Flavour of the Day (14/05/16)
Title: Seize the Moment
Author: lost_spook
Story: Enigma House
Flavor(s): Flavour of the Day 14/05/16 (forthwith)
Toppings/Extras: None.
Rating: PG
Word Count: 438
Notes: Mary, DCI Michael Harrison. (It seems I can manage a little more of this canon after all.)
Summary: It’s time to get out of here.
***
“I can’t.”
Harrison cast a long look at Mary before he made an impatient move forward, catching at her arm and all but marching her to the main entrance. “Yes, you can, and that’s exactly why you have to. This instant, Mary!”
“You know better than anyone else why I can’t,” Mary said, still hesitating in the doorway.
He merely opened the door for her and held it, refusing to give in. “What I know is that you can’t leave the hotel for very long, or go very far. You can take a brief walk along the sea front for a few minutes. Come on.”
Mary shook her head at him, but he was right, so she passed through the doorway, waiting outside for him to join her. Harrison was relieved she wasn’t going to be any more stubborn over it, given the way she’d been lately.
“You have to take what you can,” he said more softly, as they crossed the road to reach the promenade, the wind strong enough to whip up her ponytail, dark strands getting in her face. “Even if it’s not much, it’s something. It’s doing you no good, shut up in that place with all the nightmares. You’re getting morbid.”
“I do have reason to be,” Mary stopped by the sea wall with him, hunched in against herself as she stared out at a grey sea, past uninviting brown sands, the tide out as far as it could go.
Harrison held out a hand to her. “I know I don’t have much of a clue as to what’s going on, but you can’t start thinking like this.”
“Like what?” She looked up.
He shrugged, angry with her for what he was sure was true, but unwilling to embarrass himself by being wrong. Then he turned his head and risked it anyway. “You’re not dead, Mary. God, that shouldn’t be something that needs saying.”
“Well, it’s a little hard to tell around here some days,” said Mary, but she stopped hugging her arms tightly against herself and let her hand fall to take his. “I can’t leave - just like all the rest of the ghosts.”
“No, no, you can leave, remember? Here we are. They really can’t.” Harrison tightened his hold on her fingers and raised their clasped hands as evidence. “See, Mary, real.”
She exhaled visibly and then laughed, but she gave him a wry look, not entirely ready to abandon her dark imaginings yet. “Neither of us even know if that’s my name.”
“Still not dead,” said Harrison.
Mary nodded. “But,” she said, “I’ve still got to go back inside -now.”
***
Author: lost_spook
Story: Enigma House
Flavor(s): Flavour of the Day 14/05/16 (forthwith)
Toppings/Extras: None.
Rating: PG
Word Count: 438
Notes: Mary, DCI Michael Harrison. (It seems I can manage a little more of this canon after all.)
Summary: It’s time to get out of here.
***
“I can’t.”
Harrison cast a long look at Mary before he made an impatient move forward, catching at her arm and all but marching her to the main entrance. “Yes, you can, and that’s exactly why you have to. This instant, Mary!”
“You know better than anyone else why I can’t,” Mary said, still hesitating in the doorway.
He merely opened the door for her and held it, refusing to give in. “What I know is that you can’t leave the hotel for very long, or go very far. You can take a brief walk along the sea front for a few minutes. Come on.”
Mary shook her head at him, but he was right, so she passed through the doorway, waiting outside for him to join her. Harrison was relieved she wasn’t going to be any more stubborn over it, given the way she’d been lately.
“You have to take what you can,” he said more softly, as they crossed the road to reach the promenade, the wind strong enough to whip up her ponytail, dark strands getting in her face. “Even if it’s not much, it’s something. It’s doing you no good, shut up in that place with all the nightmares. You’re getting morbid.”
“I do have reason to be,” Mary stopped by the sea wall with him, hunched in against herself as she stared out at a grey sea, past uninviting brown sands, the tide out as far as it could go.
Harrison held out a hand to her. “I know I don’t have much of a clue as to what’s going on, but you can’t start thinking like this.”
“Like what?” She looked up.
He shrugged, angry with her for what he was sure was true, but unwilling to embarrass himself by being wrong. Then he turned his head and risked it anyway. “You’re not dead, Mary. God, that shouldn’t be something that needs saying.”
“Well, it’s a little hard to tell around here some days,” said Mary, but she stopped hugging her arms tightly against herself and let her hand fall to take his. “I can’t leave - just like all the rest of the ghosts.”
“No, no, you can leave, remember? Here we are. They really can’t.” Harrison tightened his hold on her fingers and raised their clasped hands as evidence. “See, Mary, real.”
She exhaled visibly and then laughed, but she gave him a wry look, not entirely ready to abandon her dark imaginings yet. “Neither of us even know if that’s my name.”
“Still not dead,” said Harrison.
Mary nodded. “But,” she said, “I’ve still got to go back inside -now.”
***