Categories > Original > Drama > New Leaves of a Dead Tree
What Is There To Say
Marly advanced down the street. Bitter air filled her lungs and streamed through her body. Pure, was her mind, but flooded was her body. The rain had imprinted itself on every inch of her existence. Her feet endured the weight of useless flesh that clung to her bones, as they progressed on her journey. Peering up at where the moon would usually remain, only its side was visible. 'At least the stars are out', she thought. Focusing her view on them, she continued and found her self on route to Bluend.
Entering, she noticed several other paths leading in different directions. Only once had she been down those others, but her path, she had walked on many times. On her path, she watched her feet as if they were incredibly fascinating like a new gadget. Tonight she didn't sit on her bench and think into the lake, she thought into her feet and in her stride. Her thoughts were those of regret and hate, but settled when an idea coated her dislike of life.
She sighed loud enough that the nocturnal birds and animals near could hear. She spun on the spot, analysing her surroundings and her life all at once. She stopped, standing on the spot, she pulled up her saggy, soggy sleeve of her right and then left arm. She stared at her wrists and saw the scars of past depression.
Marly didn't end up leaving Bluend till the morning. Later than usual, she left with her clothes still half damp, but couldn't care less. She had long before forgotten a reason to care.
Along the sidewalk, her soaked trousers dragged and made a sound that only sensitive ears could hear. Her shoes clanked as each one of her footsteps hit the concrete. She passed many people; workers, mothers and even young adults. Probably from a nearby university. Always when she walked down a street in daylight, she faced the floor making her hair cover the front of her face.
Walking past a coffee shop, her attention was taken by the sound of someone tapping a window. She glanced in the direction of the window to find, the two men from the bar inside the shop. Both had blonde-brown hair and what looked like average height. One had blue-grey eyes and had a bit of a shadow, he wore a black funky t-shirt and a striped scarf. The other had green eyes and wore a striped shirt. They had been tapping the glass to get her to notice them and now they had seen her face, were gesturing her to come in and sit with them. In thought she questioned their motives, but quickly gave up against her depleted energy and went into the coffee shop.
By the time she got to where they were seated, there was a chair waiting for her. She looked at them both and they both looked back at her, unsure of what to say. One spoke up,
"You're shaking, would you like some coffee - cappuccino, espresso?"
"I haven't got any money." Marly replied as quiet as a mouse.
"No probs. I'm paying for Blake's too. What would you like?"
"Are you sure?" she continued quietly.
"Yeah. What do you want?"
"Just a coffee, thanks."
"Just a coffee? Do you want a flavoured coffee? - Like chocolate or nut or something?"
"Okay."
"Which?"
"Nut."
He looked at the coffee side of the menu by the counter, "I know, I'll get you a Conversation Colombia. It's what I drink sometimes. It's got a nutty taste. Is that okay?"
She nodded.
"Blake, what do you want?" He asked the other.
"A decaf espresso roast."
"You could have just said 'the usual'." And he walked off to the counter.
It was just Marly and the other guy. She remembered him from last night talking about Shakespeare.
"What's your name? He enquired gently.
"Marly. You?"
"It's Blake. And that's Jaiden."
Jaiden just set down Marly's cup of coffee, Blake's and his own, "what about me?"
"I was just telling Marly your name."
"Marly, cool name."
Jaiden went back over to the edge of the counter and the woman behind it, gave him a blanket. He strode back over to where Marly sat and placed it around her shoulders.
She mumbled a "thank you" as she took the first sip of her coffee.
Reaching the door of Alec's apartment, she placed her ear up to the door. She could hear sounds coming from the inside and realised they were Alec's and a mans'. She unlocked the door and opened it slowly hoping that she could enter unnoticed. Unfortunately, she could not.
"Hey babes! What's with da sheet?" Alec said, seeing her.
She looked from Alec to Lenny, who then said,
"Hey!"
She ignored Alec's question about the blanket and carried on into the bedroom.
At work, she was again serving drinks. Her expression was compiled of boredom and annoyance of doing what she does. But she felt partially saved when she saw two faces. She walked over to Jaiden and Blake as they motioned her over.
"Hello again." Jaiden said with a smile.
She nodded.
The next morning, as Marly walked back to the apartment after her routine trip to Bluend. Souvenirs of her trip ran down her face in the form of lines, those made from excessive crying. She also had droplets in her eyes, competing to fall off the edge. Their reason was that of prayer for Sinead.
