“Plugged (The Rewind Agency) by Jill Cooper Excerpt
From Plugged:
He might as well have asked me to build the Golden Gate Bridge as far as I’m concerned. I’ve promised myself no more time travel, real or imaginary, and I refuse to give him what he wants.
“You want me to jump back in time? It’s virtual. It’s not real.” My eyes fill with tears at the truth of my words. I’m not with my parents. I’m not with Donovan and whenever I try, I find I’m just in a layer deeper. Rex has me trapped and I don’t know what to do.
Every day I am a step closer to becoming the woman with the purple hair—the time travel assassin they want me to be.
But I can’t. I won’t.
I resist; I pull, but my will to survive is fading. And I’m fading along with it.
“Perhaps”—Rex’s smile chills me—“but your brain, your emotion, thinks it’s real. And that belief will play out the same. We can study your brain. See how you do it.”
“So you can duplicate the effects?” My skin shivers. “No thanks.”
He steps up to the cage and grits his teeth. “Then we will plug you back in and you will experience his death … every … day. We will make you suffer and slowly rip away everyone you love. Dear Mommy. Daddy. Baby sister.” His lip curls.
I back away from the glass without thinking. My fingers curl into fists. I think back to that day when all this started. The cage lights up as I tap into my time travel ability without even meaning to. The coils above my head radiate heat and emit a golden glue that punctuates with a hum. The pain hits my head all at once. I grip it and fall to my knees, groaning.
Rex continues like he doesn’t witness my pain. “There’s only one way to end all this. Plug back in. Do what we ask.” Rex’s voice is so even and calm, he might as well have just asked me to make toast.
He’s lying. I know he is. I shake my head and it causes me rivers of pain. They jolt through me. I can’t remember anything before the pain. It’s been everything for so long. Over a year. Is anyone looking for me? Has everyone forgotten me?
Does anyone remember who I am?
I don’t know how much longer I can hold out.
“You’ll never let me go.” My chest heaves. I hold my breath and wait for his answer, but I know the truth is in my words. Not his.
I could write this in the third person. I could tell you what I like, where I was born, and what my favorite things are.
But instead, I’ll say I don’t want to write like everyone else. I don’t want to craft stories you’ve read a thousand times before. I want my novels to be a cinematic experience, blending themes, genres, and situations unlike any you’ve ever read.
I want to break the rules. I want you to break out in a cold sweat as you read my books out of fear, love, and excitement. I want my books to be an experience. When you finish, I want you to feel something. Good or bad.
Newly middle-aged wife of 1, Mom of 3, Grandma of 2. A professional blogger who has lived in 3 places since losing her home to a house fire in October 2018 with her husband.
Becky appreciates being self-employed which has allowed her to work from 'anywhere'.
Life is better when you can laugh. As you can tell by her Facebook page where she keeps the humor memes going daily.
Becky looks forward to the upcoming new year. It will be fun to see what 2020 holds.
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