Kovu aka Alec
Apr 17, 2006, 08:00 AM
The second in what will probably be a series of short stories, here is the first part in what will be a three part sequence.
Forever for Her
(Is Over for Me)
“So what does that make us?” Aelina asked. The uncomfortable silence in the car hung like the motes caught in the sun’s orange rays. Dolan bowed his head, his ears drooping slightly. His eyes were focused in his lap. He was rubbing his paws together, straightening the dark brown fur. He wanted to hide from her, and was glad when the passed into a tunnel, and it was dark in the leather interior. He knew her eyes were upon him, blue-steel piercing into his heart.
“I’m sorry.” He mumbled, and he was again bathed in the sunset’s light. He could see the tall steel spires of the capital city in his peripheral vision. Were they staring at him too?
“Sorry? Sorry!? Oh, you’re sorry! Is now the part where I say, ‘I forgive you,’ and we just go on our merry way?” Dolan was choking back tears, but in angry frustration he shouted at her, saying,
“What more do you want me to say? What more can I say? If sorry isn’t good enough then there’s nothing I can do!” Aelina just made a sort of grunt, pulled her jacket more tightly around her, and looked away from him. The other rabbit watched. She was still beautiful to him -- she had always been -- the exotic white fur. The scar on her face that made her hide from others seemed almost invisible to Dolan. He reached across the seat to her, as the cars autopilot took a turn, climbing up a long bridge suspended by anti-grav units, bringing them amidst the sky-scrapers. He wanted to touch her shoulder, but it was like there was a tangible barrier between them. So he tried to cross it with words,
“It wasn’t anything serious, really! We were just talking. She didn’t mean anything to me.” Aelina spat out her angry rebuttal,
“Is that so? So I guess I don’t mean anything to you either, then do I?”
“No, that’s not true, I--” He didn’t know what to say. He could feel the gentle vibration of the vehicle as it sped down path, could hear the delicate hum of other ones as they passed by. The silvery towers glinted in his eyes, and he had to close them. That was better for remembering anyway . . .
The world had left Dolan behind. At least, that’s what he was thinking, as he stood outside the computer shop door. It was dark, and late, and the concrete streets were wet and glowed with the bright moon. He whispered to the door,
“Computer, lock up for tonight.” There was a click, and then it said back to him in a soothing, if detectably artificial, female voice,
“Doors locked. Good night, Dolan. Your shift begins at 0745 later today.” He started walking away, and his eyes were raw and tired, but he wasn’t tired, just lonely. The city was quiet in this remote corner, and the rain that normally made things clean, seemed only to intensify how barren this unnatural place was. As he walked down the sidewalk, his only companion was the hollow sound of his footfalls. It made his thoughts drift to the equally barren and desolate places in his soul. Indeed, in his heart it was barren; there was nothing and no one. Dolan had always been apart from people, and he thought that maybe it was better that way. It made things less complicated, more straight-forward. That’s why he didn’t really like what was about to happen next.
The silence was broken by the sounds of a struggle, and a cry in the dark. Dolan peeked around an alley. He saw her there, with blue eyes and the white fur, and she was surrounded by a Medivian and two ragged-looking rabbits. They had her against the brick wall of the building; was it a mugging, or rape? Dolan didn’t care to find out, and started to run away.
Suddenly, her eyes caught on his,
“H-help me! Please! Help me!” The desperate pleading sound made him stop in his tracks. Her accosters did too, and turned, walking towards him. He didn’t know what do to; he didn’t even defend himself when one of them hit him. His reality was fading as his head hit the ground. The world became black.
When Dolan awoke, he realized he was sitting on the ground, and that someone was holding an ice pack to his face. As his vision cleared, he looked and saw that it was the white furred rabbit.
“You’re awake.” She observed. As Dolan’s eyes flew around, he saw that he was still in the alley, and that red lights were flashing nearby.
“Uhm...what...”
