Sunday, April 12, 2015

Pitch Slam Entry 7: The Box in the Corner, YA Contemporary

Title: The Box in the Corner

Genre: YA Contemporary

Word Count: 71,000


Pitch: Seventeen-year-old Charlie loves all of Ben... even his deranged, knife-wielding side. But if his personality disorder isn't treated soon, she might end up with a slice to the neck instead of a happily ever after.

First 250 words:

Goosebumps spread up my legs, like spiders scurrying to safety. I stared down the dark alley and shuddered. There were probably rats the size of baseballs in it— and God only knew how many drunks had barfed in it— but it was better than waiting in the street like bait.

I prayed Freddy Krueger wasn’t crouching behind one of the dumpsters, and jumped into the shadows.

"I think she went this way."

Shit. I scrambled between a trash pile and the brick wall. My stomach lurched into my throat, as the smell of rotten fish and urine overwhelmed my nostrils. If I’d eaten at all in the past two days, my puke would’ve been added to the alley’s collection.

Something next to me rustled and I jolted so hard a pain shot up the back of my neck. I clamped a hand over my mouth to keep from crying out.

Please, God. Don’t let them find me. If you keep them out of the alley, I’ll start going to church. I’ll become a nun. Anything. Just don’t let them find me.

A man holding a knife rushed past the end of the alley without even glancing direction. My breath shook as I exhaled.

Damn it. I didn’t really want to be a nun.

Then a bigger, hairier man stepped in front of the opening. When he turned to stare deep into the alley, his eyes landed directly on me.

Okay, I’ll be a nun! Whatever you want!

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