New!
Author resources • Lorehaven Guild
Podcast sponsors • Subscribe for free
Crew manifest Faith statement FAQs
All author resources Lorehaven Guild Subscribe for free

Into the Darkness
Reviews, Feb 3, 2023

The Chosen Succeeds Where ‘Woke’ Stories Fail
Jenneth Dyck in Articles, Feb 2, 2023

Rose Petals and Snowflakes
Book Quests, Feb 1, 2023

Library

Find fantastical Christian novels

fantasy · sci-fi · and beyond
middle grade · young adult · grown-ups
All novels Search Add a novel
Silver Bounty, Victoria McCombs
A Sword for the Immerland King, F. W. Faller
Calor, J. J. Fisher
Once Upon A Ren Faire, A. C. Castillo
The Genesis 6 Project, Michael Ferguson
Exile, Loren G. Warnemuende
Aberration, Cathy McCrumb
The Truth Beyond the Lies, Kathleen Bird
Frost, Winter's Lonely Guardian, E. E. Rawls
Dream of Kings, Sharon Hinck
The Change, Bradley Caffee
Quest of Fire: Desperation, Brett Armstrong
Wishtress, Nadine Brandes
Flight, Kristen Young
Podcast

Get the Fantastical Truth podcast

Podcast sponsors | Subscribe links
Archives Feedback

147. Why Can Christians Celebrate Stories about Merlin and King Arthur? | with Robert Treskillard
Fantastical Truth, Jan 31, 2023

146. How Did Animators Adapt The Wingfeather Saga For Streaming TV? | with Keith Lango
Fantastical Truth, Jan 24, 2023

145. How Did Edmund Spenser’s ‘The Faerie Queene’ Shape Christian Fantasy? | with Rebecca K. Reynolds
Fantastical Truth, Jan 17, 2023

144. Which Top Six Fantasy Franchises Gave Fans Grief in 2022?
Fantastical Truth, Jan 10, 2023

143. Which Top Ten Lorehaven Stories Proved Most Popular in 2022?
Fantastical Truth, Jan 6, 2023

142. What Christmas Gift ‘Tools, Not Toys’ Helped You Grow As a Person?
Fantastical Truth, Dec 20, 2022

Quests

Join our monthly digital book quests.

Lorehaven Guild Faith statement FAQs

Rose Petals and Snowflakes
Book Quests, February 2023

Prince Caspian
Book Quests, January 2023

Dream of Kings
Book Quests, December 2022

On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness
Book Quests, November 2022

Reviews

Find fantastical Christian reviews

All reviews Request review

Into the Darkness
“Charles Hack’s Into the Darkness summons a close-range science fiction story, focusing on the personal challenges of space warfare among alien cultures with a steady pace and serious tone.”
—Lorehaven on Feb 3, 2023

A Crown of Chains
“A Crown of Chains creatively retells a biblical tale to explore themes of providence, racism, faith, and fidelity.”
—Lorehaven on Jan 27, 2023

Lander’s Legacy
“Lander’s Legacy stacks modern thrills and complex characters on a foundation of biblical what-ifs.”
—Lorehaven on Jan 20, 2023

Prince Caspian
“Pacing starts slow but creature lore grows in C. S. Lewis’s sequel, introducing practical tyrants and talking-beast politics into a Narnian resistance.”
—Lorehaven on Jan 13, 2023

Gifts

Find new gifts for Christian fans

Archives

The original SpecFaith: est. 2006

Speculative Faith | archives

Lorehaven issues (2018–2020)

Order back issues online!
New
Library
Podcast
Quests
Reviews
Gifts
Archives
Lorehaven helps Christian fans explore fantastical stories for Christ’s glory: fantasy, science fiction, and beyond. Articles, the library, reviews, podcasts, gifts, and the Lorehaven Guild community help fans discern and enjoy the best Christian-made fantastical stories, applying their meanings to the real world Jesus Christ calls us to serve. Subscribe free to get any updates you choose and to access the Lorehaven Guild.
Subscribe free to Lorehaven
/ SpecFaith /

Fiction Friday: Threadbare By Bethany A. Jennings

Bethany A. Jennings, whose name you might recognize because she’s won a few Spec Faith Writing Challenges, is a YA science-fiction and fantasy author, and a chronic night owl. She is endlessly passionate about the power of speculative fiction, both to shape hearts and cultures and to unveil hidden realities.
Rebecca LuElla Miller on Mar 24, 2017 · Series: Fiction Friday
2 comments

A short story

by Bethany A. Jennings

INTRODUCTION—“Threadbare”

What happens when your gift turns against you?

All her life Bess has known the magic streams around her, waves of power she can draw from to wield the gift of magical threads. Now the youngest member of a team of Anchors, she helps protect the city streets from Drifters—energy thieves who prey on the life force of ordinary humans.

But when a battle leaves Bess’s threads in an irreparable tangle, she is faced with an agonizing choice: sever her threads and lose her magic forever—or be slowly consumed by her own power.

“THREADBARE — EXCERPT

The tidal wave chills me as it comes.

Magic rushes from every side, pouring through the alleys and across the pavement. Each new wave is a force to reckon with, another pressure on our weakening team. But this one comes from a new direction—behind me.

