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SIM:Shattered Windows: Difference between revisions
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(New page: {{CaraMaria}} This was my entry for the May-June '06 Writing Challenge, and I end up referring to it so often I thought it would be best to put it somewhere everyone can find it easily. ...) |
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The door slammed shut and a fluent curse was growled. Cara's heart sank, her father was drunk, again. She hoped it wouldn't be too loud, she did need to write her formal evaluation of the High Windows poem. She remained quietly in he room until a melodious voice called that dinner was ready. | The door slammed shut and a fluent curse was growled. Cara's heart sank, her father was drunk, again. She hoped it wouldn't be too loud, she did need to write her formal evaluation of the High Windows poem. She remained quietly in he room until a melodious voice called that dinner was ready. | ||
Cara shut her books | Cara shut her books, stood, and softly emerged into the main room and started to set the table, where Anton Mil was lazing in his chair. "So I do have a daughter after all, at the rate I see you I was starting to wonder," he said in a semi slur. | ||
"I have exams coming up father, I need to revise," she said quietly, avoiding his gaze and wishing that he would stop talking, and drinking. | "I have exams coming up father, I need to revise," she said quietly, avoiding his gaze and wishing that he would stop talking, and drinking. | ||
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"Yes... father..." | "Yes... father..." | ||
She felt a swell of heat before another voice interrupted, "Anton please stop, can't you see she's uncomfortable, she doesn't like being quest... Anton!" she | She felt a swell of heat before another voice interrupted, "Anton please stop, can't you see she's uncomfortable, she doesn't like being quest... Anton!" she exclaimed, causing Cara's eyes yo shoot up as something flew across the room, missing her mother by a very small distance indeed to smash into the mirror, cracks spreading like spider-webs across its surface as the light shattered. | ||
The 15-year-old watched the impact, saw the shards of glass break off and spread out twinkling in the evening sunlight, moving slowly as if they were flying through water, eyes focussed in and watching a cameraman's masterpiece as glass fell away to reveal the plain backboard beneath it. | The 15-year-old watched the impact, saw the shards of glass break off and spread out twinkling in the evening sunlight, moving slowly as if they were flying through water, eyes focussed in and watching a cameraman's masterpiece as glass fell away to reveal the plain backboard beneath it. | ||
"That's what she'll do! Spineless wimp! She'll shatter you hear me? She'll shatter just like that mirror unless she faces up to the world! Mark my words she'll be as broken | "That's what she'll do! Spineless wimp! She'll shatter you hear me? She'll shatter just like that mirror unless she faces up to the world! Mark my words, she'll be as broken as that mirror!" her father roared before he left the room, stomping hard on the floor, "I'm going out, I can't stand the sight of her! How could I father such a coward!?" The door slammed as Cara found herself buried in her mother's arms, more for her mother's feelings than Cara's. | ||
as that mirror!" her father roared before he left the room, stomping hard on the floor, "I'm going out, I can't stand the sight of her! How could I father such a coward!" The door slammed as Cara found herself buried in her mother's arms, more for her mother's feelings than Cara's. | |||
At that moment Cara didn't feel anything, empty as the mirror's frame. She kept seeing the incident over and over again as the window itself remained whole, sun streaming through it as if nothing had happened while the mirror's window lay shattered, dull and lifeless with only a hint of sunshine to remind of what it had been. | At that moment Cara didn't feel anything, empty as the mirror's frame. She kept seeing the incident over and over again as the window itself remained whole, sun streaming through it as if nothing had happened while the mirror's window lay shattered, dull and lifeless with only a hint of sunshine to remind of what it had been. | ||
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''"Yes, it did."'' Cara drifted forwards and knelt in front of it. ''"It's the window isn't it?"'' She didn't get a reply, she didn't need one. ''"They say the eyes are the windows to the soul,"'' The Vulcan was silent and let her work it through, ''"Illusion and reality, the window's the crossing point. No, I didn't mean that, I meant... I meant... inside and outside, but reality has something to do with it."'' | ''"Yes, it did."'' Cara drifted forwards and knelt in front of it. ''"It's the window isn't it?"'' She didn't get a reply, she didn't need one. ''"They say the eyes are the windows to the soul,"'' The Vulcan was silent and let her work it through, ''"Illusion and reality, the window's the crossing point. No, I didn't mean that, I meant... I meant... inside and outside, but reality has something to do with it."'' | ||
She thought aloud, ''"The window inside the mirror shattered, the one outside remained whole. That's what happened isn't it? When... that... happened? My everyday me was fine but the inside me shattered."'' | She thought aloud, ''"The window inside the mirror shattered, the one outside remained whole. That's what happened isn't it? When... that... happened? My everyday me was fine but the inside me shattered."'' She paled, ''"I can't believe it... He was right..."'' | ||
She paled, ''"I can't believe it... He was right..."'' | |||
She shook herself slightly and continued steadily, ''"Then I shut the window and closed the curtains... I sealed myself off and protected the window from me... and me from the window. How simple, it let me ride through chaos."'' Cara's oddly clear eyes regarded the mirror. | She shook herself slightly and continued steadily, ''"Then I shut the window and closed the curtains... I sealed myself off and protected the window from me... and me from the window. How simple, it let me ride through chaos."'' Cara's oddly clear eyes regarded the mirror. | ||
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''"This may take some time. Some of the pieces are lost in the carpet, I can't possibly pick up all of them."'' | ''"This may take some time. Some of the pieces are lost in the carpet, I can't possibly pick up all of them."'' | ||
''"Then | ''"Then pick up the big ones,"'' the counsellor finally said, voice as neutral as a conscience, ''"The mirror will heal over the smaller holes if the main pieces are together."'' | ||
''"You don't need to answer that. How long have I got?"'' | ''"Only I can do this can't I?"'' She paused, ''"You don't need to answer that. How long have I got?"'' | ||
''"All the time in the world that's left to you."'' | ''"All the time in the world that's left to you."'' | ||