Novel excerpts: Near-death experiences

3 of 11

by Patti Winters

Created on: January 07, 2010

Xander felt his feet slipping on some ice as he headed down the slope trying to get away from that mad woman that was chasing after him. His feet went out from under him and he was falling into an empty canal. On the way down, his head hit a rock and he lost consciousness. His final thought before he lost consciousness, was that she was going to catch him. His body rolled down the hill and came to rest under several trees that had fallen in the last snowstorm. After an hour of searching all over the area, Josie decided to take Beatrice home, figuring that Xander was hiding from her and he would find his own way home. Josie took Beatrice back to the house to wait for him to return.

Lexie had just returned to her home after settling Linda with Anna. That girl was a piece of work; she had to admit that much. After explaining all the rules and how things worked on the island she had asked Linda about the kind of house she wanted. Lexie had to laugh when she thought back on the girl’s reply. She wanted a large house with a pool and hot tub and a few other 'necessities' as she had put it. The house she described was bigger than hers and Josie's put together. First of all she explained that there wasn't enough room on the island for a house that size. Secondly she was only a cadet and it was not going to happen. She had finally given up and taken both of them over to Josie's house to stay there until she got back and could deal with Linda and her illusions of grandeur. Josie wouldn't mind them staying at her house.

She was getting ready to return to St. Louis when she felt Josie's fear. Now what would Josie have to worry about, she wondered.

“Josie, what's wrong?”

“He's missing.”

“Who's missing Josie?”

“I lost him!”

“Josie, calm down and tell me who you lost.”

Expecting to hear it was either Wilbur or Gregory, she wasn't prepared for the answer that reached her.

“Xander is lost.”

"NO!”

“Yes, I lost him.”

“You lost Xander? How? Where? How could you have lost him?”

“We were having a disagreement, and then Beatrice was chasing after him.”