Doll (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
freckleddoll) wrote2010-01-14 12:20 am
freckleddoll) wrote2010-01-14 12:20 am
Entry tags:
21 tightropes walked - dream vortex
[Slums. A deserted alleyway, dingy and dirty, not much to be seen but piles of refuse left lying around. And a small group huddled under a blanket, children, too young to be left on their own but alone all the same.
At a closer look there's more wrong with them than the dirt and hungry faces and torn scraps of clothing. A boy with one empty sleeve, and a boy and a girl with the remains of a leg wrapped in strips of cloth. An even smaller child with a partly burnt face being held by a boy too large for his age.
A dog runs around them, barking - Tiger, for those who'd recognize him, even though in the strange way of dreams, Doll clearly doesn't know him. The children are too miserable to pay him any attention.
And standing for a while in that alley, one will be able to hear the strain of circus music filtering in, perhaps even the reflection of bright lights.]
((ooc: the way the dream goes depends on what visitors do. Anyone welcome!))
At a closer look there's more wrong with them than the dirt and hungry faces and torn scraps of clothing. A boy with one empty sleeve, and a boy and a girl with the remains of a leg wrapped in strips of cloth. An even smaller child with a partly burnt face being held by a boy too large for his age.
A dog runs around them, barking - Tiger, for those who'd recognize him, even though in the strange way of dreams, Doll clearly doesn't know him. The children are too miserable to pay him any attention.
And standing for a while in that alley, one will be able to hear the strain of circus music filtering in, perhaps even the reflection of bright lights.]
((ooc: the way the dream goes depends on what visitors do. Anyone welcome!))
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[And that was the saving grace - this was a dream, she was pretty sure she could do it if she wanted to.]
And, no, I'm not really supposed to be here. But... neither are you.
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[The alley looks strangely brighter, the sound of music growing closer.]
But nowhere else'll take us... [But that doesn't seem to be quite true, because they're standing now, looking older and slighter better taken care of, even if still very poor. The two missing a leg are getting by on crutches, and they're all looking rather dumbfounded at the circus entrance in front of them.]
Come on, miss, we've got to go an' try out or Father'll be mad. [Doll takes Anna's hand, tugging anxiously and looking at her from her one good eye.]
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She let's Doll lead her on and she keeps her eyes open.]
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Doll lets go of Anna's hand, climbing up the ladder to the highwire. She takes a tentative step, arms stretched out for balance, but it's apparent she can't balance well, not without having any depth perception, and for what seems like a long moment tips over, falling, falling...
Except she's still up there, older now, in her circus costume. There's a young, broken body on the floor where she would have fallen, but even though it's about the size she'd been, the features are different.
But up on the tightwire, Doll seems oblivious to all of this.]
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How's the view up there?
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She sits on the wire when she hears Anna, waving down at her with a grin.]
S'pretty good!
[There's more activity all around them, knife-throwing and fire eating and animal taming, acrobats and trapeze artists and jugglers. But the only audience members are more children, dressed in the high class fashion of the time.]
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[She's still crouching by the body, trying to get a better look without having to actually touch it and trying to block out all the extra clamor. She looks back up.]
Hey, Doll? I think there was an accident, here. [She motioned to the body.] Do you know what happened?
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[She's very quick on her feet to climb back down again and rush to Anna, but draws back from the body on the floor, shocked.]
No, it ain't...it can't be...'e wouldn't...
[She shakes her head, turning her blind side towards the corpse.]
There's nothin'...there's nothin' there.
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[Her voice is stern, but still kind. There's something here Doll doesn't want to face and Anna doesn't want to hurt her, but she has to ask.]
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[It's really not something she wants to face.]
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[Anna's trying to understand, if it's important enough for Doll to dream like this, it's important enough for her to learn.]
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[she sinks to the floor]
Guess I knew there was somethin' really wrong with it.
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You didn't know - it's easy to miss things when we don't want to see them.
What did he do? Your father?
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[holding back a sob]
Could've been us...
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But it wasn't you, and you didn't know. You're a good person, Doll.
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I ain't. I aint!
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You are.
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You have to have... faith, I guess. That things can get better.
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Might get better for me. What 'bout them?
[reaches out a hand towards the dead girl but snatches it back just as quickly, as though she'd been burnt]
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All she can do is hold onto Doll and give her what comfort she can.]
We can't help them. But we can try and remember them, and not to repeat our mistakes.
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