Tour Stop (Part 2) ~ Leah (World's Apart #1) by Andrea Baker - Article/Playlist and Excerpt

As part 2 of the tour Andrea ha provided me with an article about the importance of music, a playlist and an excerpt so enjoy!

See Part 1 HERE

Music has a very strong theme within “Worlds Apart – Leah”, Ben plays the guitar in a band within the story, and there are several instances where the right music is vital - There is a scene where Leah goes and watches Ben and his band mates practice, for example, where the wrong music could completely destroy the scene.  Then of course there are the regional finals, just before the fight scene, where the music is again, intrinsic to the story.

My own taste in music is pretty eclectic; you can find a sample of most different genres of music on my ipod – in the same way that I have read so many different genres of books.  I’m pretty sure however you’re not that interested in what I would listen to, but how about Leah’s playlist?

Leah is nineteen, and about to start University.  Raised by her father since she was fourteen, after her mother’s death, she finds escape in music and books, so her playlist is very important to her.  I asked her what she was listening to right now, and this was her response:

“I’m in a good place right now Andrea, so my music is not as melancholy as it can be.  Life is calmer, although the Harbingers can appear at any time, but I feel stronger and more able to do battle.  I’m going to see “Hey Beatles” tonight, although the music is old school, I listened to it a lot with my Mum when I was little, so I still really like it.  Right now I’m listening to my “general” playlist, so here’s just a sample of the next few on the list:

“Feeling Good” – the Muse version, although it’s a cover, I love this particular one
“Maybe Tomorrow” – Stereophonics
“You Give me Something” – James Morrison
“Decode” Paramore
“The Swan Nebula – A Perfect Storm” Jonathan Hood
“I won’t give up” Jason Mraz
“Moves like Jagger” Maroon 5

I could go on forever...”

Thanks Leah, that is really interesting – I’m sure most people recognise those, even if they’re not something you’d listen to yourself.

Excerpt from World's Apart
I was dreading going to sleep that night. With what had just happened and the mood I was in, the nightmares were certain to be worse than ever.

I fought and fought against sleep, willing myself to stay awake, preferring exhaustion to the nightmares. At about three a.m., I finally drifted off, helpless against the anaesthetizing effects of sleep.

I was walking through the ruins, smiling to myself. It was a warm day and the air was filled with the scent of newly mown grass and wild flowers, so it must have been one from earlier that summer. I was having a mental conversation with Mom, telling her about the new cottage, the town and how I felt about the approaching new term.

I could hear the smile in her voice as she replied, “Don’t worry, Leah, I am with you each and every step of the way. You just need to think about me and I will be here, just as I always promised you.”

Suddenly dusk was falling. The castle looked very different now and the evening lights that 
normally lit the ruins from dusk until midnight had failed. I turned the corner to my favourite 
spot and came to an abrupt halt.

There, standing in front of me, was a young girl. She couldn’t have been any older than nine or ten. She had her back to me, but from the way she was standing and her quivering movements, I could tell that she was crying.

“Hey, what’s the matter? Are you lost?” I called to her softly.

“I want my Daddy,” came the quiet, tearful response.

“Where did you leave him?” I asked, walking towards her. “Come on; let’s find our way back to the car park. I’m sure we will find him there and I bet he is worried sick about you.” I smiled to myself; that had always been one of Mom’s favourite sayings.

By this time I had reached her side and she looked up at me, tears streaming down her face. I held my hand out to take hers. She reached up to hold my hand but suddenly she was gone. 

The scene shifted in an instant and now I was near to the occupied part of the castle. I could 
still hear the little girl crying for her Daddy but could not see her anywhere. I ran through the sectors that I knew so well, looking frantically everywhere. I was the only one who knew where this girl had been, and her parents must have been really worried by now. 

The roar of the car engine brought me to a sudden stop. Where was it coming from? I turned 
quickly, eyes searching everywhere. Cars weren’t allowed in this part of the castle grounds. 

As I re -focused, it dawned on me that the scene had changed again.

Suddenly I was back on the main road, opposite the castle entrance. The same black car screeched to a stop in front of me and I was again assaulted by the stench of   scorched rubber. The door was thrown open. This time I didn’t need to be told what to do. 

I was terrified. 

I lunged into the car, pulling the door shut behind me. Where was my saviour now?

The car pulled away, picking up speed almost immediately, flying through the town that had 
become so familiar. I didn’t want to think about what speed we were doing. I finally managed 
to get myself sitting up straight and reached for the seatbelt. As I did so, I glanced at the rear 
view mirror towards the driver.

Looking back at me was a pair of chilling yellow eyes. 

A flash of lightning illuminated the scene, and for the first time I got a full view of the beast that had been haunting my dreams - sinewy long legs with webbed feet and a hairless wiry body.

As I watched, he dropped onto to all fours so that his eyes were level with mine, and my stomach plummeted as the realisation of the sheer size of this creature dawned on me. As if it 
read my thoughts, it stood back onto those legs. Fully upright, he was well over six foot tall.

Claw-like hands that looked as powerful as his legs tore through the air as he raced after us, 
easily keeping pace with the car. Sharp pointed teeth grinned at me from his rounded face, and I realised the creature had not a single hair on his body. Opening his mouth wide, he uttered an ear-shattering yowl and I shuddered as thick, viscous saliva drooled from his bottom jaw.

I sat bolt upright in bed, my heart hammering so loud I thought it would wake my Dad. I still hadn’t forgiven him for last night, so the last thing I wanted was to be comforted by him. 

I didn’t put the light on straightaway; instead I stared out of my bedroom window at the stars. Surprisingly the sky had cleared while I slept. I lay there, listening to my heart hammer itself back to a normal rhythm.

I must have dozed back off, because suddenly there was that voice again. 

“Trust me, Leah. You will know what you need to do. Follow your own instincts and you will 
be fine. Don’t let others tell you what to do.”

I twisted and turned, trying to identify where the voice was coming from, but everything was 
black. 

“I don’t know what you mean. Please tell me, what do I need to do?” I begged, more confused than ever.

“You’ll know when the time comes. Just follow your own instincts and trust no-one.”

The voice and everything else for that matter, was gone and I was left with blissful nothingness.