The Story Behind IMMERSION (and an excerpt)

I think IMMERSION started with a dream, but for the life of me, I can't really remember much of the dream. This is because, as soon as I woke up, I started adding bits and pieces to the dream, and taking parts away, until I had made up the whole story and just about nothing of the dream was left. 

I recall the dream had something to do with a man who was being hunted by a shadowy group that wanted him to do something for them, but I don't remember what, and he ended up in a very dark place in a cage (I think), in which his family couldn't get to him. 

The characters came clearly in the dream: a young woman with a physical disability, and a little boy with an irrepressible spirit and a penchant for generating more questions than answers. 

What I do remember clearly is the planning stage, in which I believed myself to be quite clever in creating new, literal meanings for old figures of speech that had anything to do with books. 

"Getting lost in a book" was now a matter for horror, rather than for pestering the poor bookworm who ought to be filling the dishwasher instead of rereading The Thief.

Speaking of a bookworm, this term now referred to a parasite, rather than to a particular someone in the family who ran out of shelf space for all her precious volumes.

And a Literary Immersion Experience created an acronym that does have more than a little to do with the story's plot.

I don't know how clever I really was, and I only used a few ideas out of many, but one (pre-launch) reviewer seemed rather amused.

“Boy, you took it a lot better than I expected.” Huckleberry heaved himself onto the edge of the desk and swung his legs. “Good. So now we can get down to business.”

“Business?” Paul repeated.

“Exactly. I tried to catch you at your house—that’s where you said you’d be first—and I called and called, but you didn’t pay attention.”

Paul remembered the insistent child’s voice and felt a twinge of alarm. Huck continued.

“So I had to call a cab. I didn’t have much money, just what Mom gave me. You could have written more money in, but I guess you forgot.”

“Kid, you’ve lost me.”

“It’s Huck, not kid. You said it would take you a while to catch on.”

“I said…?”

“Yeah. When you wrote me in. Mom said a lot more than you did, but most of it was about safety and stuff. That’s why I had to take a cab. She made me promise I wouldn’t hitch any rides.”

“Right. Your mom,” Paul interrupted. “Where is your mom? I have to get you home to her.”

Huck jerked his arm away from Paul’s grasp. “You said I had to go to you first. I have to tell you that you’re in danger and so is the whole world.”

“Right, kid.”

“Huck.”

“Right, Huck.”

Huck sighed noisily. “Boy, you sure are stupid when you’re younger. You said it would be hard, but I’m explaining it the best I can. But don’t worry.” The dazzling grin flashed. “I love you anyway!”

“Huck, I’m really flattered that you love me so much, but I have a lot of work to finish, okay?”

“That’s what I came about.” Huck slipped off the desk and gazed up at Paul, serious now. “You know that job from Mr. Swanson? You shouldn’t do it. Give him back his money and tell him you won’t. He’ll be mad and probably try to pay you even more, but you have to stick by your guns!”

Huck scowled, hands on hips, his voice resonant with heroism. The only thing missing was an old towel tied around his neck as a cape.

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Lynn Calderwood | Review Team

Enjoyed the plot twists and life parallels. The dialog flows easily and we bibliophiles will relate to the "immersion" experience, although this immersion goes beyond the normal. An entertaining and thought provoking story. Reading it a second time opens up aspects of the story not noticed the first time. Worth reading twice!