Chance meeting (Goat)

[ali]

My feet press against the freshly fallen snow, bare and cold I tread across the street until I am out of site. The cold does not bother me much, the way the wind catches at my skin beneath the pajamas's I wear- they may have long sleeves but I can feel my skin prickle beneath the fabric- or how each breath of mine frosts on their air in front of me like smoke. If this is what freedom tastes like, then I don't care how cold it is and it seems, nor do the voices.

They are quiet, mumbling randomly, distant whispers in my own head. I am thankful, because it is rare I get a night like this; where the voices are quiet and I am not seeing the dead walk in front of my eyes as I wander through the dark and lonely streets of District 1's more affluent side of town. No ghosts accompany me as I hurry down the street, my feet turning blue as I run, towards the bridge where I know I can escape. Perhaps if I cross the bridge I can become someone new- but I never get to cross the bridge. 

Ahead of me, on the road, a peacekeeper trucker zooms towards me. I panic and wake the voices. They begin shouting, RUN!! So I do. I run towards the embankment, intending to duck behind the bridge wall before the men in the back of the truck can catch me with their torch light, but I slip. The grass is frosty and the edge is damp, so I slip and roll down the embankment to the pathway that runs right beside the river.

I groan, sitting up. The voices are quiet again- which worries me because they were so very loud only moments ago. Perhaps I hit my head and died, or perhaps I rolled too far and fell into the river and drowned but neither is the case, since when I try to stand I wince. Looking down, I see blood seeping into the pale cream cloth of my trousers.

"No no no..." I whisper to myself as I try to stop the blood. It is not bleeding badly but my mind twists what I see and all I see is blood flowing everywhere- turning the slush and river red.  The voices begin to laugh too, to top it all off. The cackle, giggle, snort loudly- so loudly I fear my head will explode. I clamp my hands over my hears, forgetting that I have blood on my hands, in attempt to get them to shut up. 

"be quiet...please" I hiss to myself as I wait for them to stop, but over their chatter, I hear something behind me. I twist my body suddenly, to try get a look at who was coming but I can't quite see all the way.

"Who's there...........?" I ask absently as the voice continue their mocking laughter 

[goat]

[googlefont="Comfortaa:400"]

Miette Reno

It's cold tonight. If I had half a mind, I would've stayed inside, curled up next to the fireplace with a warm mug of tea. But let's face it, that's not very fun. So instead, I tugged on my warmest coat- a black one that's lined with fur inside- and headed out into the streets. The snow from this afternoon was already turning to slush, crunching and sloshing underneath my boots.

As soon as I get to my usual meeting place, I see that it's empty. I guess my friends are smarter than I am, taking shelter from the cold. Aren't they a bunch of wimps. If a little bite of cold scares them off, they might as well hand themselves over to the Peacekeepers already. Even though nobody's here, I shrug off my coat anyway. I chill alone for a bit, stretched out on the closed lid of a dumpster, the cool metal searing into my exposed stomach. I'm not cold at all anymore.

Boring, boring, boring. This is all so boring. With an "oomph", I roll off the dumpster and retrieve my coat. Maybe taking a walk would be a swell idea.

I'm off on the road before I've even tugged my coat back on. What can I say? Adventure always comes first. I let my feet take me anywhere. Down the side alleys, emerging into the rich roads. Past the shops, past the speeding Peacekeeper trucks, down onto a bridge.

I suddenly hear something under the bridge. I'm sure it's something like a fox, but I peer over the edge anyway. I don't find a fox, but a girl. A girl staring in horror at the river bank around her. I notice blood trickling down her leg.

I'm not one for doing things out of the kindness of my own heart. I'm not one for doing things at all, really. But we're the only two people out here, and it's pretty damn cold.

I jog back to the bridge entrance and slide down the hill. The girl hasn't noticed me, I don't think. Wait, she just has. I give her a small wave and call out to her. "Hey? You alright?"

[ali]

"Hey you alright?" I hear from somewhere behind me. 

I tilt my head more, to see who the voice belongs to and I freeze. A girl stands behind me in a black coat; and her hair is on fire. A brilliant red, it radiates more warmth than any fire I have seen in my entire life. I find myself mesmerized by the girls vibrant red hair; the voices become muffled by my attention on the girls hair. 

