Closure [Snippet] (ORIGINAL)
A snippet of an original idea I have forming in my head right now. I am probably going to reformat it so that I can adapt it into a graphic novel eventually. I know the story, however, and I know the quirks that I need to work out.
However, here's a preview of the beginning. Have to share my original work some time! >.>
This is the first time in years that Sage has stepped foot back in the sleepy town of Marshfield. He's lost track of time since the last time he was here. In fact, now that he is recalling things, he's realizing that it's been nearly fifteen years since he was last here. And the last time he was here...He shakes his head. He doesn't need to think about that time in his life right now. He's only here because he wants to fulfill the death wish of his grandmother, his mother's mother.
She passed awaya couple of months ago. It was a peaceful death for the most part. It was a brillant, sunny day outside, fitting for her contentment in her last moments. All of the other relatives had visited her already, some of them still waiting outside the hospital room. Only Sage's mother was still left in the room, and even she kept her distance from her mother. Sage thought it all very strange given the situation until his grandmother revealed her dying wish:
Closure.
Not for herself, she said, for Sage. He needed it, she said. She didn't want to see him suffer, even from the comfort of heaven. She wanted him to finally let things go, to accept them for the way they were. Sage remembers his mother darting her eyes when he looked back at her, and it was then he knew that they were both in on it.
Sage would have gladly refused, using the excuse that the last of his college loans were finished yet, but then his grandmother just had to say that she had already paid for half of his plane ticket. Just to make him feel guiltier, she chipped in for a second ticket for Juliet as well. Sage simply had no choice but to accept both the tickets and his grandmother's request.
And now, after a five hour plane ride plus a layover, here he is, Juliet sleeping on his shoulder as they are riding the empty bus down the muddy road. Rain is streaking down the windows, blocking any view of the outside world, but Sage knows where they are anyway. He doesn't want to explain why. He just senses that they are arriving closer to the old inn on River Road just from the way that the bus is turning, the way that it rolls over the familiar road.
Sage's eyes dart to Juliet. He wishes that he could lie to her about the reason they were here. He wants to tell her that this is just a romantic getaway, but that would be too easy. Juliet already had to know everything just from the stunned expression on Sage's face when he walked through the door that night. They had only been living together for a year after going from casual friends to partners, but already Juliet could tell what Sage was feeling just from taking one look at him. He hates being so easily read, and he hates having Juliet come to the one place he hates the most.
All those years ago, Sage had vowed that he'd never come back to this place. Fifteen years ago, just at the age of ten, he could already feel the need to runaway from a town that had been his home for so long. His grief then wasn't even close to what he felt years later, when it all hit him one night, sweat dripping down his forehead as he woke up screaming.
Juliet bolted up at the same instant, as if she'd heard someone breaking in. The moment she realized it was Sage screaming, however, she wrapped his arms around him. Juliet kept asking Sage what was wrong as he silently convulsed in her arms, but Sage couldn't tell her a single thing. There really wasn't a reason why he couldn't. He just couldn't tell her a single thing.
Sage has never been able to tell anyone, not even his own mother. As far as she knows, it was a work accident. She doesn't know the full story behind that day as far as Sage knows. It eats away at him every day, but what would everyone think of him if he told them? His mother? His grandmother? Juliet? Sage's thought about it before, but he's never been able to bring himself to do it.
He's weak, after all.
"Home Hill Inn," the bus driver announces raspily. "Two minutes."
Sage nudges Juliet awake.
"Wake up," he whispers.
Juliet stirs, wiping the crust out of her dark eyes as she slowly sits up. She doesn't need to be told what time it is. She stretches his arms and legs, taking a glance out the window and pursing her lips. Sage knows Juliet hates rain after quitting school over in Seattle, which is why he didn't tell her that Marshfield tends to rain a lot during late spring.
"What a miserable day outside," Juliet notes, frowning. "Is it supposed to be like this the whole time we're here?"
"Man up in the sky's got to relieve himself sometime," Sage jokes. Juliet narrows her eyes at him. So maybe it wasn't that funny, but this is how Sage covers everything up. This is how he pretends that he can forget everything--humor.
"So how are we getting around anyway?" Juliet asks, still half-asleep. "We don't have a car, I haven't seen a rental shop within twenty miles, and we don't know our way around here." She looks outside the window through the water collecting there. "I don't even see anyone else on the road."
Sage doesn't bother to answer as the bus parks.
"Home Hill Inn," the bus driver announces, coughing into his sleeve.
Sage takes note of the pack of tissues sticking out of his coat pocket and the empty sanitizer bottle sitting in the garbage can up front as he and Juliet leave the bus. Sick, he decides, so he makes sure to leave a generous tip. Twenty dollars and thirteen cents to be exact. It's been a three hour bus ride, no easy task for even the healthiest driver.
Home Hill Inn is exactly as Sage remembers it. It still has its white siding with its Victorian style porch. The lights are on inside through the navy blue curtains and smoke billows out from the chimney. The flower beds are just as vibrant as ever, even with the downpour blocking their sunlight. Even the sign out front is the same, if not having less chipped paint to oogle at.
As a child, Sage always admired this inn. He would always ask his father if they could ever go in, but his father always said no. They lived in town, he stated, there was no reason to go in the inn, not even to look. Sage would nag him like any kid would, saying they could just tour there, but his father would just say it was too expensive. Everything was always too expensive after his parents divorced.
Now one of Sage's childhood dreams is coming true, and with one of the closest people in his life no less. Bittersweet as it is, he can't resist giving Juliet a peck on the cheek as they enter the inn. The sense of sadness outside melts away as they walk into the warmth of the inn's reception room, dripping wet. Sage pulls out the paper with the reservation details on it as Juliet manages their luggage...
