Sample of my Kindle Vella Story, Chatsworth Manor

So, I have been writing an episodic story for Kindle Vella. It has been a process but it seems to be coming along. I only have four episodes done but the fifth is almost ready to be published.

I figured it would be a good idea to share a piece of the first episode with you. I hope you enjoy and check out the episodes. By the way, the first three episodes are free to read.

Chatsworth Manor Sample Episode One

“I get the chair!” Rachel said. She ran to the small living room that was in the back of the house. My dad always called it the only room that got used.

The chair as Rachel had called it, was nothing special. The person who got it though could plop it directly in the middle of the room right in front of the TV. I didn’t run because I knew if I wanted to sit in the chair, I’d just take it from Rachel. At the time Rachel was seven and I was twice her size.

I walked into the living room and saw Rachel sitting proudly with a big smile on her face. She’d already changed the channel to the cartoon channel, and she was bouncing in the chair and watching a large purple ape beat on the top of the head of a googly-eyed man. I was already expecting the shout when I took the chair.

“Oh Abby, let her have the chair.”

I turned around and smiled at my grandma. She was sitting on the couch that sat farthest from the TV. Her white nightgown, which she always wore, rustled a little.

I ran to her and buried my face into the side of her neck. She always smelled like baby powder with just a hint of something unpleasant. I didn’t mind it though. I loved my grandma, and I loved her stories. She would tell me about olden times when men wore suits and women wore long dresses even in the summer, but it was okay for the women because they wore hats. Hats so big that they not only shadowed their faces but their whole body.

She’d tell me how she met my grandpa and how they had fallen in love next to the lake that Aunt Medina drowned in, this was when grandma’s talks would get dark.

“How long is your father planning to stay, Abby?”

I looked at grandma confused. “I thought you knew.” The smile on my face grew bigger. “We are going to stay the whole summer,” I shouted out, barely being able to contain my excitement. The smile left my face when I saw the look of worry on grandma’s face.

“That’s too long for you and your sister to be here.” Grandma looked at Rachel staring happily into the glowing box. “Well, maybe it will be alright.” Grandma turned back to me and forced a smile. “It has to be,” she said, more to herself than to me.

“It’ll be great, grandma. We’ll be able to have such good talks.”

“Your grandma gets tired. These talks take a lot out of me Abby.” I nodded that I understood. And I did, sort of. Grandma was very old. “Honey you are going to find out about a lot of things, staying here that long. Just remember that I love you. After everything is gone from this life that’s all that’s left. Love, pure and simple. Death is an illusion, Abby. It is an illusion for the living. Love is the only real thing. Can you remember that sweet girl?” I nodded my head that I could. My dad came into my room just as grandma’s words were fading in my ears.

“Who were you talking to, Abby?”

I looked to my right and grandma was gone. “No one,” I said. I had stopped telling dad about Grandma. It made him uncomfortable, and I didn’t like the way he looked at me when I told him of our talks.

“Well, you guys need to come on down to the kitchen. Mr. Bell whipped up something for our first day at the manor.”

“Okay, daddy.” Rachel and I said in unison.

My dad walked out of the room and a tear ran down my cheek. I wished I could have known my grandma when she was alive, but I was happy for our brief talks. I was happy to talk to most of the spirits at Chatsworth Manor. Some… not so much. Well, you’ll see. It was a long summer.

Hope you enjoyed the sample. Click the link and head on over to read the rest of the story so far. Give the story a follow and some thumbs up and you’ll get a notification when I have new episodes. Thank you for reading!