Silverwood by Betsy Streeter

Author:Betsy Streeter
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: science fiction, steampunk, cyberpunk, time travel, young adult, strong female lead, portals, bounty hunter, JUV053000, Juvenile Fiction, JUV037000, Fantasy, Magic, JUV064000
Publisher: Light Messages Publishing
Published: 2015-02-17T16:00:00+00:00

“Rosie, you didn’t eat your dinner.”

“I’m not hungry.”

Rosie’s mom heaves a sigh and looks down at her daughter, who is lying stomach-down on the floor. Rosie is situated in front of the television, paper strewn in an arc on the floor around her. A tiny cat creeps toward her on one side, crunching paper under its paws. Rosie’s dark, curly hair tumbles into her face. She tucks it behind an ear.

It’s a hot evening in the city, so the window of their small apartment stands wide open to let in as much air—and street noise—as possible.

On each sheet of paper Rosie has drawn a nearly identical baseball field, with players stationed at the various bases and in the outfield and a scoreboard stretching across the background.

Rosie draws the center fielder, arms up above his head, the ball descending into his glove. The announcer on the television says, “And he flies out to center field… ”

Next she draws another player sliding into second, and a couple of minutes later the announcer says, “And, he’s stolen second! A good solid throw from the catcher but not in time.”

Rosie’s drawing session proceeds in this way for another inning or so, as she practices her skills. She completes a drawing of an ad for the all-new redesigned convertible car two minutes before it airs. She sketches out the wild pattern and bold stripe on the shirt and tie worn by the announcer who will come on for the post-game show. The baseball game concludes, the shirt and tie appear on the screen as if on cue.

Later that night, long after the television has been shut off and everyone has gone to bed, Rosie draws another picture in her room. In this one, a single figure stands knee-deep in the waters of a lake. Trees line the banks and ripples radiate out around this person’s knees. It’s a woman, with white-blonde hair and wearing a black coat. Rosie ponders it after she finishes, unsure what to make of it. Then it hits her, the figure in her drawing looks just like Henry’s mom. Why would Mrs. Silverwood going swimming come to mind? What does that mean?

Rosie frowns. She stacks up her drawings at the foot of her bed and crawls under her covers. Tomorrow she will flip over all of tonight’s drawings and draw on the backs of the sheets, in order to save paper.

Across the street, notes and photographs of Rosie’s activities this evening will be transmitted to the Council and placed in the archives, as is the standard procedure with every Guild member in the tracking system.

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