A cool wind blows and I am broken from my trance. I shiver, suddenly realizing how cold it really is. My toes have turned the colour of frost, they are blue against the murky brown concrete of the pathway under the bridge. My fingers turn blue too, as if they have been turned to icicles. I breath out shakily- no frost forms on the air now.

"How cold is it...?" I ask to myself, not quite realizing I had spoken out loud.

I am, of course, greeted with a number of voices telling me it is very cold, freezing and a few laughing which causes me to grip my hair a tiny bit. I wish they would shut up- I wish. Do you ever stop? I ask but all I get are more responses of laugher and the words of no. I sigh.

Then I remember the girl. The girl with red hair. I turn and look at her again, remembering she asked me a question. Does this mean I ask her one too? One in exchange for hers? Or do I answer her question...I'm not really sure what to do so I both answer and ask her a question.

I nod, forgetting the cut on my knee "What's your name? Are you a ghost......."

[goat]

[googlefont="Comfortaa:400"]

Miette Reno

I can see the girl more clearly now. She looks as if she's freezing. Her fingers and toes are tinged blue. That can't be a good sign. Whatever she's wearing is not suitable for this sort of cold. I reach for her arm, to see how cool her skin is, but draw back. That'd be rude, as I've literally just met her. So I begin to shrug my coat off to offer it to her, instead.

She asks my name, causing me to freeze the coat removal process. "Miette," I reply, after a moment. "And I'm not a ghost. I don't think so, anyway." Once the coat is off, I hold it out to her. "You must be freezing. What are you doing out here?"

Still holding the coat out, I take in my surroundings a bit more. I hadn't really been paying attention earlier, as I'd been too wrapped up in my walk. The frost is worse than I remembered when I first left. I almost feel bad for this girl. "If you want, I can take you back to my house. I'm sure someone there could run you a hot bath," I offer.

Wow, Miette, you are such a good person. 5000 good person points to me. Normally, I wouldn't act like this. But something about this girl is drawing me in. Let's see how this goes.

[ali]

[googlefont="Playball:400"]

Astrid Shaw

tagged:goat word count: 353

The girl is hesitant to give me her name. She has secrets...whisper the voices, as if they heed some warning about the girl with the brilliant red hair- they make me wonder if she does have secrets and perhaps that is why she freezes mid motion for so very long before words grace her lips. 

"Miette..." she tells me.

I turn my head to the side when I hear the word- it almost sounds like a musical note to my ears. It is an odd name, I haven't heard one like it in District 1 and a lot of children are given peculiar names upon birth but this one, is a nice peculiar. Miette...I say to myself as the voices warn me of the girl with the red hair. She's not a ghost so they tell me she cannot be trust and then they tell me she is dangerous and so I snap.

"Don't be so rude!!" I tell them, frowning hard. 

I look up at Miette as she offers me her coat. I stare at it for a moment forgetting that she has asked me a question. Never has someone offered me something of theirs before to make me feel better- or in this case warmer- in my whole life. I smile at the girl as I pull the coat round me tightly. I gasp, surprised at how soft and warm it feels against my frozen skin. 

"It's so soft.." I say as a contented sigh, leaning my cheek against the fur lining around the collar.

Then I remember she asked me a question I am hesitant to tell her why I was out her and the voices, they pick up again and tell me the same thing. I bite my lip, conflicted to tell her my secrets when she asks me another questions- one of which I am more happy to answer. 

"Your house??" I ask, trying to hide the excitement "Is it over the bridge?" 

As I speak, I push myself to my feet  and stand in front of the girl with the coat wrapped tightly round my shoulders. 

[goat]

[googlefont="Comfortaa:400"]

Miette Reno

She's talking to herself. I tilt my head to the side, almost confused. This girl has gotta be my age, probably, and she's talking to herself? Weird, weird, weird. She gladly takes my coat, however. That makes me feel a bit pleased. A smile tugs at my lips, but I keep it repressed.

I said I wasn't cold before, but now I'm finally feeling it. The chill pricks at my shoulders and nose, threatening to freeze me in my shoes. I grasp my shoulders and rub them to try and trap some heat. This other girl seems eager to come to my house, especially when she asks if it's over the bridge. "Yeah, it is," I tell her. That's gotta make her happy.

With my right hand, I point over the bridge. "Right past there and through a few streets." Instantly, I regret putting up my arm, as the cold has seeped right through my skin again. "My mom won't mind."

