#challenge drabble

[forgottenguinevere]

Challenge - Unsent Letter

An unsent letter - stuffed in a secret chamber under Guinevere's jewelry box, blotched with ink and dried water stains.

Mama, I feel so lost.

I wish you were here.

I wish you were stroking my hair while my head lay in your lap.

I wish you were humming that song about the fox and the stars and the forget-me-nots that always lulled me to sleep.

I do not know what to do, Mama. The sword of Father's desires is falling from the sky towards my neck and I do not know if I can tumble aside in time.

I know if I marry Eoin, if I take up the crown that sits on the dais in front of me, if I become what Father wants of me… I do not think I will be able to carry on.

I will die screaming and pounding my hands bloody against the bars of this damned golden cage that you left me trapped within.

Why did you leave me here so alone? Why could you not have fought harder for me? Was it something I said? Something I did? I was so small, Mama, I must not have meant it, whatever it was. I know apologizing cannot bring you back, but I am sorry, I promise. I hope you can forgive me for whatever transgression I so unwittingly performed.

God, Mama…

I try so hard to be what I must. I try so hard to make you proud.

Are you? Proud of me?

Can you see me from wherever you have gone?

Would you still be proud of me if I made a mistake?

If I tore my heart from my chest and plugged my ears against the cries of all of the empire, if I followed my own desires instead of remembering who I am?

If I forsake you and Father both?

I just love him so much, Mama.

I wish you could have met Alistair. I think you would have loved him too. He is kind, smart, funny, generous…

Being with him feels like having you back. He makes me feel seen. He makes me feel safe.

But I do not know if I have made the right decision.

I offered him my heart — it could never belong to another — even though I know he would never give me his in return.

He will only ever see me as that little girl running through the fields of Harburrow with dirt on her knees and a mouth too smart for her own good. I will never be a woman in his eyes. Not when I have the ghost of Alys Fell to compete with. (Who ever could shine brighter than she?)

And yet, when I asked him to marry me, he agreed.

Surely that must mean something, mustn't it, Mama?

I suppose Time is the only one who could say. I told him it need only be until I can discover another way out of my marriage to Eoin. Until I can unravel the tangled threads all of us Varmonts have found ourselves enmeshed within.

I would save us all if I could.

But, God, my poor lovely brothers and sister, how could I leave them? How could I even think of trading my freedom to lock them in the cage in my stead?

Mama, what do I do?

what do I do what do I do what do I do what do I do what do I do what do I do what do I do

the page goes on like this for a short while, cramping closer and closer together until it devolves into an aggressive angry scribble. the writing begins again a few lines later.

I know this is all a child's temper tantrum. As a princess grown I must learn to leave such outbursts behind. You are gone. You are dead. You cannot read these words. For all I know you would have laughed at me or scolded me for these worries and traitorous thoughts.

It does not matter what I want. It does not matter what lies in my heart.

I made a decision. I made an offer and it was accepted. Even though he does not love me—not in the way I love him at least — he has agreed to risk his life along with mine to offer me a chance at something like peace.

I know that I am stalling the inevitable. I am buying myself time to carve Alistair Grey out of my heart. Perhaps by playing at being a wife to someone I truly love I will be able to collect enough memories to keep my heart from crumbling to dust when I finally accept that the only way to save everyone else is to stay in my cage.

After all, if I am its sole inhabitant, then my brothers and sister will have the freedom I cannot. And that is something I desire more than anything else in the world.

I love you, Mama. I miss you every single moment of every single day. I hope wherever you are, you are happy.

I hope someday I will be too.

Your Winnie

[warpedglass]

Mirrors

[Challenge]

There was something about this morning that was hard to put a finger on. She rose without difficulty every day, eager to greet the world and see what it had for her. Because for her is exactly what it was, why would she not be excited? She was one of the most important people in it, after all. But today part of that zest felt like it was lacking, it was nothing to do with her (how could it), it was everything else.

It was... Drab.

It was also backwards, that seemed important to note. Immediately obvious too, as her room was far from symmetrical. Huh. She got up and looked at herself in several of the many mirrors around this room. Glorious, absolutely magnificent. She was perfect as always, no changes there. The city, then? Another incident perhaps, had it been that long already? Seeking answers, she strode out of the open doorway in her room in search of Mezzarin. 