“You--you saved me. They turned from me, and went to you. I’m sorry. But it gave the police time to arrive.”
“Oh, uhh, I see...” he noticed a large scar across her eye, “Did they cut you?” She shied away from him once he saw this, covering it up with her other hand.
“No...no. This is old. But, are you alright?” She helped him stand up.
“I think so, I’m a little wobbly.” She wrapped her arm around him to brace him.
“Here, I’ll help you get home.” He looked at her, and even as she hid her face, he saw how beautiful she was.
“Thank you. I’m...Dolan.” She smiled weakly at him,
“I’m Aelina.”
The capital city of Carrotus had changed many times in it’s long history. It was now a sprawling metropolis on the coast of the southern continent. It sparkled like a diamond in the sun. In the aeons since the Turtle Wars, since the Hyperspace Wars, since the Great Collapse, Carrotus rebuilt. And to the rabbit people, it seemed as if the whole universe had inhaled, holding it’s breath on the edge of some great new...something. The car our two wayward souls resided in was now descending down a heavenly ramp, into a throng of dense traffic.
Dolan couldn’t reach out to her, couldn’t touch her. She hid her face from him.
“Please Aelina. I’m sorry. Please say something.”
“No. I don’t want to talk to you.” Dolan turned back, looking down into his paws. He didn’t know what to do anymore. Hedgehog’s dilemma.
Suddenly, the computer screeched at them.
“WARNING: Auto-guidance system malfunction! Regain control of vehicle immediately!” With a jet of compressed air, a stainless steel steering wheel popped out of the console. The hovercar began skidding out of control.
“Oh my God! Dolan!” Aelina changed entirely, turning to him, as he grabbed hold of the wheel, twisting it violently to try and level out.
“Oh God! I’m trying, it’s slipping!” A large cargo-carrier was blasting it’s horn as it passed in front of them. As time slowed, Dolan couldn't help but notice the way the headlights looked like motes caught in the dying sun's rays.
“Dolan, look out!”
A heavy crashing sound, and then, an uncomfortable silence.
Forever for Her
(Is Over for Me)
“So what does that make us?” Aelina asked. The uncomfortable silence in the car hung like the motes caught in the sun’s orange rays. Dolan bowed his head, his ears drooping slightly. His eyes were focused in his lap. He was rubbing his paws together, straightening the dark brown fur. He wanted to hide from her, and was glad when the passed into a tunnel, and it was dark in the leather interior. He knew her eyes were upon him, blue-steel piercing into his heart.
“I’m sorry.” He mumbled, and he was again bathed in the sunset’s light. He could see the tall steel spires of the capital city in his peripheral vision. Were they staring at him too?
“Sorry? Sorry!? Oh, you’re sorry! Is now the part where I say, ‘I forgive you,’ and we just go on our merry way?” Dolan was choking back tears, but in angry frustration he shouted at her, saying,
“What more do you want me to say? What more can I say? If sorry isn’t good enough then there’s nothing I can do!” Aelina just made a sort of grunt, pulled her jacket more tightly around her, and looked away from him. The other rabbit watched. She was still beautiful to him -- she had always been -- the exotic white fur. The scar on her face that made her hide from others seemed almost invisible to Dolan. He reached across the seat to her, as the cars autopilot took a turn, climbing up a long bridge suspended by anti-grav units, bringing them amidst the sky-scrapers. He wanted to touch her shoulder, but it was like there was a tangible barrier between them. So he tried to cross it with words,
“It wasn’t anything serious, really! We were just talking. She didn’t mean anything to me.” Aelina spat out her angry rebuttal,
“Is that so? So I guess I don’t mean anything to you either, then do I?”
“No, that’s not true, I--” He didn’t know what to say. He could feel the gentle vibration of the vehicle as it sped down path, could hear the delicate hum of other ones as they passed by. The silvery towers glinted in his eyes, and he had to close them. That was better for remembering anyway . . .
