Categories > Original > Drama > New Leaves of a Dead Tree
Quiet is No Cause For Complaint
*
Four brick walls surrounded Marly. The only way out was through a standard, red door. She ran over to it and banged. After a minute passed and no response, she dropped her arms to her side, leant against the door and slumped down to the ground. On the floor, she could see nothing but wooden planks.
She stayed there for what seemed like hours with her head on her knees. Then for no reason, cocked up her head and for the first time, noticed that there was a window. Walking toward it, she screwed up her face in question and wondered, 'why have I not seen this window?'. Immediately before gazing through it, she felt her eyes sting as if freshly chopped onion was suddenly placed near. She rubbed her eyes. Then continued her focus back onto the window. 'Huh?', she thought. Now, looking upon the window, all to see was a clock face. This clock face was large and covered the entire view of the window. The clock informed that minutes had carried, when what seemed like seconds had passed. Standing and watching in curiosity, the clock hit the hour of ten. It chimed several times in a rapid array, after which it continued it's fast paced rendition of time.
The second and third chimes irritated her ears to such extent that she covered them with her hands while backing away towards the door. Slamming her body upon it, she heard a voice shout on the other side.
"What the fuck are ya doing in there?"
Shocked by the sound of another, she swiftly turned to face the door. She put her ear against it.
"This will teach ya a lesson. Ya fucking bitch." He whispered to himself.
She recognised the voice, "Alec, let me out!" she shouted before thought.
"Why should I, bitch? Ya deserve all ya get!" he said as a smile graced his face.
"Please Alec!" she pleaded at the door as if she was looking straight at him.
"What's it worth?" he asked cheekily.
"What do you want?" she responded in question. In her mind Marly knew exactly what he was indicating. And was given a predictable response,
"Ya Know."
She did know and now wished she hadn't asked. She decided to cease the chat. Turned around and once again, sunk to the floor. With her back alongside the door, she felt and heard the vibration of Alec's steps. They paced left and right pass the door, across what she guessed was a hallway. Whilst the clock chimed, there she cried.
*
Springing to reality, beads of sweat dominated her face and even the roots of her hair. Her heart, beating with concern. Lying in her bed looking around at the darkness that surrounded her, her heart rate decelerated, slowly converting back to the normal. She pushed the covers off and walked to the en suite bathroom.
Straight after closing the door behind her, Marly tugged on the cord, which hung beside her and turned on the light. The light that shone, took her eyes by surprise causing her to blink to compensate for the change. She went over to the sink and stood in front of it. Above the sink was a mirror; Marly studied her features in it. Her hair; black, just long enough to tie up with a scrunchie (almost to her shoulder) was stringy and greasy from her sweat. The style, layered. Marly pressed her hand against her cheek and in thought asked, 'what happened to me?'. Because, there was once a time when her skin was tanned and soft. Now, it looked practically dead. She currently looks through sullen eyes, which also has bags beneath them. And a mouth that has forgotten the feeling of happiness or how to form facial expressions such as a smile. When she finished her examination, she sat on the toilet top and focused her eyes on the door in front.
Marly never knew the time, except when it was time for work. Awakening from her second slumber, she made a quick glance around the room and was surprised to see that Alec was not present. She pushed her bed sheets off and climbed out of bed. Standing, she ran her fingers through her short locks and felt the lifelessness. She quickly made another sweep of the room, and again saw no Alec. Since she was sure, she decided this would be the right time to put her music on. She grabbed the remote that lay next to the stereo and sat down on the bed. Turned it on, then played the disc that she always left in. Hearing the first few beats, she recognised the song and thought, 'louder'.
By the time it was three-quarter the way through, Marly was sprawled across the bed with her eyes closed, listening to the lyrics of the song. As she did this, she held the remote in her hand and swung it to the rhythm like a conductor. Out of nowhere, the music stopped. 'Huh? What's wrong with this?', she questioned in her mind. She then opened her eyes to try and figure out the problem and was confronted with an evil looking Alec.
Alec was one of those people, who could play on both sides of the court. When Marly first met him, she thought he was incredibly handsome and the fact that he asked her to stay with him was an honour and a dream. Back then his once beautiful green eyes, didn't seem so aloof. And even though he had a dark shadow, longish black hair and was always seen with a cigarette in his hand, she still thought of him as 'the nicest guy she had ever met'. Now, his hair was virtually all gone, but still keeps his twelve o'clock shadow.
"What the fuck do ya think you were doing, playing music that loud? Are ya fucking deaf?"
Marly, still sprawled across the bed, couldn't think of anything to say that could make this situation better. On the bed looking up at Alec like the child she was when they first met, she could see the difference in their height. Obviously, she was lying on the bed, but knew he was quite a bit taller that her normally.
"Ya know how much I hate that fucking rock shit you always play, and yet you always play it!"
Once again, she said nothing.
