About Sanguine
Sanguine is a novel written by Quade Varga of Stevens Point Area Senior High. Quade began writing the tale of Sanguine in early 9th grade and took it to a whole new level with the responses he got to his 20 page short story. To this day, Sanguine is making its way to local book shelves with 270 pages strong. A sequel will be released following the first book and Quade cannot wait to continue writing more. Below is the opening scene to the first book.
Interview with the Author, Quade Varga
Listen to Sanguine
Sanguine
By Quade Varga
Slipping Away by Francis M.
I awoke, squirming on the cold forest floor in pain. The blood stains on my white tunic shone brightly in the moon’s light. I sat up quickly to find myself in a forest; the forest behind my house. Standing all alone in the trees, I rubbed my tired eyes and continued on out of the forest, my head aching with confusion. There were blood stains on my chest; I flinched when the cold liquid pressed against my skin. I looked at my hands which were cut and stained with blood. My fingernails were broken and shredded, and my fingers aching and bleeding slowly.
“What happened…?” I asked myself softly, walking steadily from the woods.
As I neared my small home, I saw a heavy flickering light through the trees and the brush. I stopped and pondered the illuminant glow coming from ahead. I stared for a while at the dancing shadows before continuing on. My pace quickened from fear and I trudged through the trees at a heightened pace. As I reached the tree line, I burst through the remaining branches and stood in the small crop field that hugged the edges of my village; everything was in flames. The buildings were falling to the ground and engulfed in a deep blaze. I walked slowly forward, looking at my house which was slowly beginning to die away. My knees felt weak and tears held heavy in my eyes. The burning lights instantly stopped. The fires all disappeared and the roaring sounds came to a halt. I stepped back in fear, darting my gaze around the village. I stared in awe, with my mouth wide open into the blackness of the night. Before I even could begin to grasp what had just occurred, the fires burst back up in an instant, but this time they burned deep and red. I looked into the deep crimson fires, a shadowy figure walked slowly from the ruin. A dark robe covered his entire body. I ran in his direction, shouting towards the man. He had to get out; there must be a few people still alive! The man stopped as I neared him. His hands were buried into the folds of his sleeves. I stopped running and walked slowly towards the man.
He lifted his head up and his appearance froze my blood. As I stared in disbelief into the black maw of his eyes, his rotted gray teeth found their way into a smile. He began to cackle uncontrollably and I froze, unable to move, unable see.
“What happened…?” I asked myself softly, walking steadily from the woods.
As I neared my small home, I saw a heavy flickering light through the trees and the brush. I stopped and pondered the illuminant glow coming from ahead. I stared for a while at the dancing shadows before continuing on. My pace quickened from fear and I trudged through the trees at a heightened pace. As I reached the tree line, I burst through the remaining branches and stood in the small crop field that hugged the edges of my village; everything was in flames. The buildings were falling to the ground and engulfed in a deep blaze. I walked slowly forward, looking at my house which was slowly beginning to die away. My knees felt weak and tears held heavy in my eyes. The burning lights instantly stopped. The fires all disappeared and the roaring sounds came to a halt. I stepped back in fear, darting my gaze around the village. I stared in awe, with my mouth wide open into the blackness of the night. Before I even could begin to grasp what had just occurred, the fires burst back up in an instant, but this time they burned deep and red. I looked into the deep crimson fires, a shadowy figure walked slowly from the ruin. A dark robe covered his entire body. I ran in his direction, shouting towards the man. He had to get out; there must be a few people still alive! The man stopped as I neared him. His hands were buried into the folds of his sleeves. I stopped running and walked slowly towards the man.
He lifted his head up and his appearance froze my blood. As I stared in disbelief into the black maw of his eyes, his rotted gray teeth found their way into a smile. He began to cackle uncontrollably and I froze, unable to move, unable see.