The Protagonist Speaks

Dear readers, tonight with me is a young woman helping her best friend to fight demons.

Growing up in a small town, she was not prepared for the world of demons and angels. She now assists her friend Zoe, a girl from a sacred bloodline, to fight the demons.

She is here to tell us about her adventures.

Tell us a little about where you grew up. What’s it like there?

I have lived in Torch Creek my entire life. Not that 17 years is a long time but this place is pretty much all I know. I used to think it was the picture perfect American small town. It’s quaint and all but there is a darkness here. About four years ago, after my best friend died, I met that darkness face to face. I didn’t realize it at the time though. It took meeting my new best friend, Zoe, for me to understand that my deep sadness and pain and fear was more than just bad dreams and depression. Something was eating my soul. Let me tell you, being a demon’s dietary supplement is not fun. Things are better now. Well, better for me and on their way to being better for the town, and the whole world… Hopefully.

A demon’s dietary supplement? Really? How did you overcome that?

It started with a weird girl trying to talk to me in the school bathroom. Then we had pie. Zoe was the first person to take the time to care about me in a really long time. She helped me to see that I wasn’t crazy and that I had been letting this thing feed off of me by letting it keep me sad and afraid. She told me to stop giving it food, so I did. It sounds easier than it actually is by the way, but it worked. Faith works. It also helps to have a friend who’s part of a sacred bloodline and fights demons.

So, your new best friend fights demons, do you help?

Well, I want to help. I’m hoping they will agree to give me a weapon soon. I’m getting better at archery practice. Like, half my arrows hit the target now. I’m pretty certain I’d be even better with a sword. In the meantime I guess I help in my own way. I remind them what they are fighting for. It’s easy to get obsessed with the darkness and forget to have a life too. I mean prom doesn’t seem important when you are facing a great evil, but it gives you a minute to breathe between battles, to loosen up and have fun and enjoy the life you are working so hard to save. Until shadows show up and try to eat everyone in the school gym, but that’s a story for another time.

Seems like life must stay exciting, do you ever want to walk away from the fighting?

I have it easy compared to the others. Claire, Zoe and Daniel have lost their whole families. My parents may not know about this particular extracurricular activity but they are there for me. I can be there for Zoe and the other descendants even when it gets hard. Some days get real hard. When I get tired I lean into the Maker and grab a lollipop. They make life better.

You’ve mentioned the others quite a bit, tell us a little more about your friends.

Zoe is my bestie, as I have mentioned. She’s awesome. She tries to keep a positive outlook. I know things are harder on her then she wants to let on. She only recently found out about all of this demon stuff herself when her aunt Claire told her she was the Daughter of the Three and destined to save the world from the Destroyer. (That’s a lot to carry as you might imagine.) Claire helps her a lot. She’s been training her. Claire is like a superhero. Really. Her skills are unreal. She’d be scary except I’ve seen her dance while cooking. Daniel is Zoe’s boyfriend. (She won’t tell you that but it’s totally true. Take my word on it.) You’d think he’s mister perfect by looking at him. His life hasn’t been easy though.  He struggles with doubt and his own grief. We’ve all become a little family. These three have my back, no matter what. I have theirs too.

Oh, and there’s Michael. He’s an angel. Yeah, you read that right. A real angel with electric wings and healing powers. I’m pretty sure Claire like likes him likes him.

Any romantic involvement?

There’s a guy I kind of like. I didn’t at first, when he was evil. Now…now he’s growing on me. He’s working on being good and though he’s super snarky I kind of find it charming. Don’t tell him. (Am I blushing?)

Whom (or what) do you really hate?

Meredith. How she is might not totally be her fault but I hate her. She’s evil and hurts people and doesn’t even care. Zoe thinks she can be saved like Lucas but I think the Destroyer (who I also hate) has a stronger hold on her and I kind of think she likes it or him. It’s all kind of disturbing when I think about it.

What do you do when you’re not helping fight a great evil?

Binge watch the Gilmore Girls. Lorelai is my spirit animal.

What does the future hold for you?

I don’t know. The reaping is coming and that feels scary. We don’t know how to defeat the Destroyer and I worry we won’t figure it out in time. I can’t even think about graduation and college with all that looming over us. I just try to focus on my faith one day at a time. I figure the Maker can worry about the future while I just try to do my best with today.

Can you share a secret with us, which you’ve never told anyone else?

Things are about to get a lot worse before they get better. I assume they will get better. Hopefully, Zoe and Claire will find what they are looking for on their little overseas excursion. Also, coming back from the dead is apparently a thing that can happen. The question is will those who come bring bring help or trouble.

Tabitha Caplinger is a wife, mom, youth pastor and professed TV addict. It’s seriously a problem but she doesn’t plan on getting help anytime soon. Mostly because she loves the stories. She can’t help but get lost in the worlds created and invested in the lives of the characters. She brings that same passion for the story to her own writing. The first book in her YA trilogy, The Chronicle of the Three: Bloodline and Armor-Bearer currently available, and the third book releasing soon. Aside from writing and watching tv, Tabitha can be found singing off key and dancing in the kitchen or car with her two adorably sassy daughters and awesome husband who she thinks is kind of cute.

You can find Maggie on the pages of Chronicles of the Three: Bloodline and Armor-Bearer.

Join us next week to meet the last survivor of a militaristic order, finding her way in a war-ravaged empire. Please follow the site by email (bottom-right), via Twitter, or like our Facebook page to be notified when the next interview is posted.