written in her journal-

“A lost mind,

Often results in a lost body,

It needs to keep up you see.

Hurt the outside

While trying to impede the pain,

To strangle the demons within.

A storm is coming,

Tempest Unleashed Tempest, Book #2 By Tracy Deebs ISBN# 13: 9780802728302 Author’s site: http://www.tracywolff.com/

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Heidi

Tempest Unleashed picks up about eight months after Tempest Rising left off.  Tempest is sticking to her decision to live in the ocean and is getting used to her daily life serving the queen, who she doesn’t get along with, and going to see Kona whenever she can.   But she can never quite shake her feelings for Mark.

But when Tempest is plagued with a feeling that something is wrong at home, she and Kona flee to La Jolla to find out what it is.  When they arrive they discover that her little brother, Moku, nearly drowned and is in a coma.  As the days pass the doctors are getting less and less optimistic that he will ever wake up.  It takes Kona going back into the ocean and bringing back the selkie healer to bring him out of it.

Then, her dad informs Tempest that Moku didn’t have a surfing accident, but that it was the sea witch trying to take him.  After hearing this, she has no choice, but to return to the ocean and face Tiamat head-on.