It’s Sunday again, and time for 8Sunday (click on the logo above) and SnipSunday (click on the logo below.) I’ve posted as much as I’d planned to from War’s End, and for a while I’ll take turns posting random snippets from my published science fiction. Today’s is from Homecoming, available in all formats from Amazon or Barnes and Noble. This snippet is from Marna’s re-acquaintance with her home planet, Riya, after a plague has depopulated the planet.
Back among the trees, she saw movement out of the corner of her eye, and caught her breath with delight as she managed to make out the form of a butterfly cat, as long as Marna was tall, even without its tail. Its sleek coat was greenish yellow with dark green swirls on its sides, rings of the darker green on its legs ad tail, and four angled swirls like butterflies flaring out from its forehead to encircle its eyes and its tufted ears. Butterfly cats were solitary hunters, and rare, and Marna felt privileged to see one.
She kept walking, afraid any break in her steady movement would frighten the animal away, and tried to watch it out of the corner of her eye. Its peridot eyes clearly saw her, but the creature showed no sign of fear. It was stalking something, she thought, its movements as fluid as the river and utterly silent. She reached out with her mind, wanting to feel its wildness ….
The beast was stalking her, and preparing to spring.
Sorry if I don’t get around much this week, the chemo has really caught up with me.
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Argh! Run! This snippet drew me in and l was enjoying the beauty then all of a sudden there was danger! Loved it.
Or at least do something!
Beautifully written. Thank you and healing thoughts go your way from me
Thanks, Living in Alaska, I’m all too aware of this kind of mesmerism.
Nice excerpt! I like such clear descriptions of something I can’t ever see myself. You end with a bang instead of opening with one, and it works really well.
This is one of those pieces that wrote itself.
Loved it…I’m not sure she’s feeling so privileged anymore…Hope your feeling better soon, will send up some healing prayers for you!
Privileged, yes–but she’s forgotten that privilege does not exclude danger. I’m privileged to live where grizzlies, wolves and moose are part of the local ecosystem, but that doesn’t mean I’m don’t take precautions.
Yup, I live in Mountain Lion territory, and I definitely keep alert when out walking. This was their home first. But I stand by my assertion that I’d feel privileged to see one up close only if I wasn’t on the menu : ) I’ve had several coyotes cross my path, and a few rattlesnakes, and because they aren’t really interested in me, I’m thrilled by those encounters.
Best wishes to you, first of all. Loved this excerpt, could really visualize the cat, was all happy, like your heroine and then ZAP – it’s stalking *her* LOL. Terrific snippet!
Unfortunately that’s the way all to many nature-watchers up here think.
I was thinking I wanted a butterfly cat … until the end – very nice surprise there – wonderfully done. I so totally didn’t expect that.
Think of them as the tiger of this planet. (And I used to be in love with the mounted Siberian tiger at the Harvard Museum of Natural history. Saw him a couple of months ago at reunion and I still am.)
Your description of something that exists only in your imagination is great. I could almost picture this animal, lulled by its beauty. You leave it on a super cliff hanger. Well done.
I’ve actually added a few details since–on this planet the backboned creature have three sets of “limbs.” Decided the butterfly cats have claspers on either side of their mouths for their third pair.
Yikes! I had a feeling that it was like our large predatory cats! Uh oh. Excellent description, Sue Ann!
I’m sorry the chemo has you fatigued. I hope you get your energy back soon. 🙂
It’s only a passing predator.
I was expecting a winged predator, but I like this much better—and such a cliffhanger,too! Very nice.
Take care of yourself.
Would you rather have a little winged jewel-colored lizard? They act as pollinators on this planet.
Yes, please! Such a gorgeous planet!
But one on which everyone bu Marna is dead of disease.
Well, yes, there’s that . . .
Run! Love the way this ended.
Or at least do something.
Yikes! She better run. Great snippet. Drew me in from the beginning.
Sorry to hear you aren’t feeling well. ((Hugs!)) Hope you’re feeling better soon. 🙂
I have fun imagining alien ecologies.
Sorry you’re not well and I hope you feel better soon.
I can just picture this creature and feel the sense of danger.
I enjoy inventing critters. (and plants.)
Love this “. . . its movements as fluid as the river and utterly silent. She reached out with her mind, wanting to feel its wildness ….” Great writing, SueAnn!
Thank you.
Nice unexpected ended.
It just came out that way.
This was awesome all the way around!
Glad you liked it.
Oh, that turned quite quickly. I was so caught up in how beautiful the cat creature was that I didn’t expect it to suddenly turn on our protagonist. Quite a unsettling, but exciting turn of events.
That was exactly how Marna reacted.
Great description there.
Glad you like it.
What a lovely snippet. I could see the beautiful creature!
Beautiful like a Siberian tiger.
I like the twist at the end of such a beautiful description, almost serene. What a great creature you created!
Many of the most beautiful creatures are the most deadly.
Absolutely love the butterfly cat! And such great descritpions in this snippet!
Sending you positive healing vibes! You will be in my thoughts and prayers ❤
Thanks.