Fear & Sunshine: Fear & Sunshine, #1

By Donovan Scherer

Sunshine Saliente was a carefree girl, happily adventuring into imagination with her stuffed rabbit, seeking make-believe treasure and hiding from storybook monsters, until the day she met a stranger.

That stranger was Death.

Fortunately, he was an old family friend.

Fear & Sunshine sends Sunshine spiraling into a world of the unknown as she learns of the legacy she left behind and a world she could never imagine that must be saved. Come along for the ride as this little hippie girl claims her place at Darksmith Manor and meets werewolves, the undead, and the twisted experiments of the mad science dynasty she was destined to lead.

9780984174645

• Language: English
• Publisher: Donovan Scherer
• Release date: Dec 13, 2009
• ISBN: 9780984174638

Book preview

Fear & Sunshine

Text & Illustrations Copyright © 2009 by Donovan Scherer

Published in 2009 by Studio Moonfall LLC

All rights reserved

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

For information regarding permission, write to:

Studio Moonfall LLC

5605 Sheridan Rd., #1172

Kenosha, WI 53141-1172

StudioMoonfall.com • DonovanScherer.com • FearAndSunshine.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Scherer, Donovan.

Title: Fear & sunshine / written and illustrated by Donovan Scherer.

Other titles: Book one of the Darksmith family legacy.

Description: Kenosha, WI : Studio Moonfall LLC, 2009 |

Summary: The time has come for the last Darksmith to return and claim her birthright, whether she believes in monsters or not.

Identifiers: LCCN 2009913592 | ISBN 9780984174614 (softcover) | ISBN 9780984174638 (epub) | ISBN 9780984174652 (ebook)

Subjects: BISAC: Juvenile fiction / Horror. | Juvenile fiction / Ghost stories. | Juvenile fiction / Family / Orphans & Foster Homes | CYAC: Magic. | Supernatural--Fiction. | Robots. | Horror stories.

For my Family and Friends

Thank you for all the inspiration and support

Special Thanks:

Javi Vega, Jeanne Scherer, Dan Merfeld, Doug Scherer, Svend Widvey, Chad Tuura, Kelli Cross

Fear & Sunshine

Written & Illustrated by Donovan Scherer

Contents

Introduction

•

One

Death in the Family

Two

Beyond the Willows

Three

The Towne of Munstro

Four

Trees, Trolls & Traps

Five

Bumps in the Night

Six

The Haunts

Seven

Cobwebs & Craniums

Eight

Fear Himself

Nine

The Madness

Ten

Heiress of Darksmith

•

Epilogue

•

Extras

Introduction

Since the closure of Darksmith Manor and death of its Duke, Dominick, the creatures forged there are at a loss. Over the course of the last seven years, without his guiding hand, they have been lost in a world in which they have no place. They roam aimlessly or remain hidden away, waiting for a new path to follow.

Unfortunately, as his efforts to gain entry into the sealed Darksmith Manor have failed time and time again, the fiend known as Fear is now determined to usher in a dark new dawn. With no hope of stealing the power of Darksmith, he turns his evil toward both the monsters left to fend for themselves and any unlucky innocents in his way.

If anyone can defeat Fear, the young heiress of Darksmith Manor might embody her fragile world’s last hope.

- Death -

Death in the Family

One by one, eight tiny feet shuffled along until, finally, the little creature reached the goal of his journey and rested atop the peak of the sleeping giant. Then, to his horror, the vast plains which he had just ventured across began to move. Soon, two eyes fixed their gaze upon him.

Eight tiny feet, their owner too afraid to move, kept the little spider locked in place as the giant’s hand moved slowly toward him. Surprisingly, the finger gave only the slightest nudge as it scooped him up, and the spider rode this chariot to the edge of the world he had known. Just as gently as it had picked him up, the finger placed him on the edge of the giant’s hammock.

He could see the dawn sun break through the drooping trees of Wandering Willows and bounce back up off the small creek coursing beyond the garden. The spider looked up, thankfully, to his new friend, the giant, as she picked up a stuffed rabbit from her floor and left the bedroom to join her family for breakfast.

The girl shambled down the hall to find a man and woman already preparing breakfast. The kitchen had no break between it and the living room aside from a table plopped in the center. The handmade furniture strewn about the room gave it the appearance of an oversized tree house, which was exactly what it was.

Good morning, Sunshine! the man smiled, far too cheerily for this early in the day. Come give me a hand with the juice. I’ve finally got this thing up and running.

Sunshine pushed a chair beside him and climbed up. Grabbing the bag of green apples, she began handing them to him. He stuffed them into the crude device made out of a hollowed out log with a crank attached to its side.

Ever since Sunshine was old enough to ask about the medallion she wore around her neck, she had known that the Salientes weren’t her birth parents. Despite that, she had always loved them as if they were. Pops, with his constant ingenuity and innovation, which had led them to a perfectly content life outside the hustle-bustle of the towns surrounding Wandering Willows, and Momsy, with the patience to put up with it, had become her true family. Regardless of the happiness she had with her life as it was, there seemed to be an itch forming in the back of her mind. A subconscious unsettling feeling had recently begun to visit her while she slept.

I had another dream about my real parents, I think, Sunshine told Pops and Momsy. I still couldn’t see their faces, but I’m pretty sure it’s them.

Pops set down his glass of juice. Well, Sunshine. It is your dream, so if you think it’s them, I’m sure it is. He turned to his wife, Maybe your sister could hunt down a picture of them. What do you think?

