T. Oso (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
campkilkare) wrote2009-10-07 04:59 pm
campkilkare) wrote2009-10-07 04:59 pm
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The man--rail thin and a little dirty, but with a gladhanding conman's smile that's impossible not to trust--ask Gene for a light, and Gene gives it to him. This is a nice little cafe, with a nice little park just outside. They have live music like the cafes in Gene's home town (Austin Texas) and Gene likes it better here than in the gay clubs.
Gene would not apply the words culture shock to himself or New York City, but it's a good word.
"I'm waiting for someone," the man says, still smiling, as he draws on the cigarette.
"Who is that?" In Gene's mind, the next thing the man says is you, and they will leave together after this set.
"A girl," the man says.
Oh.
"My sister."
Oh.
"Is she running late?"
The grin spreads. "Very late indeed. And this is a most important date. I'm giving her one more chance." But there's something hollow in that, and Gene wonders how many chances this man is really prepared to give out.
"I have a sister like that," Gene says. Although in truth he stopped giving Diane chances to hurt him long ago.
"She'll be here. This is how the story goes." The man seems certain, but his smile dims, until--
"Sorry, the story?"
--it flames back to life. "Would you like to hear one?"
"All right," Gene says. He's quite lonely, and he would give quite a lot to hear this sinuously graceful young man talk to him for a little while. The man lights one cigarette off the other and starts talking.
***
This isn't the first time, or the fifth, that Alice has run away. But this time no one will go with her. They think she's out of control. They think it's time to give up.
She catches up to Alice in the Bowery; the guitar is sold already, turned into something that's gone in a vein, and she hauls Alice out into the hallway, and then she goes back into the room.
The last time Alice ran away she came here. (She doesn't know many people in this city, in this world.) And Laura made a promise to the dealer then.
She keeps her promise.
Alice comes to the first day of the trial. And the second.
And then Laura never sees her again.
***
"Your sister?" Gene says. He's smoking one of the man's cigarettes and having trouble following the story. "Did that really happen?"
"Maybe," the man says, his eyes burning into Gene's. "Didn't you like it?"
"I don't..." Gene has never smoked before. He didn't expect it to be like this. "I don't know."
"Try this."
***
None of that happened. The last time worked. Alice got into treatment; she got straight. She got better. 'Nessa couldn't stick; Simon did. They settled down.
In time, Laura inherited. Millions and millions of dollars. Alice went to the best of schools. Which of course is where you can find the best of blow. The best of all the designer drugs. Laura is old now, and she has forgotten... oh so many things, and they fight, and Alice goes, one foggy Christmas Eve.
She moves from couch to couch, bed to bed, running out friends, running out of money, sinking lower and lower.
One day she walks into a cafe and she sees her long-lost brother, and they all live happily ever after. They go home.
The end.
***
"Better?"
"But that hasn't happened," Gene says, rubbing his eyes. Trying to think. "Has it?"
The smile flicks out of existence again. "No." He looks away, hunches up, rummaging out a third cigarette. "All right. All right then."
***
The truth is that Alice does go to rehab, and she does get better. For a while. What if I can't do it? she says. What if it's not enough? and Laura says It has to be.
It's bitter cold and January, and Laura is doing the work she does, over in the Bronx when the call comes from Simon that Alice has run away again, for the first time in years. And she's speeding home when she sees her, balancing on the edge of the Triborough Bridge.
Alice!
I'm sorry, Alice says. Her nose is bright red with the wind; on the horizon, New York City sparkles like a frozen jewel. I can't do it anymore. I tried so hard for you but I can't.
And Laura said Oh God, please, no.
But no god was listening.
And Alice said, It's all right. There are other worlds than these.
***
"And then what happened?" Gene whispers.
"What do you think?" The smile comes back, manic and feral, and Gene does not want to go home with this man anymore; now he is afraid of him. "The White Queen woke up."
He stands up abruptly, and saunters out into the park, and Gene realizes that he's been left with the check.
He settles up and hurries out, walking fast, because although the young man with the awful smile has frightened him, he was well-brought up, and he's worried about him. He follows him into the park, which is strange and different at night, in the rain; like some kind of a maze. He comes around a corner and he sees through crowded branches--something.
It looks like a girl with blonde hair. The rain and the streetlights give her a sort of halo--a sort of crown. She's saying something to the young man with the smile.
(You took a lot of finding, y'know.)
