Monday, June 27, 2005

Strays part 12 Breaking Point --Hamilton Station-- J: (singing) “I can see clearly now. The rain is gone.” F: (singing along) “I can see all obstacles in my way.” J and F: (harmonizing) “Gone are the dark clouds that left me blind.” F: “It’s gonna be a bright...” J: “Bright.” F: “Bright.” J: “Bright.” J and F: “Sunshine day.” F: *laughs* That was great. J: *laughs* F: *sigh* We had a lot of fun the other day, Artukei. Thank you. You know, if there’s anything we can do to repay you... J: (shakes his head) Don’t bother yourself. For me, just getting to know you wonderful girls is a reward all its own. F: .... (smiles) Unbelievable. J: Huh? F: .... You continue to move me, Mr. Artukei. You are a very kind, compassionate, and selfless individual. Yet, I must insist. You’ve done so much for us in a little more than a month. We are forever in your debt. Remember, you will always have friends in the shadows of Metrolex. J: (smiles) Thank you. F: (gazes into his eyes) ........ J: What? F: .... (looks away) N-nothing. J: ........ F: Say, you know any Beatles? J: Who doesn’t?! later... --Giselle’s room-- GI: (laying on a pile of blankets and pillows) Zzzzz... J: (outside) Giselle? (looks inside) Oops. She’s sleeping. GI: Mmm... (slowly opens her eyes) Nya? J: (turns around) I guess I’ll come back later. “slide” J: (looks back) Huh? GI: (standing in the door) Yes? J: Uh... I was just wondering if we could talk for a little while. GI: ... (slight nod) Sure. J: OK if I come in? GI: Oui. Please do. J: (walks in, takes a seat) GI: (closes the door, sits on her bed) J: How you doin’ today? GI: (nods) Bien. OK. J: They told me you made Kanasuki’s dress the other day. GI: (ears perk up) J: Is that true? GI: (eagerly nods) Oui. Yes. J: It was an excellent job. GI: (blushes slightly) Mercy, Artukei. J: Where’d you learn to do that? On you own or...? GI: My papa taught me. J: Your father? GI: Mon grand-pére. My grandfather, as you’d say. J: I see. Have you thought about becoming a designer? GI: Oh, no I... I couldn’t. J: You’d be great. GI: .... (ears fold) You are patronizing me. J: No no, I mean it. You’re very talented, Giselle. GI: (smiles) J: And besides, patronizing isn’t my style. I’m a cynic. *laugh* GI: *giggle* J: Score! So, your grandfather taught you everything, didn’t he? GI: Oui. J: ... What was he like? GI: .... He was... very kind... and gentle. We lived in a chateau in the country. There were woods near the house and sometimes he’d play “hide and seek” with me. Even though I was different he never treated me as such. I was still his little girl and he loved me very much. And I him. He taught me to never be ashamed of myself. He said, “Everything in the world is different. And that’s what makes us all special.” In fact... (gets up, sits down a seat away from Justin) you remind me of him. J: I think I see why. GI: But soon, he became sick. So sick that he couldn’t take care of me anymore. I was seven years old when I went to live in the orphanage. The other children... (fights back her tears) J: Don’t. Felicia told me. GI: They were disgusted by me. Not just the children, but the masters and the couples who came to adopt. I ran away after only two months. For the next eight years I was on my own until Felicia found me. Every night on the road, I prayed for the spirit of my papa to watch over me and guide me. I still do. I was eight when I finally came to Paris. J: Felicia told me what happened there too. I can’t blame you for hating humans after the way they treated you. GI: .... (quietly, trembling slightly) She didn’t tell you everything. J: Huh? GI: She didn’t tell you.... the real reason I hate humans. J: ........ GI: It was a year before Felicia found me. I was fourteen. (flashback) --Paris, 6 years ago-- “It was raining that night. I just wanted a place to keep warm and dry.” GI: (walks into a tavern wearing a blanket draped over her head and entire body, walks up to the counter) Bar-keep: Are you alright, little miss? Can I help you? GI: ... Water, please. B: Certainly. (pours her a glass) GI: Thank you. (drinks) B: It’s terrible weather out there tonight. Best you should stay in here a while. GI: Thank you, sir. B: I’ll take your coat. You’ll catch cold if you... GI: NO! (Everyone at the bar looks at Giselle) GI: I mean, no thank you. (several men at a table start suspiciously eyeing her) Man: (walks into the bar just as a gust of wind blows) Whoa! GI: Ah! (the wind blows back her hood revealing her cat ears) B: 0.0 Wha... what are you? GI: *gasp* Woman: It’s a monster! Young man: Some kind of freak! Lady: Those look like cat ears. B: Get out of my bar you... you... freak! Get out! GI: (puts her hood back on and runs out) (the men at the table whisper a bit, then a few of them get up and leave) GI: (sitting in the rain against the outside of the tavern) (a few men come out and start walking towards her) GI: Ah! (buries her face in her knees and chest) (the few men pass her by as if they didn’t notice) GI: (looks back up, breathes a sigh of relief, stands up and starts to walk away) (a few more men come out of the bar) Man 1: (to Giselle) Hey you! GI: (starts running) (the men begin to run after her) GI: *pant, pant, pant* (an arm comes out and pulls her into an alley) AAH! Man 2: (the same men who just passed her) What the hell have we got here, boys? Man 3: Some kind of cat-girl? Man 2: Did your bastard father f*ck a cat or something? (the other men join them) Man 1: I wonder just how human she is. Man 2: Let’s find out. Man 3: (comes up behind Giselle and gropes her) GI: AAH! Man 3: That’s human enough for me! *laughs* GI: (claws Man 2’s face) Man 2: Aah! (lets her go) GI: (turns around and kicks Man 3 in the jewels) Man 3: Ooh! GI: (starts to run deeper into the alley) Man 3: You little bitch! (grabs her blanket, ripping it off and causing her to lose balance) GI: Aah! (falls into a puddle) “SPLASH!” Man 3: You f*ckin’ bitch! I’ll teach you! (starts kicking Giselle) (the other men join in) GI: (curls into the fetal position and covers her head) AAH!! AAH!! AAAHAH!! Man 4: STOP!! (they all stop and step away from her) GI: *sniffle, sob, sob, sniff* Man 4: (kneels down and helps up a battered and bruised Giselle) What have we become?! Treating this girl like some animal! All her life she’s been tossed aside like a piece of trash. But she’s a living thing. And all living things need love. GI: (weak smile) Man 4: (looks at Giselle sinisterly) Don’t they, my dear? GI: *gasp* Man 4: (holds her arms down and kisses her) GI: MMM! MFMM! MMM! Man 4: (brings her down onto the ground) (the other men gather around and pin down her arms and legs) (end flashback) GI: (tears streaming down her face) And then.... one by one.... they.... they.... J: They didn’t. GI: (holds her stomach and bends over as if in excruciating pain, starts trembling violently) J: 0.0 (whispers) Oh my god. GI: *sniff* I’ve never told anyone. *sniff* Not even Felicia. I... I thought that.... if I didn’t talk about it *sniff*.... it would eventually go away. *sniff* But I can still see them.... hear them...... I can still.... feel them. *sniff* The memories are still there. And the nightmares still haunt me! *sniff, sob, sob* J: (reaches for her out of instinct, but hesitates and stops halfway) GI: (notices him reaching) ........ J: ........ GI: ..... (throws her arms around Justin and buries her face in his chest, continues crying) *sob, sob, sob* J: (a bit shocked at first, but slowly puts his arms around her and strokes her back) They had no rite to do that to you. No-one has any rite to do that to anybody. (starts to cry) I’m so sorry, Giselle. GI: (looks up, sees he’s crying too and cries even harder) WAAHAHAHAHA!! J: Let it all out, Giselle. Don’t hold back anymore. GI: (starts sobbing uncontrollably) WAAAAHAHAHA!!! AAHAHAHAHA!!! AAHAHAHA!! 30 minutes later... GI: (asleep in Justin’s arms, still holding on to him) J: (asleep as well) Zzzzz... *snort* Free my men. (wakes up) Hmm? Guess I was more tired than I thought. (looks down) Oh, poor girl. Cried herself to sleep. (looks at watch) Holy Miyamoto! I’m gonna be in trouble if I don’t leave now. But I’d hate to leave Giselle like this........ *sigh* (starts to get up) GI: (tightens her grip on him) No! J: Huh? GI: (still asleep) Stay with me. Please. J: ...... (sits back down, pats her back) GI: (whispers) ..... papa. J: Huh? GI: .... papa.... don’t leave me. (holds him tighter) J: .... (kisses her forehead, whispers) Never. (closes his eyes)

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