The Mercy Seat (part 1ish)
Wow. I'm updating a lot tonight. Blame it on New Laptop Smell, or whatever. Anyway, I'm kinda stealing a page from nwhepcat here, with the snippet postings. I think it will suit the progression of Mercy Seat rather well. This story is going to jump around, a lot, so let me know if it gets to hard to follow.
It's fun to play with structure!
Xander dreamed of his aunt Edna.
She was actually his great-aunt, his grandmother's younger sister, a slight woman whom Xander had met, when he was very young. She had patted him on the head, remarked that he was going to be a very special young man some day, and then babbled at length about butterflies. His mother had quickly shown her the door.
Aunt Edna was the relative that the Harrises didn't talk about.
She stood in a garden filled with swallow tails, dressed in a fine, purple silk dress. She wore a bright red hat, which didn't suit her at all. She stood with her back facing Xander, but he knew it was her.
"It isn't easy, is it?"
Xander shrugged, and knew that though she was looking the other way, she saw the gesture. "It wouldn't be any fun if it was."
"That's true." Edna lifted one hand, and a butterfly landed on her outstretched finger. "They're beautiful, aren't they?"
"Yes."
"They only live a few days at a time."
Xander watched the butterfly take off again. "That's kinda sad."
"No." Edna turned so he could see her profile. "It's wonderful. They don't live long enough to know pain or heartbreak. Only long enough to do their duty, and then they die. That's the way it's meant to be."
"You've told me."
"It's through longevity that we learn evil, Xander. Remember that. When one lives too long, one attracts it. If one lives when one was meant to die, then only evil can follow."
"I understand."
She faced him then, her eyes filled with a sort of mirth. "Do you?"
"That's why I'm here, isn't it?"
"Yes. It is." She stepped up to him, cupping his left cheek with her right hand. "You're doing a wonderful job, too. This is just a sidetrack. Don't let it derail you. This is what you're meant to do."
"I know." Xander closed his eyes. Her fingers fluttered away from his face, and when he opened them again, she was gone. The butterflies remained, flitting about the garden in a hurried dance, trying to live their lives to the fullest in the few moments they had left. "It hurts though."
"It wouldn't be worth it, if it didn't." Her voice came from nowhere and everywhere at once. Xander smiled.
The butterflies burst into flames, but continued to fly, becoming bright, phoenix-like creatures of fire for a few seconds before they were eaten completely by the flames, and Xander was left, alone, in a scorched garden, as ashes fell all around him.
<--{1}-->
It's fun to play with structure!
Xander dreamed of his aunt Edna.
She was actually his great-aunt, his grandmother's younger sister, a slight woman whom Xander had met, when he was very young. She had patted him on the head, remarked that he was going to be a very special young man some day, and then babbled at length about butterflies. His mother had quickly shown her the door.
Aunt Edna was the relative that the Harrises didn't talk about.
She stood in a garden filled with swallow tails, dressed in a fine, purple silk dress. She wore a bright red hat, which didn't suit her at all. She stood with her back facing Xander, but he knew it was her.
"It isn't easy, is it?"
Xander shrugged, and knew that though she was looking the other way, she saw the gesture. "It wouldn't be any fun if it was."
"That's true." Edna lifted one hand, and a butterfly landed on her outstretched finger. "They're beautiful, aren't they?"
"Yes."
"They only live a few days at a time."
Xander watched the butterfly take off again. "That's kinda sad."
"No." Edna turned so he could see her profile. "It's wonderful. They don't live long enough to know pain or heartbreak. Only long enough to do their duty, and then they die. That's the way it's meant to be."
"You've told me."
"It's through longevity that we learn evil, Xander. Remember that. When one lives too long, one attracts it. If one lives when one was meant to die, then only evil can follow."
"I understand."
She faced him then, her eyes filled with a sort of mirth. "Do you?"
"That's why I'm here, isn't it?"
"Yes. It is." She stepped up to him, cupping his left cheek with her right hand. "You're doing a wonderful job, too. This is just a sidetrack. Don't let it derail you. This is what you're meant to do."
"I know." Xander closed his eyes. Her fingers fluttered away from his face, and when he opened them again, she was gone. The butterflies remained, flitting about the garden in a hurried dance, trying to live their lives to the fullest in the few moments they had left. "It hurts though."
"It wouldn't be worth it, if it didn't." Her voice came from nowhere and everywhere at once. Xander smiled.
The butterflies burst into flames, but continued to fly, becoming bright, phoenix-like creatures of fire for a few seconds before they were eaten completely by the flames, and Xander was left, alone, in a scorched garden, as ashes fell all around him.
<--{1}-->