{"id":6,"date":"2012-01-05T06:27:12","date_gmt":"1999-11-30T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.seanvogel.com\/?page_id=6"},"modified":"2012-07-28T18:07:21","modified_gmt":"2012-07-28T18:07:21","slug":"book-excerpt","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.seanvogel.com\/index.php\/book-excerpt\/","title":{"rendered":"Book Excerpt"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2 align=\"center\"><em>Celtic Run<\/em><\/h2>\n<p align=\"center\">\u00a9 Sean Vogel<\/p>\n<p align=\"center\"><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Chapter 1<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Jake clenched his fists. Zach was sauntering down the airplane aisle as if he were the best thing since the iPod. <em>Everyone has an archenemy, <\/em>Jake thought<em>. Luke Skywalker has Darth Vader. Harry Potter has Voldemort. Me? I have Zach.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Zach plopped into the seat in front of Jake and poked his head around to talk.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHey, twerp, having a good flight?\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em>Just my luck. Five and a half hours to Ireland behind the goon of the eighth grade<\/em>. \u201cI\u2019d be having a better flight if you\u2019d test the emergency exit.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Zach\u2019s eyes narrowed. \u201cOkay, Spanky, you\u2019ll pay for that with your leg room.\u201d He stuffed his duffle under his own seat until it infringed on Jake\u2019s space. \u201cOh, wait, you\u2019re only three feet tall, so my bag won\u2019t bother you.\u201d Zach chuckled and turned back around to watch a movie on his LCD television screen.<\/p>\n<p>Instinctively, Jake stretched his legs to see if he could reach the duffle with his feet. Shorter than the average student, he felt like a dwarf compared to Zach\u2019s football-player physique. He glanced at Zach\u2019s seatmate, Julie. <em>Why doesn\u2019t she ever see this? <\/em><\/p>\n<p>Jake\u2019s heart pinched as Julie adjusted her position to rest her head on Zach\u2019s shoulder. Her blonde hair lay draped between the seats, its strong berry scent sending a slight tingle through Jake\u2019s body.<\/p>\n<p>Jake and Julie had grown up together. They\u2019d been friends from hide-and-seek to Guitar Hero, which made it the ultimate blow when she started going out with Zach. <em>Why can\u2019t she see him for the jerk he is?<\/em> Jake kicked Zach\u2019s bag out of anger. <em>Good thing no one\u2019s sitting next to me. <\/em>Then, grinning, he bent forward and slowly opened the zipper.<\/p>\n<p>The first thing he found was a stack of papers. A cover sheet said \u201cThe Visitors, by Zachary Maguire.\u201d Laughing inwardly at his good fortune, Jake tucked the manuscript into the seat pocket in front of him for future retrieval. <em>Never pass up good blackmail material.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Next, he found Zach\u2019s security-compliant bag of liquids. <em>Jackpot! All that bragging about being the only eighth grader to shave is going to haunt him.<\/em> He pulled out the travel-sized can of shaving cream and some dental floss and then pried the tab off his empty soda can.<\/p>\n<p>He knew Julie wouldn\u2019t approve of what he was about to do. Like a referee who flags the guy returning a punch, she had a knack for seeing only Jake\u2019s retaliations and not Zach\u2019s instigating offenses.<\/p>\n<p>After jamming the metal tab into the tight gap behind the button, he gingerly pulled forward on the makeshift lever. Mint-scented goo dribbled out. <em>Perfect.<\/em> Next, he strategically placed a couple of airline blankets inside the duffle to hold the shaving cream can up toward the opening of the bag. He zipped it closed as far as he could, leaving just a little access for his fingers. Using a fisherman\u2019s knot, he tied the floss to the metal tab, pulled the slack out, and tied the other end to the zipper.<\/p>\n<p>He bit his lower lip as he pulled the knot tight. <em>Probably the last time I\u2019ll tie that knot since we no longer have a boat.<\/em> The feeling of loss that he experienced on the day his dad sold their sailboat to pay the medical bills had been monumental. He slid the duffle back under the seat and glanced up at the movie. <em>Seen it.<\/em> With his dad laid up, watching movies was about all they could do together now.<\/p>\n<p align=\"center\">*\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *<\/p>\n<p>Hours later, the pilot announced their descent into Ireland. Jake finished scanning the \u201cTrace Your Heritage\u201d homework instructions and folded them into his backpack. He hadn\u2019t wanted to leave New York for the entire summer, but his dad had urged him to go on this school trip, saying it would be good for him to see where their family came from.<\/p>\n<p>Jake tossed his backpack onto the empty seat next to him and peered between the seats as Zach wrapped up the cords of his expensive headphones. <em>Showtime. <\/em>Pretending to sleep, Jake watched through slits in his eyes as Zach pulled out his bag.<\/p>\n<p>Zach tugged at the zipper. It didn\u2019t budge. He grunted, tightened his grip, and yanked again. A greenish geyser of minty foam erupted from the bag, lathering Zach from head to waist.