Musemuggers
Title: Face the Rain
Author: keppiehed
Word Count: 529
Prompt: this picture
A/N: Written for musemuggers, Challenge #508, Option #2. Thanks to B for the first line. :)
“I spent part of the weekend thinking of geography.”
“Oh yeah?” Dave asked around a mouthful of eggs. He took a sip of coffee and swallowed. “Anywhere in particular?”
Julianne bit the end of her pen. “Not places so much as landscapes and how they change over time. I was watching this documentary on the battle of Agincourt. Some scientists recreated it and they said that everything we thought about the longbow was wrong. But the interesting thing was that the land hasn’t really changed in all this time.”
Dave thought a minute. “So you were thinking of topography, you mean.”
Julianne bent her head over her book. “I guess. Yes.”
They lapsed into silence.
“So how are classes going?” Dave asked after a moment.
Julianne didn’t look up from her book. She reached for her highlighter and marked the page in an unwavering line. “Fine. Good. Why, did Mom tell you to ask?”
“No.” Dave took another bite of his eggs. “But she asks about you all the time.”
Julianne said nothing.
“Can I at least tell her where you are? It isn’t like she’s asking to see you. She just wants to know that you’re okay,” Dave said.
“No.”
Dave sighed. “You only want to talk on your terms? Fine. So the landscape hasn’t changed, you said. In all these years.”
“Isn’t that surprising? You’d think it would have,” Julianne said. “When the scientists restaged the battle, they found out that we’ve had misconceptions about the victory all this time. It isn’t like we always thought. The myths are wrong. But then myths often are, I suppose.”
“That’s a shame,” Dave said. He picked up the bill and opened his wallet. “Wouldn’t you rather believe the stories?”
“No,” Julianne said. “I’d always rather know the truth. Even if it breaks belief. I want to know what’s real.”
Dave stood. “You don’t need science for that, Sis.”
“What?”
“Just call Mom, will you?” Dave asked. “I have to get back to the office. Can I drop you anywhere on my way?”
“I’m fine on my own,” Julianne said. She turned back to her book.
Dave waited, but she didn’t look up again. “It was good to see you,” he offered by way of goodbye, but she only nodded. “Take care of yourself.” He left her there, immersed in whatever she was studying this time.
Outside, the sun was just breaking through the clouds and a faint rainbow appeared. Dave turned to the window point it out to Julianne, but he could see through the glass that her seat was already empty. She’d left behind her book, by accident or design he’d probably never know. The page was still turned to the last thing she’d highlighted, and Dave wondered if he would see her again. Una tantum, he read. Only once. But then his Italian had always been rusty, so perhaps the translation was off.
The wind picked up and the rainbow faded before it had a chance to shine. It hadn’t lasted long, but he’d seen it and that was all that mattered. Dave turned up his collar and walked down the street, content to face the rain.
Author: keppiehed
Word Count: 529
Prompt: this picture
A/N: Written for musemuggers, Challenge #508, Option #2. Thanks to B for the first line. :)
“I spent part of the weekend thinking of geography.”
“Oh yeah?” Dave asked around a mouthful of eggs. He took a sip of coffee and swallowed. “Anywhere in particular?”
Julianne bit the end of her pen. “Not places so much as landscapes and how they change over time. I was watching this documentary on the battle of Agincourt. Some scientists recreated it and they said that everything we thought about the longbow was wrong. But the interesting thing was that the land hasn’t really changed in all this time.”
Dave thought a minute. “So you were thinking of topography, you mean.”
Julianne bent her head over her book. “I guess. Yes.”
They lapsed into silence.
“So how are classes going?” Dave asked after a moment.
Julianne didn’t look up from her book. She reached for her highlighter and marked the page in an unwavering line. “Fine. Good. Why, did Mom tell you to ask?”
“No.” Dave took another bite of his eggs. “But she asks about you all the time.”
Julianne said nothing.
“Can I at least tell her where you are? It isn’t like she’s asking to see you. She just wants to know that you’re okay,” Dave said.
“No.”
Dave sighed. “You only want to talk on your terms? Fine. So the landscape hasn’t changed, you said. In all these years.”
“Isn’t that surprising? You’d think it would have,” Julianne said. “When the scientists restaged the battle, they found out that we’ve had misconceptions about the victory all this time. It isn’t like we always thought. The myths are wrong. But then myths often are, I suppose.”
“That’s a shame,” Dave said. He picked up the bill and opened his wallet. “Wouldn’t you rather believe the stories?”
“No,” Julianne said. “I’d always rather know the truth. Even if it breaks belief. I want to know what’s real.”
Dave stood. “You don’t need science for that, Sis.”
“What?”
“Just call Mom, will you?” Dave asked. “I have to get back to the office. Can I drop you anywhere on my way?”
“I’m fine on my own,” Julianne said. She turned back to her book.
Dave waited, but she didn’t look up again. “It was good to see you,” he offered by way of goodbye, but she only nodded. “Take care of yourself.” He left her there, immersed in whatever she was studying this time.
Outside, the sun was just breaking through the clouds and a faint rainbow appeared. Dave turned to the window point it out to Julianne, but he could see through the glass that her seat was already empty. She’d left behind her book, by accident or design he’d probably never know. The page was still turned to the last thing she’d highlighted, and Dave wondered if he would see her again. Una tantum, he read. Only once. But then his Italian had always been rusty, so perhaps the translation was off.
The wind picked up and the rainbow faded before it had a chance to shine. It hadn’t lasted long, but he’d seen it and that was all that mattered. Dave turned up his collar and walked down the street, content to face the rain.