Re: Red (2b/?)
anonymous
September 28 2011, 17:42:46 UTC
Matthew finally woke up that afternoon, though he didn’t move from his corner. Ivan poured a mug of tea and ladled him out a bowl of oatmeal, stuck a spoon in it, and returned to the living room, holding out the bowl with a smile, feeling a little proud of himself. Now Matthew could eat. It was plain he hadn’t been getting enough food in a while.
Matthew took the mug with a shaking hand, but instead of taking the bowl as he expected, Matthew only stared at him.
“Porridge, da?” Ivan explained, though Matthew ought to be familiar with the food. He didn’t think there was anyone on Earth who wasn’t. “Is good. Eat.”
More staring. Ivan couldn’t read the expression on his face - not pain, and not pure terror like it had been last night, but he couldn’t tell just what it actually was. Finally he set the bowl down in front of him and backed away. Maybe he just needed to relax.
Ivan left the room, heading for the bathroom and the laundry he’d left there overnight. Most of the bloodstains hadn’t set, but it took a lot of scrubbing to get everything clean. When he’d hung all that up to dry and returned to the front room, he expected to see an empty bowl in front of Matthew.
It was still full. He’d drunk the tea, at least, but hadn’t eaten anything.
Ivan crouched in front of him again, though he took care to place himself more than an arm’s length away. Again he was reminded of just how big he was in comparison, and he remembered what it was like being on the opposite side of the conversation, and smiled, and tried to be gentle. “Why don’t you eat? Is it because it is cold now?”
Matthew shook his head, just barely.
“Is it because you don’t like it?”
No.
“Are you angry with me?”
A more emphatic no.
“If you don’t eat, then you’ll die.”
Matthew had no response for that.
Ivan sighed, and left it there. “You can move about the house, you know. You don’t need to remain in the corner.”
No answer.
He went to his bookshelf and pulled down a title - Erofeev, and that was another perk of being here and out from under his boss’s watchful eyes. He sat down on the sofa with it, Matthew staring as he did, and began to read. He would wait.
Re: Red (2b/?)
anonymous
October 1 2011, 05:45:13 UTC
Oh wow, I just came across this by chance, but I'm so glad I did because I really enjoyed reading what you have so far!!! Everything is so vivid (for example, Russia having to clean up Matthew's blood from all over his house), it's...unsettling, obviously, but in the most engaging way.
Matthew took the mug with a shaking hand, but instead of taking the bowl as he expected, Matthew only stared at him.
“Porridge, da?” Ivan explained, though Matthew ought to be familiar with the food. He didn’t think there was anyone on Earth who wasn’t. “Is good. Eat.”
More staring. Ivan couldn’t read the expression on his face - not pain, and not pure terror like it had been last night, but he couldn’t tell just what it actually was. Finally he set the bowl down in front of him and backed away. Maybe he just needed to relax.
Ivan left the room, heading for the bathroom and the laundry he’d left there overnight. Most of the bloodstains hadn’t set, but it took a lot of scrubbing to get everything clean. When he’d hung all that up to dry and returned to the front room, he expected to see an empty bowl in front of Matthew.
It was still full. He’d drunk the tea, at least, but hadn’t eaten anything.
Ivan crouched in front of him again, though he took care to place himself more than an arm’s length away. Again he was reminded of just how big he was in comparison, and he remembered what it was like being on the opposite side of the conversation, and smiled, and tried to be gentle. “Why don’t you eat? Is it because it is cold now?”
Matthew shook his head, just barely.
“Is it because you don’t like it?”
No.
“Are you angry with me?”
A more emphatic no.
“If you don’t eat, then you’ll die.”
Matthew had no response for that.
Ivan sighed, and left it there. “You can move about the house, you know. You don’t need to remain in the corner.”
No answer.
He went to his bookshelf and pulled down a title - Erofeev, and that was another perk of being here and out from under his boss’s watchful eyes. He sat down on the sofa with it, Matthew staring as he did, and began to read. He would wait.
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Keep up the good work! :)
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