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artyartieFor late January, the day was pleasant enough, so today I decided to take my usual walk downtown.
The Golden Triangle, nestled next to the bustle of Broadway traffic, may be undergoing a slew of renovations and improvements but the old Evans School, magnifiscent in its ruin and disrepair, still stands, unadulterated. I've always been fond of the boarded up school, and taking a brief break from my meanderings, I sat on a low concrete step and rested my back against the wire fence meant to keep trespassers and thrill-seeking teenagers out. Or at least I tried to lean against the fence, but it gave way, dissolved into non-existence and I tumbled over, feet over head, to land in an ungraceful pile of limbs and green woolen coat.
Trying to extricate myself from the ackward position I landed in, a soft yet strong hand grabbed onto mine and helped me stand. I shook the dust out of my coat and looked up to the person who had come to my aid.
A bemused pair of brown eyes looked at me from beneath a pair of glasses markedly similar to my own. ""Through the Rabbit Hole Day, hmm? Bet you weren't expecting this, though."
I laughed and shook my head at the petite, crimson-haired young woman with a warm, rich blue velvet cloak around her shoulders. The crowds bustling around us were similarly-clad, and if my wits had been addled I would have thought it was a Lord of the Rings line party run amok. But I knew this place, the school restored to its earlier glory, the glass spires rising to the north, the rich, heady aromas of spices in the air. And I knew this woman, a figment who resided in my imagination and when whimsey struck her, my pen. "Not exactly", I said, unable to keep from chuckling. "But it's good to finally meet you, Miranda."
***
There was a small cafe a few blocks from the slip station, nestled between an apothecary and a small grocer's. The smells were intoxicating, a soft undercurrent of lavendar, a sharp spiciness vaguely reminiscent of curry. Miranda and I sat at a small table inside the cafe, each of us with a mug full of chai and a fry bread laden with berries and honey.
"Glad you finally got that first paragraph written," the graphomancer said, spearing a hearty bite with her fork. "From the beginning but with a touch of in media res. And a healthy touch of angst."
"Pffff. Me, leave out the angst?" I tried not to be distracted by the trays hovering among the tables - having one telekenetic on staff must have saved a good deal in labor costs. I lifted my mug and managed a somewhat sheepish smile. "Hope you can forgive me for the painful memories I keep dropping in your head."
"At least your melodrama has a lyrical quality, otherwise I would have made your ink run dry a long time ago." Miranda's eyes, the same color as mine but with far more life, sparkled in amusement. "You know, you don't have to put *all* the bad experiences in. Don't you worry about hitting your quota?"
"Very funny," I retorted, taking a sip of my chai. "Remind me to tone your sarcasm down a bit. But seriously, you're my way of...sorting things out. Of figuring what my feelings are and aren't." I sighed and rested my chin in my hands. "I'm afraid I'm not doing a very good job."
"You have a complicated hand to play," Miranda answered with surprising gentleness, gently pulling at my fingers with her own. "You're doing the best you can and, trust me, it could be worse."
"Trust me, the third book will be worse," I said, trying to smile. "If the techies come up with a time travel device, din't let Brett anywhere near it. It's all downhill from there.."
Her hand squeezed mine in reassurance, her entire being radiated a kind of hope I had begun to forget. "After all you put us through in college, we'll be all right. And you will be, too. Just learn not to analyze everything so much, all right?"
I laughed and nodded as a rich paean of bells rolled through the open door, echoing off the brick buildings. "5:00," Miranda said, blinking in mild surprise. "We'd better get you home - not sure, exactly, how long the rabbit hole will be open. And if you were stuck here-"
"Here could cease to exist?" I said, taking a last bite of fry bread before loading our dishes on a convenient floating tray. "As nice as it would be to stay, I'd rather not obliterate a universe, even if it was my own."
**
The last rays of sunset made the red bricks of the school even ruddier as we came back to the point where I had fallen into her world. We reached out and embraced, the velvet of her cloak soft against my cheek.
"If, well, they would understand, tell the others hi for me? Maybe if I can come back next year.." I smiled and shrugged my shoulders lightly.
"If the rabbit hole so wills it," was her enigmatic answer. "And if they'd understand, tell them hi?" Her voice was soft, gentle, and I nodded at once, even though I knew there was no one I could tell about my little excursion. "Oh! I can't leave you without giving you something to bring back." The graphomancer fished about in the pockets of her robe, which evidently were many, until she found what she was looking for. It looked purple in the fading light, but the glass pen she pressed into my hand was still exquisitely beautiful. "I have a feeling there's a lot you can do with this pen."
A soft gasp escaped my lips at the beautiful gift. "Miranda, this is one of your favorites. I..I couldn-"
"All the more reason for you to have it, I say," she said, resting her hands on my shoulders. "Now hurry up and get back. You've got things to do!"
With a soft push I was flailing back through the fence and onto the cold sidewalk, very much back in my own world. But the pen was still in my hands, and the memory of her smile was still bright in my mind.