I whirl toward the Drifter who directs this new current. Magical threads lash out from my hands like a whip, thick golden strands aimed to take him down. For one second, I glimpse his smug smile, his tailored suit.

Then the wave hits me.

My threads whip back in my face. Magic slams me flat against the ground, leaving me still and numb against the summer-warm asphalt.

Through darkening eyes I see a sliver of the raging fight—glowing blades and glittering threads flying and thrashing beneath the street lamps. The magical waves crash around me, battering me until I feel like I’m drowning.

We’re outnumbered. My teammates are losing, and I can’t help them. I try to scream, to warn them of the danger, but no sound comes from my throat. Panic fills my chest.

In the distance, someone shouts my name. “Bess!”

Darkness overtakes me, the waves burying me so deep that I think I will never breathe again.

* * * *

“Bess.” Fingers snap in front of my face.

I gasp awake and lurch into a sitting position, heart hammering and fists ready to punch Morse and his Drifter henchmen.

But it’s only Marshall, with his sad, kind eyes. I’ sitting on a table in one of our team’s safe houses, a basement apartment with battered walls and a dilapidated kitchenette.

Close by Finn dabs sweat off his dark forehead with his sleeve. Mac and Anna rare n the kitchen, tending a gash on Anna’s arm. At the sight of me awake, relief softens the exhaustion in their faces.

My tense muscles unclench, tears springing to my eyes.

“Glad to have you back with us.” A gentle smile twitches on Marshall’s lips. “He took you out good. Can you feel all your extremities?”

I test my fingers and toes, and nod. If I try to speak, I think I’ll cry in relief, so I pinch my mouth shut. Did we win? I’ll have to ask later, when my heart isn’t pounding so hard.

I glance at my teammates again. Why do they all look so serious?

Marshall steps back from the table, running a hand through his wavy brow hair. “Okay, good. Now, let’s see your threads.”

I look down at my shaking hands. Right now?

“I know it’ll take a buttload of energy to manifest them.” He pauses, then moves toward me again. “Here, let me help. I know it’s cheating since you’re still a novice, but in this condition, I think you need some help. I want to make sure you’re okay.”

He angles himself behind me and puts his arms in line with mine, his hands holding my wrists. Magic rushes through him, channeled from the waves, and surges into my stiff muscles. It aches, like moving after a killer workout, but I grasp the wave and strike out with my hands to fling my golden threads into the room.

Nothing.

I bit back a whimper.

“Again,” Marshall says patiently.

He draws the surge down to me a second time. Hope sparks in my chest as golden light flashes on my fingers—and immediately my relief is dashed on a stone of icy fear.

My threads shine between my outstretched hands, but they don’t lash out like a whip. They’re snarled together in a golden, scintillating mass.

AUTHOR BIO

Bethany A. Jennings, whose name you might recognize because she’s won a few Spec Faith Writing Challenges, is a YA science-fiction and fantasy author, and a chronic night owl. She is endlessly passionate about the power of speculative fiction, both to shape hearts and cultures and to unveil hidden realities. Bethany can be found wrangling her toddlers, running Twitter events, or inventing new kinds of sandwiches—but no matter where she is, worlds and stories are dancing in her head. Born a southern California girl, she now lives in New Hampshire with her husband and four children, zero pets, and a large collection of imaginary friends (a.k.a. her fictional characters). In addition to her fiction writing, she is a freelance editor, blogger, and the organizer of #WIPjoy, a seasonal online event for authors.

You can learn more about Bethany, her writing, and her editing at her website.

“Threadbare,” published this week as a Kindle e-story, is Bethany’s first story available for purchase.

Rebecca LuElla Miller
Best known for her aspirations as an epic fantasy author, Becky is the sole remaining founding member of Speculative Faith. Besides contributing weekly articles here, she blogs Monday through Friday at A Christian Worldview of Fiction. She works as a freelance writer and editor and posts writing tips as well as information about her editing services at Rewrite, Reword, Rework.
Website ·
  1. Bethany A. Jennings says:
    March 24, 2017 at 12:25 pm

    Thank you so much for featuring Threadbare!

    Reply
  2. Rebecca LuElla Miller says:
    March 24, 2017 at 5:42 pm

    Always a pleasure to bring attention to good writers!

    Reply

What do you think? Cancel reply

  • Fiction Friday: An Excerpt From One Realm BeyondFiction Friday: An Excerpt From One Realm Beyond
  • Fiction Friday: Captives By Jill WilliamsonFiction Friday: Captives By Jill Williamson
  • Fiction Friday - Excerpt, Her Dangerous VisionsFiction Friday - Excerpt, Her Dangerous Visions
  • Finals - 2015 Spec Faith Winter Writing ChallengeFinals - 2015 Spec Faith Winter Writing Challenge
Lorehaven magazine, spring 2020

Wear the wonder:
Get exclusive shirts and beyond

Listen to Lorehaven’s podcast

Authors and publishers:
Reach new fans with Lorehaven

Lorehaven helps Christian fans explore fantastical stories for Christ’s glory: fantasy, science fiction, and beyond. Articles, the library, reviews, podcasts, gifts, and the Lorehaven Guild community help fans discern and enjoy the best Christian-made fantastical stories, applying their meanings to the real world Jesus Christ calls us to serve. Subscribe free to get any updates you choose and to access the Lorehaven Guild.
Website · Facebook · Instagram · Twitter