picnic in the park }{Miette&Astrid

[ali]

	Astrid Shaw
	The summer sun, hot and unrelenting, shined down over the lush green park Astrid abled through a basket in her hand. It was a rare occasion, that she was allowed out of the house during the day, let alone on her own. However mother was playing Bridge with her lady friends today and wouldn't be home until after tea; so with the help of one of the kitchen staff and her father, Astrid was able to rustle together a picnic for herself. The young woman hummed a little song, her pitch as high as a song birds but just a fluent and beautiful as one also. She wasn't sure what the song was or where it had come from but she happily spun in circles, humming it to herself as she made her way across the grass to find the perfect spot to spend her afternoon. Sure enough, soon, she found it. Nestle beneath a large, twisting oak tree where there wasn't many acorns littering the ground but there was enough sunlight trickling through the canopy above that she found warmth there. Taking one last spin, Astrid dropped to the floor carefully placing her basket down beside her. As she did she let out a content sigh. The medication was working, the scratches on her arms were fading and she couldn't remember her last violent outburst. Not that she could usually remember the moments where the voices told her to do unspeakable things to people she was supposed to care about; however love was often a strange concept to her as were many emotions. Lying back, Astrid kicked her sandles off with a simple flick of her ankle before she settled down to enjoy the afternoon breeze as she wiggled her toes absnet mindedly as she watched rays of sunlight trickle through the leaves above.
	Words: 302 Tag: goat Song Table by Ali

[goat]

miette reno


The sun is too bright. You want to yell at it, board a staircase to space and shake your fist at it like an old man. "Quiet down!" you think you would say. "I have a hangover!" The drinking last night wasn't exactly your bad idea. It was more the bad idea of a couple of bad friends. Acquaintances. The word "friend" has little meaning to you, as you have none. Back to the drinking- you aren't much of a drinker. It stinks, makes your breath smell rancid, makes your head spin. You don't want to end up like your mother, locked in a room with a bottle all day. Not a very appealing future.

You use one hand to shield your eyes as you stumble around. The clothes on your body feel heavier than normal. Oh, if only it were socially acceptable to tear them off and dive into a cool fountain. Slowly moving the hand from your eyes, you notice you've ended up somewhere near a park. Strange. You swear that you were walking in the direction of home? Instead of turning around, however, you decide to venture further into the park laid in front of you. If you went home with a hangover, the staff would notice. And if they noticed, they'd snitch on you to your mother. You don't want your mother to be more disappointed in you than she already is.

The grass tickles at your bare feet as dirt squishes in between your toes. Disgusting, yes, but there's nothing you can do about it. Your shoes are somewhere in an alley down by the District Square. Probably gone forever. Rest in peace, dear shoes. You'll miss them. A familiar face drags you out of the mental funeral you had going on for your shoes. It's weird for you to come across a familiar face in broad daylight.

You remember this girl. She hung around your house for a night. You had decided that you'd liked her, and then never saw her again. It's almost nice to see her again. You're about to open your mouth, raising a hand to wave, until you remember that you're hungover, and whatever words that would come out of your mouth would most likely be complete nonsense. "Uhhhh..." you slowly lower your hand and quickly turn on one foot, sending the other flying into the air. You just barely keep your balance, almost tumbling right into the dirt. You curse loudly, straightening yourself up. Great, she's probably now seen this entire spectacle. "Guess I made.. quite the entrance, huh?" you say slowly, words coming out surprisingly clear.