"Are ya hearing me?!" Alec asked, while knocking on the top of her head.
"Yes!" she replied, irritated by the knocking and not realising how forceful she spoke back.
"Are ya shouting at me?" he said, clenching his hand by his side.
"N...no." she stammered, "no, of course not."
"Ya better not be. After all I've done for ya, ya should be fucking grateful!"
Marly said nothing.
"But you're not are ya? All you ever seem to do nowadays is sulk." Alec glimpsed at his watch, " I gotta go, I'm meeting Lenny." He walked over to the front door, grabbed his coat and left.
The collision of the door to the frame and caused a quiver throughout the apartment, which sent Marly a shiver down her spine. She hated the way Alec constantly shut the front door forcefully and the fact that every time he spoke to her, he yelled.
Many minutes had passed and even now, she was sat on the bed. Thinking. She thought about going out and then it occurred to her, 'where is there to go?'. The thought, 'home' entered her consciousness, which prompt her to take a shower, get dressed and proceed out the front door.
Marly strolled for fifteen minutes until she reached a bus stop which the no.79 bus stopped at. Finding a stop, she stood by the bus schedule and waited. She watched cars pass her and people go about their business, and wished for more. After almost an hour went by, the no.79 bus finally arrived at the stop. Stepping on and paying her fare, she took a seat at the back of the bus. As seconds changed into minutes, Marly became entranced into the altering scenery outside her window. She observed as the city in which she lived, slowly transformed into the suburbs.
Where she had gotten off the bus, houses surrounded her which all looked identical (stone paths leading up to the front door, a white picket fence, car in driveway and constructed of what looked familiar to white wooden panels. All the grass that was visible, was pure green, similar to grass described in fairy tales. It looked like the perfect neighbourhood.
It was now sometime in the early afternoon. Marly currently positioned herself on a bus stop bench. Across the street where she sat, she watched. She stared at a house that looked accurately like all those that could be seen. In the house, all seemed calm. Marly could see very little at her distance and the fact of drawn curtains didn't help her surveillance. Throughout the duration of her stay; countless buses passed and stopped, and people stepped on and off, with children and family. Most of whom, gave her odd stares which she ignored as she continued. A woman exited the house. She had black hair that was longer than looked; it was folded and pinned with a pearl decorated hairclip. She held a stressed look on her face. Stressed but stern. She seemed like one of those career-driven-mothers, probably with family troubles, but shut off feeling when work was involved. Marly, watched and wondered.
*
Four brick walls surrounded Marly. The only way out was through a standard, red door. She ran over to it and banged. After a minute passed and no response, she dropped her arms to her side, leant against the door and slumped down to the ground. On the floor, she could see nothing but wooden planks.
She stayed there for what seemed like hours with her head on her knees. Then for no reason, cocked up her head and for the first time, noticed that there was a window. Walking toward it, she screwed up her face in question and wondered, 'why have I not seen this window?'. Immediately before gazing through it, she felt her eyes sting as if freshly chopped onion was suddenly placed near. She rubbed her eyes. Then continued her focus back onto the window. 'Huh?', she thought. Now, looking upon the window, all to see was a clock face. This clock face was large and covered the entire view of the window. The clock informed that minutes had carried, when what seemed like seconds had passed. Standing and watching in curiosity, the clock hit the hour of ten. It chimed several times in a rapid array, after which it continued it's fast paced rendition of time.
The second and third chimes irritated her ears to such extent that she covered them with her hands while backing away towards the door. Slamming her body upon it, she heard a voice shout on the other side.
"What the fuck are ya doing in there?"
Shocked by the sound of another, she swiftly turned to face the door. She put her ear against it.
"This will teach ya a lesson. Ya fucking bitch." He whispered to himself.
She recognised the voice, "Alec, let me out!" she shouted before thought.
"Why should I, bitch? Ya deserve all ya get!" he said as a smile graced his face.
"Please Alec!" she pleaded at the door as if she was looking straight at him.
"What's it worth?" he asked cheekily.
"What do you want?" she responded in question. In her mind Marly knew exactly what he was indicating. And was given a predictable response,
"Ya Know."
She did know and now wished she hadn't asked. She decided to cease the chat. Turned around and once again, sunk to the floor. With her back alongside the door, she felt and heard the vibration of Alec's steps. They paced left and right pass the door, across what she guessed was a hallway. Whilst the clock chimed, there she cried.
*
Springing to reality, beads of sweat dominated her face and even the roots of her hair. Her heart, beating with concern. Lying in her bed looking around at the darkness that surrounded her, her heart rate decelerated, slowly converting back to the normal. She pushed the covers off and walked to the en suite bathroom.
