Welcome to the TREE OF LIFE: Branching Out collaborative writing challenge, where creative minds meet epic movie music. To read the collective story in its entirety as it unfolds and for more details on this groundbreaking collaboration with Audiomachine click HERE.
Today’s featured guest writer is the witty, word wielding librarian, Sarah Wesson. Visit Sarah at Earful of Cider, where the caffeine gnomes demand tribute!
* Listen to the inspiring track from Audiomachine’s Tree of Life album featured in the sidebar music player
Inspiring Soundtrack: Audiomachine – Age of Innocence – Tree of Life
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The distant mountain grumbled again, and Zoe felt the vibrations. “What’s happening?” she asked, pressing a hand to her stomach.
Adam laughed. “We’re hungry, my love.” He sprang to his feet and helped her to hers. “Come on.”
Hand in hand, they walked in beauty under the dawn streaked sky, uncaring that they were naked.
They came to a place where tangles of wild grapevines wound around heavy-laden berry bushes. They ate until their lips were stained red from sweet fruits and their breath was savory from vegetables pulled from the rich earth.
Deeper they wandered into the garden, and deeper, until the ground rose and they found themselves on a path leading to two white rocks.
The Unicorn landed before them, its horn catching the sun and flashing with sudden fire–but they were unafraid. Adam’s voice and Zoe’s touch gentled their friend and its horn cooled as it bowed its head and withdrew.
A shining coil lifted its head from a boulder, the slitted eyes brimming with broken pride and aching sorrow.
Zoe’s heart broke open, and she reached out. It wound itself around her arm and seemed to take comfort from the scent of her skin on its flicking tongue.
Adam drew her to him and they passed between the rocks.
A tree of familiar and wondrous beauty stood before them, a single, glowing fruit hanging from the lowest of its branches.
The serpent hid its head in the crook of Zoe’s arm.
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© 2013 Sarah Wesson
ATTENTION FANS: You can WIN an autographed TREE OF LIFE Audiomachine album by LEAVING COMMENTS! On August 17th, two lucky readers will be chosen at random from the comments section of the story excerpts. The more you comment–the better your chances are of winning a piece of cinematic history! We want to hear from YOU!
TREE OF LIFE is available NOW! Click on the following links:
Purchase a CD from CD Baby
Download it from iTunes
Stream it on Spotify Download it from Amazon Purchase a CD from Amazon
Fantastic, Sarah! My heart thudded as I reached the end of your excerpt. Wow! What’s going to happen next!
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Sarah, quite quite lovely thank you! I ditto Vidya .. what next?
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Oh that was good…and good foreshadowing, too.
Tina @ Life is Good
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This was very beautifully written. I do get the feeling that serpent holds mischief beneath it’s scales 🙂
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Works perfectly with the music…and keen to know the serpent’s intentions! I love the inclusion of the tree!
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Good reading and good listening!!
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Hi Sarah,
And with the resonance of the music, your words of magic, of lucidity, danced through my mind. Such a marvellous contribution, my friend. Well done and thank you for your excerpt in this wondrous collaboration.
Gary 🙂
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Wonderful! Now I’m curious to know where this is leading… 🙂
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What wonderful descriptions! Great job Sarah. 🙂
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Oh, such a nice cyclical piece! And so our Adam and Eve stand before a tree, a serpent with them, and a glorious piece of fruit. But will they be tempted? And what will that bring?
Shannon at The Warrior Muse
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I loved the introduction of an impending conflict through the serpent and the anxious unicorn trying to warn them. Fantastic interpretation of the music, Sarah, well done!
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Thank you, everyone. I was nervous about following such terrific writers!
And thanks for inviting me to participate, Sam!
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Sarah, my heart’s thudding too, wondering if they’re re-visiting the tree whence it all began or seeing it for the first time. Gah!!! (In the best possible way!) Digging the tension! 🙂
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How many more twists can this story handle?
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Intriguing and beautiful.
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Uh-oh… I feel like I’ve heard this story before, and it didn’t end well…
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