Imogene Fantasy Novel

[Savan_E]

IMOGENE
by Savannah Edwards

Chapter 1 —Meet Imogene

There was once a time that I could remember all of their names. Mom, my Step-dad, and my twostep brothers, Max and Jack. I have been gone for so long that their faces are beginning to blur.But if I try hard, really hard, and listen to the soft music from my porcelain music box I can remember their faces quite clearly. Especially the happy sparkles in my Mom’s eyes when shetold me that I would get a new Dad. But I did not want a new dad. I loved my old one, even if hewas lost at sea. Never to be seen again. I’d last seen him when I was six years old and eight years was not a long enough wait to get a new dad.

But Mom was lonely and despite my protest she remarried. That was when it all began. My lifechanged for the worse. A tidal wave flooded my world and drowned out all the good that remained. A stepfather who accused me of being “difficult” and “unlikable” because I refused to call him Dad, and loved to read books instead of watch TV along with two cruel stepbrothers invaded my life.

After the great invasion, I was taken from my home in the country and moved to the busy, smogfilled big city where I dwelled in a high-rise apartment. I tried to survive it. But I was not allowed to be myself.

“You could be such a pretty girl if you would just cut that crazy hair of your” Mother sighed andran her fingers through my wild curly mop of hair.

“You know how your father feels about this hair. You’re the only one in the family with curly hair and it makes you stand out.”

I stared up into my mom’s eyes. Had she forgotten that she too had a wild mop of hair when shewas my age? But now she was sporting a new relaxer and had knocked every single curl out of her hair.

“But Mom---I don’t want to cut my hair. It’s me. If I cut it then it will all be gone! “I defended and shielded my hair from the long gleaming scissors she held in her hand.

“What will be gone, sweet heart?”

“Me. I’ll be gone. You already made me change schools, switch towns, and give up my house.So help me if you make me cut my hair...”

“Now Ima” Mom interrupted with knitted eyebrows.

“No Mom, No! I’m not Ima! It’s Imogene! Imogene!” I explained.

“But your new father likes the name Ima. And I’ve grown to like it too!”

“But Dad named me Imogene!” I yelled.

My step-dad must have heard the noise from down the hall. He burst into the study and stepped inside.

“What’s going on in here? Ima are you causing trouble?” he interrogated giving me a harsh glare.

I bit down on my lip and stared down at the floor. A few strands of hair fell onto my face.

“Ima answer your father.” Mom insisted in a dainty voice.

But before I could answer, Stepfather ordered, “Go to your room Ima and don’t come out! Not even for supper!”

I looked up at mom but she turned and walked over to my stepfather. I gave a sigh and left. No sooner had I left the room, did I see my two younger brothers. They must have been eavesdropping outside out in the hall.

“Now what did you wrong Ima?” one of the twins asked.

“Mind your own business” I fussed “And it’s Imogene not Ima.”

I walked away and closed my room door. It was not the first time I had been sent to my room without supper. It was the third time this week.

“Why does it feel like an asylum in these four walls and one window?” I asked myself.

I would have given everything in the world to start over again but there was no such luck. I wished my father had never been lost at sea. I wished my mom had never married Step-dad, And last but not least, I wished that I could be loved for me.

“To be loved for me?” I whispered and then picked up my favorite book.

So I began reading. I read and read until I forgot about everything. I imagined myself as aprincess. Princess Gweneveve. She was everything I could ever have aspired to be. Independent.Loved. Rich. And free to do whatever she wanted.

A castle by the sea with a floating garden of white lilies on the ocean seemed magnificent! It wasso far from the smog filled city where I had been stationed for the past four months.For the next two hours, I danced in the banquet halls with several of my adoring male suitors. Afterward I frolicked through the castle with friends. It was so lovely here. All the friends I hadbeen forced to leave behind in my peaceful country life were here with me. Trina, Stacey, Miriam, and Joe. How I missed them.

“Ima, Ima it’s time for bed,” Mom whispered as she pushed my room door open.

“What time is it?” I asked and sat up in bed.

“Half past ten and you need your beauty rest.”

Her thin hand touched the light switch and she smiled at me.

“You know dear, I don’t expect you to be perfect. But your new father wants the perfect daughter. If you would just go along with it all, we could all be so happy,” Mom reasoned.

Her big eyes pleaded with me. She was begging me to be someone else.

“But I am Imogene and I don’t want to be Ima. And it used to be alright to be me before he camealong.”

Disappointment filled her eyes and she lowered her head.

“I’m doing this for you too, Imogene. I want you to have a father. Every child should have a loving family.”

Her fingers switched off the light and darkness filled my room. I covered up and closed my eyes.But I could not sleep at all because I spent all night thinking of what Mom had said.The following week I tried my best to get along. I stopped reading my books and I watched tv.But for some odd reason, my stepfather gave me a wicked glare whenever I sat down on thecouch next to Mom. He never said a word to me but his glare was worth a thousand words.Somehow the twins, Max and Jack, picked up on his signals.

