queenrikki (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
queenrikki) wrote2004-09-05 06:02 pm
queenrikki) wrote2004-09-05 06:02 pm
Entry tags:
Story Shorts
These are two shorts I wrote. One was an exercise for a class, the other is HP related. In the first one, we had to write about woman whose abusive husband has died. We couldn't mention the husband, death and we couldn't directly refer to the abuse. The other is something I just wrote. It involves an idea I just had.
Freedom
Magda sat down on her bench, the one that was nearest the fountain. She liked the sound of the water and it helped her relax. When she’d been able to escape, she’d always need relaxing. But now she could come whenever she wanted, no sneaking, no lying. Everything had changed so much in the last few days. But after all these years, she was free, something that she thought would never happen. She laughed loudly, and startled a pigeon that had been pecking around her bench. The bird flew away and she thought about how much she’d been like one of those birds. Easily startled and always trying to get away.
In the past, she’d had to slip out of the house during the day and walk to the library. Her home was a good distance away and she’d always rested on this same bench in Lynn Park. And she would watch. Watch people walk though the park. Kids, young men and women. Some homeless, most not. Many of the regulars she knew by face, if not name. Though she’d come there everyday, she had made any friends. She’d never been allowed to have any friends.
After she’d rested and watched, she would go to the library. She loved books and everything look around and check-out books. Lots of books. Anything that would help her get through the long days and the awful nights. For twenty years, this had been her regiment, every since the day she’d been dragged to Birmingham. The people had always looked angry, the trees, droopy and angry. Today though, everything seemed different. The sky seemed so much brighter. The trees, the people. Everything. It was amazing how a change in situations could change one’s outlook on life. Magda leaned back against the bench, listened to the fountain and smiled. Although her bones were brittle and ached, she’d felt much better than any time she’d had since she was a child. Her mother had always said that things would eventually turn out for the best. And it had.
Those Who See
"Them!" said Stan contemptuously. "Don' listen properly, do they? Don'
look properly either. Never notice nuffink, they don'."
She’d come outside for a smoke and to get away from her boss. Lila swore that if that woman said another thing to her she’d kick her so hard that she’d....
Lila didn’t notice the little man in the purple cloak until she knocked him over. “Oh, sir, I’m terribly sorry.” She reached down to help him up. And dusted off his clock a bit. The man waved her away and smiled at her.
“Don’t worry, dear girl. No harm done, though I would advise you to pay a little more attention to where you’re going.”
Lila blushed and averted her eyes. “I will sir. I’m just glad you’re alright.” She had done it again. Why couldn’t she just ignore those things? She’d been so busy staring at that...she paused mid-thought and looked at the man closely. She’d just barely noticed the cloak, but now she saw that he was wearing matching robes and high buckled shoes. A pointed hat was clenched in one hand behind his back.
“You’re going to that funny little pub aren’t you?” she asked, though she had no doubt of the answer. He looked like one of the people she saw sometimes coming and going from that place. It was really an odd sort of place really. She’d seen people in funny clothes, giant-sized men and always, always the owls that seemed to sweep around regardless of the time of day.
The little man looked at her with wide eyes. “You can see the pub?”
Lila began to feel a bit uneasy. “Of course I can see it. It’s sitting right there, next to where I work. It’d be hard to miss it.”
The old man nodded. “So you’re one of us, then.” he said. Lila stamped down the hint of annoyance at the man. “One of us? What kind of rubbish is this? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
The man looked her in the eyes and she noticed a bit of surprise flicker through them. He turned away from her and began to mutter. “This is quite astonishing.”
“What’s astonishing? What’s going on?”
He turned back to her. “It’s just that I’ve never heard of one...I wouldn’t have thought it was possible.”
“What’s not possible? Tell me what’s going on.”
But the little man wouldn’t listen. He wouldn’t stop. He just jammed his cap onto his head and hurried off. Lila started after him and she started to draw closer. The man turned a corner into a street that led to a dead end. She was sure that she would catch him now. But as she rounded the corner, she was shocked to see that there was no one there.
The man had disappeared.
Freedom
Magda sat down on her bench, the one that was nearest the fountain. She liked the sound of the water and it helped her relax. When she’d been able to escape, she’d always need relaxing. But now she could come whenever she wanted, no sneaking, no lying. Everything had changed so much in the last few days. But after all these years, she was free, something that she thought would never happen. She laughed loudly, and startled a pigeon that had been pecking around her bench. The bird flew away and she thought about how much she’d been like one of those birds. Easily startled and always trying to get away.
In the past, she’d had to slip out of the house during the day and walk to the library. Her home was a good distance away and she’d always rested on this same bench in Lynn Park. And she would watch. Watch people walk though the park. Kids, young men and women. Some homeless, most not. Many of the regulars she knew by face, if not name. Though she’d come there everyday, she had made any friends. She’d never been allowed to have any friends.
After she’d rested and watched, she would go to the library. She loved books and everything look around and check-out books. Lots of books. Anything that would help her get through the long days and the awful nights. For twenty years, this had been her regiment, every since the day she’d been dragged to Birmingham. The people had always looked angry, the trees, droopy and angry. Today though, everything seemed different. The sky seemed so much brighter. The trees, the people. Everything. It was amazing how a change in situations could change one’s outlook on life. Magda leaned back against the bench, listened to the fountain and smiled. Although her bones were brittle and ached, she’d felt much better than any time she’d had since she was a child. Her mother had always said that things would eventually turn out for the best. And it had.
Those Who See
"Them!" said Stan contemptuously. "Don' listen properly, do they? Don'
look properly either. Never notice nuffink, they don'."
She’d come outside for a smoke and to get away from her boss. Lila swore that if that woman said another thing to her she’d kick her so hard that she’d....
Lila didn’t notice the little man in the purple cloak until she knocked him over. “Oh, sir, I’m terribly sorry.” She reached down to help him up. And dusted off his clock a bit. The man waved her away and smiled at her.
“Don’t worry, dear girl. No harm done, though I would advise you to pay a little more attention to where you’re going.”
Lila blushed and averted her eyes. “I will sir. I’m just glad you’re alright.” She had done it again. Why couldn’t she just ignore those things? She’d been so busy staring at that...she paused mid-thought and looked at the man closely. She’d just barely noticed the cloak, but now she saw that he was wearing matching robes and high buckled shoes. A pointed hat was clenched in one hand behind his back.
“You’re going to that funny little pub aren’t you?” she asked, though she had no doubt of the answer. He looked like one of the people she saw sometimes coming and going from that place. It was really an odd sort of place really. She’d seen people in funny clothes, giant-sized men and always, always the owls that seemed to sweep around regardless of the time of day.
The little man looked at her with wide eyes. “You can see the pub?”
Lila began to feel a bit uneasy. “Of course I can see it. It’s sitting right there, next to where I work. It’d be hard to miss it.”
The old man nodded. “So you’re one of us, then.” he said. Lila stamped down the hint of annoyance at the man. “One of us? What kind of rubbish is this? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
The man looked her in the eyes and she noticed a bit of surprise flicker through them. He turned away from her and began to mutter. “This is quite astonishing.”
“What’s astonishing? What’s going on?”
He turned back to her. “It’s just that I’ve never heard of one...I wouldn’t have thought it was possible.”
“What’s not possible? Tell me what’s going on.”
But the little man wouldn’t listen. He wouldn’t stop. He just jammed his cap onto his head and hurried off. Lila started after him and she started to draw closer. The man turned a corner into a street that led to a dead end. She was sure that she would catch him now. But as she rounded the corner, she was shocked to see that there was no one there.
The man had disappeared.