Of course my mom won't mind. She hasn't left her room in, what? A week? Two weeks? I've lost count at this point. She had episodes where she never left her room, but I thought she was over those. Guess she's proving me wrong. So she won't mind me bringing home a visitor this late. She won't even know.

I pull my arm back down and start to rub it again. "I'll take you, come on," I say. I'd offer her a hand, really, but then I'd be more cold, and I already lent her my coat. She can't take all my warmth.

I start to head back up the hill. The snow slips and slides, threatening to make me slip and send me tumbling down into the river. I keep my balance firm, and make it back up just fine. Clutching the bridge railing, I turn back to see how my new friend is doing.

[ali]

I gasp with excitement when the girl mentions that her home is over the bridge. The voices suddenly seem to stop their chatter when she mentions the location of the house. The bridge - they are afraid of the bridge for some reason; they never want me to cross the bridge. I jump on the spot, clapping excitedly about it. The excitement bubbles through me and I smile widely at the girl as she points in the direction of her home- she is speaking but I barely pause to take it all in. 

"I'll take you, come on," 

The girl turns and set off up the embankment but I was already scrambling up it as quick as I could. The slope was muddy and full of slushy snow and in my eagerness  kept on slipping down and soon my legs were covered more mud than a pigs! Before I knew it, I was at the top of the embankment and running to the mouth of the bridge across the river. I quickly checked my coat for specks of mud but found nothing. 

I turn to the girl and smile wide, yelling "Come on slow poke!!" 

I run in full sprint towards the bridge but stop- dead in my tracks as if there was an invisible wall there to stop me. Astrid... the voices groan inside my head. It is a scary sound- the worst voice imaginable. I close my eyes and try to will it away but it I have no luck- the voices groan continuously. I purse my mouth shut and wait for Miette to join me.  

[goat]

[googlefont="Comfortaa:400"]

Miette Reno

The other girl stumbles right past me and runs toward the bridge. Gosh, she sure is eager. I wonder what makes that bridge so important to her. For me, it's just a bridge I cross to get places. Things have different meanings depending on the person, I guess. That was deep.

I really regret giving away my coat now. The cold has shot itself right through my skin deep into my bones. Despite my constant arm rubbing, the chill remains. I sigh to myself, hoping to get back home as soon as possible. The girl seems to move quick enough for that, luckily.

She stops, suddenly, as if she's waiting for something. Oops, she's waiting for me. I realize then that I haven't moved since she darted past me. Weird. Normally, I'm quick as a speeding train. What's gotten into me tonight? I shrug it off and walk over to her. "You know," I start, as I motion for her to keep walking. "I don't even have your name."

[ali]

I stay there, still as a statue. The voices, they continue to groan my name inside my head. Astrid......ASTRID.....ASTIRD!!! The voices get louder and louder and louder...they threaten to tear me apart from the inside out and I can't doing anything about it. I begin rummaging through the pockets of the coat for my pills before I realize it's not my coat and my pills won't be there. I swallow- my throat feels dry. 

"You know, I don't even have your name." Miette says as she passed me on the bridge. 

I don't move. I stared at her as the voices continue to shout my name inside my skull- how can she not hear them? They are so very loud. I stare at her as if she is a stranger- well she is- but as if I have never met her in my life. As if the last few moments were a dream or forgotten. Her question swirls around my mind as the voices shout- I decide to distract myself. 

I inhale deeply and then begin to sing at the top of my lungs, forgetting Miette is there "Twinkle twinkle little star....how I wonder what you are.... Up above the world so high...like a diamond in the sky...."


I finish the first verse of the song- opening my eyes to look at Miette. The voices are quieter now but they still say my name. I take a few steps forward, ahead of the red headed girl. I sing the next verse to myself again...

"When the blazing sun is gone,....when he nothing shines upon, then you show your little light........." I pause and close my eyes as a darkness begins to close in around me as the voices get louder "Twinkle, twinkle, all the night."

My breathing becomes sharper as I tiptoe across the bridge, the words in my head becoming more like a monsters scream than my actual name. I keep on singing "Then the traveller in the dark,
thanks you for your tiny spark,
he could not see which way to go" I stumble and fall to the floor but I get up again "If you did not twinkle so."

