Day 20: I Hear Her Singing Through The Wires
Mother's better.
Hannah stood enthralled for some time, and she could not later say how long it had been.The music seemed to come from everywhere at once, sometimes hiding behind the sound of her breathing and the noise of blood in her ears. Sometimes it was the sound of falling trees, crashing waves and thunder crashing.
It was during one of the ebbs that a voice spoke up.
“Are you going to the carnival?”
Hannah looked at the clown. Had he spoken? No, it hadn't sounded like a clown, or even a man. She looked behind her. From the direction of her own house a figure approached with tiny dainty moments. It was a woman, or maybe just a young girl. She was wering a long ballroom gown which would have looked like something from long ago, if it had not been ivory and candyfloss pink. The girl's hair was hidden under a vast powdered coiffure adorned with pale yellow stars.b Her cheeks were pale and her lips were the same pink as her dress. As Hannah stood gaping at the lady,she pulled out a white lace handkerchief and waved.
“I'm sorry?”
“The carnival, dearest. Are you going?”
“I don't know. Where is it?”
“Why, over there” the lady pointed with one slim finger in the direction of the lights. “Princess fingers” Hannah thought.
“I guess I am” she decided.
The lady had gotten closer without seeming to move. Her face was beautiful with high cheekbones. Nor was she entirely pale. Each cheek had a hectic red spot, just below the eyes. Those eyes were remarkable amber color which Hannah had only seen on cats.
The dress had a slit, and Hannah was pretty sure they hadn't had those in the old days. The lady, only slightly taller than Hannah, had extended a leg coquettishly. The inner thigh was as white as her face and beautiful against the pink ruffles. A little above the knee the leg ended, and a prosthetic was attached with leather straps and shining bolts. The artificial leg was dark wood and ornate brass. Rampant lions, fat cherubs and coiled roses chased each other into a heeled slipper which looked as though it was made from one piece of mother-of-pearl.
“Indeed? Do you have a mask?”
“I kinda do” Hannah said. She showed the lady her long-nosed mask.
“Capital!” the lady clapped her hands. “Put it on!”
“Later. You're not wearing a mask either”
“Oh but I am, dearest”. The lady twirled around giggling. Hannah saw that the tender skin of her face was tied together with coarse thread. Between the dress's ruffled long neck and the skin, Hannah could see an exposed sliver of tarnished brass. The lady turned her head and put an exaggerated finger to her pink lips.
“Don't say anything, dearest. I want it to be a surprise”.
Hannah nodded mutely. This entry was originally posted at http://hafwit.dreamwidth.org/17564.html. Please comment there using OpenID.
Hannah stood enthralled for some time, and she could not later say how long it had been.The music seemed to come from everywhere at once, sometimes hiding behind the sound of her breathing and the noise of blood in her ears. Sometimes it was the sound of falling trees, crashing waves and thunder crashing.
It was during one of the ebbs that a voice spoke up.
“Are you going to the carnival?”
Hannah looked at the clown. Had he spoken? No, it hadn't sounded like a clown, or even a man. She looked behind her. From the direction of her own house a figure approached with tiny dainty moments. It was a woman, or maybe just a young girl. She was wering a long ballroom gown which would have looked like something from long ago, if it had not been ivory and candyfloss pink. The girl's hair was hidden under a vast powdered coiffure adorned with pale yellow stars.b Her cheeks were pale and her lips were the same pink as her dress. As Hannah stood gaping at the lady,she pulled out a white lace handkerchief and waved.
“I'm sorry?”
“The carnival, dearest. Are you going?”
“I don't know. Where is it?”
“Why, over there” the lady pointed with one slim finger in the direction of the lights. “Princess fingers” Hannah thought.
“I guess I am” she decided.
The lady had gotten closer without seeming to move. Her face was beautiful with high cheekbones. Nor was she entirely pale. Each cheek had a hectic red spot, just below the eyes. Those eyes were remarkable amber color which Hannah had only seen on cats.
The dress had a slit, and Hannah was pretty sure they hadn't had those in the old days. The lady, only slightly taller than Hannah, had extended a leg coquettishly. The inner thigh was as white as her face and beautiful against the pink ruffles. A little above the knee the leg ended, and a prosthetic was attached with leather straps and shining bolts. The artificial leg was dark wood and ornate brass. Rampant lions, fat cherubs and coiled roses chased each other into a heeled slipper which looked as though it was made from one piece of mother-of-pearl.
“Indeed? Do you have a mask?”
“I kinda do” Hannah said. She showed the lady her long-nosed mask.
“Capital!” the lady clapped her hands. “Put it on!”
“Later. You're not wearing a mask either”
“Oh but I am, dearest”. The lady twirled around giggling. Hannah saw that the tender skin of her face was tied together with coarse thread. Between the dress's ruffled long neck and the skin, Hannah could see an exposed sliver of tarnished brass. The lady turned her head and put an exaggerated finger to her pink lips.
“Don't say anything, dearest. I want it to be a surprise”.
Hannah nodded mutely. This entry was originally posted at http://hafwit.dreamwidth.org/17564.html. Please comment there using OpenID.