Memoirs from Poole: Emma's Story

After writing the story about stolen kisses, in fact straight after, I was tasked with writing another story. When I asked what I should write about, all three girls chipped in ideas. I think the things say something about the girls' psyche. The list finished like this:

• Kittens
• Babies
• Emma's Mum
• Elephants
• Geese
• Church
• Lemon
• Bananas
• Megan

The following is the story that came from the list. The majority of it was written then and there, but I have just written the ending. At one point Emma was going to die, but she was granted a reprieve. Mainly because I’m sure that I would have never heard the end of it if I had killed her.

Enjoy.

Emma saw the fireworks first. They made no noise; silent explosions of colour. There were devil reds and electric blues (her personal favorite), envy greens and violent purples. As she watched, more and more began to explode blue until another colour didn’t exist in the sky.

At the gate she was greeted by a goose. He wore a top hat and a red waistcoat. She expected to be surprised by it, but found herself barely blinking, even when it spoke to her.
“Welcome to a land of mystery and truth!”
“Shouldn’t it be ‘the land’? Is there more than one?” Emma asked.
“Welcome to a land of mystery and truth!” the goose said again. This was all he ever said.

Emma paid the fare (Two silver coins and a crimson one; she was never sure where she got them from) and entered the fair. It was red and white and red and white as far as the eye could see. People laughed, or danced, or yelled excitably.

An elephant stomped on past, right in front of Emma. She smiled, because she wanted one. Reality changed, and suddenly she was stood by a baby elephant. It belonged to her, she knew it in the back of her mind. It padded along next to her as she explored.

She saw the bearded lady (and was glad she didn’t have a beard), the acrobatic dwarf (and wished she had kept up those gymnastic lessons when she was five) and a kitten, standing on its hind legs and dancing. It was here that Emma stopped, entertained by the show.

Except she couldn’t stop herself thinking that the whole thing would be much more entertaining if the kitten was juggling. So then she was watching the kitten juggle: bananas and lemons and a melon. Her baby elephant made a happy noise, which just gave voice to what Emma was feeling.

“Come and see your life!” a strange man shouted, almost directed at Emma. She wandered over, her little elephant following, and found herself at a small tent. It was black, so stood out from the red and white candy stripes of everywhere else.

“Good morning, afternoon and night ma’am. Would you care to see your life?” the man asked. He wore a large gray mustache, which Emma didn’t like at all. Then he was clean shaven.
“Maybe.’ Emma said ‘But surely I’m seeing it right now?”
“Oh dear me, no! Right now you’re living this moment. It’s not the same as seeing it ALL!’ The newly shaven man explained. ‘Go and see for yourself.”
“How much?” Emma asked, concerned she didn’t have anything he could want.
“For a pretty girl, a kiss’ he said. But as she puckered up and moved towards him, he waved a hand in her face ‘Oh dear, not for me. For him, when you meet him. Or her, if you’re that way inclined.”

Emma thanked the man, lightly bowing her head in a gracious manner, and stepped into the tent. It was empty. At least it felt empty, it was too dark to tell. But she felt alone, and in that moment she realized that her elephant had gone. She was about to go and fetch him when it all changed.

She saw everything, all at once. Her mother’s face, in the agony of childbirth. Her first steps and the smile of accomplishment. Her first kiss, experimental and new, behind the bike sheds.

She saw herself getting married, in a simple church in the countryside. Her husband was tall, with dark hair and dark eyes. When she turned around, she saw her friend Megan, dressed to the nines, smiling proudly; her chief bridesmaid.

She saw her first child, and her second, all at once. She saw them as babies and toddlers and teenagers, as if they were all of those things all at once.

At she saw herself die. She watched from the outside, as the blue car turned the corner too fast and found itself on the pavement. She flinched at the sound of metal on flesh, and a tear fell as she saw her daughter scream.

And then it was over and Emma was just left in an empty, dark room. She shook the memory away and laughed it off. It was silly. She’d already been hit by the car, and recovered in hospital. The doctor had said she was lucky to be alive. She kissed her husband and hugged her children and just got better. Hadn’t she?

She heard a light cough behind her and spun round to greet it. A man stood, visible in the darkness. It was like he glowed. And he was beautiful.

“I guess I need to kiss you then?” She asked, even though she knew the answer.
The man just nodded.
“And then what?”
The man shrugged.

At that moment, Emma wished more than she’d ever wished for anything in her life. She wished she didn’t have to kiss the man. And he faded away. And so did the tent. And the whole fair. She was standing in a field, alone and cold.

A pain ran through her heart, like an electric shock. It made tears form in her eyes and dropped her to her knees. Another pain quickly followed and she cried out in pain.

“Stop!” she shouted. She closed her eyes to block out the pain as a third shock fried her body.

When she opened them again, she found herself in a hospital, unable to move. Her body was alive with pain. She was surrounded by doctors and nurses, rushing around and speaking words she couldn’t quite make out. One held a pair of paddles.
In the window to the operating theatre she could see her husband. His face was wrinkled with concerned, his arms crossed. But he smiled when she opened her eyes.

And even though it hurt, and it sapped her of her energy, she smiled back. Then she fell asleep.

:D

http://morbidthegrim.deviantart.com/art/No-Free-Ride-86134278