Venus in the Morning
folder
Angst › General
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
2
Views:
647
Reviews:
0
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
Angst › General
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
2
Views:
647
Reviews:
0
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of characters to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. The Author holds exclusive rights to this work. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited.
Venus in the Morning
A couple of extracts from a much larger story I have in the works.
A secret held too late.
A betrayal unforgiven.
A love unforgotten.
---
The tail end of night is a cold, lonely place. Too late to sleep, too soon to rise. A place of shadow and the unwanted presence of your own company. A suspended moment in time, laced with the frightening possibility of lasting forever. Of course, nothing ever lasted forever ... But at 4:00am, that god-awful time between this world and eternity, sometimes it seemed like it might.
Deika sighed heavily, her breath fanning out to fog the window, obscuring her reflection. Unintentional, but definitely not unwelcome. She couldn't stand looking at herself right now. A coward who couldn't even meet her own eyes. Pathetic. No arguments here.
Behind her, the hotel room was a study in shadow and unenthusiastic yellow light. The light spilled out of the lamp on the bedside table, slid across the rumpled sheets, picked out deep cracks in the ceiling, turned the windows to black mirrors. It banished the darkness to the corners of the room, disguised the stains on the carpet and peeling paint on the walls. And with its similarity to the dim lights aboard the 'Promise', it made Deika feel further from home than ever.
She hated it here. Really, truly hated it. The city was dragging her down. She could almost physically feel the chains wrapping around her ankles, binding her to the ground. There were too many people, too much heartbreak, the buildings too tall. And the sky was too small. If she stuck her head out the window, Deika knew she'd be able to see only a tiny square of sky. Her whole world, condensed to a miserable dark square that could fit into the palm of her hand. There weren't even any stars to wish upon.
Gods, how depressing. Deika scowled and turned away from the window, her vivid green eyes coming to rest on the half empty bottle of vodka sitting by the bed. Yeah. This stupid melancholic mood was definitely the alcohol's fault. Easier to place the blame on something that couldn't argue than to admit her own faults. Drunken ramblings she could live with. Heart truths were another matter entirely. The night already knew most of her secrets, but there were some things Deika wasn't prepared to admit, even to herself. Cowardly, yes. That, at least, she could admit.
Running a hand through her shaggy pink hair, she shuffled across the worn carpet and sat down beside the bed. Long, bare legs stretched out in front of her, pale skin gilded by the lamp light. Her toes blurred as she wiggled them, testament to her drunken state. She should really try and get some sleep, but ...
"Fuck it .."
She was going to be hung over tomorrow anyway. Might as well make it count.
The lid was off and the bottle in her hand before she realised what she was doing. Fire burned down her throat and she screwed up her face at the taste. Urgh .. Hell, she hated this shit. But it was all she had, and she definitely didn't have the energy to go out for more. Another forced swallow. The vodka was only here because Sabine had left it behind last week. That deceitful, cold hearted, backstabbing bitch. Another swallow, this time without grimacing.
She wondered what Sabine was doing right now ... If there was any sort of justice in the world, the harpy would be lying in a gutter somewhere, choking on her own tongue. A fitting end. Unheeded, unlamented. Maybe she should call her ... Deika's upper lip curled and she took a long swallow of vodka to drown the sudden ache in her heart. No. No fucking way. She was not worried about Sabine, and she sure as hell didn't miss her. She didn't need anyone. The night and this foul tasting vodka were all the company she needed.
Outside, the first smattering of raindrops danced across the window; a gentle, soothing beat. Deika closed her eyes, her head falling back to rest against the mattress.
The moment had passed. Time flowed naturally once again, as though the onset of rain had broken the spell of 4:00am. The night was just the night. It wouldn't last forever. Nothing ever lasted forever ...
A secret held too late.
A betrayal unforgiven.
A love unforgotten.
---
The tail end of night is a cold, lonely place. Too late to sleep, too soon to rise. A place of shadow and the unwanted presence of your own company. A suspended moment in time, laced with the frightening possibility of lasting forever. Of course, nothing ever lasted forever ... But at 4:00am, that god-awful time between this world and eternity, sometimes it seemed like it might.
Deika sighed heavily, her breath fanning out to fog the window, obscuring her reflection. Unintentional, but definitely not unwelcome. She couldn't stand looking at herself right now. A coward who couldn't even meet her own eyes. Pathetic. No arguments here.
Behind her, the hotel room was a study in shadow and unenthusiastic yellow light. The light spilled out of the lamp on the bedside table, slid across the rumpled sheets, picked out deep cracks in the ceiling, turned the windows to black mirrors. It banished the darkness to the corners of the room, disguised the stains on the carpet and peeling paint on the walls. And with its similarity to the dim lights aboard the 'Promise', it made Deika feel further from home than ever.
She hated it here. Really, truly hated it. The city was dragging her down. She could almost physically feel the chains wrapping around her ankles, binding her to the ground. There were too many people, too much heartbreak, the buildings too tall. And the sky was too small. If she stuck her head out the window, Deika knew she'd be able to see only a tiny square of sky. Her whole world, condensed to a miserable dark square that could fit into the palm of her hand. There weren't even any stars to wish upon.
Gods, how depressing. Deika scowled and turned away from the window, her vivid green eyes coming to rest on the half empty bottle of vodka sitting by the bed. Yeah. This stupid melancholic mood was definitely the alcohol's fault. Easier to place the blame on something that couldn't argue than to admit her own faults. Drunken ramblings she could live with. Heart truths were another matter entirely. The night already knew most of her secrets, but there were some things Deika wasn't prepared to admit, even to herself. Cowardly, yes. That, at least, she could admit.
Running a hand through her shaggy pink hair, she shuffled across the worn carpet and sat down beside the bed. Long, bare legs stretched out in front of her, pale skin gilded by the lamp light. Her toes blurred as she wiggled them, testament to her drunken state. She should really try and get some sleep, but ...
"Fuck it .."
She was going to be hung over tomorrow anyway. Might as well make it count.
The lid was off and the bottle in her hand before she realised what she was doing. Fire burned down her throat and she screwed up her face at the taste. Urgh .. Hell, she hated this shit. But it was all she had, and she definitely didn't have the energy to go out for more. Another forced swallow. The vodka was only here because Sabine had left it behind last week. That deceitful, cold hearted, backstabbing bitch. Another swallow, this time without grimacing.
She wondered what Sabine was doing right now ... If there was any sort of justice in the world, the harpy would be lying in a gutter somewhere, choking on her own tongue. A fitting end. Unheeded, unlamented. Maybe she should call her ... Deika's upper lip curled and she took a long swallow of vodka to drown the sudden ache in her heart. No. No fucking way. She was not worried about Sabine, and she sure as hell didn't miss her. She didn't need anyone. The night and this foul tasting vodka were all the company she needed.
Outside, the first smattering of raindrops danced across the window; a gentle, soothing beat. Deika closed her eyes, her head falling back to rest against the mattress.
The moment had passed. Time flowed naturally once again, as though the onset of rain had broken the spell of 4:00am. The night was just the night. It wouldn't last forever. Nothing ever lasted forever ...