The Understorey, Book One of The Leaving Series (49 page)

    I grabbed her face in my
hands and kissed her puckered lips.
    “I love you Julia Jacobs.”
    “And I love you Elliott
Gray.”   
    “I need to tell you something Jules.”
    “What’s that sweets?”
    “You know that I love you but I don’t think I’ve
ever really told you
how
I love you.”

“Go on.”

I kept her face in my palms, so she could
feel
my words.

“Did you know that my heart beats from my
chest every single time I am close to you? Every time I am in the
same vicinity? That each time I witness your chest rise and fall
with breath I am grateful beyond belief? That you are everything a
person, a woman, should be and that your heart and soul are as
pristine as the clean bright glow of your eyes? And that I have
never wanted to protect someone so much in my entire life?

“You’ve struck me in ways I didn’t know
possible Jules.” I grinned from ear to ear. “I’m happy that you are
blind to my faults and even happier that you love me as much as I
love you. I can say with absolute certainty that you are the only
person in this world that deserves the moon, the ocean and the
stars. You are the
only
exception. You deserve them and if
it takes me our entire lives to give them to you I won’t settle
until they are yours.”

Then I kissed her softly.

Tears welled in her eyes and she spoke softly
into my ear, “When we were small, I remember playing on this very
rock bridge. It seems funny now, looking back, I can see just how
steeped we were in our destiny even then, unaware of the dormant
gift that lay beneath our own skin.

“The first few months we were re-discovering
who we were to one another and I often wondered what God had been
waiting for when I could have known you as
this
Elliott all
those years, saddened by all the missed love, but as I’d gotten to
know you all over again, I uncovered why.

“Time. Time was what He needed to design us
as individuals, to sketch us to
compliment
the other
Elliott, as a perfect combination of souls and only
time
will tell what we are fated to do with it. We are destined for
greatness Elliott Gray.

“I can
feel
it.”

My watch unexpectedly chimed midnight.
There was a single, rapturous kiss.
And a pair of eyes watching us from the cold shadows.

Thank You’s and Apologies:

Dear City of Bramwell,
I made it appear in my book that you were all a bunch of ninnies
who had no mind of your own and are obsessed with your children’s
lives. I KNOW THIS TO BE UNTRUE............but I desperately needed
you to be, fictitiously, for the sake of the novel.
Please forgive me. I know just how wonderful all of you truly are
and I promise you that my readers will know it as well.
Yours forever,
Fisher Amelie

Dear readers,
I made it appear in my book that the city of Bramwell were a bunch
of ninnies, who have no minds of their own and are obsessed with
their children’s lives. THIS IS UNTRUE. (Though, they do love their
children dearly.) In fact, Bramwellians are incredible, hard
working, smart and funny individuals who make up one of the best
damn towns in the United States of America.
Yours forever,
Fisher Amelie

Hidden (and some
not
so hidden) Song
Titles

Elliott’s & Jules’ current fav song-
Starring by Freelance Whales
Chapter One- Battle by Beats Antique
Chapter One- Thick as Thieves by Dashboard Confessional
Chapter One- Southern Weather by The Almost
Chapter One- Caterpillar by Beats Antique
Chapter One- The Difference Between Medicine and Poison is in the
Dose by Circa Survive
Chapter One- Koan by The Guggenheim Grotto
Chapter One- Lover’s March by The Future Cast
Chapter One- Here Comes the Sun by The Beatles
Chapter Two- Birds by Deas Vail
Chapter Two- High by Feeder
Chapter Two- Daylight by Matt & Kim
Chapter Two- Eyes by Rogue Wave
Chapter Two-Glory Box by Portishead
Chapter Two- Without You by Silverchair
Chapter Two- Part 1, Those Thieving Birds by Silverchair
Chapter Two- Ready To Go by Republica
Chapter Two- Destiny by Zero 7
Chapter Two-Sleep Well Tonight by The Dissociatives
Chapter Three- Aha! by Imogen Heap
Chapter Three- Wouldn’t It Be Nice by The Beach Boys
Chapter Five- Winter by Antonio Vivaldi
Chapter Six- Somewhere only we know by Keane
Chapter Eight- Mustard Gas by The Dear Hunter
Chapter Nine- Ice Dance by Danny Elfman
Chapter Nine- Back against the Wall by Cage the Elephant
Chapter Ten- The Only Exception by Paramore
Chapter Ten- Fear by OneRepublic

Ha! Good luck with this
link:
http://www.fisheramelie.com/kickacemusic

Join me at facebook.com/fisheramelie

I’d love to incessantly bombard you with my
thoughts and feelings. E.g,

Fisher Amelie

Is picking lint from her toes and
stuffing

it in the secret box hidden beneath

her bed marked ‘lint’.