“Why is she here anyway? Doesn’t she know she ain’t wanted?” Jack muttered to Max whilehanding him a bowl of popcorn. He called himself being just loud enough for me to hear.“I guess she thinks she’s part of the family. But she will never fit in,” Max replied and narrowed his deep-set eyes at me. I shifted in my seat but pretended to ignore the two.“We’re out of popcorn!” Max yelled and rattled the bowl in front of Mom’s face.

“Oh let me go make some more” she chirped “You watch the movie Ima and tell me how it goes.”

“All right Mom” I answered.

I leaned back on the sofa and continued to watch TV. But as soon as Mom left the twins sprangup and tackled me. Jack grabbed me by the hair and pulled while Max shoved me to the floor. As much as it hurt, I was not a tender soul who allowed people to push me around. In self-defense, Iused my free hand and slapped Max across the face. He fell back and rolled across the floor. ButJack refused to let go of my hair. I screamed and tried to grab him. But before I could move I felt an incredible hard tug on my hair nearly breaking my neck.

“Ima what do you call yourself doing? Leave your brothers alone!” Step-dad yelled and picked me up by my hair. He threw me onto the couch. Across the room, Max wailed and clutched his tomato red face.

“Answer me girl!” Step-dad hollered and took off his belt “Are you looking for a beating?”

“Don’t you touch me!” I yelled.

Suddenly, the black leather belt tore through the air. I scrambled to my feet in the nick of time before I was split in two. I took off running and did not stop until I made it to my room. My hands pushed the door closed. I locked it and touched my racing heart.

The room door trembled as Step-dad beat his fists on it. Thank God we lived in an apartmentwith thick oak doors. Or else he would have broken it down.

“Ima you get out here right now or else I’ll..”

Before Step-dad could finish his threat I picked up my favorite book and began reading as fast asI could. I smoothed my hands over my lilac satin gown and walked into the banquet hall. “The Lady of the evening is here!” an adoring suitor declared. He stretched out his hand to me. I touched the palm of his hand and smiled.

“How long have you been waiting?” I asked.

“Ever since you put down the book Imogene.”

Arm in arm we walked over to the balcony. We sat down on the stone railing. A cool breeze blew through my hair and I closed my eyes. The sweet singing of birds filled my ears and the smell of roses filled the air.

“A rose for Imogene,” my suitor crooned and placed his hand on mine.

I opened my eyes. His kind eyes gazed into mine.

“I love you for you Imogene. You are beautiful just as you are.”

“You’re too kind to me” I sighed and took the large red rose from his hands.

“Only because you deserve to be loved” he stated.

Arm in arm, we gazed at the diamond chandeliers in the rainbow skies.

In the morning, I awoke. I was lying on the cold wood floor of my room. The alarm was ringing like crazy. It was time for school. Sore from last night’s tussle with my twelve-year-old step brothers, I rose to my feet. After I washed up and was dressed, I raised up my room window.I climbed onto the fire escape and left for school.

School lasted from eight thirty until three thirty. I wished it had lasted longer because as soon asthe bells rang, I found myself back at the front doors of the apartment building where I lived. I touched the revolving glass door and took a step forwards. I had almost entered the building butthought better of it. Instead, I took the bus and went to the downtown library. I remained there until I had finished all my homework. It was seven o’clock when I hopped on another bus and visited another library. There, I read my favorite book until I fell asleep.

The following morning, I returned home and climbed into my room through the fire escape.Once I was inside, I changed clothes and headed off to school. This way of life lasted for almost a week. Every night, I spent in a library reading my favorite book and eating candy bars fordinner. It was not the nicest way to live but it was safer than staying at home.

Although I had avoided a beating this time around, my stepfather had hit me before. But the bruises were never in places where anyone could see. I don’t know why Mom pretended not tosee the bruises whenever she would measure me for my clothes. Instead, she always told me tobe perfect that way we would have the perfect family.

“I’m better off here,” I told myself and buried my head in my favorite book. Two weeks had passed by. And I was exhausted from running back and forth. One night, Icrawled up to my room but when I tried to open my window I found it was locked. I pressed my fingers to the glass but it refused to budge. It was a few seconds later that I noticed a piece of paper stuck to the inside of the glass it read,

“Ima,
Use the front door like the rest of us.

Your family.”

It was in Step-dad’s handwriting. I swallowed and then climbed back down the fire escape. Itwas the hardest thing in the world to do. I folded my hand and knocked on the front door. I began to tremble. I was afraid to go back inside but I was afraid to leave again. I was out of money because I had spent my allowance and I needed a place to stay.

When the doorknob turned I gasped. Terrified, I took off running and hid behind a corner. Ipeeked to see who answered. My stepfather emerged and his stone colored eyes surveyed the hall.

“Who’s out there?” I heard my mother question in her dainty voice.I wanted to go to her but I did not budge.

“No one honey. Go back to the kitchen . I don’t want you to burn the roast beef on the account of some loser,” he grumbled and slammed the door.

