Day 2 - Lights in the snow
Eh, needs some more editing. I have a problem with extravagent comma usage.
It was snowing.
The carriage pulled up to the curb, the gaslight glinting off the black finish. The wheels crunched in the fresh fall on the street, thin tracks unwinding behind it.
The front of the theatre glowed, brightly lit, lights illuminating the marquee, lined around the colorful posters on the front. The shining light fell through the window of the carriage, past the dark velvet curtains, illuminating a slice of a woman’s face - skin pale, cheeks flushed with the cold, eyes bright under dark hair.
She reached one hand out, opening the door of the carriage, allowing snowflakes to whirl inside and land on her dark cape, catching in the curls tumbling down her shoulders. A few caught in her lashes and sparkled in the gaslight as she gracefully stepped out, boots making crisp sounds on the snow on the pavement.
From the shadows around the corner of the theater, invisible in the dark contrast of the theatre front’s glare, a pair of eyes watched her disembark, noting all of her in one glance, summing up, predatory. He shifted slightly against the wall, patient, her path assured to carry her near enough to him for his purposes.
She turned and swung the carriage door shut, smiling up at the driver, his hat and shoulders dusted in white, the horses steaming in the air as they stamped gently, ready to go onwards.
“Pick you back up at eleven, miss?” the driver inquired by way of confirmation. She nodded with another smile, and turned to the theater, fingers in gloves tugging her cape tight up around her neck, warding off the chill swirl of the wind. She walked to the glow of the lobby, the brass of the doors flashing back and forth under the lights as a stream of attendees, bundled up in wool, velvet, furs, moved through them.
She nearly passed the last darkness before the front of the building when an arm, dark in a coat sleeve, hand dark in gloves, stretched out and snatched her aside. Her surprise preempted a cry of alarm, the dark confusing her senses after the glare of the lights and the snow. No one had seen her go, distracted all by wrapping their coats and cloaks close, seeing only the promised warmth of the lobby in front of them.
“Shhh, then.” came a husky, rich voice, a cold gloved finger pressing to her lips, her wrist still tight in his hand, holding her captive. Her eyes were wide, shining in the dark, her face startled, not afraid yet, not having had time to think. The snow settled softly down on her hair as she paused, white glimmering faintly in the scantly borrowed illumination from the street.
“I have something for you.” The voice sounded with a note intended to calm, coerce. Instinctively she pulled against his hold anyways, stepping back, eyes straining in the dark, vision still dazzled. She could make out a man, his coat dark, a hat and scarf framing the paleness of a face, the light not enough to show features. His fingers were tight on her arm, her step away resisted effortlessly, but not firm enough to bruise or wrench.
With a pause to assure that she was not going to imminently call an alarm before he could complete his errand, he drew his hand back from her mouth, reaching down to a deep pocket, bringing forth a small packet. The shining paper on it gleaming faintly in the reflected snowlight. As he released her arm, he quickly grasped both her hands in his and pressed the package into her gloved fingers, closing them around the slimness of it.
“You may open it any time you like.” he said, a hint of a smile on the dusky voice. While she was still startled, her scattered thoughts attempting to gather in the cold air, he stepped back. Marking a few paces in reverse, he turned, footsteps ringing softly until he turned an unseen corner beyond hearing.
With a whirl of thoughts she realized she was standing in a cold dark alley and automatically stepped back until she was existing once more under the lights of the bright street. She stared down the dark alley, half wondering if he would come back out, but as moments passed, the light and noise rendering the last minutes as if a dream, she turned and looked down at the little papered box in her hands.
Curiosity overwhelming the questions, she worked awkwardly at the seals on the sides, fingers clumsy in winter leather. At last loosing a seal, she tugged the silvery paper free from one side, the black case sliding free of its wrapping, the gold hinges glinting, an unfamiliar monogram worked carefully into the cover.
She hesitated for a moment, hand resting on the box, fingers just poised to lever it open. Her green eyes glanced through the snowy evening, seeking a conspirator to step forth and claim the act, but all moved with normalcy around her, the chatter and the lights and the crowds not attending the event whatsoever.
Carefully she hinged the box open, the street’s warm yellow light coming to rest on the ice bright thing inside. It shone, all glinting angles and silver workings, the thin chain winding around it like a river.
She stood on the street, snow whirling down around her, the priceless gem held in hands loose in shock, flakes softly settling on the gleaming facets laid gently within the green velvet folds.