And the young man says: "Please don't leave me again."
And Gene pulls back away from the branches, because there is something here that's none of his business, but the girl says something else, and the smile comes back.
And when it vanishes, there's nothing left at all, and no one to see it.
Gene would not apply the words culture shock to himself or New York City, but it's a good word.
"I'm waiting for someone," the man says, still smiling, as he draws on the cigarette.
"Who is that?" In Gene's mind, the next thing the man says is you, and they will leave together after this set.
"A girl," the man says.
Oh.
"My sister."
Oh.
"Is she running late?"
The grin spreads. "Very late indeed. And this is a most important date. I'm giving her one more chance." But there's something hollow in that, and Gene wonders how many chances this man is really prepared to give out.
"I have a sister like that," Gene says. Although in truth he stopped giving Diane chances to hurt him long ago.
"She'll be here. This is how the story goes." The man seems certain, but his smile dims, until--
"Sorry, the story?"
--it flames back to life. "Would you like to hear one?"
"All right," Gene says. He's quite lonely, and he would give quite a lot to hear this sinuously graceful young man talk to him for a little while. The man lights one cigarette off the other and starts talking.
***
This isn't the first time, or the fifth, that Alice has run away. But this time no one will go with her. They think she's out of control. They think it's time to give up.
She catches up to Alice in the Bowery; the guitar is sold already, turned into something that's gone in a vein, and she hauls Alice out into the hallway, and then she goes back into the room.
The last time Alice ran away she came here. (She doesn't know many people in this city, in this world.) And Laura made a promise to the dealer then.
She keeps her promise.
Alice comes to the first day of the trial. And the second.
And then Laura never sees her again.
***
"Your sister?" Gene says. He's smoking one of the man's cigarettes and having trouble following the story. "Did that really happen?"
"Maybe," the man says, his eyes burning into Gene's. "Didn't you like it?"
"I don't..." Gene has never smoked before. He didn't expect it to be like this. "I don't know."
"Try this."
***
None of that happened. The last time worked. Alice got into treatment; she got straight. She got better. 'Nessa couldn't stick; Simon did. They settled down.
In time, Laura inherited. Millions and millions of dollars. Alice went to the best of schools. Which of course is where you can find the best of blow. The best of all the designer drugs. Laura is old now, and she has forgotten... oh so many things, and they fight, and Alice goes, one foggy Christmas Eve.
She moves from couch to couch, bed to bed, running out friends, running out of money, sinking lower and lower.
One day she walks into a cafe and she sees her long-lost brother, and they all live happily ever after. They go home.
The end.
***
"Better?"
"But that hasn't happened," Gene says, rubbing his eyes. Trying to think. "Has it?"
The smile flicks out of existence again. "No." He looks away, hunches up, rummaging out a third cigarette. "All right. All right then."
***
The truth is that Alice does go to rehab, and she does get better. For a while. What if I can't do it? she says. What if it's not enough? and Laura says It has to be.
It's bitter cold and January, and Laura is doing the work she does, over in the Bronx when the call comes from Simon that Alice has run away again, for the first time in years. And she's speeding home when she sees her, balancing on the edge of the Triborough Bridge.
Alice!
I'm sorry, Alice says. Her nose is bright red with the wind; on the horizon, New York City sparkles like a frozen jewel. I can't do it anymore. I tried so hard for you but I can't.
And Laura said Oh God, please, no.
But no god was listening.
And Alice said, It's all right. There are other worlds than these.
***
"And then what happened?" Gene whispers.
"What do you think?" The smile comes back, manic and feral, and Gene does not want to go home with this man anymore; now he is afraid of him. "The White Queen woke up."
He stands up abruptly, and saunters out into the park, and Gene realizes that he's been left with the check.
He settles up and hurries out, walking fast, because although the young man with the awful smile has frightened him, he was well-brought up, and he's worried about him. He follows him into the park, which is strange and different at night, in the rain; like some kind of a maze. He comes around a corner and he sees through crowded branches--something.
It looks like a girl with blonde hair. The rain and the streetlights give her a sort of halo--a sort of crown. She's saying something to the young man with the smile.
(You took a lot of finding, y'know.)
And the young man says: "Please don't leave me again."
And Gene pulls back away from the branches, because there is something here that's none of his business, but the girl says something else, and the smile comes back.
And when it vanishes, there's nothing left at all, and no one to see it.
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This is so, so fantastic. Thank you. :D
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