I open my eyes. Oh what a mistake that was. I nearly scream when I see the ghosts wandering the bridge, all of those who leaped from the edge into the frozen river below.  Some are merely shadows carrying the ghosts of baby's, some are girls my age and others are men as old as 50. My heart race increases- I am so close to the other side of the bridge. One more step! I say to myself as I close my eyes and scream the final verses of the song 

"In the dark blue sky you keep,  And often through my curtains peep,  For you never shut your eye, 'Till the sun is in the sky. As your bright and tiny spark, Lights the traveler in the dark.  Though I know not what you are,  Twinkle, twinkle, little star."  I take another step. "Twinkle, twinkle, little star.  How I wonder what you are.  Up above the world so high,  Like a diamond in the sky.
 Twinkle, twinkle, little star.  How I wonder what you are.
..." 

I take the last step off the bridge "How I wonder what you are."

I turn to Miette, to see the bridge empty besides her and myself finally on the other side. I smile.

"Astrid....My name is Astrid"

[goat]

[googlefont="Comfortaa:400"]

Miette Reno

The girl seemingly ignores my question, choosing instead to sing at the top of her lungs. I should be annoyed, but somehow, I find myself smiling. This is something out of the ordinary for me. I'm not used to singing and jokes anymore. I'm more used to street brawls and coaxing my mother out of the house.

I recognize what she's singing- on dark, starless nights, my mother's boyfriend would sing this on the roof. He said he was trying to call the stars out of hiding. I would just laugh and sing along with him. Nowadays, I guess I couldn't call myself the singing type. I'm almost tempted to join in, really. But I don't. I just watch her keep going.

She stumbles, and I go to grab her, but I realize yet again that I've forgotten to follow her. Something invisible keeps stopping me in my tracks. What, though? It felt as if I were right there with her. She gets back up and keeps going, as I keep watching. At the far end of the bridge, she stops, and tells me her name. Astrid. Astrid, Astrid, Astrid. I repeat it softly, letting the letters run past my teeth. Astrid.

What a fun name.

Managing to get myself together again, I start a slow walk, still repeating her name under my breath. Once I'm close, I force open my chattering teeth to speak again. "It's very nice to meet you, Astrid."

Normally when I say that, I'm being sarcastic, or a liar. But right now, in this moment, I truly do mean it.

And so, the winding walk to my house begins. It's hard to miss, really. Three stories of a shining cream building, with a neatly trimmed garden in the front and back yards. Looks just like any other house in this neighborhood, except it's mine. I take the shortcuts, back through the alleys, checking back every now and then to make sure my new friend is still following me. It's frickin' cold, holy shit. I want to ask for my coat back.

When I make it out of the alleys, and my house is in sight, I silently hope that somebody is still home. My mom has people who come in daily, to cook and clean and draw baths. I don't want to have to do this myself.

[ali]

I watch Miette follow me across the bridge. I can hear the voices whispering my name again, but then I realize it is actually Miette, uttering the name under her breath as she approaches me. I am thankful that it is her saying my name and not the voices- they seem to have fallen quiet for now. A small frown forms on my face when I see the girl with fire for hair is chattering her teeth together and I begin to feel guilty for taking her coat. 

"It's very nice to meet you, Astrid." 

The words make me smile, they make me feel all fuzzy on the inside. Not one person has ever said that to me in my life, they look at me as a freak when I sing my songs or dance or talk to people who they say aren't there. Miette however seemed to smile at my song rather than point and laugh. I find this odd, it also makes me feel fuzzy inside. The smile is stuck now, I can't help it. 

She walks past me and I follow, wondering why she's being nice to me as we walk down alley ways bathed in darkness and streets that smell funny. I've never been to this part of town but it seems pleasant, at least the main streets do. Miette seems partial to taking all the back ways though- I don't complain. Maybe it's quicker. I simply hum to myself, skipping beside the red haired girl who makes me smile until eventually we slow and begin to cross the street towards a tall house with a pretty front garden.

 I strain my neck to see the roof tops, standing in the middle of the street looking up at the house we are approaching. It's not as big as mine but maybe it is- it does have 3 floors whereas mine only has 2. I look at Miette and then the house again.

"Is this your house??" I say with a strained voice as I look at the chimney's atop the roof. 