Yet the Mesprit was nowhere to be found, perhaps she was already out somewhere. She’d have to investigate for herself then, so time to head out into the city. 

A city that again looked essentially the same, save for the fact it was flipped like a reflection and seemed lacklustre, dull. But everyone seemed to be going about their business as usual. No panic, no strange announcements, no shifting landscapes, changed bodies or altered memories. Just... Drear. 

She stood there for a moment wondering what the relevance of the reflected layout might mean, in a general context as well as her position as one who had a close association with mirrors in general. Did it mean anything? She was already over this washed out colour palette, how terribly mundane to behold. 

Ammutseba was shaken from these thoughts when she saw someone walking towards her out of the corner of her eye. No one she recognised and certainly no one that was capturing her interest. They weren’t even making eye contact either. She cocked an eyebrow slightly but they kept walking. Fine then. She had no intention of moving out of the way.

“Are you watching where you’re-” 

Then they simply walked right through her. 

It’s rare she’s left speechless, but that was certainly unexpected. They didn’t flinch before they hit her and they didn’t even look back. Like they knew they’d go right through. Or, like they didn’t know anything was there. She knew how to stay out of sight and she knew how to pass through physical objects, but that was different.

It filled her with a gnawing anxiety. A familiar one. 

Immediately she set around the street, going up to the very next person she saw and trying to wave them down, call them over. They ignored her, and they continued ignoring her even as she reached for their arm and her hand past straight through. The dread was cold and mounting. Another, then another.

Nothing.

Right in front of someone, shouting in their face.

Nothing. 

Trying to grab someone, anyone with her tendrils. 

Nothing. 

It was panic now, this was too much like back then. A muted, colour drained world; the more she looked around the more her mind told her it wasn’t unlike the Distortion World. People she could see and hear but couldn’t reach, a world that seemed right in front of her yet impossibly removed. It was...

Awful.

It had happened again. Despite her best efforts it had happened again. She’d been so careful, she didn’t even spend any time alone if she could help it. Yet it had happened again and despite everything she knew about herself, here she was-

She had to try, something- anything. But as she’d gotten used to in this place she couldn’t return to her own space, not even contact it. She couldn’t open a rift freely and even those she tore upon on reflections still just led elsewhere here. The sensation of isolation was overwhelming, she had to find someone, quickly, desperately. 

[raventao]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Durarara!! Rating: Not Rated Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Friendship - Relationship, Kida Masaomi/Ryuugamine Mikado Characters: Kida Masaomi, Ryuugamine Mikado, Orihara Izaya Additional Tags: Mikado is a miracle worker, Masaomi is walking disaster Series: Part 3 of Drrr drabbles Summary:

Masaomi can dig his way into any problem. Conveniently, Mikado can dig him out.

[kels915]

The Diary of Anna Bates

This is in response to a challenge from terriejane.  

“What are you looking at?”

Hannah looked up at the sound of her husband’s voice.  She held up a book for him to see.  “This old book I found at the estate sale today.  It seems to be a diary of some sort.”

Kevin walked over and sat down next to her as she tilted the book for him to see.  The page he was looking at had a faded photo on it but it was obviously a wedding picture.  Someone had captured the moment before the couple’s first kiss as husband and wife.

“What does it say?”

Hannah randomly opened a page and began reading.  “John returned to Downton today.  I have never been happier than in that moment I heard the familiar thump of his cane in the servants hallway.  He promised to never leave again and I believe him.  I know our road isn’t easy but our love is strong and I know we will get through the trouble we are facing.”

"Downton?  That is that big castle about an hour from here.  I know it used to be a private home before it was a hotel.  They must have worked there years ago."

She flipped to another page.  “I can’t stop crying.  I can’t believe they found him guilty.  Is our time together really over?  Mr. Crawley says they will fight, but I could tell he didn’t have much faith in saving John.  I won’t stop fighting though; I refuse to see him led to the gallows. Even if he has to stay in prison for the rest of his life, he will be alive and I can see him.  I won't give up on him--on us."

Hannah looked up, “How sad that they won’t have a happy ending.”

Kevin picked up the diary and thumbed through until he reached about mid-way though.   “Wait!  Listen to this, “We painted the cottage today; of course John insisted he could do all the high spots, stubborn man!  Now he is lying in bed with his knee propped up.  He insists it wasn’t from climbing the ladder, but I know better.”

