(no subject)
Oct. 27th, 2002 12:51 amHe knew when the child stood beside him, but didn't look around. Instead, he finished prying something out of a crack, then put it carefuilly into a pouch at his side. "Who are you? Where am I?" He ignored both questions; they were not the ones he wanted to hear, and he could not answer her. She had to be shown, not told, and that would still be wasted unless she wanted this. She had to want it. There was silence for a time, and he sighed. Perhaps this time would be wasted after all. But he had hoped... Then, the small voice asked curiously, "What were you doing?" His heart leaped, and he turned to face her. "Collecting," he said, his voice tense with hidden joy and hope. "Oh." Again, silence for a time, while he despaired. "What were you collecting?" He almost hugged her, then. Instead, he showed her.
"This," he said, stooping, "and this." Shaking his finds into his palm, he showed them to the watching child. "Rocks?" She looked disappointed, and he winced. "Not rocks," he said gently. "Stories." She glanced incredulously at the dull grey lumps in his hand. "Those are stories?" He sighed. "Well, they used to be." "What happened to them?" She wanted to know. "No-one told them," he answered, his voice sorrowful. Bending closer, he traced the edges for her, brushing away the dirt, and her eyes widened. Under the dullness, there was a sparkle, a mysterious gleam. Watching her, he smiled, and then straightened up, taking her by the hand. They walked silently for a time, each stopping every now and again to collect one of the little stones, and then she turned to him. "Where are we going?" "Over there," he pointed. On the horizon, a large building rose, solitary and nondescript. "Why?" He chuckled at that. "Because we can't let these die," he answered. "Oh." She followed him without speaking again.
They entered the building, pushing open wide grey doors, and she looked around. Several people sat around a table, their hands moving, chattering idly to each other. She looked up at him, and he nodded. They walked over together, and the people looked up, smiling. "Is this the latest, then, Gabe?" "Indeed she is," he replied, smiling. "This is Lindsay." She made a little sound. "How'd you know my name?" He chuckled, then, and leaned closer. "It's on your necklace, honey." She looked down, then turned red, and tucked it inside her shirt with her free hand. He squeezed the other gently. "That's better. No-one here is going to hurt you, but it's good to keep some things to yourself, hmm?" She nodded, relaxing slightly. "C'mon, let's look at what they're doing," he said, and lifted her up to one of the half-circle benches that surrounded the table, so that she could see.
The table was hollowed, and the indentation was filled with water that came in at one side and drained at another. She looked at him, and he held out his hand. "May I have the ones you picked up, Lindsay?" She fished them out of her pocket and gave them to him, and he poured them, along with the ones in his pouch, into the water. The others gathered around, then, each fishing one of the little lumps out and polishing it until it shone. Her mouth formed a little O of pleasure as they held them up for her to see, grinning at her surprise. The newly-cleaned ones were put into baskets beside the benches, and as she watched, one of the baskets was collected by a very pretty woman who smiled at her, and called "Good luck this time, Gabe," before she walked away. Gabe looked at Lindsay watching the woman, and chuckled. "That's Mandy. We have to go see her next, would you like to go now?" She nodded, and he lifted her down, taking her hand again. As they turned to go, one of the older women at the bench pressed something into Lindsay's free hand. Gabe lifted an eyebrow, but didn't protest. "Thanks, Muriel." "No problem," Muriel replied, and she winked at Lindsay. "You hang onto that, honey. Everyone's entitled to at least one." Nodding, the little girl tucked it into her pocket. "Thank you," she remembered to say, and then Gabe was walking away, and she followed.
They found Mandy standing at a huge window, looking out at the stars. Gabe let go, and Lindsay walked over to Mandy, who put her arm around the child's shoulders without looking down. In front of Mandy was a tall concrete column, and Lindsay could see the edge of one of the baskets peeking over the edge of the concrete. Mandy took one of the stones out of the basket, and sat down beside Lindsay. "You know what they are?" Lindsay nodded. "They're stories, right?" "Yes," Mandy said. "Would you like to help me bring this one back?" "I think so," Lindsay said doubtfully, "but how do we do that?" Mandy smiled, and handed the stone to the girl. "Tell it," she said. "Or, rather, let it tell you." The thing glinted in Lindsay's hand, and she stared, fascinated. And as she watched, scenes began to flash across the stone, playing out like a movie. She didn't know when she began speaking, or see the glance Mandy and Gabe gave each other over her head. She noticed nothing until the story had played itself out, and then she gasped, because what lay in her hand wasn't a rock any more. It shone and gleamed, expanded, and as she watched, it rose of its own accord, growing brighter as it went, till it joined the other stars in the night sky. She turned back to Mandy and Gabe then, her eyes bright with questions. And, sitting down with her, they answered all of them. When she understood what they were offering, she nodded emphatically, and clasped her hands to keep from clapping them. Mandy kissed her, then, and Gabe took her back to where she had met him. Looking down at her, he smiled. "See you soon, Lindsay." And she, replying, her voice as filled with joy and eagerness as his, threw her arms about his waist and hugged him. "See you soon, Gabe!" And then she let go, and was gone. He settled down to wait, his heart a little lighter. The next one would be along soon. One in a hundred, perhaps... the failure rate was high. But the one made up for it, really.