Straight after closing the door behind her, Marly tugged on the cord, which hung beside her and turned on the light. The light that shone, took her eyes by surprise causing her to blink to compensate for the change. She went over to the sink and stood in front of it. Above the sink was a mirror; Marly studied her features in it. Her hair; black, just long enough to tie up with a scrunchie (almost to her shoulder) was stringy and greasy from her sweat. The style, layered. Marly pressed her hand against her cheek and in thought asked, 'what happened to me?'. Because, there was once a time when her skin was tanned and soft. Now, it looked practically dead. She currently looks through sullen eyes, which also has bags beneath them. And a mouth that has forgotten the feeling of happiness or how to form facial expressions such as a smile. When she finished her examination, she sat on the toilet top and focused her eyes on the door in front.
Marly never knew the time, except when it was time for work. Awakening from her second slumber, she made a quick glance around the room and was surprised to see that Alec was not present. She pushed her bed sheets off and climbed out of bed. Standing, she ran her fingers through her short locks and felt the lifelessness. She quickly made another sweep of the room, and again saw no Alec. Since she was sure, she decided this would be the right time to put her music on. She grabbed the remote that lay next to the stereo and sat down on the bed. Turned it on, then played the disc that she always left in. Hearing the first few beats, she recognised the song and thought, 'louder'.
By the time it was three-quarter the way through, Marly was sprawled across the bed with her eyes closed, listening to the lyrics of the song. As she did this, she held the remote in her hand and swung it to the rhythm like a conductor. Out of nowhere, the music stopped. 'Huh? What's wrong with this?', she questioned in her mind. She then opened her eyes to try and figure out the problem and was confronted with an evil looking Alec.
Alec was one of those people, who could play on both sides of the court. When Marly first met him, she thought he was incredibly handsome and the fact that he asked her to stay with him was an honour and a dream. Back then his once beautiful green eyes, didn't seem so aloof. And even though he had a dark shadow, longish black hair and was always seen with a cigarette in his hand, she still thought of him as 'the nicest guy she had ever met'. Now, his hair was virtually all gone, but still keeps his twelve o'clock shadow.
"What the fuck do ya think you were doing, playing music that loud? Are ya fucking deaf?"
Marly, still sprawled across the bed, couldn't think of anything to say that could make this situation better. On the bed looking up at Alec like the child she was when they first met, she could see the difference in their height. Obviously, she was lying on the bed, but knew he was quite a bit taller that her normally.
"Ya know how much I hate that fucking rock shit you always play, and yet you always play it!"
Once again, she said nothing.
"Are ya hearing me?!" Alec asked, while knocking on the top of her head.
"Yes!" she replied, irritated by the knocking and not realising how forceful she spoke back.
"Are ya shouting at me?" he said, clenching his hand by his side.
"N...no." she stammered, "no, of course not."
"Ya better not be. After all I've done for ya, ya should be fucking grateful!"
Marly said nothing.
"But you're not are ya? All you ever seem to do nowadays is sulk." Alec glimpsed at his watch, " I gotta go, I'm meeting Lenny." He walked over to the front door, grabbed his coat and left.
The collision of the door to the frame and caused a quiver throughout the apartment, which sent Marly a shiver down her spine. She hated the way Alec constantly shut the front door forcefully and the fact that every time he spoke to her, he yelled.
Many minutes had passed and even now, she was sat on the bed. Thinking. She thought about going out and then it occurred to her, 'where is there to go?'. The thought, 'home' entered her consciousness, which prompt her to take a shower, get dressed and proceed out the front door.
Marly strolled for fifteen minutes until she reached a bus stop which the no.79 bus stopped at. Finding a stop, she stood by the bus schedule and waited. She watched cars pass her and people go about their business, and wished for more. After almost an hour went by, the no.79 bus finally arrived at the stop. Stepping on and paying her fare, she took a seat at the back of the bus. As seconds changed into minutes, Marly became entranced into the altering scenery outside her window. She observed as the city in which she lived, slowly transformed into the suburbs.
Where she had gotten off the bus, houses surrounded her which all looked identical (stone paths leading up to the front door, a white picket fence, car in driveway and constructed of what looked familiar to white wooden panels. All the grass that was visible, was pure green, similar to grass described in fairy tales. It looked like the perfect neighbourhood.
It was now sometime in the early afternoon. Marly currently positioned herself on a bus stop bench. Across the street where she sat, she watched. She stared at a house that looked accurately like all those that could be seen. In the house, all seemed calm. Marly could see very little at her distance and the fact of drawn curtains didn't help her surveillance. Throughout the duration of her stay; countless buses passed and stopped, and people stepped on and off, with children and family. Most of whom, gave her odd stares which she ignored as she continued. A woman exited the house. She had black hair that was longer than looked; it was folded and pinned with a pearl decorated hairclip. She held a stressed look on her face. Stressed but stern. She seemed like one of those career-driven-mothers, probably with family troubles, but shut off feeling when work was involved. Marly, watched and wondered.
Sign up to rate and review this story