curiosity didn't kill the cat : {ali}

[goat]

Heather Labarre


As soon as I wake up, I'm immediately tasked with sweeping the porch of all the melting snow. I nod, not daring to go against an order, and go to pull my coat on. I don't even stop to grab some breakfast. With my heavy coat on and a broom retrieved, I head onto the porch. There's quite an amount of slush to sweep. I know that I'm being watched, probably by one of the ladies. They know me by now to be responsible, right? I don't need to be hounded to do a job.

As soon as the rude toned thought enters my head, I shoo it away. No. Nooo no noo. I cannot be rude, not at all. If I'm rude, people won't like me. And if people don't like me, I'll be all by myself. And if I'm all by myself, I'm fated to die sad and alone and-

Stop. Breathe.

I continue sweeping the slush off the porch and onto the soggy grass below. As soon as it stops snowing, it starts again. Which is why the orphanage ladies are taking advantage of this opportunity and making me sweep up the snow before it builds again. Smart ladies, they are. I can still swear somebody is watching me though. Sweeping another pile off, I turn and survey my surroundings.

Somebody is here. A boy. Yes, a real boy. I can see him past the winding path leading toward the orphanage. I wonder what he's doing here. Nobody else seems to be outside except for us two. What is he doing? Is he here to rob us? Or kill me? Ohhh gosh oh gosh. I almost drop the broom and run inside, but I restrain myself. No. Stop. Calm yourself. It's just a boy.

But I wanna know what he's doing here.

"E-Excuse me?" I call out, clutching the broom in my frigid hands. "Are you.. Are you cold?"

[ali]

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[attr="class","blue-lyric"]I don't want your future

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Its cold. Any dumb fuck could see that- there is so much snow on the ground that even a blind man would know its cold outside. Cold might be a little of an misleading statement- it is fucking freezing. Yet I still find myself, at 4am before any of the other children wake up, crawling out of bed to put some clothes and the moth worn coat that smells of cigarettes and piss- a gift from the Orphanage, some gift it is- before heading out into the snowy streets of the shit hole I call home.
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I had hoped to see the stars set and the sun rise from the wall which over looks lower town but the sky was dark, then it became grey and then a lighter grey and then a lighter shade of grey until it was just off white and the sun could barely be seen through the skinny layer of clouds. My hands are practically blue by the time I hop off the wall and amble back down the alley way towards the Orphanage. I stick my hands in my pockets- which don't actually exist in this coat, they're just holes I cut out the sides with a pair of scissors I found lying around.
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I walk through the crunching snow, listening to the repetitive crunch crunch crunch as I walk through the age old gates that surround the orphanage building. Though, I wouldn't call it a building of sorts- you see its more of a grey box. With squares cut out- with bars on them. There is a roof- of sorts, most of it burnt down so the only roof we have the flat one they installed after the fire. That was years ago, before I can even remember but the government seems to not want to fund the old struts of the roof being taken down. Makes our place look like more of a shit hole than usual.
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As I walk towards the steps, I see a girl stood there- brushing away the snow from the steps. Poor sod, tasked with standing outside in the cold and getting rid of snow while it ain't snowing. The girl has dark hair, dark eyes, golden skin the colour of honey and she stares at me, a little panicked as I approach the steps. I haven't seen her around, then again there are so many kids in this box that they all kind of just blur together...
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"E-Excuse me?" she calls out, her teeth chattering "Are you.. Are you cold?"
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I pull my hands out my pockets, look at them for a moment. They sting, they are bright purple and possible verging on blue and just the sight of them makes my teeth begin to chatter and my breath begin to fog on the morning air as I inhale and exhale. I look at the girl and try to find the words but unlike most people, I have no way with words. They do not come to me as easily as most guys my age.
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So I just nod at her, giving her a look which kind of says you look pretty cold yourself.

[attr="class","blue-lyric"]I don't need your past

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Notes: goat

Words:

Table by Ali

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[goat]

Heather Labarre


He looks at his hands before replying. His reply is nothing- just a nod. I could see his hands from here. Purple, purple hands. Purple is my favorite color, but not when it's poking through skin. Frostbite, bruises, they aren't good. He needs to get warm. I debate marching over and dragging him to the fireplace inside by myself, but I'm much too timid for that. Doesn't mean I didn't think it, though.

I feel like I've never seen this boy before, but he lives here. I think he does. I live here too. But what if he doesn't live here? What if he's fooling me? God, he's not even cold! He's here to trick me, probably sent by one of the older girls. In my "realization", I drop the broom. I've been stupid! So stupid!

But then I remember the color of his hands and realize I'm being stupid.

"There's probably a fire. Inside, I mean. The fireplace." I use my hands to make the shape of a fireplace. This boy, he doesn't seem to like to talk much. I don't like to talk much, either. But in the case of this conversation, it seems I'll be doing much of the talking. There's already an uneasy feeling in my stomach. I'm going to mess this up.

[ali]

[googlefont="Gruppo:400"]

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[attr="class","blue-lyric"]I don't want your future

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I don't think the girl quite understands me, since she stares at me for a while without saying anything. I can see the fright in her eyes, not that I see why she is frightened. I'm not exactly frightening. Sure I stand at about 6 foot, but I am lanky, skinny; I don't exactly scream murder. I sigh a little, watching her considering what she wants to say to me next. Perhaps she'll scream, I can see the cogs turning in her head through her wide eyes. I wonder what she's thinking. I am curious, I tilt my head to the side.
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All of sudden she drops her broom, I take a step backwards as I watch it clatter against the steps in front of her. It seems to give her more of a fright than me, since she is suddenly frozen on the spot, watching me with those wide eyes still. I look from the broom, to her, to the broom and then to her- with each glance a frown becomes more and more apparent on my forehead. What the hell I think as I look to the broom again, and then back to her. She really is a scaredy cat I think, a small smile forming on my lips.
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She tells me theres a fire place inside- though I already know this cause I live her. She definatley hasn't seen me before- which is weird cause most people like to stare at me cause I barely utter words. For this girls sake- and my sanity- I open my mouth and utter a few words as I climb the steps, leaning down to pick up her fallen broom.
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"I know..." I say quietly, handing her the broom "I live here...
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I push open the door and step inside, looking back at her. I nod towards the inside, in a way asking her to follow me.

[attr="class","blue-lyric"]I don't need your past

[attr="class","blue-notes"]

Notes: goat

Words:

Table by Ali

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[goat]

Heather Labarre


I take the broom he hands back to me with freezing hands. He lives here. "You live here.." I point to myself. "I live here.." Jesus, that was so stupid! I smack myself on forehead. Stupid, stupid. All I'm doing is embarrassing myself in front of this nice boy here. Way to go, Heather.

He nods, as if he wants me to follow him. See, I could follow him, but there's still an inkling of fear in me. "I have to. Finish this," I say. I turn away, clutching the broom, before I realize that I really should take this chance. Someone is taking the time to talk to me. Granted, I spoke first, but whatever. "Wait a second!" I quickly turn back and shove the last snow pile off the porch with my broom. There we go. The porch is clear.

I turn back and smile. The warmth of the inside is calling to me, so I quickly step inside. Before shutting the door, I peel my coat off and shake the snow onto the front stoop. Once the coat is snow free, I hang it on the rack. There's the fireplace, and it's dazzling flames. I look at the boy and slowly point to the fireplace. "Told you."