(end preview. work ensues. XD)
However, here's a preview of the beginning. Have to share my original work some time! >.>
This is the first time in years that Sage has stepped foot back in the sleepy town of Marshfield. He's lost track of time since the last time he was here. In fact, now that he is recalling things, he's realizing that it's been nearly fifteen years since he was last here. And the last time he was here...He shakes his head. He doesn't need to think about that time in his life right now. He's only here because he wants to fulfill the death wish of his grandmother, his mother's mother.
She passed awaya couple of months ago. It was a peaceful death for the most part. It was a brillant, sunny day outside, fitting for her contentment in her last moments. All of the other relatives had visited her already, some of them still waiting outside the hospital room. Only Sage's mother was still left in the room, and even she kept her distance from her mother. Sage thought it all very strange given the situation until his grandmother revealed her dying wish:
Closure.
Not for herself, she said, for Sage. He needed it, she said. She didn't want to see him suffer, even from the comfort of heaven. She wanted him to finally let things go, to accept them for the way they were. Sage remembers his mother darting her eyes when he looked back at her, and it was then he knew that they were both in on it.
Sage would have gladly refused, using the excuse that the last of his college loans were finished yet, but then his grandmother just had to say that she had already paid for half of his plane ticket. Just to make him feel guiltier, she chipped in for a second ticket for Juliet as well. Sage simply had no choice but to accept both the tickets and his grandmother's request.
And now, after a five hour plane ride plus a layover, here he is, Juliet sleeping on his shoulder as they are riding the empty bus down the muddy road. Rain is streaking down the windows, blocking any view of the outside world, but Sage knows where they are anyway. He doesn't want to explain why. He just senses that they are arriving closer to the old inn on River Road just from the way that the bus is turning, the way that it rolls over the familiar road.
Sage's eyes dart to Juliet. He wishes that he could lie to her about the reason they were here. He wants to tell her that this is just a romantic getaway, but that would be too easy. Juliet already had to know everything just from the stunned expression on Sage's face when he walked through the door that night. They had only been living together for a year after going from casual friends to partners, but already Juliet could tell what Sage was feeling just from taking one look at him. He hates being so easily read, and he hates having Juliet come to the one place he hates the most.
All those years ago, Sage had vowed that he'd never come back to this place. Fifteen years ago, just at the age of ten, he could already feel the need to runaway from a town that had been his home for so long. His grief then wasn't even close to what he felt years later, when it all hit him one night, sweat dripping down his forehead as he woke up screaming.
Juliet bolted up at the same instant, as if she'd heard someone breaking in. The moment she realized it was Sage screaming, however, she wrapped his arms around him. Juliet kept asking Sage what was wrong as he silently convulsed in her arms, but Sage couldn't tell her a single thing. There really wasn't a reason why he couldn't. He just couldn't tell her a single thing.
Sage has never been able to tell anyone, not even his own mother. As far as she knows, it was a work accident. She doesn't know the full story behind that day as far as Sage knows. It eats away at him every day, but what would everyone think of him if he told them? His mother? His grandmother? Juliet? Sage's thought about it before, but he's never been able to bring himself to do it.
He's weak, after all.
"Home Hill Inn," the bus driver announces raspily. "Two minutes."
Sage nudges Juliet awake.
"Wake up," he whispers.
Juliet stirs, wiping the crust out of her dark eyes as she slowly sits up. She doesn't need to be told what time it is. She stretches his arms and legs, taking a glance out the window and pursing her lips. Sage knows Juliet hates rain after quitting school over in Seattle, which is why he didn't tell her that Marshfield tends to rain a lot during late spring.
"What a miserable day outside," Juliet notes, frowning. "Is it supposed to be like this the whole time we're here?"
"Man up in the sky's got to relieve himself sometime," Sage jokes. Juliet narrows her eyes at him. So maybe it wasn't that funny, but this is how Sage covers everything up. This is how he pretends that he can forget everything--humor.
"So how are we getting around anyway?" Juliet asks, still half-asleep. "We don't have a car, I haven't seen a rental shop within twenty miles, and we don't know our way around here." She looks outside the window through the water collecting there. "I don't even see anyone else on the road."
Sage doesn't bother to answer as the bus parks.
"Home Hill Inn," the bus driver announces, coughing into his sleeve.
Sage takes note of the pack of tissues sticking out of his coat pocket and the empty sanitizer bottle sitting in the garbage can up front as he and Juliet leave the bus. Sick, he decides, so he makes sure to leave a generous tip. Twenty dollars and thirteen cents to be exact. It's been a three hour bus ride, no easy task for even the healthiest driver.
Home Hill Inn is exactly as Sage remembers it. It still has its white siding with its Victorian style porch. The lights are on inside through the navy blue curtains and smoke billows out from the chimney. The flower beds are just as vibrant as ever, even with the downpour blocking their sunlight. Even the sign out front is the same, if not having less chipped paint to oogle at.
As a child, Sage always admired this inn. He would always ask his father if they could ever go in, but his father always said no. They lived in town, he stated, there was no reason to go in the inn, not even to look. Sage would nag him like any kid would, saying they could just tour there, but his father would just say it was too expensive. Everything was always too expensive after his parents divorced.
Now one of Sage's childhood dreams is coming true, and with one of the closest people in his life no less. Bittersweet as it is, he can't resist giving Juliet a peck on the cheek as they enter the inn. The sense of sadness outside melts away as they walk into the warmth of the inn's reception room, dripping wet. Sage pulls out the paper with the reservation details on it as Juliet manages their luggage...
(end preview. work ensues. XD)