After Thought - Heather Small (best book club books for discussion TXT) 📗

Into the blue night frost haze

The tree tops seemed to bend in around me, crushing me or comforting me, I have no idea. The snow is crunching beneath my boots and the noise it makes fills my heart with fear. I am being too loud, to conspicuous. Something will hear me, find me.

But I can’t stop, if I do I will surely perish. Running is all I have ever known. “Get away before before they get you.” I can’t even remember now when I first heard those words – perhaps before I was even born.

My people have always been scared, weak, waiting for the trap to close around them, ending the pain that is our existence. My mind runs and my feet follow suite. I don’t know where I am going, but hopefully I will soon reach the place where my body can rest at least for a little while. Only a few precious hours of sleep is what I will be allowed, but I will welcome them gratefully.

Time is of the essence because darkness has fallen and my senses are becoming dulled by the cold and fear. But I simply continue on into the blue night frost haze.

Losing control

It doesn’t seem so bad once you let the anger and rage overtake your body. The lightening shooting through your bones again and again suddenly feels nice, comforting. I can feel the atmosphere around me change from uncomfortable to outright terror.

They had pushed me too far and now I was going to have my say, my voice would be the one they cringed at, cowered under. As I catch a glimpse of myself in a nearby mirror, I am taken aback. Red eyes glow out of their too white, too round sockets.

“Stop!” My mind shouted. “Don’t do this!”

We had worked too hard to let me be the one who brought my family to its knees. I would not be the destruction of their hopes and dreams because I could not hold my tongue. I was raised better. Much better.

“What’s wrong, freak? You scared?” They sneer at me through hated-filled eyes.

I let a laugh slide silently through my teeth as they glare at me. I would never be scared of them. What they didn’t know is that if I allowed myself to move, even but an inch, they would be the ones who were scared. I settle myself back in the hard, plastic chair and grin, widely enough to let them know exactly what I am.

They cower. I laugh.

It's who you met at a party

My green gown glitters around me as he flings me gently across the hardwood floor. The music is familiar, so my body moves with its beat easily. And as he reaches for my hand to bring my twirl to a close, a happy sigh slips from my lips.

The year is 1865 and the war has just come to a close, bringing soldiers home from every direction. A ball to celebrate their safe return was a gesture given by the richest of the town, including my father. The man before me is handsome, almost too handsome. Like a dream or fantasy standing in front of me, his ice blue eyes stare willing my soul to dance for him.

“May I have the pleasure of another dance My Lady?” He whispers his question, so only my ears may hear.

So many thoughts scramble through my mind until suddenly he captures my gaze and everything goes blank.

“Dance with me my love.” The words gently slide across my mind. “Dance with me forever.”

Then I am in his arms, unaware of when I stepped so close to the dark stranger.

“Yes.” I hear my own voice echo in my ears, but can not understand where it came from.

His lips spread into a wide grin exposing two abnormally sharp cuspids; fangs. Gasping, I want to scream for help, but can not gather the breath, nor separate myself from his grasp. I attempt to struggle as he pulls me closer into his embrace.

“Forever.” Again I hear myself speak as the darkness constricts around me. “Forever.”

This is where I went wrong

The doorbell rings and I rise from my chair to answer it. My first instinct is to look through the tiny peep-hole to see who would be gracing my step at his hour, but the cold air tore at my exposed skin, begging for reprieve and I wanted this confrontation over.

This is where I went wrong.

Slowly, I unhook the silver bracket barring the entrance, then everything went black. I awoke to the soft hum of an old radio.

“Her majesty announces a feast in celebration of the recent capture of the known…”

After a second, I stopped listening and tried to focus on my surroundings. It was cold and dark, but there was light enough for me to notice that my blue dress, along with my white pinafore had not been handled with care. Flicking a stray blonde lock from my face, I re-fastened the black bow that holds them back.

As I stood to investigate, a door in the far corner opened suddenly, flooding the room with light. A strange sound emanated from the newly opened portal: click, click, click. Then the sound came to an abrupt stop.

When my eyes finally adjusted to the exposure, they settled on a small, plump woman in a blood-red dress. The huge crown perched on her rather large head sparkled with an evil shine.

“The Red Queen?!?” I blurted out in fear, as I backed away.

She smiled cruelly, “Welcome back, Alice, we’ve been expecting you.”

Aftershock of the full moon

Darkness.
I can feel it, smell it.

What is going on?

Something doesn’t feel right. My hand comes into view, covered in blood and I suddenly remember.

Everything was so quiet, so foreboding, now that I think about it. We could hear them shuffling past the thin bushes outside of camp, but that was nothing new. Low growls emanated from the shadowed corners around the tents and every now and then a glipse of dark red would swish by right outside of the fire light.

The smaller children had not yet gotten used to the nightly visitors and maybe that was what led to our downfall. A small string of bloody, horrifying images flew through my mind and I sat up with a scream.

“Are you okay, Kenly?” I hear the small voice call my name, but my eyes can’t find it’s owner.

Shifting, I pull myself up on my knees and I see them. Thirteen scared children staring at me with red-rimmed eyes.

“Kenly, please help us,” The plump blonde one, Rakel, screams the words at me.

I shake my head and look around. “Where are the adults?” I ask, still a bit confused. “Where is Nani?”

My own mother was no where in site and fear overwhelmed my heart. Slowly, I stood as my question caused loud yelps to flow from the small children.

“Stay here,” I said, hiding my blood-covered hands. “I’ll go see what’s happened.”

A scream suddenly erupted from the back of the tiny crowd. “Please don’t leave us!” It was the tiny red-headed girl, Zana.

Tossing her a fake smile, I continue to the mouth of the cave.

Blood. Human limbs. Bodies.

They were everywhere. I gasp as I realize we are the only survivors. The demons had finally come.

Containing my fear, I turn back to my new responsibilities.

“Listen,” I stood straight, brave. “We will be alright. We are together.”

And his red hair lit the wall

It was him.

I can’t believe I missed it. the clues were obvious, I should have seen it sooner. Things might not have turned out the same if I had. I let the way he talked, moved his lips influence my judgment.

Stupid. Unforgivably stupid.

And he knew it. The whole time he knew I was distracted; off my game. But it doesn’t matter. I will still catch him. I will still do my job. By night’s end, he will be in the hands of the Yard or I will be at death’s door.

In the end, it only made things worse for him because now, I’m mad. And when