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Post by Firefly on Feb 25, 2006 12:13:40 GMT -5
Zomg, its true-- I'm back! =D My computer crashed and everything-- all my fanfictions, pictures, everything-- was lost forever. So I'm starting off with a clean slate. I doubt I'll finish my ongoing and un-finished fanfictions unless I remember the plot line at all oO;; So, please enjoy my newest story. ~ Firefly
oOoOo
"...He was a good person overall, who was kind and generous to everyone, and never refused someone in need."
It was four o'clock P.M. on a Sunday, but instead of the usual cheery chatter that was usually heard after church, the church grounds were deathly silent. Everyone wore black, and their heads were bowed respectively, most people crying. Being a small town, Mineral town also had few deaths. This was the first death in almost ten years, so naturally, it was a big thing. Everyone in the town (okay, so it was about twenty people, but still) had come to mourn the loss of the man who had been with most of them for decades. All except for one person.
Roberta Julianna Kittel, better known as Birdy, stood behind the other mourning townspeople, her head bowed. She was not humbling the deceased man, but instead she was staring at the ground, trying with all her might not to cry. She focused on her clasped hands, the fingertips peeking out of the long sleeves of the black winter dress. It came down to her knees, the rest of her legs covered by thick black stockings. Her feet donned ankle-length boots, as it was a Winter's day. Her dark brown hair fell over her shoulders and the long bangs covered her red-rimmed brown eyes. Her shoulders were slumped, and she willed herself to stay put; she could not go see the man... she could not... that would just cause her to cry...
And finally her tears spilled, hot and salty and sweet. She choked back a sob but failed as it shook her shoulders uncontrollably. Her tears froze instantly as they hit the icy, snow-covered ground. Her put one hand to her eyes and the other to her mouth, tying to stifle her sobs. A kind lady in front of her turned and looked on Birdy with sympathy. Her hair was candy-pink and her eyes were soft and kind, but she looked sickly and cold, shivers shaking her frail-looking body. A girl and a young man stood next to her, the girl with the same candy-pink hair, the boy with sandy hair. The girl was sobbing openly and making quite a racket for a young adult.
There was complete and utter silence (aside from the pink-haired girl's loud sobbing). Birdy felt the seconds tick on by, except they were longer and more painful. And then came a soft thump, and Birdy knew the casket was at the bottom of the grave. She bit her lip even harder until she tasted the bitter, salty taste that was blood. She heard, as if it were far-off, the preacher's voice saying a few last words.
And suddenly all eyes were on her. Bewildered, Birdy's head shot up and she looked around stupidly, confused. Then she understood that they were waiting to see if she would see the man's casket one last time.
But that was too much for her. She screamed, "GRANDADDY!" and the tears came again, more feircly than before. She was sobbing so hard that she felt dizzy. In a sudden fit of strength that she did not recognize, Birdy ran up to the ditch that her beloved grandfather was in. He was trapped. Trapped trapped trapped trapped trapped trapped. In a box. Never to come out. Never to see the sunshine or walk with her through nature or put yellow roses on Grandma's grave or tell her stories of visit or study birds or take her to museums or... or anything. He was gone. And there was nothing she could do, and she couldn't stand it.
She took of running, sprinting faster and breathing harder than she knew possible. She felt her dress whip wildly around her legs; heard the wind scream in her ear; saw her Grandaddy smiling softly at her for the last time; heard his last words to her... "I love you... you will always be my Birdy". She was blinded by her tears and did not see where she was running but didn't care-- she had to leave, she had to get away from this place. She tripped, falling with a crash on wet snow and she just... lay there, unmoving, tears streaming down her face, freezing yet burning on her cheeks. She felt like dying. And why not? The most important person to her had left the world; left her all alone. All alone...
oOoOo
The smell of coffee and toast roused Birdy from her deep slumber. Her eyelids fluttered and she shifted around, turning on her side. She pulled the blankets up closer to her chin and... wait, blankets?!?
Birdy shot up, the blankets forgotten as she wondered wildly where she was. She looked around, but, seeing nothing familiar, became almost frantic. She was just about to scream when...
"You're awake!"
Birdy whirled around to face a young man who looked around her age looking at her with concern. She gasped, and, confused, tried to hit him. "Get-away-from-me!" she shrieked, kicking wildly.
He calmly grabbed both of her flailing arms with one hand and waited for her to calm. She struggled, but without her hands was useless. She flopped down on the bed and began sobbing again.
"H-he-he's gone! Forever! And I c-can't... I can't...!"
"Shh..." the boy soothed softly. "Calm down. You're obviously still a bit delerious. I'm Jack. I found you lying face-down in my garden after I came home from..." he glanced at her and decided not to say he had just come back from the old man's burial, "...just came home and saw you there. I-I couldn'y let you freeze, so... I just let you stay on the couch." He opened his mouth, taking a breath, but before he could continue a shrill beep was heard. He stood up.
"Ah, your clothes are done. I'll be right back."
Birdy sighed in exhuastion and was about to lull off to sleep again when his words sunk in: "Your clothes are done..."
She shot back up again and looked at herself. She was wearing a huge T-shirt, obviously Jack's, but... she stuffed a hand up the shirt and felt her bra strap. She exhaled a little. He hadn't taken all her clothes... or maybe he had while she was sleeping?!? A feirce blush rose to her cheeks and she covered herself up with the blanket.
When Jack came back she turned away. Looking puzzled, he put the basket of clothes down next to her, saw her blush as she grabbed them, and realized.
"Oh... n-no, I... your clothes... your dress and st-stockings were soaked," he stammered, "s-so I thought it'd be better if I washed th-them for you... b-but... um... the rest of your clothes were fine!"
Birdy breathed a sigh of releif and looked up to study her rescuer for a brief second. He had light brown hair than fell in his face and kind brown eyes, and wore jean overalls, a plain white T-shirt much like the one Birdy had on, and a blue baseball cap.
"Well," Birdy said, breaking the silence, "thank you for saving me. I-I don't know where I'd be right now if it wasn't for you. Thank you so much. Oh, and... thanks for, uhm, washing my clothes, too..." she finished, her face still slightly pink.
"You're welcome," Jack said sincerely. "Now, you can go get dressed in the bathroom," he pointed to his left, "and... be on your ay, I guess."
Birdy nodded and picked up the basket of clothes, walking uneasily toward the bathroom.
oOoOo
Ten minutes later, Birdy came out, looking almost as she has the day before. She carried the T-shirt under her left arm, rolled up in a ball. She gave it to Jack, saying, "Thanks again. I can't repay your kindness, but... thank you." She even allowed herself a small smile. He smiled back.
As she left, Birdy felt extremely guilty. She wouldn't ever be able to pay him back. She would have liked to, but she was never coming back to this little village. And she was almost-- almost-- sorry.
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More will come soon, I promise.
