Infection


"I dream in golds, shimmering rays of sunlight dappled with fairy dust." Lenora smiles and I almost feel sorry for her. "I dream in moonbeams."

Ray rolls up Lenora's left sleeve, ties a band around her upper arm, and places a red rubber ball in her hand. "Squeeze," he says, and she does.

The ball reminds me of that clown with the bright red nose and orange hair, two acute triangles protruding from either side of his head. "You remember Bozo, Ray?"


"Dude with the funny eyebrows? Smile the size of the Grand Canyon? He's Illegal now."

I put my hand in front of my face to hide the smile I'm sure is spreading there.

"You're not laughing, are you? Laughing is Forbidden."

"No." I rearrange my face, smooth out the lines, return to impassivity.

"Maybe your Transformation isn't complete."

"I dream of oceans blue and forests green," Lenora says, and her eyes have a dreamy look as she squeezes the red rubber ball in time with her words.

Ray tears open a syringe, flicks a finger against her arm like he's biffing the nose of a cat.

"Ouch," Lenora flinches. "What are you doing?"

"Got to get a vein." Ray allows an illegal grin to flash across his grimy teeth as he holds up the needle. "We're going to infect your dreams with bitterness and despair. Turn your star-shine into sorrow. We're going to grey your blues and chop down your forested dreams."

"Why?" Lenora has stopped squeezing the ball. Her eyes are wide.

"Dreaming is forbidden." Ray pinches Lenora's forearm, jams in the needle. She lets out an involuntary giggle. Nerves.

"Stop laughing," Ray says.

And Lenora does. Her eyes flutter and flicker and finally close.

But when Ray turns his back, she opens her eyes and gives me the signal.

I smile.

I smile broadly.

I am ready.

This was written for this week's Trifecta Writing Challenge.  The word was infect.



Labels:

Writing in the Margins, Bursting at the Seams: Infection

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Infection


"I dream in golds, shimmering rays of sunlight dappled with fairy dust." Lenora smiles and I almost feel sorry for her. "I dream in moonbeams."

Ray rolls up Lenora's left sleeve, ties a band around her upper arm, and places a red rubber ball in her hand. "Squeeze," he says, and she does.

The ball reminds me of that clown with the bright red nose and orange hair, two acute triangles protruding from either side of his head. "You remember Bozo, Ray?"


"Dude with the funny eyebrows? Smile the size of the Grand Canyon? He's Illegal now."

I put my hand in front of my face to hide the smile I'm sure is spreading there.

"You're not laughing, are you? Laughing is Forbidden."

"No." I rearrange my face, smooth out the lines, return to impassivity.

"Maybe your Transformation isn't complete."

"I dream of oceans blue and forests green," Lenora says, and her eyes have a dreamy look as she squeezes the red rubber ball in time with her words.

Ray tears open a syringe, flicks a finger against her arm like he's biffing the nose of a cat.

"Ouch," Lenora flinches. "What are you doing?"

"Got to get a vein." Ray allows an illegal grin to flash across his grimy teeth as he holds up the needle. "We're going to infect your dreams with bitterness and despair. Turn your star-shine into sorrow. We're going to grey your blues and chop down your forested dreams."

"Why?" Lenora has stopped squeezing the ball. Her eyes are wide.

"Dreaming is forbidden." Ray pinches Lenora's forearm, jams in the needle. She lets out an involuntary giggle. Nerves.

"Stop laughing," Ray says.

And Lenora does. Her eyes flutter and flicker and finally close.

But when Ray turns his back, she opens her eyes and gives me the signal.

I smile.

I smile broadly.

I am ready.

This was written for this week's Trifecta Writing Challenge.  The word was infect.



Labels:

9 Comments:

At March 20, 2013 at 4:10 PM , Blogger Renee said...

I so need to know more here!
I love the flow of this. The dreams.

 
At March 20, 2013 at 10:17 PM , Blogger Draug said...

Everything is forbidden--how do they manage? (:

 
At March 21, 2013 at 3:15 AM , Blogger Sandra Crook said...

Builds up beautifully. Good job.

 
At March 21, 2013 at 8:13 AM , Blogger Tara R. said...

You can't just end it there! More please.

 
At March 21, 2013 at 11:22 AM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

Oh, no- you juat can't leave the story like this! I want to know who the narrator is and what they have planned.

 
At March 21, 2013 at 5:39 PM , Blogger kymm said...

The opening line is just awesome.

 
At March 21, 2013 at 8:36 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

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At March 23, 2013 at 5:15 AM , Blogger VictoriaKP said...

I'm with some of the other commenters. This makes me want more.

 
At March 23, 2013 at 5:47 AM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

I LOVED this. I would read this story if it was two hundred more pages.

 

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