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cArgh!\u201d Zach\u2019s arms flailed as he struggled to wipe the slime from his face. He stopped and blinked several times. Then he stood up, turned, and fixated on Jake.<\/p>\n<p><em>Uh-oh.<\/em> At ten thousand feet, options for escape were slim.<\/p>\n<p>An attendant spoke into the intercom. \u201cSir, please sit down. We\u2019re making our descent.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Temporarily thwarted, Zach pointed at Jake before making a fist and smacking it into his other palm.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cZach!\u201d Julie scolded.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut look at what he did!\u201d Zach removed the cream from his face with the last dry part of his shirt.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWell, what did you think he\u2019d do if you put your bag there? You know he can\u2019t resist a practical joke!\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Jake\u2019s heart pounded. <em>She noticed. There is hope.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd Jake, you\u2019ve got to stop with the pranks.\u201d Jake looked down, not wanting to gaze into her disapproving blue eyes. She\u2019d once confided to Jake that Zach had some insecurities and issues with his dad, but Jake didn\u2019t think that gave him the right to be a bully.<\/p>\n<p>Once the plane landed in Shannon, the group of ten students made their way through customs and baggage claim. They purchased some cookies and drinks at the caf\u00e9 and then walked outside into the mid-morning sun to eagerly await their sponsors. Although most of the students would be going to different villages, such as Ballyferriter and Castlegregory, Jake knew that Zach, Julie, and he would be staying in the town of Dingle.<\/p>\n<p>He remembered the glint in Julie\u2019s eyes when she talked about her dad pulling strings to keep them all close to each other. <em>She wants me to be friends with her boyfriend? No way.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Jake\u2019s name was called. He turned to see a man in faded pants and a colorful sweater<br \/>\nbounding toward him. The powerful energy in his trim frame was clearly evident.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<em>Dia daoibh<\/em>, Jake. <em>Mo ainm<\/em> Gerald O\u2019Connell,\u201d he said, warmly extending his hand.<\/p>\n<p>Zach stopped dabbing the shaving cream from his clothes. \u201cWhoa, I thought they spoke English here.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe do.\u201d A girl with long red curls and a china-white complexion stepped out from behind the man. \u201cHello. My name is Maggie O\u2019Connell, and this is my \u2018da,\u2019\u201d she said with a charming brogue.<\/p>\n<p>Jake recognized her from the photo she\u2019d sent when they exchanged introductory e-mails. He remembered she was fifteen, only a year older than he was.<\/p>\n<p>Mr. O\u2019Connell inclined his head. \u201cWelcome to Ireland.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Not wanting to pass up the opportunity to upstage Zach, Jake said to Maggie, \u201cThat was Irish that your dad\u2014uh, <em>da<\/em>\u2014was speaking, right?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Maggie beamed. \u201cThat\u2019s impressive. Most Americans would have called it Gaelic.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMy dad drilled me on Irish knowledge. He didn\u2019t want me to bring shame on the McGreevy name.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Maggie smiled in appreciation. \u201cSpeaking of names, remember you wrote to ask if there were any McGreevys listed in our area? Well, I was able to find a few near Killorglin\u2014just about an hour away.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201c<em>Go raibh mile maith agat<\/em>.\u201d Jake hoped he\u2019d pronounced the Irish translation for \u201cthank you\u201d correctly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNice.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201c\u2019Fraid that\u2019s all I\u2019ve learned so far,\u201d Jake grinned.<\/p>\n<p>When Julie\u2019s and Zach\u2019s names were called, two well-dressed couples approached them. Jake noticed that as each person shook Zach\u2019s hand, his or her nose twitched, probably trying to figure out where the minty smell was coming from. Jake snickered and Zach mouthed a threat at him.<\/p>\n<p>In the parking lot, the O\u2019Connells led Jake to a beat-up hatchback. Mr. O\u2019Connell pounded on the latch to open it and began loading Jake\u2019s bags. As Zach\u2019s and Julie\u2019s sponsors packed their luggage into their respective luxury cars, Zach called to Jake, \u201cHey, twerp. Want me to upgrade you to a donkey cart?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Maggie squinted at Zach, as if to better understand what he\u2019d just said.<\/p>\n<p>Jake turned to her. \u201cWhat\u2019s Irish for <em>caveman?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She giggled, mischief sparkling in her eyes. \u201cTry <em>fear pluaise<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCatch you later, <em>fear pluaise!