Hi, all. Avery here. While Resonance is getting her bearings back after an extended leave (and coping with the sudden knowledge she’s now a character in a book), I thought I’d give you guys a behind-the-scenes look at the weirdness of Resonance’s home town of Tyne via a deleted scene. This excerpt was removed early on, but it remains a favorite of mine–because it was inspired by real neighbors. Enjoy!




RESONANCE CUT SCENE #1


Resonance braked and cut the wheel sharply to avoid circling the block again, veering the car onto her road, and into the path of two figures.


The two raven-haired little girls occupying the pavement didn’t react as the car ground to a halt a mere foot from them, nor did they acknowledge its continued presence. Holding the skirts of their matching tangerine sundresses like they were about to curtsey, the girls sauntered in a circle around a storm grate embedded in the in the center of the asphalt. Their MaryJanes clicked in cadence as they trained their intent faces on whatever lay below the rusted metal grate.


Muttering a string of curses, Resonance mashed the Accord’s toll button, making the half-lowered window slide all the way into the door.


“Hey,” she called, leaning her head out, “You geniuses might want to move next time a car comes.” They momentarily stopped their circumambulation to turn their sallow faces up at her. Neither girl’s blank gaze registered any emotion. “You slow bussers get me?”


The girls simply watched her with expressionless apathy for a moment longer, and then lowered their heads, resuming their–


Game?


An unexplained chill traveled up Resonance’s spine. She grasped the wheel with suddenly sweaty palms, steering the car around them, driving halfway onto the sidewalk to do so. She peeled into the driveway with aggressive bravado, telling herself there was no reason to be rattled by a couple of potentially lobotomized knee-biters. Chiding herself, she climbed out of the car.


As the door banged shut, her neighbor’s door opened. A matronly woman with large glasses and lank, chin-length brown hair emerged. Resonance opened her mouth to tell the woman her children had nearly become road pizza, but the woman stuck her arm out and began flapping her hand in an exaggerated wave.


“Hiiiii, Neighbor,” the woman trilled in an ear-splitting falsetto. A foolish grin encompassed the lower half of her face, making her look like a pale jack-o-lantern.


Resonance gaped. For once, words wouldn’t come to her mouth. Too taken aback by the woman’s exuberant display to do anything else, she turned abruptly and pretended she’d forgotten something very important in her car. She resurfaced a few moments later to find the two girls had abandoned their diversion and were standing at the edge of their yard, impassively watching her. She looked past them to the mother, whose fleshy arm still flapped like a flag in the wind.


“Hiiiii, Neighbor.”


Resonance headed for the door, moving as fast as her pride would allow. Thankfully, it was unlocked. She pushed her way in, clicking the deadbolt behind her. She didn’t know why she was so rattled. After all, it was just a couple of strange kids and their freakshow mother.


Nothing to be worried about.


Reinforced by her reasoning, she hazarded a peek out the window. The girls stood shoulder-to-shoulder, gazing into the front window.


“Jesus Christ!” The exclamation was a mixture of annoyance and unease. As she yanked down the blinds with a vicious tug, she made sure the last thing the little maggots saw was her middle finger.


There was something majorly wrong with Tyne, no denying it.