He looked at his wife, “She must have succeeded!  She freed him from prison.”  He looked back down and thumbed through some more pages.

“I can’t ever tell him what happened.  I know he would go after him and kill him and I won’t see him back in jail.  I would rather him think I don’t love him anymore than see him hang.  Mrs. Hughes says I should tell him that he would understand, but I am not good enough for him now.  I have been soiled.”

Kevin looked up as he heard his wife sniff, and was surprised to find her with tears in her eyes.  “Are you okay?”

Hannah nodded, “I am, but their story is so sad.  They loved each other, but they had so much pain and hardship.  John gets sentenced to die in prison, and is released only to have his wife attacked?  It all seems so unfair.”

Kevin nodded and flipped through the diary until he got to the last page.  “John and I spent the day at the beach with William and Laura and the children.  It’s hard to believe we have five grandchildren, but we do!  We couldn’t be prouder of our son and the man he became.  A lawyer of all things!  And his Laura is lovely as well and they so remind me of John and myself at that age.  We have come a long way the two of us and life hasn’t always been easy, but there has always been love.  I wouldn’t change one thing about our life together; the good or bad.  It's all led us to where we are today.  I reminded John tonight about those words he spoke to me all those years ago in that pub in Kirkbymoorside, “I would love you however, whatever, whenever.”  And he has.”

Kevin closed the book and handed it back to Hannah.  “See it all worked out in the end.”

Hannah nodded, and opened the book to the first page.  She saw the name Anna Smith Bates written in almost perfect penmanship.  “Well Anna Bates, let’s start at the beginning, shall we?”

“I met the new valet today….”

[thisisthedayyourdreamscomet-blog]

Prompt 2

What: Isaac's first kiss.

When: 15

Who: Mentions of both his parents.

-----------------

His father wanted him to be a man, what better way than to be with a woman. Wasn't that what grown, manly men believed? A Man is not a man without a woman, football and a hunting rifle.

Passing a few hundred dollar notes to the bouncer standing by the door to the club he'd often been found at. Either passed out in the back room from drinking so much or knocking back advances from numerous older and more experienced women. Isaac pushed his way through the crowded doorway allowing the pounding of the bass from the surrounding speakers flow through him like some kind of energiser. Eyeing off the bartender from where he stood, Isaac raised his hand in a familiar gesture as he approached, being welcomed by his close friend Johnnie Walker. Though he'd already managed to polish of the better part of a bottle before he'd even made it out of his front door an hour ago, the feeling of the cool liquid trailing down his throat was what he was sure heaven would feel like when he died, if he ever made it up the hypothetical staircase.

It couldn't be that hard, to be with a woman, right? Not for someone like him. He'd always had women all over him, though not once had he ever thought of doing anymore than flirting with them until tonight. Exhaling deeply, Isaac made a quick turn about the room with his drink, scouting out one of the regular's he'd spoken to that had caught his eye the most. Spotting the slim brunette from half way across the room, he froze a little before finishing off the last of his scotch and palming the glass off to the nearest person.

Making a beeline through the crowded dancefloor, Isaac raked a shaky hand through his hair as he approached her an instant before his arm snaked it's way around her waist and jerked her close. It felt instinctual, she fit perfectly against his body every curve melting into him in an instant as her hand flew up to the side of his face. What was her name again? Emily? Ellen? Shrugging it off, he plastered on his most charming smile as he dipped his head down to meet the small girls lips with his own. Crushing her against him as his other hand met with her waist, Isaac felt adrenaline course through him when she opened her mouth and slipped her tongue between his lips. So that was what this felt like. Rubbing his own tongue agaisnt hers, he felt her moan slightly at the touch, his confidence soaring at the sound of it close to him.

Almost objecting to the girl pulling away from him, he cocked an eyebrow and watched as the girl giggled as she looked up at him with great big doe eyes. Returning her laugh with another charming smile and a wink, he noted howthe girls cheeks blushed a certain shade of pink he'd never seen before she tugged at his hand leading him towards the bathroom. Was this really all it took? A smile and a wink? Maybe his father was right about something, you never really felt like a man until a woman wanted you to show her how much of a man you could really be.

This was too easy.