Challenge 9: Question, Place, Wince, Hand, Time
Challenge No. 9: Morning.
Title: Question
Characters: Anita, Jean-Claude (implied)
Notes: Tired and thoughtful Anita.
Anita stumbled to her jeep, yawning. Only seven zombies that night, but her last clients-- more accurately, the lawyers, had kept asking questions. She'd only put the zombie back ten minutes ago.
Slipping in behind the wheel, Anita put the key in the ignition, but leaned back in her seat. In the distant east, the sun was rising.
As the sun peeked over the horizon, Anita felt a familiar heavy weight in her chest for a fleeting second.
She wondered if she'd ever see a sunrise again without being distracted by Jean-Claude's death.
She wondered if she even wanted to.
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Title: Place
Characters: Willie McCoy
Notes: Willie McCoy doesn't get nearly enough ink time.
Every day, Willie McCoy opened his coffin lid early. He always checked to make sure things were tidy, the pillow laid out square. Fuzzy dice in place.
Willie also knew his place. He was still just a lackey.
He did what the Master said, and in return Willie was protected. Anita, the Executioner, she was his friend. Who would have thought that a guy like him would have a friend like that?
Willie climbed into his coffin and waited for the sun to rise. Being undead was sort of like being alive. From Willie's perspective, it might even be better.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Title: Wince
Characters: Richard
Richard slammed his car door and walked across the parking lot, last night's marked papers in his hand.
Every day at school was the same, nice, normal. Park the car. Check in at the office. Swing past the teacher's lounge for messages before heading up to class.
Today, Richard winced as he reached for his messages. The claw marks across his lower back from last night's challenge were still healing, not longer bleeding but still painful.
Right. Richard pressed his lips together as he remembered yet again the very important fact of the matter: He wasn't so normal after all.
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The next two contain Incubus Dreams spoilers.
Title: Hand
Characters: Anita, Nathaniel
Notes: Just another morning at Anita's house. A bit of fluff.
"Morning, Anita."
Coming into the kitchen, Anita groaned. "Not morning until I get coffee," she whined as she plopped into a chair.
When she looked up, there was a steaming cup of coffee in front of her. She narrowed her eyes at Nathaniel. "How'd you know I was up?"
He smiled. "I heard the shower."
"Oh."
The next time he passed, she grabbed his hand, brought it to her lips and kissed his knuckles.
He squeezed her hand gently, as if she were something that might break, then bent down to brush a kiss against her lips.
"Morning," she murmured.
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Title: Time
Characters: Anita, Damien
"It will be okay, come on."
Damien stared at the heavy curtains. Daylight couldn't make it through, not yet.
Anita stood at his elbow, a small dark presence. "If you've changed your mind, we don't have to try this today." She stroked her hand down his bare arm, and it was almost enough to make him forget what they were trying.
Damien resolved himself to face his fears. "No. I said I would face the sun. We did it once before, it should work again."
But he could not make himself move forward.
They stood there for a long time.
Title: Question
Characters: Anita, Jean-Claude (implied)
Notes: Tired and thoughtful Anita.
Anita stumbled to her jeep, yawning. Only seven zombies that night, but her last clients-- more accurately, the lawyers, had kept asking questions. She'd only put the zombie back ten minutes ago.
Slipping in behind the wheel, Anita put the key in the ignition, but leaned back in her seat. In the distant east, the sun was rising.
As the sun peeked over the horizon, Anita felt a familiar heavy weight in her chest for a fleeting second.
She wondered if she'd ever see a sunrise again without being distracted by Jean-Claude's death.
She wondered if she even wanted to.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Title: Place
Characters: Willie McCoy
Notes: Willie McCoy doesn't get nearly enough ink time.
Every day, Willie McCoy opened his coffin lid early. He always checked to make sure things were tidy, the pillow laid out square. Fuzzy dice in place.
Willie also knew his place. He was still just a lackey.
He did what the Master said, and in return Willie was protected. Anita, the Executioner, she was his friend. Who would have thought that a guy like him would have a friend like that?
Willie climbed into his coffin and waited for the sun to rise. Being undead was sort of like being alive. From Willie's perspective, it might even be better.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Title: Wince
Characters: Richard
Richard slammed his car door and walked across the parking lot, last night's marked papers in his hand.
Every day at school was the same, nice, normal. Park the car. Check in at the office. Swing past the teacher's lounge for messages before heading up to class.
Today, Richard winced as he reached for his messages. The claw marks across his lower back from last night's challenge were still healing, not longer bleeding but still painful.
Right. Richard pressed his lips together as he remembered yet again the very important fact of the matter: He wasn't so normal after all.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The next two contain Incubus Dreams spoilers.
Title: Hand
Characters: Anita, Nathaniel
Notes: Just another morning at Anita's house. A bit of fluff.
"Morning, Anita."
Coming into the kitchen, Anita groaned. "Not morning until I get coffee," she whined as she plopped into a chair.
When she looked up, there was a steaming cup of coffee in front of her. She narrowed her eyes at Nathaniel. "How'd you know I was up?"
He smiled. "I heard the shower."
"Oh."
The next time he passed, she grabbed his hand, brought it to her lips and kissed his knuckles.
He squeezed her hand gently, as if she were something that might break, then bent down to brush a kiss against her lips.
"Morning," she murmured.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Title: Time
Characters: Anita, Damien
"It will be okay, come on."
Damien stared at the heavy curtains. Daylight couldn't make it through, not yet.
Anita stood at his elbow, a small dark presence. "If you've changed your mind, we don't have to try this today." She stroked her hand down his bare arm, and it was almost enough to make him forget what they were trying.
Damien resolved himself to face his fears. "No. I said I would face the sun. We did it once before, it should work again."
But he could not make himself move forward.
They stood there for a long time.