Fic: Shadow Play
Feb. 24th, 2004 09:16 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
woodfaceDisclaimers: Miiiiiiiiine. All of it. What do you mean, you don't want it? Pah!
Rating: G
Summary: Oh just read! It's too weird for a summary.
A/N: Huge big thanks to Julie for putting up with my crisis. And to my dearest guinea pigs for their encouragements, you know who you are. *smoooooooochies*
Shadows play across the pavement, dampening the reflection of the streetlights. The city is sleeping; the sound of the highway smothered by the towering houses that press in on the alley. All windows are dark: no one watches as a sound like thunder splits the starry night sky.
No one sees the figure tumble down hard on the pavement, a soft moan muffled by his cloak.
The city holds its breath, waiting for the figure to move. But nothing happens.
A soft breeze picks up, black cloth moving over the motionless body. It whispers, pleads for him to get up because the city still isn’t breathing.
He stirs. Not much, but just enough.
Smooth but strong fingers draw power from the earth. He stays down, but the city breathes.
The murmurs of the highway wash through the alley; like waves they crash on the figure. The tides rise as dawn slowly approaches.
Inside the houses, life stirs. People awaken and prepare.
The city still is waiting. Now breathing its hope into him.
He rises. Tired muscles ache as he pushes himself up from the pavement. His lungs fill with air, the tang of the smog settling on his tongue.
Unsteady legs support him, the cloak now nothing more but rags. They hang from his starved body.
He’s famished.
The city guides him. Along narrow streets right to the centre of its beating heart. It knows his needs, so unlike those of its habitants and yet the same.
He shivers and the city leads him to the warmest places. Wraps its stony arms around him and keeps him from the cold. Yet it knows that he needs more.
The heart is throbbing under the midday sun, people moving between destinations. His eyes rove over thousands of faces but none will turn to him.
The city watches him reach out, hands asking for salvation but never being filled.
One passer-by stops and the city hopes. A hand reaches for him and his soul within stirs.
But the cold copper that it offers freezes his skin. Eyes meet fleetingly, too short to feed. The man turns and the copper falls to the ground. The city rages.
Time slips by, the sun’s path across the blurry sky shortening. The city despairs.
His strength is waning, the waking soul crumples.
The city weeps as the last light fades and its inhabitants withdraw and again hide behind darkened windows. It guides him back to the narrow alley, feeling his pain as if it were its own.
The shadows try to soothe him when he falls. The city reaches for him, trying to give what he couldn’t find. But it’s not the embrace he was looking for.
The wind picks up, wanting to lighten his burden and taking the rags from him.
He smiles for the first time. His wings spreading and reaching for the sky as they finally are released from the worn cloak. He knows that they could have been powerful. They could have carried him far away. Bit he is too tired, too weak and ravenous for what he could not find.
“Too soon,” he whispers to the city and he feels her agreement. Warm and gentle shadows wrap around him.
When finally someone looks, all that’s left is wind and shadow play.
Rating: G
Summary: Oh just read! It's too weird for a summary.
A/N: Huge big thanks to Julie for putting up with my crisis. And to my dearest guinea pigs for their encouragements, you know who you are. *smoooooooochies*
Shadows play across the pavement, dampening the reflection of the streetlights. The city is sleeping; the sound of the highway smothered by the towering houses that press in on the alley. All windows are dark: no one watches as a sound like thunder splits the starry night sky.
No one sees the figure tumble down hard on the pavement, a soft moan muffled by his cloak.
The city holds its breath, waiting for the figure to move. But nothing happens.
A soft breeze picks up, black cloth moving over the motionless body. It whispers, pleads for him to get up because the city still isn’t breathing.
He stirs. Not much, but just enough.
Smooth but strong fingers draw power from the earth. He stays down, but the city breathes.
The murmurs of the highway wash through the alley; like waves they crash on the figure. The tides rise as dawn slowly approaches.
Inside the houses, life stirs. People awaken and prepare.
The city still is waiting. Now breathing its hope into him.
He rises. Tired muscles ache as he pushes himself up from the pavement. His lungs fill with air, the tang of the smog settling on his tongue.
Unsteady legs support him, the cloak now nothing more but rags. They hang from his starved body.
He’s famished.
The city guides him. Along narrow streets right to the centre of its beating heart. It knows his needs, so unlike those of its habitants and yet the same.
He shivers and the city leads him to the warmest places. Wraps its stony arms around him and keeps him from the cold. Yet it knows that he needs more.
