Dragonfly by Alyssa Thiessen
Publication Date: February 6, 2016
Publisher: Peasantry Press
Eighteen-year-old Joshua Miller is
great at being invisible, despite the four, large, insect-like wings
protruding from his back and his knack for high-rise robberies. He
can remember almost nothing of his life before Nik found him and
taught him his trade. Now he’s alone, and he likes it that way.
When Joshua unexpectedly meets Lexi on
a job, his simple, uncomplicated existence shifts. Although he
intends to remain uninvolved, something about her captivates him and
he begins to let her in. As he navigates the strange nuances of a
relationship with a girl as desperate to be different as he is to be
ordinary, he becomes increasingly aware that he is not who he wants
to be for her. Confronted by the past he’d forgotten and a family
he didn’t know existed, Joshua must decide for himself where he
belongs and who holds the key to his future.
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When she's not donning her secret identity and saving the world, Thiessen keeps busy
writing her next
novel, reading something beautiful, teaching high school English,
drinking coffee, cycling, and hanging out with her family - husband,
kiddies, and miniature schnauzer.
***EXCERPT***
The
first meeting:
Without
thinking, I pulled off my mask so she could see my face. Leave.
Just
leave.
Again, though, I stayed where I was. I imagined her heart was beating
furiously. Like mine. In all the time I’d been making my living
from careless, busy, predictable wealth, I’d never been caught. I’d
never been confronted. I’d never even thought of deliberately
showing my face. And I’d never felt as alive as I did at that
moment. I could hear the sound of my heart thundering in my ears, and
I wondered vaguely what I would do if she made a dash for the phone.
Would I leave? Would I try to explain myself? Would I snatch it from
her hand? She didn’t move though. She simply sat, waiting. Waiting
for me to tell her what I wanted. Waiting for me to go. Waiting for
me to do
something.
A
date:
“Have
you seen this before?” I asked.
“Yes.”
Her reply was quick, a little too shrill. The popcorn sat warming me,
but I couldn’t bring myself to move my hand to take any.
I
couldn’t remember ever being as aware of another human in my life –
and I had spent my life being aware of other humans. I had no idea
what was happening on the screen in front of me. I stopped breathing
every time she shifted her weight, and I was struck with the distinct
knowledge that my right hand, which was resting comfortably on the
popcorn bowl, was also resting quite comfortably on her lap.
I
couldn’t think. I blinked rapidly, trying to get my bearings. I
pulled my hand up quickly and reached into the popcorn bowl. The warm
kernels gave me something concrete to do, as I focused now on the
taste and the texture – anything other than my proximity to her. I
suddenly realized, with horrified fascination, that I had turned to
watch her bring the popcorn to her lips. I tore my gaze away,
fighting to concentrate on the movie, to keep my mind from going
places I was unprepared to go.
A
goodbye:
I
led the way to the window and then turned, my back against the wall,
with her standing just inches from me. I wondered what her lips would
taste like. I’d called her
innocent and naïve, but I’d never even kissed anyone before. I got
the distinct impression she wouldn’t object. Instead though, I
simply nodded and turned to leave.
“Are
you really going to call me this time?” she asked.
“Of
course.” As I disappeared into the darkness, I knew that should be
the last lie I’d ever tell her.
Romeo:
As
I landed on the rooftop in front of her, she stepped forward and
impulsively threw her arms around me. “Hey, Dragonfly,” she
whispered into my shirt. I held her like that for a moment, close to
me, feeling her heart pounding. I hardly recognized myself these
days, although I felt more like myself than I had for a very long
time. Thursdays had become ours now, and the nights in between, for
me, shadows. Each time I came for her, she was waiting, with this
same breathless anticipation.
She
finally pulled away and looked up at me expectantly. “So, Romeo,”
she said lightly, changing my title to make me human again, “what’s
the plan for tonight?”
The
Romeo reference wasn’t lost on me. Nik had had me read and read and
read, to ensure I understood the world of which I was a hidden part.
Romeo. Part of the thrill of the moment was lost for me. I fit the
title of Romeo – love struck, impulsive, foolish. He hurt every
person who loved him.
A
decision
The
front door swung open. He had come back, and I was standing in the
doorway of his bedroom, masked and gloved, wings reflecting the
points of light from the living room chandelier.
“What…?”
A moment – it took a moment of stunned silence – and then,
shouting, he charged toward me. I tried to move back, out of the way,
but suddenly, he was on me, his hands around my throat, pinning my
head hard against the floor. I could hear his wife screaming in the
background, and I clawed at his shirt, at his face. The edges of the
scene in front of me darkened; I breathed in frantically. Air. I
groped blindly beside me, feeling a small, hard object – a shoe,
maybe. Bringing it up hard and fast, I felt it connect with his
skull, and he fell off. I clambered to my feet and, as he tried to
get up, my fist connected solidly with his heavy jaw. My foot jabbed
at his rib cage, and he rolled to escape my wild kicks.
He
lunged towards me; I saw it too late, a glint of light from the sharp
piece of crystal in his fist. Searing pain. I staggered backwards,
and the man, breathing heavily, looked down at the blood-covered
shard in his hand. I clutched at my side, feeling the sticky warmth
soak through the fabric of my gloves.