[goat]

[googlefont="Comfortaa:400"]

Miette Reno

"Is this your house?" Astrid asks me, staring up at it. I nod, and make my way up the front steps. They're real nice- white, marble, lined with white roses. Fancy. My mom's boyfriend planted them originally. Whenever my mom sees them, she tears them out. I keep telling the gardener to plant them regardless.

When I try the doorknob, it's unlocked. Score! This means someone is home. I open the door so Astrid can step inside. "Hello?" I call out into the house. My voice echoes against the pristine walls. A small reply comes from the second floor. Scurrying down the stairs comes one of the people my mom hired. I'm not sure of her name, so I just greet her with a wave.

The woman waves back, and I point to my guest. "I need, uh.. stuff?" I'm not really sure what to give a guest. I offered a bath earlier, right? I turn back to speak to Astrid. "What do you want? Food, a bath? We could probably sneak some alcohol if you want?"

[ali]

When I look back to Miette she nods as she climbs up the pale marble steps past rows of red roses. I hurry to her front door, pausing briefly to look at the roses. I press one of the petals between my fingers, it feels velvety against my skin. I smile a little. I love flowers, mother has many planted in the front garden but she never lets me touch them.

I look up to  the door and follow my red headed friend into the house. The warmth, rather than comfort my skin, stings at my finger tips and toes, making them burn. I regret coming out now, I forgot that the cold makes my skin fell like its peeling off when I get somewhere warm like a house. 

"What do you want? Food, a bath? We could probably sneak some alcohol if you want?"

 I look at Miette with a slight frown and smile. I've never been offered something in anothers home and I am very apprehensiveabout taking up her offer. Does this mean I have to repay her some how? I think to myself. I am not very good at socializing and so I stand there for a long while biting my tounge as I try to figure out something to say.

I decide I'd accept her offer, but perhaps not the alcohol. I'd really like a bath. I nod "A bath...and something to eat...I...I don't know about the alcohol..."

[goat]

[googlefont="Comfortaa:400"]

Miette Reno

No alcohol? Jeez, I wonder if this girl knows how to have a good time. But I won't force her into anything. I turn back to the person my mom hired with a smile. "You heard the girl. Some hot food and a bath. Put in those-" I make a circle with my fingers. "-those little lavender scented things. The ones that fizz."

The girl hurries back upstairs, leaving me with Astrid. I reach behind her to shut the door, cutting off the cold draft from outside. We're left just with the warmth from the fireplace. It feels nice, to finally be warm. On the outside, anyway. I've already been feeling these warm fuzzies in my chest, but I can't figure out where they're coming from.

Weird.

I've been just standing in the doorway for way too long. I invite Astrid to follow me, leading her to the sitting area right by the fireplace. There are a lot of couches in my house, but these plush white ones are my favorite. I flop right on to one, not even bothering to take my boots off. Mud sloshes onto the fabric. I just shrug. Someone will clean it up later.

"We can just chill here until your bath is ready," I tell Astrid, leaning over the side of the couch to face her. I then lean back into the cushions again. The heat from the fire has seeped into all the furniture, leaving the couch cushions with a warm glow that I gladly burrow into. I wonder how my mom is doing. When that lady finishes drawing the bath, I could probably ask her. Seems like everyone always knows how my mom is doing but me.

[ali]

Miette turns to the girl stood on the stairs and begins instructing her around. I blink, watching the conversation from my own world. We have maids at the house but I never see them- they're not allowed in my room and I am not allowed to ring any of the bells in the house that'd alert them to my requests. I watch the little woman hurry off to do what Miette asked her to.

The next time I look at Miette she is leaning round me to close the door. She'd close now, her arm just about brushes my side. I feel an odd fuzzy feeling inside me, like the feeling your hands get when they're placed in warm water. I feel my cheeks flush as she turns away and begins to walk back into the house. I follow.  

We walk into a room with beautiful white couches and a large open fire- the flames dance in the light breeze that blows down the chimmney- and ornate rugs on the floor. I run my hand along the door frame as I explore every crevace of the room with my eyes, not wanting to miss any detail. With a splosh, mud is splattered across the white couch as Miette puts her feet up. At first I feel angry because thats impolite, then I remember this isn't my house and she can do what she likes. 

"We can just chill here until your bath is ready," she says, chilling on the couch.

I give her an odd look "Chill? but it's not cold..in here"

I say as I sit down on the floor right in front of the fire.