Moments for the Heart

Welcome back, Weekend Writing Warriors. I’m glad you’re back for this week. I was contemplating moving on, but with the reception I received with Official Edwards, I chose to give you one more snippet into this interaction. I hope you enjoy it and it whets your appetite enough to want to explore The Five Barred Gate even further.

If you remember, my novel is set in a Dystopian world where it is illegal to be offensive. Federal laws exist that prohibit people from saying certain things, especially against those in authority. To violate these laws would bring legal consequences. The government has appointed a special law enforcement agency to enforce these laws; their representatives are called Officials.

The lead Official for Jacob’s area is named Edwards. We continue to explore how far Edwards is willing to take his power in this week’s snippet.

The Five Barred Gate Synopsis:
Have you ever wondered what would happen if the Non-Offensive Movement in the United States became federal law? What would happen to the freedoms guaranteed to us through the Constitution? This is the story of Jacob Andrews. He is faced with the decision to follow his heart and disregard what the law says about how he should live; even if it means his life.

Where we left off last week:
The Official laid the baton on the table, sat, picked up his cigar and took a deep drag. He blew a perfect smoke ring, then smiled and fixed Jacob with a cold smile, “By all means, Citizen, keep talking. I can do this all day.”

This week’s Snippet: (10 sentences… with a little creative punctuation modification to hit sentence limits.)

“With your weight, I’m amazed you could do anything for an hour, much less a day,” Jacob said to the Official Edwards on his left.

The smile never left Official Edwards face, but it never touched his eyes either. He sighed like a kindergarten teacher dealing with a petulant five-year-old, “I can see we’re going to have to do this the hard way.” He rested his cigar in the ashtray, then called out, “Turner, Anderson. Get in here!”

Two men, or was it four, dressed in tan slacks and black short-sleeved, button-up shirts entered. Their uniforms were identical to Official Edwards, except his shirt was white.

A stray though shot through Jacob’s mind, ‘They probably wear short sleeves to highlight their muscles; these two sure have a lot to highlight.’

“Yes, sir?”

Official Edwards retrieved his cigar and used it to point at Jacob, “This citizen needs a lesson in manners. Will you take him somewhere quiet so he can contemplate his shortcomings, and feel free to assist him in his education.”

Crazy and scary for Jacob. But at this point in the story he does have a bit of a mouth on him. Could it be part of the reason why he is in the position he is in now? Thank you for reading this week’s snippet. Stay tuned for more from The Five Barred Gate next week.

The Five Barred Gate is available for purchase on Amazon. The link is at the bottom of this text box.

You can also purchase direct from me by visiting the Home Page of this website. The link to buy now is at the bottom of the screen. The benefit of buying direct is that you will receive a signed copy.

Below that link is my Children’s book series Elissa the Curious Snail. A series of books about an adorable snail that teaches children about prayer and believing in themselves. Series at 4 books. More to come for 2020.

You can also read about updates regarding my next novel due out in August of 2020, Little Reminders of Who I Am as well as my current Untitled work.

****I have also started a multi-contributor-journal that will document the events of Coronavirus2020. This is a message board forum. While I plan to input regular entries, I hope you will leave messages in the comment field at the bottom. I encourage you to share what you are going through where you are at, as we all have different points of view across the country, and possibly the world. Please take the time and visit the link, if not to read what others have written, to leave your own comment and share what’s going on with you regarding the Coronavirus2020 Pandemic.****

In His Exciting Service,

Jeff S. Bray

The Five Barred Gate is Available on Amazon

Elissa the Curious Snail Series

Check out other amazing established and emerging writers at Weekend Writing Warriors. Each week we post new snippets from either our published works or our works in progress for each other to comment on. Get an insight on how the mind of a writer works and the behind the scenes of works before they hit the book stands everywhere.