The heart is throbbing under the midday sun, people moving between destinations. His eyes rove over thousands of faces but none will turn to him.
The city watches him reach out, hands asking for salvation but never being filled.
One passer-by stops and the city hopes. A hand reaches for him and his soul within stirs.
But the cold copper that it offers freezes his skin. Eyes meet fleetingly, too short to feed. The man turns and the copper falls to the ground. The city rages.
Time slips by, the sun’s path across the blurry sky shortening. The city despairs.
His strength is waning, the waking soul crumples.
The city weeps as the last light fades and its inhabitants withdraw and again hide behind darkened windows. It guides him back to the narrow alley, feeling his pain as if it were its own.
The shadows try to soothe him when he falls. The city reaches for him, trying to give what he couldn’t find. But it’s not the embrace he was looking for.
The wind picks up, wanting to lighten his burden and taking the rags from him.
He smiles for the first time. His wings spreading and reaching for the sky as they finally are released from the worn cloak. He knows that they could have been powerful. They could have carried him far away. Bit he is too tired, too weak and ravenous for what he could not find.
“Too soon,” he whispers to the city and he feels her agreement. Warm and gentle shadows wrap around him.
When finally someone looks, all that’s left is wind and shadow play.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2004-02-24 08:34 pm (UTC)One particular phrase caught my eye:
He shivers and the city leads him to the warmest places. Wraps its stony arms around him and keeps him from the cold.
Oooh!
no subject
Date: 2004-02-24 08:38 pm (UTC)Thank you so much, hon. *huge big knuffels* Means a lot. =o)
no subject
Date: 2004-02-24 08:46 pm (UTC)Ooooooooh I like. Very...thought provoking. Without wishing to sound controversial, and I'm not too sure whether you meant it to read like this at all, but it could be read as the second coming of Christ?
Not that I'm deeply religious or anything, it's just a pop-up ad for "The Passion..." came up just as I clicked to read this!
You may want to change this? Bit he is too tired.....
no subject
Date: 2004-02-24 08:51 pm (UTC)Ooooo, interesting thought. I can't really say if it is what I want the fic to say. Honestly, I just want people to read in it whatever they want to. I have my vision, someone else will have theirs. That's what I like best. I'm glad you liked it =o)
And no, I'm not deeply religious either, if I am at all.
Damn ad...
*knuffels* Thanks!
no subject
Date: 2004-02-24 10:28 pm (UTC)Very moving.
no subject
Date: 2004-02-24 10:29 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-02-25 07:43 pm (UTC)*coughs*
I read it a couple of more times last night (really loving it). My mind kind of ran off with the idea of him being an angel sent down to test the compassion (or some other such thing) of humanity...and watching it fail.
Although I also had some crazed idea that he was meant to recruit people for some great task...my mind works in odd ways.
no subject
Date: 2004-02-25 07:47 pm (UTC)*giggles* Know that feeling.
My mind kind of ran off with the idea of him being an angel sent down to test the compassion (or some other such thing) of humanity...and watching it fail.
Yeah, I think that's sorta where it was going. =o)
Although I also had some crazed idea that he was meant to recruit people for some great task...my mind works in odd ways.
Oooooo, wonder what task that would be! *g*
Really, thank you so much for your response. I've been a bit scared about posting this cause it's well weird, and I wasn't sure what the responses would be.
Thank you so much *knuffels*
no subject
Date: 2004-02-25 08:02 pm (UTC)Yay go me! ;)
I wasn't too sure what the task would be...maybe something only a human could do...meh...no way are we better than angels *g*
Don't be scared to post hun. If you're really scared though just make it friends only and gauge the response. We're a pretty friendly yet honest bunch of people ;) If we weren't too sure about it...hey why pay attention to us but roll with this...I'm sure we would tell you ;)
*smooch*
no subject
Date: 2004-02-25 08:04 pm (UTC)We're good at screwing things up? Stupid ideas? ;o)
I was just going through a writing crisis. Happens once in a while. *knuffels* Thanks
no subject
Date: 2004-02-26 12:42 am (UTC)Intense loneliness. Every person reaching out falls short. Poetry.
*hugs*
no subject
Date: 2004-02-26 12:44 am (UTC)Thank you very much, hon *huge big knuffels*
no subject
Date: 2004-03-15 10:38 pm (UTC)“Too soon,” he whispers to the city and he feels her agreement.
Very nice! :)
no subject
Date: 2004-03-16 01:55 am (UTC)