Tuesday, April 5, 2005

Because Azure thinks I need to use words

Continuation on my Matrix story (other parts can be found in my archives or over at OB in Anthology. James's "Reanimatrix" thread.) It needs tweaking and Shimmy Shammy is welcome to help out with my inability to comma correctly and grammar in general. Everyone else with a grasp of English too, of course. This is only half-finished, by the way. I'm not sure how much longer it'll end up before everything's been put into it. Ah well, have at it:

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She sunk dejectedly back into a cold metal chair, feeling as if the blood rushing from her head vanished into the shadows of the room. Low murmurs bled into the sound coming from a beat-up old fan, presumably left there to keep the room cold. But she was already frozen and it only made that feeling of her blood leaving her body grow stronger. As if warmth ... as if life, would never return to her again after this.

The low hum was lulling her thoughts, all jumbled up in a mess not too unlike the one she was herself. Craig was leaning in the doorway, gaze firmly locked to the ground, not moving a muscle. Asshole or no, he realized how delicate the situation was, what a false move would jeapordize. Everyone's hard work could be for nothing if he said one word wrong, everything they'd all busted their asses for was embodied in the girl sitting limp in a chair across the room from him.

Now was not the time to falter and yet he felt courage slipping away in each passing spin of the fan, time wasted in every blink of his eyes. Why did they have to assign him, of all people, to deal with her? He'd never done anything right when it came to that girl and somehow it didn't feel like today would be any different. But everything depended on it to be.

The sound of a chair grating against the cement floor made him look over to her. She was pushing herself away from the steely chunk of metal they called table and rose slowly. Her auburn hair shielded most of her face that would sometimes gently, almost carefully, radiate after a sucessful mission. He felt a tinge of pain in his chest at the thought of her picture perfect face of bravery she put on, that peeled away so fast when she thought no-one saw her. Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear she inhaled heavily before opening her eyes.

".... I'm sorry"

It was said so meekly, so ... open. She'd never spoken to him in a tone that left her vulnerable and it managed to be more powerful than all the times he'd gotten an earful of verbal (sometimes physical) abuse slung his way during the time they'd worked together. The clumsy attempts that he and others had made at reaching out to her, to include her ... had just made her more distant. No matter how much he searched her face from a distance for clues on how to help her, nothing ever came to him. Now it was staring right at him.

"I'm really sorry, Craig."

The tears began to run down her face. He gave her a sad smile and wondered how many days and nights she had spent crying to herself in the dark. Shifting his weight to spin around he took a deep breath and waved his hand dismissively while straightening himself out. This time it was his turn to put on a brave face. Thinking about it made him chuckle, however strained.

"Heh, I'd love to stay and chat about whatever you think is requiring you to apologize to me but I've got a date with a couple bottles of beer and a deck of cards. Take a rain-check?"

".... Ok. Rain-check."

Shuffling down the hallway he shouted over his shoulder to her.

"I'll be thinking of you when I put my hands on that sweet Queen of Hearts!"

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