Post by Deleted on Mar 12, 2006 17:08:17 GMT -5
I needed a break from writing boring essay analyses.
Fragments of this story have been floating around in my head for ages, so I figured I may as well take the plunge and attempt to capture it in words. This is by no means a good example of my writing. It is not well-planned or poignant or purposeful. It is the result of a serious lack of ability to focus on schoolwork.
Please keep this in mind as you read.
- - -
[[ efflorescence ]]
an original story by lyrikkal (liliana)
- - -
[[ prologue ]]
It was cold, so biting cold...
Dangit, why was it so cold?
With a shudder and a sneeze, he withdrew deeper into the folds of his oversized cloak. His arms remained stiffly positioned in front of him, holding a pile of freshly laundered towels, the softness of which would've tempted him to drowsiness had his hands not turned numb from the frigid temperatures.
Of course, it was the darkest night of midwinter, the coldest night the village had seen in many decades, and here he was, a scrawny tabby, ordered to wait outside the large mahogany doors of the royal chambers while muffled whispers and the occasional piercing scream echoed from within.
Just his luck.
He longed to return to the relative warmth of his bed in the servants' quarters. He had been roughly shaken awake just a few hours ago with news that the Lady had begun labor. Now, all the nurses and doctors and frantic maids were hustling about in the room while he waited, waited patiently, sleepily...
"Cossak!"
He snapped to attention, his eyes jerking back open. One of the Lord's advisors was looking at him sternly, holding the door slightly ajar. Silently, he beckoned him, so Cossak, the young servant boy, obeyed, dutifully carrying the pile of cloth in his arms.
He entered the dimly lit room, following in the shadow of the advisor. The nurses and maids were all filing out now - one of them took the towels from him. The Lord, as imposing and potent as ever, was speaking in hushed voices with his other two advisors. The Lady was lying peacefully in bed, a remaining doctor quietly tending to her.
"... but how is it even possible? Surely you are not suggesting..."
"... regardless, action must be taken promptly, milord. Before word breaks..."
Cossak watched silently, straining his ears to catch pieces of conversation. The Lord then walked over to the newly inhabited crib and drew back its white veil.
His newborn set of twins shifted slightly as the cold draft entered their sanctuary.
The Lord hissed in an acid tone and whipped the veil back into place. Cossak could only hear one word.
"... disgrace..."
Finally, the Lord nodded, as if settling a conflict with himself. "Do it," he ordered firmly, decisively. "Dispose of IT, right away."
"Yes, milord," the two advisors replied in unison. Cossak watched with confused curiosity as one of the advisors retrieved a bundle from the crib. He was even more flabberghasted when the bundle was handed to him.
"Listen to me, boy. Run downstairs and into town. Get rid of this...thing. The trash heap by the alley across from the apothecary should do. Go now, and tell no one."
Cossak nodded numbly and, clutching the bundle in his arms, sprinted out of the room.
- - -
His heart was pounding in his head long before he had even begun to run out of breath. He was well aware of what the bundle contained, but he did not understand.
Why?
Why would the Lord throw away his own child?
His thoughts were broken when a weak, pitiful voice cried out from the bundle. He froze in his tracks. He was standing under a flickering street lamp, on a deserted snow-covered square in the middle of the night. The bundle moved, and another cry escaped the newborn's lips.
Cossak hesitated, then slowly pulled away the cloth covering its face.
He stared dumbly.
A pale white creature took its first whiff of fresh air, its dark lashes still shut.
Startled, almost scared, he covered the kitten's face again. It all made sense now. But...
He was a loyal and obediant servant. He always had been. But he still had the innocent conscience of a child, the unconditional humanity that adults in his world had lost.
He turned and sprinted in another direction, determined to fulfill his newly decided purpose. He ran deep into the poor side of town, passing numerous shacks and boarded up buildings, until finally...
The door he had knocked on creaked open, and the thin old lady stood at the threshold, grasping a shawl around her shoulders with a bony hand.
"P-please ma'am..."
Shivering from the cold, he held the bundle out toward her.
She took the bundle from him. Wordlessly, she parted the cloth and looked at the pallid infant, then back down at Cossak, at his servant uniform, which bore the royal crest. Her eyes heavy with the burden of wisdom, she nodded. There was no need for him to explain.
The boy smiled and began to turn away, but the old lady finally broke her habit of silence.
"Her name?"
Cossak blinked. "Um. Name? I have to..? Oh..." He observed the frail creature in the woman's arms, its white fur, its soft black lashes. His breath came out in puffs of steam in the frigid air as he scrunched his face up in thought. He then looked up to the heavens, to the myriad of white that was streaming down in cascades of snowflakes. Pure, white snow.
His mind made up, he looked the woman in the eyes.
"Her name... it's Snow."
- - -
I didn't bother trying not to ramble. Oh well.
