Day 7 -- 10,015 (81,855 total)

Difficult day to get that 10k! And now that I'm so close to the end of the novel I'm going to go back over the rest of the outline, because it's just not falling together quite the way I thought it would. The story is there, but I'm starting to see way too much repitition and long stretches of stuff that drags the story down.

Here is today's snippet, though (George is the cat):

"Sorry," I said, lifting my head and sniffing. Tears still rolled down my cheeks. I felt stupid and weak for it, especially when I looked up and saw one of those damned ghost horsemen right in front of the car.

So I turned it on, hit the gas and rammed him. Oh yes, he felt that. I saw the horse go limping away, half maimed. And didn't that just make me feel better, taking out my frustration on an animal?

I couldn't win.

I couldn't win.

"I don't know what you're thinking, Kat, but I've never seen you look so bleak. It scares me," George said. He sat back on the chair as I maneuvered my way around the parking lot. I didn't try for any more horse and riders, though I thought I might get a couple more. I should have. I should have been trying anything to take down the number of enemy I would face in whatever battle it was we fought.

"Kat?"

"I can't do this, George," I said, stopping at the edge of the lot. Cars passed in front of us, sloshing much and dirty snow everywhere. "I just can't do it. I don't have the power to fight a major battle, and the only other fae --"

"Would have been more trouble than help."

"Maybe so." Someone honked behind me, and I took a quick look and pulled out. Horses and riders swarmed in around us. A dog in a car ahead looked back and began to bark, banging his head against the back window.

"Hey, that's fun," George said. He snickered as the dog fell when the driver turned the corner. "The riders are good for something, I guess."

"George --"

"Look, Katalyn, I know that things are tough. I know that you feel like this is more than you can handle. I just don't believe it."

"I lost Aletta's help --"

"You never had it," he said. And I couldn't argue with that part. "Look, I'm not stupid. I know that a bunch of cats and birds are not the best help in the world, but they're all you've got. And you're not alone as long as you have us."

I stopped at a light and looked at him. Tears had come to my eyes again, but they were a different kind this time. Not alone. And not helpless.

"You guys count for a lot," I said. The light changed and I eased forward. The horses stayed with us. I started getting used to them, and I even scared a couple by making a sudden lane change. One leapt to the left and knocked against a van. It swerved and bounced against the curb before the driver got control again. He would think he just lost control on a bit of ice. I'd have to be more careful, though. "You've helped me out more than I give you credit for, George."

"We aren't --"

"You are important," I said. Something settled again. I felt calmer. "You're very important. And we both have proof. Whoever is behind this tried to stop all of you from helping me. If you weren't important, that person never would have gone to the trouble."

"Oh." He sat up straighter again. "Yeah, I guess so. Why didn't it keep me away?"

"Probably would have been too obvious," I said. "Whoever is doing this didn't want me to figure it out. I think they wanted me off balance."