18 minutes ago
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Thank you also to roobix, llc at
www.goroobix.com
. Just look at my websites
if you’re curious to know why I’m eternally grateful to them!
(Shameless plug. Nyuck, nyuck, nyuck.)

www.theleavingseries.com
has some wild and
crazy stuff on it, including some recipes from Memaw Joan E. So,
check ‘er out! Elliott and Jules told me they’ve put some great
junk up there as well. I might just scope it out with you.

www.fisheramelie.com
tells you only a little
about Fisher but lots about the things that surround her.

For
You
:

The Imposed Upon Heart

For if I had but one more day

‘Fore Peter led me on my way

I’d write our destiny with pen

Preserving what had always been

And what would always be, you see

For you’re the only one for me.

-Fisher

And last, but for a reason. I always save the best for last:

To Christ,

Oh, without You.

My life would be devoid of happiness.

Thank You.

P.S. Thanks for the kickin’ sense of
humor.

Fisher Amelie Interview with Julia Jacobs and
Elliott Gray:

Fisher: I’m sitting here with the main
characters of my newest book, The Understorey. Elliott and Jules?
Welcome.

Elliott: Thank you.

Jules: No prob, Bob.

Fisher: Now, I know you guys don’t have much
time so I’ll try to make this quick. This first one’s for Jules.
Was it embarrassing to see what a goof you were in the beginning
about handling the gift that you and Elliott share?

Jules: Well, kind of. I mean, when Elliott
told me you were writing our story, for a split second
, just a
split
, I thought about nudging you with my elbow, winking, and
encouraging you to use some of that creative license of yours, but
Elliott convinced me that you wouldn’t make me appear too foolish
so I bit my tongue and trusted him that you would represent me
well.

Fisher: And were you happy with the
results?

Jules: Yeah, I have to admit, I was. I mean,
granted, I looked like a spoiled brat in the beginning but you
pulled it off nicely and by the end of the novel I felt vindicated.
Plus, you told our story with such honesty, I couldn’t get that
upset right?

(Laughing)

Fisher: Is this the bracelet?

Jules: Yes, it is. Beautiful isn’t it?

Fisher: Quite. Elliott?

Elliott: Yes ma’am?

Fisher: Your cuff?

Elliott: This is it.

Fisher: Fascinating. They both feel like any
normal cuff or bracelet to me.

Elliott: Any normal cuff or bracelet that can
store power. Let me ask you a question.

Fisher: Okay.

Elliott: Does this cuff make me look like a
pansy?

Jules: (Laughs) Oh Elliott! I’ve told you!
It’s a very manly cuff.

Elliott: I know, I know! But it’d be nice to
get Fisher’s opinion.

Fisher: It’s a cuff even the Dos Equis guy
would wear.

Elliott: Good enough for me. He
is
the
most interesting man in the world.

Jules: That he is and manly as all get
out!

(Laughs)

Fisher: Okay. So, next question. Elliott’s
turn.

Elliott: Uh, oh.

Fisher: I’ll go easy. What’s it like to be
such a heart throb?

Elliott: (Clears throat) Well, ha ha, I don’t
really know. I, uh, I don’t know.

Jules: I’ll come to your rescue babe.
Elliott’s one of those heart throbs that isn’t aware they’re
actually heart throbs. You’ve just let the cat out of the bag.

(Laughs)

Fisher: Moving on then.

(Laughs)

Fisher: Elliott, your relationship with your
mom is so adorable. It’s so obvious how much you love and respect
her. What advice can you give my readers about possibly duplicating
that same relationship with their own parent?

Elliott: Well, the trick is to get them good
and schnockered.

Jules: Elliott!

(Laughs)

Elliott: Kidding, kidding. Truthfully? When
you’re kind to them, reliable, loving, and honest they’ll treat you
the way you want to be treated. Isn’t that right Jules?

Jules: Of course babe. Parents are difficult,
that’s a given, but if you’re mature enough to realize that when
you give to them they also want to give back to you, and usually
tenfold your effort, you can create a nice little situation for
yourself.

Fisher: Good advice. So, Jules, I’m going to
get into a hard question here.

Jules: Shoot.

Fisher: The scene where Jesse takes you from
your car. How difficult was that to read?

Jules: Extremely. I kept stopping to gain
composure, picking the book back up, and then stopping again. It
was harder than I thought it would be, harder than the cave and
cabin scenes.

Fisher: Really?

Jules: Yeah, because….You alright
Elliott?

Elliott: Mmm, hmm. (Clears throat)

Jules: Because the cave scenes, at the time I
was living them, I was prepared for death. I know that sounds awful
but I had mentally prepped myself so I wasn’t as blown away by it
all. I had steeled myself by that point. The initial abduction
seemingly came out of the blue. I was just floored and really had
no idea what I was doing. I desperately clung to anything that
could get me away from him and when I failed myself, I felt like I
had failed Elliott. It was heartbreaking. Towards the end, I’d lost
hope and I never thought that would happen to me.