The beginning isn't scary at all. It is just letting the reader get to know the character. I don't know if that's a bad thing or not. Anyway, here it is:
“Riley Alexander Quinn! I don’t care if you have to go to school half dressed. If you aren't out the door in less than ten minutes I am going to march up there and drag you downstairs myself!”
My mother yells this way every morning. Who can blame her? I am a snail when it is time to get ready for school. Every morning is the same routine. My alarm clock goes off at exactly 6:15 a.m. I dread hearing that awful sound. It is an old clock, square in size and light grey in color. The sound of it an ear piercing buzzing noise that makes me want to throw the clock across the room. I usually lay in bed for an extra ten minutes, smothering my head under my pillow in an effort to drown out my mom’s voice.
However, today was different. I slid my hands down my stomach and laid them lightly over my belly button. I felt a dull pain in my upper abdomen that increased sharply as it moved to my the lower right of my stomach. Suddenly, I felt it rise in my throat. That feeling you get when you know you are going to vomit and you better run to the bathroom or else you will be hurling all over the floor. I stumbled across my room, my socks slipping across the hard wood floor, and dropped to my knees on the bathroom tile. The floor was cold but I didn’t care, I was already puking up my guts into the toilet bowl. I could hear my mom rushing up the stairs. It was obvious that she heard what was going on.
“Riley, honey? Is everything alright in there?” Her voice was shaky. I’m not surprised. My mother babies me more than you can imagine. It’s been that way ever since my father passed away. I am the only family she has left, and therefore, my relationship with her is closer than most teenagers have with their parents.
“I’m fine mom.” I walked to my bedroom door and pulled it open. She was standing there with her arms crossed. I could tell from her face that she wasn’t going to just let this slide.
“You didn’t sound fine. What are your symptoms? Do you need me to take you to the doctor? Let me check your temperature.” She immediately went to her bathroom to grab the thermometer.
I sighed. Being the persistent worry wart that she is I decided that there was no use in protesting her actions. I ran my fingers through my hair. I could feel that my forehead was warm and knew that I wasn’t going to make it to school today. A second later I had the thermometer under my tongue. I bit down on it and let my teeth lightly grind back and fourth. After waiting for what seemed like forever, it beeped and my mother plucked it out of my mouth.
That's the first page. I expect it will be about 8-10 pages long in total. The horror should start around page 5.
“Riley Alexander Quinn! I don’t care if you have to go to school half dressed. If you aren't out the door in less than ten minutes I am going to march up there and drag you downstairs myself!”
My mother yells this way every morning. Who can blame her? I am a snail when it is time to get ready for school. Every morning is the same routine. My alarm clock goes off at exactly 6:15 a.m. I dread hearing that awful sound. It is an old clock, square in size and light grey in color. The sound of it an ear piercing buzzing noise that makes me want to throw the clock across the room. I usually lay in bed for an extra ten minutes, smothering my head under my pillow in an effort to drown out my mom’s voice.
However, today was different. I slid my hands down my stomach and laid them lightly over my belly button. I felt a dull pain in my upper abdomen that increased sharply as it moved to my the lower right of my stomach. Suddenly, I felt it rise in my throat. That feeling you get when you know you are going to vomit and you better run to the bathroom or else you will be hurling all over the floor. I stumbled across my room, my socks slipping across the hard wood floor, and dropped to my knees on the bathroom tile. The floor was cold but I didn’t care, I was already puking up my guts into the toilet bowl. I could hear my mom rushing up the stairs. It was obvious that she heard what was going on.
“Riley, honey? Is everything alright in there?” Her voice was shaky. I’m not surprised. My mother babies me more than you can imagine. It’s been that way ever since my father passed away. I am the only family she has left, and therefore, my relationship with her is closer than most teenagers have with their parents.
“I’m fine mom.” I walked to my bedroom door and pulled it open. She was standing there with her arms crossed. I could tell from her face that she wasn’t going to just let this slide.
“You didn’t sound fine. What are your symptoms? Do you need me to take you to the doctor? Let me check your temperature.” She immediately went to her bathroom to grab the thermometer.
I sighed. Being the persistent worry wart that she is I decided that there was no use in protesting her actions. I ran my fingers through my hair. I could feel that my forehead was warm and knew that I wasn’t going to make it to school today. A second later I had the thermometer under my tongue. I bit down on it and let my teeth lightly grind back and fourth. After waiting for what seemed like forever, it beeped and my mother plucked it out of my mouth.
That's the first page. I expect it will be about 8-10 pages long in total. The horror should start around page 5.