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n<p>All the sponsors laughed. And when Zach\u2019s face deepened to a dark shade of red, Jake could barely conceal his pleasure. <em>I am definitely going to like it here.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The car\u2019s exterior may have been dilapidated, but its engine fired right up. Jake struggled to keep his stomach steady as Mr. O\u2019Connell sped along the highway for the two-and-a-half-hour trip south. Their lively conversation made the time fly. It didn\u2019t take long for Jake to get used to their accents, but much to his embarrassment, a few times he found himself unconsciously mimicking their inflections.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen we get home, you can call your mum and da and tell them you\u2019re here,\u201d Maggie said.<\/p>\n<p>Jake stared out the passenger window. \u201cJust my dad. My mom died when I was young.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Maggie twisted in her seat to reach out and touch his arm, hesitated, and then put her hand back by her side. \u201c<em>T\u00e1 br\u00f3n orainn<\/em>. I mean, I\u2019m so sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cSo this is your first time in Ireland, right, Jake?\u201d Mr. O\u2019Connell said, gently changing the subject.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYes. My dad and I have sailed to a few places on our schooner, but we\u2019ve never made it <em>this<\/em> far.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhere have you been?\u201d Maggie asked.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCaribbean mostly. The sea down there is amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ll bet. Well, my da and the other sponsors thought you might enjoy seeing a bit of scenery before settling in. We\u2019re now on Slea Head Drive. Very soon you\u2019ll be able to get your first glimpse of Blasket Sound, okay?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOf course.\u201d Jake inched forward in his seat for a better view.<\/p>\n<p>As they rounded the next corner, Maggie stretched her arm out the window and said, \u201cWelcome to Dingle.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Jake\u2019s jaw dropped as the infinite ocean unfolded before him. Soaring cliffs hugged the coastline to stand guard over white-capped waves racing toward the shore like wild horses.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s awesome,\u201d Jake said, hoping he didn\u2019t sound too corny.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe <em>National Geographic Traveler <\/em>guidebook<em> <\/em>proclaimed it \u2018the most beautiful place on earth,\u2019\u201d Maggie added with pride.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI can see why.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Thankfully, Mr. O\u2019Connell slowed down a bit to make the curvy ride more enjoyable.\u00a0 Jake glanced back and saw that Zach\u2019s and Julie\u2019s sponsors were managing to keep pace with Mr. O\u2019Connell. After twenty minutes, everyone pulled into a small parking lot on the western tip of the peninsula.<\/p>\n<p>Several families were gathered at the overlook, all taking pictures of the breathtaking view. The sight of the water overwhelmed Jake, and he swallowed hard, suppressing memories of his father\u2019s sailboat and better days. Maggie guided the group to the best vantage point. Unlike some of the spectacular cliffs they had passed on the way, this section of the peninsula was only fifteen feet above the ocean. The water appeared calm, but Jake recalled his dad\u2019s many lectures on strong currents and sudden waves.<\/p>\n<p>He looked around at the other tourists and caught sight of a toddler dressed in a thick pink sweater and matching pants. She tottered after a butterfly, swinging her arms in an attempt to catch it. The insect fluttered away from the throngs of people, toward the edge of the cliff, with the child still in pursuit.<\/p>\n<p>Jake swiveled his head around. <em>Nobody is paying attention to her<\/em>. He took off toward the girl, screaming for somebody to stop her, but before anyone could move, the child vanished over the edge. At full speed, Jake shed his shoes and plunged off the cliff.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Within two minutes, or even less, he had forgotten all his troubles. Not because his troubles were one whit less heavy and bitter to him than a man&#8217;s are to a man, but because a new and powerful inter<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-6","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seanvogel.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seanvogel.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seanvogel.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seanvogel.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seanvogel.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/www.seanvogel.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":45,"href":"https:\/\/www.seanvogel.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6\/revisions\/45"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seanvogel.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}<!-- WP Super Cache is installed but broken. 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