Yes, this is Snow's full story.
Fragments of this story have been floating around in my head for ages, so I figured I may as well take the plunge and attempt to capture it in words. This is by no means a good example of my writing. It is not well-planned or poignant or purposeful. It is the result of a serious lack of ability to focus on schoolwork.
Please keep this in mind as you read.
- - -
[[ efflorescence ]]
an original story by lyrikkal (liliana)
- - -
[[ prologue ]]
It was cold, so biting cold...
Dangit, why was it so cold?
With a shudder and a sneeze, he withdrew deeper into the folds of his oversized cloak. His arms remained stiffly positioned in front of him, holding a pile of freshly laundered towels, the softness of which would've tempted him to drowsiness had his hands not turned numb from the frigid temperatures.
Of course, it was the darkest night of midwinter, the coldest night the village had seen in many decades, and here he was, a scrawny tabby, ordered to wait outside the large mahogany doors of the royal chambers while muffled whispers and the occasional piercing scream echoed from within.
Just his luck.
He longed to return to the relative warmth of his bed in the servants' quarters. He had been roughly shaken awake just a few hours ago with news that the Lady had begun labor. Now, all the nurses and doctors and frantic maids were hustling about in the room while he waited, waited patiently, sleepily...
"Cossak!"
He snapped to attention, his eyes jerking back open. One of the Lord's advisors was looking at him sternly, holding the door slightly ajar. Silently, he beckoned him, so Cossak, the young servant boy, obeyed, dutifully carrying the pile of cloth in his arms.
He entered the dimly lit room, following in the shadow of the advisor. The nurses and maids were all filing out now - one of them took the towels from him. The Lord, as imposing and potent as ever, was speaking in hushed voices with his other two advisors. The Lady was lying peacefully in bed, a remaining doctor quietly tending to her.
"... but how is it even possible? Surely you are not suggesting..."
"... regardless, action must be taken promptly, milord. Before word breaks..."
Cossak watched silently, straining his ears to catch pieces of conversation. The Lord then walked over to the newly inhabited crib and drew back its white veil.
His newborn set of twins shifted slightly as the cold draft entered their sanctuary.
The Lord hissed in an acid tone and whipped the veil back into place. Cossak could only hear one word.
"... disgrace..."
Finally, the Lord nodded, as if settling a conflict with himself. "Do it," he ordered firmly, decisively. "Dispose of IT, right away."
"Yes, milord," the two advisors replied in unison. Cossak watched with confused curiosity as one of the advisors retrieved a bundle from the crib. He was even more flabberghasted when the bundle was handed to him.
"Listen to me, boy. Run downstairs and into town. Get rid of this...thing. The trash heap by the alley across from the apothecary should do. Go now, and tell no one."
Cossak nodded numbly and, clutching the bundle in his arms, sprinted out of the room.
- - -
His heart was pounding in his head long before he had even begun to run out of breath. He was well aware of what the bundle contained, but he did not understand.
Why?
Why would the Lord throw away his own child?
His thoughts were broken when a weak, pitiful voice cried out from the bundle. He froze in his tracks. He was standing under a flickering street lamp, on a deserted snow-covered square in the middle of the night. The bundle moved, and another cry escaped the newborn's lips.
Cossak hesitated, then slowly pulled away the cloth covering its face.
He stared dumbly.
A pale white creature took its first whiff of fresh air, its dark lashes still shut.
Startled, almost scared, he covered the kitten's face again. It all made sense now. But...
He was a loyal and obediant servant. He always had been. But he still had the innocent conscience of a child, the unconditional humanity that adults in his world had lost.
He turned and sprinted in another direction, determined to fulfill his newly decided purpose. He ran deep into the poor side of town, passing numerous shacks and boarded up buildings, until finally...
The door he had knocked on creaked open, and the thin old lady stood at the threshold, grasping a shawl around her shoulders with a bony hand.
"P-please ma'am..."
Shivering from the cold, he held the bundle out toward her.
She took the bundle from him. Wordlessly, she parted the cloth and looked at the pallid infant, then back down at Cossak, at his servant uniform, which bore the royal crest. Her eyes heavy with the burden of wisdom, she nodded. There was no need for him to explain.
The boy smiled and began to turn away, but the old lady finally broke her habit of silence.
"Her name?"
Cossak blinked. "Um. Name? I have to..? Oh..." He observed the frail creature in the woman's arms, its white fur, its soft black lashes. His breath came out in puffs of steam in the frigid air as he scrunched his face up in thought. He then looked up to the heavens, to the myriad of white that was streaming down in cascades of snowflakes. Pure, white snow.
His mind made up, he looked the woman in the eyes.
"Her name... it's Snow."
- - -
I didn't bother trying not to ramble. Oh well.
Yes, this is Snow's full story.