Momsy thought about it for a moment. I suppose she could. It has been some time since your Aunt Constance came for a visit, hasn’t it?

Sunshine’s eyes sparkled at the thought of her aunt. She had always been intrigued by Constance Adora, Momsy’s younger, yellow-eyed sister who always carried a scent of campfire and pine needles.

Well, said Momsy, regarding the eagerness that now washed over Sunshine’s face, I’ll write her a letter today to invite her over.

Sunshine trotted along a tree-lined path, her stuffed rabbit in hand. Oh, Bunny, I can’t wait for Auntie Constance to come visit. I hope she can find a picture of my parents, too. But that’s okay if she can’t. We have the best adventures when she’s here.

Sunshine stopped in her tracks and pulled Bunny up to her face. You know what we should do? We should practice! We should go on a practice adventure, so that when Auntie Constance gets here, she’ll be like, ‘Oooo, wow, you guys are so good at adventuring,’ and then she’ll come on one of our adventures, and we can be the guides!

Sunshine stared at Bunny, grinning from ear to ear. Bunny stared back, expressing as much excitement as possible for a stuffed rabbit. Sunshine squinted happily at her inanimate little friend. I know just the place to take her.

Two long ears slowly crept over the surface of the well. Soon after, those two long ears were followed by two button eyes. Then, those two long ears and two button eyes were joined by the face of a little girl, hidden beneath an orange headband and mud smeared on her nose and cheeks to resemble war paint. There’s got to be some treasure down there, Sunshine whispered to Bunny.

Bunny stared blankly back at her. Sunshine smiled cheerfully, You’re a brave one, little guy.

Inch by inch, the bucket carrying Bunny dropped lower into the well. Do you see anything? Sunshine yelled down.

No response. Okay, maybe a little lower. Sunshine gave the bucket more and more line until she heard it hit the surface of the water.

Do you see anything? she repeated.

No response. Okay, she yelled. We’ll come back tomorrow with a snorkel.

She raised the bucket back to the top of the well and pulled out her stuffed rabbit. I think we might need more practice adventuring before we can invite Auntie Constance along.

Sunshine skipped down the dirt road, Bunny sitting on her shoulders. Maybe we need a treasure map, or somebody to save, or a monster to capture before we can go on an adventure. Sunshine wandered over to a stump by the side of the road and sat down on it, putting Bunny in her lap. She tousled his ears.

Maybe we’re not just supposed to go on an adventure, she said to Bunny. Maybe adventure is just supposed to find …

Sunshine stopped speaking as she noticed a man on the other side of the road. He was wearing a dark cloak and resting against a tree. Sunshine stood up, clutching Bunny tightly, and walked closer to the stranger. Although Sunshine had always been told not to talk to strangers, it was the first time she had ever actually seen one in Wandering Willows, and curiosity took hold.

As Sunshine moved closer and closer, she still wasn’t able to see the stranger’s face beneath his strange, dark cloak. The cloak itself intrigued Sunshine. It was dark, but black didn’t quite seem to be the right name for the color. Although the stranger was sitting in the shade, the noon sun was plenty bright enough for her to see him. The cloak seemed to have no color, like it was empty, not really even there.

A bit confused, but still wanting to see who he was, Sunshine continued forward. Hello? she said, not sure whether or not to even expect a response. Closer she moved. Hello?

She was now in front of the stranger. Hey, mister – Sunshine stopped as a breeze caught hold of the hood that covered the man’s face.

She saw that there wasn’t a face at all. Instead, she gaped at a skull surrounded by the darkness of the colorless cloak. Sunshine gasped as she squeezed Bunny.

Then, as she slowly stepped back, the skull turned up to face her. Hello, Sunshine Saliente.

Sunshine let out a scream as the cloaked figure rose from the ground with the help of a staff fixed with a long, curved blade. She looked Bunny in the face, who responded with his typical blank response. She then looked back at the skull-faced stranger who had begun to approach her. Hoping for advice on what to do now, Sunshine looked back at Bunny. Not getting any help, she screamed and burst into a sprint down the dirt road toward home.

The door flew open as Sunshine crashed through, colliding with the table where the family had eaten their breakfast, and knocking over the remaining juice. Without any hesitation, she whipped Bunny across the room into a laundry basket, which flipped over him and hid the rabbit out of sight. Sunshine scurried back to the door, slamming the bolt shut.

Sunshine! Pops shouted as he rushed into the room. What’s going on? Sunshine ran to him and scrambled up his back until she clutched his head while perched on his shoulders.

Momsy came in and hurried over to them. Sunshine, what’s wrong? she asked, trying to comfort the child.

Then, at the door ... knock, knock, knock.

After peeling her off his head, Pops put Sunshine into Momsy’s arms and quietly crept over to the window to peek out and see what their girl was running from.

Somewhat baffled, he looked back at Sunshine and then smiled. It’s okay, he whispered. There’s no reason to be scared. Sunshine jumped down and hid behind Momsy’s leg as Pops began unlocking the door. Sunshine closed her eyes. Why would her parents do this?

Hi, Flora. Hi, Salvo The voice didn’t seem to fit a cloak-wearing skeleton. Hey, kiddo, what are you up to? It wasn’t until the scent of campfire and pine needles hit her nose that Sunshine was ready to open her eyes.

Auntie Constance! Sunshine