As many suns passed over the sky, Marly's days were always the same. She would go to the woods for the day, or watch people in their own business. The night was occupied by her job. Every night it seemed, Jaiden and Blake would come by. On their second visit they brought their other friend with them. The one that had saved her. His name was Marshall. He was the same height as the rest, had blue eyes and brown hair.
*
She was trapped. There was inch-thick glass between her and the three. She was in a corner, and looked to her side. The walls were white and padded resembling those of a mental institution. Her one way to escape was so-to-speak, non-existent. The way out was on the other side of the glass on which, the three stood watching. They all in turn tried to communicate through the glass, but the lack of use of voice made it hard to understand what they asked. Marly stared back at them, jumping her focus from one to the other each time making sure she caught eye contact.
Time passed, but her only amusement was of their concern for her. She could see it in their eyes...especially Marshall's. From what Marly had seen of him, he seemed to be quite the worrier. But her judgement was that from what she had seen at the bar. She was now on the floor, still staring at their picture, which she could now paint without another look. And Sinead appeared. Marly couldn't comprehend the image. She got to her feet and went up to the glass. The three wondered with crinkled foreheads.
'Oh my... Can't you see her? Oh my... I don't believe it...' she gasped at the glass in shock, but all they got were fish bubbles.
Marly banged. Sinead blinked.
*
Marly awoke in the middle of the morning. Every time she had a dream it caused her to sweat alot. The beads covered her entire body like a cat suit. Her eyes flashed open; she ripped off the bed sheets to reveal herself in a baggy white t-shirt and black shorts. She sat on the edge of the bed and ran her hands through her sweaty hair and rested them on her face in disbelief. Unknown to her was the fact that Alec had just walked through the door and was now standing in the doorframe of the bedroom, watching.
After about a minute, she dropped her hands to find him there.
"What's wid ya?" Alec asked with what seemed sincerity.
"Nothing." she replied quietly.
He sat down on the bed and wrapped his arm around her. She didn't protest, nor did she have a reason to do so. Alec seemed to be in a good mood and she didn't want to spoil it if she could help it. He stroked her sweaty hair with care, ignoring its sweatiness. He looked into her eyes, which made Marly calm. She hadn't felt this much affection for what seemed like a lifetime. It probably had something to do with the fact that she always pushed him away. She loved every second that passed as he gazed at her. Next, he moved in and kissed her. For the first moment she was learning to kiss again, and got into the rhythm.
The kiss lasted, and found them laying across the bed...
Marly advanced down the street. Bitter air filled her lungs and streamed through her body. Pure, was her mind, but flooded was her body. The rain had imprinted itself on every inch of her existence. Her feet endured the weight of useless flesh that clung to her bones, as they progressed on her journey. Peering up at where the moon would usually remain, only its side was visible. 'At least the stars are out', she thought. Focusing her view on them, she continued and found her self on route to Bluend.
Entering, she noticed several other paths leading in different directions. Only once had she been down those others, but her path, she had walked on many times. On her path, she watched her feet as if they were incredibly fascinating like a new gadget. Tonight she didn't sit on her bench and think into the lake, she thought into her feet and in her stride. Her thoughts were those of regret and hate, but settled when an idea coated her dislike of life.
She sighed loud enough that the nocturnal birds and animals near could hear. She spun on the spot, analysing her surroundings and her life all at once. She stopped, standing on the spot, she pulled up her saggy, soggy sleeve of her right and then left arm. She stared at her wrists and saw the scars of past depression.
Marly didn't end up leaving Bluend till the morning. Later than usual, she left with her clothes still half damp, but couldn't care less. She had long before forgotten a reason to care.
Along the sidewalk, her soaked trousers dragged and made a sound that only sensitive ears could hear. Her shoes clanked as each one of her footsteps hit the concrete. She passed many people; workers, mothers and even young adults. Probably from a nearby university. Always when she walked down a street in daylight, she faced the floor making her hair cover the front of her face.
Walking past a coffee shop, her attention was taken by the sound of someone tapping a window. She glanced in the direction of the window to find, the two men from the bar inside the shop. Both had blonde-brown hair and what looked like average height. One had blue-grey eyes and had a bit of a shadow, he wore a black funky t-shirt and a striped scarf. The other had green eyes and wore a striped shirt. They had been tapping the glass to get her to notice them and now they had seen her face, were gesturing her to come in and sit with them. In thought she questioned their motives, but quickly gave up against her depleted energy and went into the coffee shop.
By the time she got to where they were seated, there was a chair waiting for her. She looked at them both and they both looked back at her, unsure of what to say. One spoke up,
"You're shaking, would you like some coffee - cappuccino, espresso?"
"I haven't got any money." Marly replied as quiet as a mouse.
