A Guest Post by William J. Barry

This week's guest post is an excerpt from author William J. Barry's novel, Sabastian and the Afterlife.

Somewhere in a spirit world that existed between mortal life and the afterlife, a curious young student had lost her way. She took a deep shaking breath. Tori stood in a dark forest at the foot of the ominous mountain chain that resided at the far eastern edge of the spirit realm. Her teachers and peers had warned her numerous times that the area was infested with soul pirates, the evil harvesters of the innocents’ spirit energy.

                She did not know how she had gotten there; perhaps there was something wrong with the compass she was using. All she knew was that she had to get back to her school as soon as possible.

She held the compass out in her hand. A quiet noise like that of a snapping twig pierced the silence. Tori glanced around but saw nothing.

                That instant the compass was whipped from her fingers and flew into some nearby bushes. Tori jumped back, startled. The frantic student looked around while shaking her stinging hand.

                Sally, an all too infamous pirate spirit, made a casual entrance out of the shadows. She wielded a glowing energy whip flowing from her hand.

                “My, my, little girl, it looks as if you’re lost,” Sally spoke in devious tone.

                Another pirate spirit emerged, floating out from behind a nearby crooked tree. Then, on the other side of Sally, another pirate appeared.

                Tori darted up, flying into the air in the opposite direction to make her escape. But Sally swung her whip, and it wrapped around Tori’s right ankle. Sally gave a violent jerk to the whip, yanked Tori out of the sky, and slammed her down onto the ground. She lay there, stunned and shook her head.

                “Where do you think you’re going?” Sally questioned the terrified student. “You’re coming with us, sweetie.” She laughed.

                The weakened Tori stood up. One of Sally’s accompanying cohorts smiled as he produced a set of spirit shackles. He walked toward Tori, and the young student regretted this venture out on her own.

                Out of nowhere, a large barn owl swooped in, flying between Tori and the approaching pirates. There was a flash and blur, and the owl took the form of Alexander, a good and loyal agent of the Grim Reaper.

                Alexander threw forth his hand, and a glowing charge of spirit energy shot out across the air and hit the shackle-wielding pirate in the face. He was thrown head-over-heels, spinning backward through the air until he crashed into a nearby tree. He dropped to the ground, unconscious.

                The other accompanying pirate rushed Alexander. The agent pulled back his arm as he drifted up off the ground. He struck the charging pirate in the middle of his chest with a forceful open-palm hit. The attacker flew back, the heels of his boots dragged across the ground as he flew into some nearby brush, toppling into it.

                He turned to Tori.

                “Get back to the school!” he ordered.

William j. Barry was born in Newton, New Jersey.  He moved to Florida and then to Georgia at a young age.  Ever since grade school, William has enjoyed penning his original short stories.  William grew up in the Augusta Georgia area, and then moved to Athens, Georgia.  He obtained a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from The University of Georgia.  After college, William returned his focus to writing (both screenwriting and to his first novel).  His hobbies include acting and writing/recording original music.  'Sebastian and the Afterlife' is his first novel, and what he plans to be the first in a series of books.  William is married and currently lives on the outskirts of Athens Georgia.

Here are links where you can find William and his books:

The Official Website, Facebook Page, Twitter Page, Goodreads Page, Publishing House Page, Amazon Author Page, Barnes & Noble Page