The world had left Dolan behind. At least, that’s what he was thinking, as he stood outside the computer shop door. It was dark, and late, and the concrete streets were wet and glowed with the bright moon. He whispered to the door,
“Computer, lock up for tonight.” There was a click, and then it said back to him in a soothing, if detectably artificial, female voice,
“Doors locked. Good night, Dolan. Your shift begins at 0745 later today.” He started walking away, and his eyes were raw and tired, but he wasn’t tired, just lonely. The city was quiet in this remote corner, and the rain that normally made things clean, seemed only to intensify how barren this unnatural place was. As he walked down the sidewalk, his only companion was the hollow sound of his footfalls. It made his thoughts drift to the equally barren and desolate places in his soul. Indeed, in his heart it was barren; there was nothing and no one. Dolan had always been apart from people, and he thought that maybe it was better that way. It made things less complicated, more straight-forward. That’s why he didn’t really like what was about to happen next.
The silence was broken by the sounds of a struggle, and a cry in the dark. Dolan peeked around an alley. He saw her there, with blue eyes and the white fur, and she was surrounded by a Medivian and two ragged-looking rabbits. They had her against the brick wall of the building; was it a mugging, or rape? Dolan didn’t care to find out, and started to run away.
Suddenly, her eyes caught on his,
“H-help me! Please! Help me!” The desperate pleading sound made him stop in his tracks. Her accosters did too, and turned, walking towards him. He didn’t know what do to; he didn’t even defend himself when one of them hit him. His reality was fading as his head hit the ground. The world became black.
When Dolan awoke, he realized he was sitting on the ground, and that someone was holding an ice pack to his face. As his vision cleared, he looked and saw that it was the white furred rabbit.
“You’re awake.” She observed. As Dolan’s eyes flew around, he saw that he was still in the alley, and that red lights were flashing nearby.
“Uhm...what...”
“You--you saved me. They turned from me, and went to you. I’m sorry. But it gave the police time to arrive.”
“Oh, uhh, I see...” he noticed a large scar across her eye, “Did they cut you?” She shied away from him once he saw this, covering it up with her other hand.
“No...no. This is old. But, are you alright?” She helped him stand up.
“I think so, I’m a little wobbly.” She wrapped her arm around him to brace him.
“Here, I’ll help you get home.” He looked at her, and even as she hid her face, he saw how beautiful she was.
“Thank you. I’m...Dolan.” She smiled weakly at him,
“I’m Aelina.”
The capital city of Carrotus had changed many times in it’s long history. It was now a sprawling metropolis on the coast of the southern continent. It sparkled like a diamond in the sun. In the aeons since the Turtle Wars, since the Hyperspace Wars, since the Great Collapse, Carrotus rebuilt. And to the rabbit people, it seemed as if the whole universe had inhaled, holding it’s breath on the edge of some great new...something. The car our two wayward souls resided in was now descending down a heavenly ramp, into a throng of dense traffic.
Dolan couldn’t reach out to her, couldn’t touch her. She hid her face from him.
“Please Aelina. I’m sorry. Please say something.”
“No. I don’t want to talk to you.” Dolan turned back, looking down into his paws. He didn’t know what to do anymore. Hedgehog’s dilemma.
Suddenly, the computer screeched at them.
“WARNING: Auto-guidance system malfunction! Regain control of vehicle immediately!” With a jet of compressed air, a stainless steel steering wheel popped out of the console. The hovercar began skidding out of control.
“Oh my God! Dolan!” Aelina changed entirely, turning to him, as he grabbed hold of the wheel, twisting it violently to try and level out.
“Oh God! I’m trying, it’s slipping!” A large cargo-carrier was blasting it’s horn as it passed in front of them. As time slowed, Dolan couldn't help but notice the way the headlights looked like motes caught in the dying sun's rays.
“Dolan, look out!”
A heavy crashing sound, and then, an uncomfortable silence.