"This," he said, stooping, "and this." Shaking his finds into his palm, he showed them to the watching child. "Rocks?" She looked disappointed, and he winced. "Not rocks," he said gently. "Stories." She glanced incredulously at the dull grey lumps in his hand. "Those are stories?" He sighed. "Well, they used to be." "What happened to them?" She wanted to know. "No-one told them," he answered, his voice sorrowful. Bending closer, he traced the edges for her, brushing away the dirt, and her eyes widened. Under the dullness, there was a sparkle, a mysterious gleam. Watching her, he smiled, and then straightened up, taking her by the hand. They walked silently for a time, each stopping every now and again to collect one of the little stones, and then she turned to him. "Where are we going?" "Over there," he pointed. On the horizon, a large building rose, solitary and nondescript. "Why?" He chuckled at that. "Because we can't let these die," he answered. "Oh." She followed him without speaking again.
They entered the building, pushing open wide grey doors, and she looked around. Several people sat around a table, their hands moving, chattering idly to each other. She looked up at him, and he nodded. They walked over together, and the people looked up, smiling. "Is this the latest, then, Gabe?" "Indeed she is," he replied, smiling. "This is Lindsay." She made a little sound. "How'd you know my name?" He chuckled, then, and leaned closer. "It's on your necklace, honey." She looked down, then turned red, and tucked it inside her shirt with her free hand. He squeezed the other gently. "That's better. No-one here is going to hurt you, but it's good to keep some things to yourself, hmm?" She nodded, relaxing slightly. "C'mon, let's look at what they're doing," he said, and lifted her up to one of the half-circle benches that surrounded the table, so that she could see.
The table was hollowed, and the indentation was filled with water that came in at one side and drained at another. She looked at him, and he held out his hand. "May I have the ones you picked up, Lindsay?" She fished them out of her pocket and gave them to him, and he poured them, along with the ones in his pouch, into the water. The others gathered around, then, each fishing one of the little lumps out and polishing it until it shone. Her mouth formed a little O of pleasure as they held them up for her to see, grinning at her surprise. The newly-cleaned ones were put into baskets beside the benches, and as she watched, one of the baskets was collected by a very pretty woman who smiled at her, and called "Good luck this time, Gabe," before she walked away. Gabe looked at Lindsay watching the woman, and chuckled. "That's Mandy. We have to go see her next, would you like to go now?" She nodded, and he lifted her down, taking her hand again. As they turned to go, one of the older women at the bench pressed something into Lindsay's free hand. Gabe lifted an eyebrow, but didn't protest. "Thanks, Muriel." "No problem," Muriel replied, and she winked at Lindsay. "You hang onto that, honey. Everyone's entitled to at least one." Nodding, the little girl tucked it into her pocket. "Thank you," she remembered to say, and then Gabe was walking away, and she followed.
They found Mandy standing at a huge window, looking out at the stars. Gabe let go, and Lindsay walked over to Mandy, who put her arm around the child's shoulders without looking down. In front of Mandy was a tall concrete column, and Lindsay could see the edge of one of the baskets peeking over the edge of the concrete. Mandy took one of the stones out of the basket, and sat down beside Lindsay. "You know what they are?" Lindsay nodded. "They're stories, right?" "Yes," Mandy said. "Would you like to help me bring this one back?" "I think so," Lindsay said doubtfully, "but how do we do that?" Mandy smiled, and handed the stone to the girl. "Tell it," she said. "Or, rather, let it tell you." The thing glinted in Lindsay's hand, and she stared, fascinated. And as she watched, scenes began to flash across the stone, playing out like a movie. She didn't know when she began speaking, or see the glance Mandy and Gabe gave each other over her head. She noticed nothing until the story had played itself out, and then she gasped, because what lay in her hand wasn't a rock any more. It shone and gleamed, expanded, and as she watched, it rose of its own accord, growing brighter as it went, till it joined the other stars in the night sky. She turned back to Mandy and Gabe then, her eyes bright with questions. And, sitting down with her, they answered all of them. When she understood what they were offering, she nodded emphatically, and clasped her hands to keep from clapping them. Mandy kissed her, then, and Gabe took her back to where she had met him. Looking down at her, he smiled. "See you soon, Lindsay." And she, replying, her voice as filled with joy and eagerness as his, threw her arms about his waist and hugged him. "See you soon, Gabe!" And then she let go, and was gone. He settled down to wait, his heart a little lighter. The next one would be along soon. One in a hundred, perhaps... the failure rate was high. But the one made up for it, really.
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