It was snowing.
The carriage pulled up to the curb, the gaslight glinting off the black finish. The wheels crunched in the fresh fall on the street, thin tracks unwinding behind it.
The front of the theatre glowed, brightly lit, lights illuminating the marquee, lined around the colorful posters on the front. The shining light fell through the window of the carriage, past the dark velvet curtains, illuminating a slice of a woman’s face - skin pale, cheeks flushed with the cold, eyes bright under dark hair.
She reached one hand out, opening the door of the carriage, allowing snowflakes to whirl inside and land on her dark cape, catching in the curls tumbling down her shoulders. A few caught in her lashes and sparkled in the gaslight as she gracefully stepped out, boots making crisp sounds on the snow on the pavement.
From the shadows around the corner of the theater, invisible in the dark contrast of the theatre front’s glare, a pair of eyes watched her disembark, noting all of her in one glance, summing up, predatory. He shifted slightly against the wall, patient, her path assured to carry her near enough to him for his purposes.
She turned and swung the carriage door shut, smiling up at the driver, his hat and shoulders dusted in white, the horses steaming in the air as they stamped gently, ready to go onwards.
“Pick you back up at eleven, miss?” the driver inquired by way of confirmation. She nodded with another smile, and turned to the theater, fingers in gloves tugging her cape tight up around her neck, warding off the chill swirl of the wind. She walked to the glow of the lobby, the brass of the doors flashing back and forth under the lights as a stream of attendees, bundled up in wool, velvet, furs, moved through them.
She nearly passed the last darkness before the front of the building when an arm, dark in a coat sleeve, hand dark in gloves, stretched out and snatched her aside. Her surprise preempted a cry of alarm, the dark confusing her senses after the glare of the lights and the snow. No one had seen her go, distracted all by wrapping their coats and cloaks close, seeing only the promised warmth of the lobby in front of them.
“Shhh, then.” came a husky, rich voice, a cold gloved finger pressing to her lips, her wrist still tight in his hand, holding her captive. Her eyes were wide, shining in the dark, her face startled, not afraid yet, not having had time to think. The snow settled softly down on her hair as she paused, white glimmering faintly in the scantly borrowed illumination from the street.
“I have something for you.” The voice sounded with a note intended to calm, coerce. Instinctively she pulled against his hold anyways, stepping back, eyes straining in the dark, vision still dazzled. She could make out a man, his coat dark, a hat and scarf framing the paleness of a face, the light not enough to show features. His fingers were tight on her arm, her step away resisted effortlessly, but not firm enough to bruise or wrench.
With a pause to assure that she was not going to imminently call an alarm before he could complete his errand, he drew his hand back from her mouth, reaching down to a deep pocket, bringing forth a small packet. The shining paper on it gleaming faintly in the reflected snowlight. As he released her arm, he quickly grasped both her hands in his and pressed the package into her gloved fingers, closing them around the slimness of it.
“You may open it any time you like.” he said, a hint of a smile on the dusky voice. While she was still startled, her scattered thoughts attempting to gather in the cold air, he stepped back. Marking a few paces in reverse, he turned, footsteps ringing softly until he turned an unseen corner beyond hearing.
With a whirl of thoughts she realized she was standing in a cold dark alley and automatically stepped back until she was existing once more under the lights of the bright street. She stared down the dark alley, half wondering if he would come back out, but as moments passed, the light and noise rendering the last minutes as if a dream, she turned and looked down at the little papered box in her hands.
Curiosity overwhelming the questions, she worked awkwardly at the seals on the sides, fingers clumsy in winter leather. At last loosing a seal, she tugged the silvery paper free from one side, the black case sliding free of its wrapping, the gold hinges glinting, an unfamiliar monogram worked carefully into the cover.
She hesitated for a moment, hand resting on the box, fingers just poised to lever it open. Her green eyes glanced through the snowy evening, seeking a conspirator to step forth and claim the act, but all moved with normalcy around her, the chatter and the lights and the crowds not attending the event whatsoever.
Carefully she hinged the box open, the street’s warm yellow light coming to rest on the ice bright thing inside. It shone, all glinting angles and silver workings, the thin chain winding around it like a river.
She stood on the street, snow whirling down around her, the priceless gem held in hands loose in shock, flakes softly settling on the gleaming facets laid gently within the green velvet folds.