hey,
Here is the first chapter of my debut novel An escape. its only an excerpt as I can't upload full due to restrictions.
Chapter 1
Orange color floods in through the tinted window pane, and falls on my cold feet. Dusk is going to get heavy on the youth of the sun. Birds begin to fly out of their nests relishing their leisure hours that they usually get during this time. Among these multitudinous usual activities, the yelling and protests of these people had also somehow managed to make its way in the list of the things that happened regularly. I would watch people standing outside, or sitting on the pedestrians or simply busily talking about me. Some would stare blankly at my window until I shut the curtains out on their faces. They would haunt me everywhere, like ghosts in dimly lit well furnished, palatial haunted houses of Hollywood movies.
My house was located absolutely in the heart of New York City, and it was one of the oldest in the city. it had earned its reputation by that name, and we were the ones inhabiting it, me and my mom. Although we used to go with a lot of renovation but the old idea of the house was preserved somehow in the modifications made in it. It has large archaic window with wooden shutters on it which was still not replaced by the glass casement. Huge black steel doors with flowers and angels carved on it as if it was the dark territory of God, and on one hidden left corner, there would be an artistic carving called, [designed by, PAUL LEACOCK] it left me under the impression that the huge grand door was made out of love. A creation of someone named Paul Leacock who wanted to claim his share on our door by carving his own name on it. I used to imagine him pass by the gate relishing on the memory of those beautiful days that he spent happily smelting and smoldering this magnificent door, or pictured him referring to this gate among one of the best works of his lifetime. As a child I used to spend a lot of time hanging about the gate, trying my mini adventures, jumping and ascending up it. Paul Leacock, his masterpiece, and me. We were best of friends. As I looked out of my window, I realized that my rights on my favorite gate were also encroached upon. I saw crabs clinging to my gate. The human crabs.
My door creaked open and my mother enters the room, who could it be except her? She walked up to me and stood watching the crowd like I was doing since god knows when. She caressed my hair and said, “Sometimes we just need to turn deaf to everything. Like all these cries would disappear someday in the black of memories. Honey, all which is important is knowing what you want. And I am proud of you for knowing it. At least my daughter has decided something and I am gonna stick to your decision. We aren’t gonna lose too soon." And she kept circling my cheek with the tip of her finger.
I take her hand in the hollow of mine, and look up at her 'Of course we are not. Survival of the fittest, mother, I'm supporting Darwin. Also I don't want unnecessary scars on my body. It's a known fact that we are all born to die. And frankly, I don't understand why it has to be made into such a big deal.’ I joked, If it were not for my mother I would have said that to the bunch of people outside my house, some of them with young kids, shouting slogans, waving placards, literally wanting me to cut one of my beating hearts out. Save a life. Donate! They shout, but I am unwavering in my decision. I know my mother could read the disgust in my voice.
I was one in billions, 7.125 billions to be exact; I was someone who was born with enviable anomaly. Scientists are still befuddled regarding my condition that gave me two hearts in my mother's womb. But years of research and sticking needles into me have led them nowhere, and they have labeled me as a freak mutation. It's so rare- literally one in all humankind- that they didn't even care to name the anomaly (as they call it, I will call it awesomeness) I wanted to name my condition myself, something on the lines of Rhea's heartsawesome but the doctors aren't thrilled with the suggestion. Instead they want to cut one of them out to save a life. Huh?
