Post by seraaches on Dec 6, 2008 22:44:46 GMT -5
Characters: Sevren, Dre, Akash, Sarai, Ignatius
Word count: 847
In her dreams, they were all still alive. In her dreams, they danced and sang and played as they had throughout childhood. Sevren could high-step so well, it left his audience breathless. Akash had the voice of the angels, bringing tears to the eyes of his listeners. And Sarai—darling Sarai—played the fiddle as she danced in a feat that astounded those who observed her. Her brothers and sister, her joy; her world.
In her nightmares, she saw the signs and she acted upon them. In her nightmares, she stepped in sooner, preventing Sevren’s fall from grace and forcing him from the path of darkness he had so swiftly descended. They would help him and he would learn to control his strange urges an they were still a happy family. In the end, they were dead.
She heard Akash’s voice throbbing through her mind, setting her feet to dancing. She couldn’t help herself and she didn’t fight the exhilaration that swept through her body through the familiar steps and kicks. It was a swirl of movements, jumps and strides portraying a wealth of history. He sang of the old days, of glory and brilliance and she danced, tall and proud to match the melody streaming around her.
The violin was there, accompanying Akash’s voice with the counter-melody that made everything fit just as it was supposed to. She put her hand to her sister’s waist, though she couldn’t see Sarai. It was a duet dance they had performed countless times as children. Few could rival the skill and grace of the Kavanagh and fewer attempted such a daunting task. The audience was watching and weighing their movements, and the violin dictated their steps. Something was wrong; something was missing. She strove to remember what was gone and the fiddle danced away from her. Her steps were off, shaky and hesitant as the dark audience mused over each misstep, calculating and planning around the information.
She was dancing alone; she had always danced alone. Her head was up high, but the tears streamed down her face. There was nothing left but her Highlander pride and the gleaming golden tail. She had to remain stalwart; she had to be strong. The clan tried to hide their whispers of fear, but they were the new melody, the betrayal the only harmony remaining.
“You are crying, Sis,” the hated voice murmured through her mind. “You know how I hate to see you cry.” There was laughter within it. “Come; let me make it all better for you.”
Like I made it better for Akash. Like I made it better for Sarai.
Her feet kept moving; her back was ramrod straight. The performance was still on. It would never end. She had to keep going until the end, or she would be gone too.
But what is left? There’s nothing left for you. Your siblings are gone. They no longer exist.
She existed. It was important. She lived, she was lacking, but she lived.
“Just give it up, Dredre,” Sevren laughed as he danced, his jumps higher than her head, his feet a blur of complicated steps she couldn’t hope to match. His grace was almost unnatural, as though something. . . as though—
As though something is wrong with me, Dredre? Is that what you want to say, Sis? Do you want to say there’s something wrong with your brother?
No, no, the clan knows, but the world cannot. The clan deserved better, Mother deserved better, her siblings deserved—
It doesn’t matter anymore. Akash and Sarai are gone. There’s only you now, Dredre. You. . .and me.
Her body shuddered and her steps slowed; where had the music gone? It drifted away in the darkness and there was only the heavy knocks from his hooves as he danced circles around her. She could feel his breath upon her neck, could feel the threat that shivered the very air around her. He was going to win; he was going to eat her. . . NO!
“Dre!”
Her eyes snapped open and her beak opened as she pulled air into her lungs, trying to calm her racing heart. Her beloved’s face leaned over her, eyes dark with worry. She lifted a hand, the white a shock against the black and blue of his hide. “I’m all right,” she answered softly, unable to stop herself from replying to the concern she saw in him. Her beak curved in a sorrowful smile. “I was. . . reliving things best forgotten.”
The look he gave her was bordering on disbelief and she closed her eyes as she tried to push away her nightmares. “Keep me here, Ignatius,” she whispered. “I don’t want to remember anymore.” Sevren’s face lurked behind her eyelids and all she wanted was for him to go away.
“Look at me,” Ignatius’ voice was commanding, and she looked up at him with tears still dancing at the edge of her eyes. “Your world is here now."
