Running with Chaos - Elicia Clegg

Elicia Clegg, who was born in the small town of Spanish Fork Utah, affectionately known as happy-valley, moved, at age four, to Ogden Utah; a town riddled with a dark past of opium dens, brothels, and business with underground tunnels constructed for criminals’ and prostitutes to escape police raids. Not only was Elicia’s environment surrounded in historical intrigue her family has long whispered about a Curse as many have died in strange events. To name but a few: her grandfather was thrown off a building in New York City, her great-grandfather “fell” off the historic Radisson in Ogden, her father was shot in the head, her brother died in a work explosion, her great-uncle had a truck load of lumber crush him to death, her maternal great-grandfather was hit by car and died, a cousin who served two tours in Vietnam died on route home from his heart bursting, her maternal great-great-grandfather disappeared without a trace, and her grandmother, while volunteering, was stabbed to death at the State Mental Health Institute.

It is no wonder she grew up with an over active imagination and soon released her first psychologically-thrilling suspense novel Vexation in March 2010, which has been followed up by three more titles. Find out more information by visiting her website: EliciaClegg.com

Excerpt from Running with Chaos:

The organic reality of the situation was grim. Sam was back more than three years. The concept of times colliding made her head spin and gave her a sinking feeling in her stomach which gurgled and clenched in pain. She popped her neck and spun around to find another campsite. Anyone at all would be better than a family she should not meet for another three years. She was an unruffled individual, taking all this in stride, yet deep inside she felt herself slipping up a bit. She rationalized a great need to contact someone soon, get some kind of help, and learn the truth of the situation.

She was however, at a loss, she did not know whom she should contact. Her eyes shifted up and to the left as she turned and spied a different group of people in another camping site. The campgrounds as a whole had many different and very private campsites blocked by large trees sprouting out from the ground, creating circles and natural enclosures. It was secure enough to get help without Erin seeing or hearing, thus keeping their meeting safely intact for the future.

She approached cautiously, eager for help. “Hi, hey, my friends played a cruel joke on me; do you care if I borrow your cell so I can call my mom?” She asked in the nicest of tones.

“Are you sure it was your friend’s darling?” One woman said as another man stood up and threw his phone at her saying, “Sure thing kid.”

Sam smiled, wanting to keep up the ruse she replied, “Not after today, and thank you sir, I appreciate it, I am going to call my mom real quick.”

She caught the cellphone with her left hand while she moved to the right. She blinked; her eyes had caught hold of Erin’s in the distance. Sam turned her head, not wanting to cause any more rifts; she could not have Erin recognize her in three years from now. She opened the cellphone to dial the first number coming to mind; which was Chaos’s. She cursed at herself, though he wasn’t her least favorite person, he surely wasn’t her favorite. She went to press the buttons. Frustration rose up; the phone must have not been one she had seen before because there were no buttons.

“Umm, how do I dial out?”

“You okay honey?”

“Yes I’m fine.”

“You dial like any other phone.” The lady said as the others slightly laughed.

She felt herself cracking more on the inside, crying was not far off. She looked up at them, perplexed by the phone when she noticed they were all slowly beginning to fade from sight. Isolation surrounded her; everything in sight was fading away. Everything was becoming more and more blurry, all evaporating right before her. Her brain began to ruminate, the gears kicking in, and all at once she knew it wasn’t they who were fading into the backdrop of nothingness, it was her who would soon be no more. She dropped the phone, her hands disappearing more rapidly; her world began to go black.

She went to let out a scream, but could not as her mouth began filling and became inundated with pond water. Her eyes jutted open, tiny bubbles of air surrounded her. Her hair flowed softly in front of her and fanned out like a wave of ocean mist colliding with the rocks. She flailed her arms, kicking with all her might as she burst out of the water, gasping and coughing for air. It wasn’t the same kind of confusion as before, yet she was shaken all the same. She was right back where she had begun. She quickly twisted her body, kicking herself around until she could see the old rope swing. She gazed, her eyes squinting to block the sun, seeing the same boy who had jumped before was in the water, and was occupied with another friend, they were cheering on yet another boy who stood shakily on the top platform. She took a moment, her mind took a step back; she smiled at herself, the wisdom coming slowly, the puzzle pieces coming together.

“It would seem dear Sam time has moved forward, but you have not, wonderful.” She said to fish which swam in and around her, she gazed longingly at each of them, they would never have to put up with something like this.