"No probs. I'm paying for Blake's too. What would you like?"
"Are you sure?" she continued quietly.
"Yeah. What do you want?"
"Just a coffee, thanks."
"Just a coffee? Do you want a flavoured coffee? - Like chocolate or nut or something?"
"Okay."
"Which?"
"Nut."
He looked at the coffee side of the menu by the counter, "I know, I'll get you a Conversation Colombia. It's what I drink sometimes. It's got a nutty taste. Is that okay?"
She nodded.
"Blake, what do you want?" He asked the other.
"A decaf espresso roast."
"You could have just said 'the usual'." And he walked off to the counter.
It was just Marly and the other guy. She remembered him from last night talking about Shakespeare.
"What's your name? He enquired gently.
"Marly. You?"
"It's Blake. And that's Jaiden."
Jaiden just set down Marly's cup of coffee, Blake's and his own, "what about me?"
"I was just telling Marly your name."
"Marly, cool name."
Jaiden went back over to the edge of the counter and the woman behind it, gave him a blanket. He strode back over to where Marly sat and placed it around her shoulders.
She mumbled a "thank you" as she took the first sip of her coffee.
Reaching the door of Alec's apartment, she placed her ear up to the door. She could hear sounds coming from the inside and realised they were Alec's and a mans'. She unlocked the door and opened it slowly hoping that she could enter unnoticed. Unfortunately, she could not.
"Hey babes! What's with da sheet?" Alec said, seeing her.
She looked from Alec to Lenny, who then said,
"Hey!"
She ignored Alec's question about the blanket and carried on into the bedroom.
At work, she was again serving drinks. Her expression was compiled of boredom and annoyance of doing what she does. But she felt partially saved when she saw two faces. She walked over to Jaiden and Blake as they motioned her over.
"Hello again." Jaiden said with a smile.
She nodded.
The next morning, as Marly walked back to the apartment after her routine trip to Bluend. Souvenirs of her trip ran down her face in the form of lines, those made from excessive crying. She also had droplets in her eyes, competing to fall off the edge. Their reason was that of prayer for Sinead.
As many suns passed over the sky, Marly's days were always the same. She would go to the woods for the day, or watch people in their own business. The night was occupied by her job. Every night it seemed, Jaiden and Blake would come by. On their second visit they brought their other friend with them. The one that had saved her. His name was Marshall. He was the same height as the rest, had blue eyes and brown hair.
*
She was trapped. There was inch-thick glass between her and the three. She was in a corner, and looked to her side. The walls were white and padded resembling those of a mental institution. Her one way to escape was so-to-speak, non-existent. The way out was on the other side of the glass on which, the three stood watching. They all in turn tried to communicate through the glass, but the lack of use of voice made it hard to understand what they asked. Marly stared back at them, jumping her focus from one to the other each time making sure she caught eye contact.
Time passed, but her only amusement was of their concern for her. She could see it in their eyes...especially Marshall's. From what Marly had seen of him, he seemed to be quite the worrier. But her judgement was that from what she had seen at the bar. She was now on the floor, still staring at their picture, which she could now paint without another look. And Sinead appeared. Marly couldn't comprehend the image. She got to her feet and went up to the glass. The three wondered with crinkled foreheads.
'Oh my... Can't you see her? Oh my... I don't believe it...' she gasped at the glass in shock, but all they got were fish bubbles.
Marly banged. Sinead blinked.
*
Marly awoke in the middle of the morning. Every time she had a dream it caused her to sweat alot. The beads covered her entire body like a cat suit. Her eyes flashed open; she ripped off the bed sheets to reveal herself in a baggy white t-shirt and black shorts. She sat on the edge of the bed and ran her hands through her sweaty hair and rested them on her face in disbelief. Unknown to her was the fact that Alec had just walked through the door and was now standing in the doorframe of the bedroom, watching.
After about a minute, she dropped her hands to find him there.
"What's wid ya?" Alec asked with what seemed sincerity.
"Nothing." she replied quietly.
He sat down on the bed and wrapped his arm around her. She didn't protest, nor did she have a reason to do so. Alec seemed to be in a good mood and she didn't want to spoil it if she could help it. He stroked her sweaty hair with care, ignoring its sweatiness. He looked into her eyes, which made Marly calm. She hadn't felt this much affection for what seemed like a lifetime. It probably had something to do with the fact that she always pushed him away. She loved every second that passed as he gazed at her. Next, he moved in and kissed her. For the first moment she was learning to kiss again, and got into the rhythm.
The kiss lasted, and found them laying across the bed...
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