I bit down on my nails and lowered my eyes. There was no way out of this mess. There was noone I could go to. After all, who would believe me? Step-dad was a well-respected member of society. He was wealthy and was in charge of the city wide food drives at Christmas time. No one would believe a girl like me instead of my step-dad.

At age fourteen I was homeless. I did not go to school the next day because I saw Step-dad’s car in the parking lot. The next few days, I bustled through the city in fear. Skyscrapers and hugebuildings formed intricate mazes and it seemed as though I was walking in circles. No longerable to walk, I collapsed on a city park bench. It was dark out and there were no stars out. I wasall alone. My tired eyes attempted to read my favorite book but I fell into a deep sleep.When I awoke, I jumped. I was in my room and tucked into my bed. In front of me sat Step-dad. He was the only one in the room. I was silent. I knew if I spoke, he would light intome.

“Your Mother is out of town” he taunted “And I’m the only one with you.”His scowled mouth tightened.

“How long did you think you could keep it up, Ima?”

“I don’t know,” I answered.

“If you try to pull that crap on me again I will kill you Ima. Do you understand?”

“Yes sir,” I answered with a nod.

He stood up and walked over to me. Step-dad sat down on the bed and his cold eyes met with mine.

“If you breathe a word of this to anyone, I’ll break your neck,” he hissed and then rose up.

He left my room and closed the door. I pulled the covers over my head and began to cry. I imagined what Step-dad would do to me if I crossed him again. It was hard to walk on brokenglass when each step you took was more dangerous than the last. To comfort myself, I found my favorite book and started to read. I kept reading until I came to a blank page.


That was strange. I had read this book a million times before and I had never seen any blankpages. I touched the white piece of paper. Suddenly the words,

“Imogene come away with me” appeared on the top of the page. A hand covered in a goldenlight reached out to me.

“Who are you?” I asked and backed away.

“Come away with me Imogene and join me. There’s a new world here. One where you can beyou” the voice told.

“Ima what’s going on in there?” Step-dad interrogated. His hand rattled the doorknob.

“Nothing” I insisted “Absolutely nothing.”

Then I turned back to the book. Now several beams of light were shooting of the book andlighting my room up like the fourth of July.

“See you almost got me in trouble,” I whispered “You have no idea what he is capable of and...”

The door opened. Before Step-dad could set foot in my room I grabbed the hand. All of a sudden I had disappeared. I could still see everything but I was invisible. Furious that he could not hunt me down, Step-dad turned my bed over in an attempt to find me. Then he searched through my closet.

“Come with me Imogene. You’ll be safe with me” the gentle boy from my book whispered.
His friendly golden eyes gazed into mine.

“Where are we going?” I questioned as we floated towards the ceiling.

“Home, Imogene. Back to my world. You can be with me and live in my castle.”

Confused, I pulled away from the smiling boy and began to bite my nails, I still did not know where we were or what had happened.

“It’s now or never Imogene. I don’t have enough power in me to keep us here much longer. But if you come with me...”

“How do I know that everything will be perfect in your world?” I interrupted.

“What do you have to lose Imogene?” he questioned “I came to save you from this
world and take you into mine. It’s up to you Imogene. But...”

All of a sudden, the boy began to fade and I began to feel the weight of this world on my body. Future bruises and wounds made me ache all over.

“Imogene” the boy repeated” It’s now or never Imogene, now or never.”

I watched Step-dad continue to search my room. But then he stopped and took off his belt.
“When I get my hands on that girl so help me I’ll kill the little wench” he vowed and gripped the belt in both hands.

Instantly, I took the boy’s hand in mine.

“Take me wherever you want, as long as I’m far way from here!” I declared.

Before I could blink my eyes we were gone.

[Savan_E]

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[RobRoy]

It’s an interesting beginning to a story that relies on some of the standard tropes of young-adult literature. The child is singled out for being an individual and requested/forced to conformity, which will never take. Obviously, this is going to take Imogene to a fantasy-adventure world.

But there are some chief problems. The initial characters lack depth and motivation. Their actions appear forced in order to fit the plot, rather than an organic growth of their own natures. The step-father is mean to the point of being evil, but why? To what end? His demands make little sense, unless we consider him to simply be evil, which doesn’t make for a very compelling or realistic story. The mother’s decision in marrying the step-father is at odds with what we know about her: she cares for her daughter, wants her daughter to have a father and a happy home, yet she picked an evil man, and is cow-towing to his every whim, even to cutting off her own hair? Maybe, but it doesn’t ring true to a character who lost her husband and raised a daughter for eight years on her own. The twins also seem unrealistic, being mean for its own sake, rather than any other motivation.

The descriptions are pretty good, but the pacing of the story moves too quickly for the reader to get a true sense of where Imogene is going, why she’s justified in her actions, her defiance, or how she comes to be in the presence of the mystery boy.

I’d say that you have a good start, but only as a first draft.