The Golden Triangle, nestled next to the bustle of Broadway traffic, may be undergoing a slew of renovations and improvements but the old Evans School, magnifiscent in its ruin and disrepair, still stands, unadulterated. I've always been fond of the boarded up school, and taking a brief break from my meanderings, I sat on a low concrete step and rested my back against the wire fence meant to keep trespassers and thrill-seeking teenagers out. Or at least I tried to lean against the fence, but it gave way, dissolved into non-existence and I tumbled over, feet over head, to land in an ungraceful pile of limbs and green woolen coat.
Trying to extricate myself from the ackward position I landed in, a soft yet strong hand grabbed onto mine and helped me stand. I shook the dust out of my coat and looked up to the person who had come to my aid.
A bemused pair of brown eyes looked at me from beneath a pair of glasses markedly similar to my own. ""Through the Rabbit Hole Day, hmm? Bet you weren't expecting this, though."
I laughed and shook my head at the petite, crimson-haired young woman with a warm, rich blue velvet cloak around her shoulders. The crowds bustling around us were similarly-clad, and if my wits had been addled I would have thought it was a Lord of the Rings line party run amok. But I knew this place, the school restored to its earlier glory, the glass spires rising to the north, the rich, heady aromas of spices in the air. And I knew this woman, a figment who resided in my imagination and when whimsey struck her, my pen. "Not exactly", I said, unable to keep from chuckling. "But it's good to finally meet you, Miranda."
***
There was a small cafe a few blocks from the slip station, nestled between an apothecary and a small grocer's. The smells were intoxicating, a soft undercurrent of lavendar, a sharp spiciness vaguely reminiscent of curry. Miranda and I sat at a small table inside the cafe, each of us with a mug full of chai and a fry bread laden with berries and honey.
"Glad you finally got that first paragraph written," the graphomancer said, spearing a hearty bite with her fork. "From the beginning but with a touch of in media res. And a healthy touch of angst."
"Pffff. Me, leave out the angst?" I tried not to be distracted by the trays hovering among the tables - having one telekenetic on staff must have saved a good deal in labor costs. I lifted my mug and managed a somewhat sheepish smile. "Hope you can forgive me for the painful memories I keep dropping in your head."
"At least your melodrama has a lyrical quality, otherwise I would have made your ink run dry a long time ago." Miranda's eyes, the same color as mine but with far more life, sparkled in amusement. "You know, you don't have to put *all* the bad experiences in. Don't you worry about hitting your quota?"
"Very funny," I retorted, taking a sip of my chai. "Remind me to tone your sarcasm down a bit. But seriously, you're my way of...sorting things out. Of figuring what my feelings are and aren't." I sighed and rested my chin in my hands. "I'm afraid I'm not doing a very good job."
"You have a complicated hand to play," Miranda answered with surprising gentleness, gently pulling at my fingers with her own. "You're doing the best you can and, trust me, it could be worse."
"Trust me, the third book will be worse," I said, trying to smile. "If the techies come up with a time travel device, din't let Brett anywhere near it. It's all downhill from there.."
Her hand squeezed mine in reassurance, her entire being radiated a kind of hope I had begun to forget. "After all you put us through in college, we'll be all right. And you will be, too. Just learn not to analyze everything so much, all right?"
I laughed and nodded as a rich paean of bells rolled through the open door, echoing off the brick buildings. "5:00," Miranda said, blinking in mild surprise. "We'd better get you home - not sure, exactly, how long the rabbit hole will be open. And if you were stuck here-"
"Here could cease to exist?" I said, taking a last bite of fry bread before loading our dishes on a convenient floating tray. "As nice as it would be to stay, I'd rather not obliterate a universe, even if it was my own."
**
The last rays of sunset made the red bricks of the school even ruddier as we came back to the point where I had fallen into her world. We reached out and embraced, the velvet of her cloak soft against my cheek.
"If, well, they would understand, tell the others hi for me? Maybe if I can come back next year.." I smiled and shrugged my shoulders lightly.
"If the rabbit hole so wills it," was her enigmatic answer. "And if they'd understand, tell them hi?" Her voice was soft, gentle, and I nodded at once, even though I knew there was no one I could tell about my little excursion. "Oh! I can't leave you without giving you something to bring back." The graphomancer fished about in the pockets of her robe, which evidently were many, until she found what she was looking for. It looked purple in the fading light, but the glass pen she pressed into my hand was still exquisitely beautiful. "I have a feeling there's a lot you can do with this pen."
A soft gasp escaped my lips at the beautiful gift. "Miranda, this is one of your favorites. I..I couldn-"
"All the more reason for you to have it, I say," she said, resting her hands on my shoulders. "Now hurry up and get back. You've got things to do!"
With a soft push I was flailing back through the fence and onto the cold sidewalk, very much back in my own world. But the pen was still in my hands, and the memory of her smile was still bright in my mind.
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Date: 2005-01-28 12:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-01-28 05:46 pm (UTC)