Truth:
“Listen,
Eric. A girl like Lexi is inherently better than you or I,” I said.
His fingers tightened on the wheel. He didn’t want to hear it, but
I could tell he knew it was true. “She just is. There’s something
special about her. Besides the contacts and the amazing hair.”
“Her
hair is
amazing.”
“Uh-huh.
But beyond that. She has something special.”
“From
the guy who has wings! Man, if I could fly…”
“If
you could fly, you’d be stuck hiding. Stuck alone.”
“You
have Lexi,” he said quietly.
“Not
really. And not forever. Everything is temporary.”
“Everything
is temporary for everyone. At least you can fly.”
That’s
What Love Does:
The
fire smoldered outside, and I stood in front of the large, square
mirror in the bathroom. As I looked into my own face, smooth and
familiar, I felt shame wash over me. “I’m sorry,” I whispered
aloud.
Before
me was the man who had spent his life stealing from people, who had
watched suffering and pain and had felt nothing, done nothing. This
was the man who consistently left the only people who loved him.
Dragonfly,
I heard her voice in my mind, feeling her certainty and faith again.
She didn’t care who I’d been.
*************
Guest Post - Dream Cast
In
Dragonfly, Joshua is nineteen and has spent most of the life he can
remember alone. His past is a mystery, and although he spends a lot
of time observing the world around him, he’s not really a part of
it. Joshua is both jaded and yet, in some ways, quite innocent. In my
mind, an actor who would make a fantastic Joshua would be Hayden
Christensen. He's older than Joshua is, of course, but he looks
young. Christensen is also an amazing actor, with abundant range of
emotion, and such fantastic cheekbones. He has a great voice, and has
played a number of roles where we see this vulnerable but jaded
character.
Lexi
is a little quirky and unusual, in a way that Joshua finds completely
enthralling. She’s also lovely, fun, and self-confident. She’s
the perfect girl to bring Joshua out of his isolation and teach him
what it means to really live. Ellen Page would make a beautiful Lexi.
Her look is perfect, with her heart-shaped face and interesting,
pretty features, and I think her acting style could really bring Lexi
to life.
Guest Post - Dream Cast
Dragonfly:
Official Dream Cast
The
idea of seeing Dragonfly on the big screen is definitely fun. Who
would my dream cast be? That's easy!
Hayden
Christensen as Joshua.
In
Dragonfly, Joshua is nineteen and has spent most of the life he can
remember alone. His past is a mystery, and although he spends a lot
of time observing the world around him, he’s not really a part of
it. Joshua is both jaded and yet, in some ways, quite innocent. In my
mind, an actor who would make a fantastic Joshua would be Hayden
Christensen. He's older than Joshua is, of course, but he looks
young. Christensen is also an amazing actor, with abundant range of
emotion, and such fantastic cheekbones. He has a great voice, and has
played a number of roles where we see this vulnerable but jaded
character.
(image
link:
http://www.quotationof.com/gallery/hayden-christensen-4.jpg.html)
Ellen
Page as Lexi
Lexi
is a little quirky and unusual, in a way that Joshua finds completely
enthralling. She’s also lovely, fun, and self-confident. She’s
the perfect girl to bring Joshua out of his isolation and teach him
what it means to really live. Ellen Page would make a beautiful Lexi.
Her look is perfect, with her heart-shaped face and interesting,
pretty features, and I think her acting style could really bring Lexi
to life.
(image
link:
http://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/xmenmovies/images/4/44/Ellen_Page.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20110701115407)
Andrew
Garfield as Eric
Eric
is a shady character, at first. There’s something about him that
Joshua can’t trust – with good reason – but he’s not a bad
guy, deep down. He hasn’t had things easy in his life. In Lexi,
Eric sees what Joshua does – a beautiful original, someone who
would bring a light to his life he just doesn’t have. But he can
also see, I think, her connection to Joshua. Like Joshua, Eric knows
what it’s like to want more than you have, more than you deserve.
If I were to cast an actor to play the role of Eric, I’d choose
Andrew Garfield. He’s another actor with beautiful cheekbones, and
he also has great range and such talent. He's portrayed some funny
but pretty lonely, conflicted characters. Audiences would find it
easy to care about Eric and to forgive his sometimes selfish choices.
Finally,
I'd love to have the whole thing directed by Joss Whedon. He's an
extremely talented screenwriter and director. I'm a huge fan. Some of
my favourite lines on television and movies have been penned by Joss
Whedon. He’d bring a magic to anything he decided to direct.
Even
though it’s fun to imagine Dragonfly as a movie, portrayed by my
favorite actors and directed by a cinematic genius, I also think one
of the best things about literature vs. film is that with books, you
can imagine the character to look and sound any way you like. And
sometimes, imagination is even better than real life.
************* When she's not donning her secret identity and saving the world, Thiessen keeps busy
writing her next
novel, reading something beautiful, teaching high school English,
drinking coffee, cycling, and hanging out with her family - husband,
kiddies, and miniature schnauzer.
Giveaway
Information: Contest ends April 15, 2016
- One (1) winner will receive a physical copy of Dragonfly by Alyssa Thiessen and a $20 Amazon Gift Card (INT)
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