Butter Pecan 10, Strawberry 16 (+1 March Malt)
Author: Marina
Story: Shifts universe (Shifts)
Challenge: Butter Pecan 10 (spicy), Strawberry 16 (candle)
Toppings/Extras: Cherry (second person, present tense + stream of consciousness feel), Sprinkles, Malt (pfah - candle : Ellen : When the Lights are Down), Peaches (Decorating or landscaping or both might be on the agenda), Strawberries (Under the Horse Chestnut Tree)
Word Count: 593
Rating: G
Summary: Ellen’s first night living in the new apartment.
Notes: Giving second person a go with this one!
Even though there’s barely anything in the apartment, just a mattress or two and some clothes, all Mother brings is a pair of candles in candlesticks and a box of matches. You ask her why, but she only smiles and asks if you’d like to order pizza.
The sun goes down about an hour later. Just before it gets too dark to see, Mother lights the candles and sets them on the crumbling tile floor in the kitchen. The glow of the flame illuminates every flaw in the walls and ceiling-the cracks, the mold, the wispy spider webs in the corners, and it’s disgusting but it’s new and wonderful and nothing like the compound, which was cold and resentful. You’re not going back there, not ever. You tell yourself this for the thousandth time as Mother spreads a blanket over the floor and puts the pizza box on top.
Drew’s there, too-he’s already stolen a piece of pepperoni pizza and there’s another, in his other hand, for you. You take it carefully, and Mother offers you a paper plate but you don’t want one because Drew doesn’t need one. That’s what makes you take the first bite, too. You want to like it because he does, and it turns out you do. The pepperoni is just spicy enough and mixes well with the cheese and the sauce. It’s easy to eat and soon you’ve devoured one piece and half of a second and Mother’s trying to give you a napkin and giggling because she has never seen you this messy. You’ve never gone anywhere with so much as a crumb on your lip before.
While you finish, Mother starts talking about all the things she wants to do to the apartment tomorrow. Drew offers to help with furniture moving and says his friends will, too, and then you imagine Grayson trying to do that without breaking something. When you say that to them, they start laughing, and Drew breaks in with all the times Grayson did something stupid or hilarious, like when he and Lynne climbed the fire escape to get to Rand’s bedroom.
Then Mother starts telling stories, about things that happened before she married Father, like the good times she had at college (even though she only went for a year before her father made her drop out) and what her family was like when she was little, your age even, which doesn’t seem possible but of course she was young once. Just like she’s old, now. Actually, you don’t know how old she is, but now isn’t the time to ask.
You yawn, and Drew goes home. Mother makes up one of the mattresses for you with a warm blanket and a pillow so fluffy that there’s probably a cloud inside, and then she lets you carry one of the candles over, taking it back after you’ve kicked your new high-tops off so you can climb in. Just before she blows out the candle, you notice the way the light falls on her and remember, all over again, that in about four months there’s going to be a new baby.
That thought protects you from the darkness. There’s going to be a new baby, and you live with Mother now, and Drew’s only a floor away-practically right above you, really. You didn’t even know he existed before and now he’s so close, and it’s wonderful.
There’s hardly anything in this apartment but you and Mother and the mattresses you sleep on. It doesn’t matter. It still feels like home.
Story: Shifts universe (Shifts)
Challenge: Butter Pecan 10 (spicy), Strawberry 16 (candle)
Toppings/Extras: Cherry (second person, present tense + stream of consciousness feel), Sprinkles, Malt (pfah - candle : Ellen : When the Lights are Down), Peaches (Decorating or landscaping or both might be on the agenda), Strawberries (Under the Horse Chestnut Tree)
Word Count: 593
Rating: G
Summary: Ellen’s first night living in the new apartment.
Notes: Giving second person a go with this one!
Even though there’s barely anything in the apartment, just a mattress or two and some clothes, all Mother brings is a pair of candles in candlesticks and a box of matches. You ask her why, but she only smiles and asks if you’d like to order pizza.
The sun goes down about an hour later. Just before it gets too dark to see, Mother lights the candles and sets them on the crumbling tile floor in the kitchen. The glow of the flame illuminates every flaw in the walls and ceiling-the cracks, the mold, the wispy spider webs in the corners, and it’s disgusting but it’s new and wonderful and nothing like the compound, which was cold and resentful. You’re not going back there, not ever. You tell yourself this for the thousandth time as Mother spreads a blanket over the floor and puts the pizza box on top.
Drew’s there, too-he’s already stolen a piece of pepperoni pizza and there’s another, in his other hand, for you. You take it carefully, and Mother offers you a paper plate but you don’t want one because Drew doesn’t need one. That’s what makes you take the first bite, too. You want to like it because he does, and it turns out you do. The pepperoni is just spicy enough and mixes well with the cheese and the sauce. It’s easy to eat and soon you’ve devoured one piece and half of a second and Mother’s trying to give you a napkin and giggling because she has never seen you this messy. You’ve never gone anywhere with so much as a crumb on your lip before.
While you finish, Mother starts talking about all the things she wants to do to the apartment tomorrow. Drew offers to help with furniture moving and says his friends will, too, and then you imagine Grayson trying to do that without breaking something. When you say that to them, they start laughing, and Drew breaks in with all the times Grayson did something stupid or hilarious, like when he and Lynne climbed the fire escape to get to Rand’s bedroom.
Then Mother starts telling stories, about things that happened before she married Father, like the good times she had at college (even though she only went for a year before her father made her drop out) and what her family was like when she was little, your age even, which doesn’t seem possible but of course she was young once. Just like she’s old, now. Actually, you don’t know how old she is, but now isn’t the time to ask.
You yawn, and Drew goes home. Mother makes up one of the mattresses for you with a warm blanket and a pillow so fluffy that there’s probably a cloud inside, and then she lets you carry one of the candles over, taking it back after you’ve kicked your new high-tops off so you can climb in. Just before she blows out the candle, you notice the way the light falls on her and remember, all over again, that in about four months there’s going to be a new baby.
That thought protects you from the darkness. There’s going to be a new baby, and you live with Mother now, and Drew’s only a floor away-practically right above you, really. You didn’t even know he existed before and now he’s so close, and it’s wonderful.
There’s hardly anything in this apartment but you and Mother and the mattresses you sleep on. It doesn’t matter. It still feels like home.