Yes, the man banished the haunting past and Dre gladly gave herself up to the present.
Word count: 847
In her dreams, they were all still alive. In her dreams, they danced and sang and played as they had throughout childhood. Sevren could high-step so well, it left his audience breathless. Akash had the voice of the angels, bringing tears to the eyes of his listeners. And Sarai—darling Sarai—played the fiddle as she danced in a feat that astounded those who observed her. Her brothers and sister, her joy; her world.
In her nightmares, she saw the signs and she acted upon them. In her nightmares, she stepped in sooner, preventing Sevren’s fall from grace and forcing him from the path of darkness he had so swiftly descended. They would help him and he would learn to control his strange urges an they were still a happy family. In the end, they were dead.
She heard Akash’s voice throbbing through her mind, setting her feet to dancing. She couldn’t help herself and she didn’t fight the exhilaration that swept through her body through the familiar steps and kicks. It was a swirl of movements, jumps and strides portraying a wealth of history. He sang of the old days, of glory and brilliance and she danced, tall and proud to match the melody streaming around her.
The violin was there, accompanying Akash’s voice with the counter-melody that made everything fit just as it was supposed to. She put her hand to her sister’s waist, though she couldn’t see Sarai. It was a duet dance they had performed countless times as children. Few could rival the skill and grace of the Kavanagh and fewer attempted such a daunting task. The audience was watching and weighing their movements, and the violin dictated their steps. Something was wrong; something was missing. She strove to remember what was gone and the fiddle danced away from her. Her steps were off, shaky and hesitant as the dark audience mused over each misstep, calculating and planning around the information.
She was dancing alone; she had always danced alone. Her head was up high, but the tears streamed down her face. There was nothing left but her Highlander pride and the gleaming golden tail. She had to remain stalwart; she had to be strong. The clan tried to hide their whispers of fear, but they were the new melody, the betrayal the only harmony remaining.
“You are crying, Sis,” the hated voice murmured through her mind. “You know how I hate to see you cry.” There was laughter within it. “Come; let me make it all better for you.”
Like I made it better for Akash. Like I made it better for Sarai.
Her feet kept moving; her back was ramrod straight. The performance was still on. It would never end. She had to keep going until the end, or she would be gone too.
But what is left? There’s nothing left for you. Your siblings are gone. They no longer exist.
She existed. It was important. She lived, she was lacking, but she lived.
“Just give it up, Dredre,” Sevren laughed as he danced, his jumps higher than her head, his feet a blur of complicated steps she couldn’t hope to match. His grace was almost unnatural, as though something. . . as though—
As though something is wrong with me, Dredre? Is that what you want to say, Sis? Do you want to say there’s something wrong with your brother?
No, no, the clan knows, but the world cannot. The clan deserved better, Mother deserved better, her siblings deserved—
It doesn’t matter anymore. Akash and Sarai are gone. There’s only you now, Dredre. You. . .and me.
Her body shuddered and her steps slowed; where had the music gone? It drifted away in the darkness and there was only the heavy knocks from his hooves as he danced circles around her. She could feel his breath upon her neck, could feel the threat that shivered the very air around her. He was going to win; he was going to eat her. . . NO!
“Dre!”
Her eyes snapped open and her beak opened as she pulled air into her lungs, trying to calm her racing heart. Her beloved’s face leaned over her, eyes dark with worry. She lifted a hand, the white a shock against the black and blue of his hide. “I’m all right,” she answered softly, unable to stop herself from replying to the concern she saw in him. Her beak curved in a sorrowful smile. “I was. . . reliving things best forgotten.”
The look he gave her was bordering on disbelief and she closed her eyes as she tried to push away her nightmares. “Keep me here, Ignatius,” she whispered. “I don’t want to remember anymore.” Sevren’s face lurked behind her eyelids and all she wanted was for him to go away.
“Look at me,” Ignatius’ voice was commanding, and she looked up at him with tears still dancing at the edge of her eyes. “Your world is here now."
Yes, the man banished the haunting past and Dre gladly gave herself up to the present.
