IP: 79.71.208.69
Posted on January 10, 2010 at 00:15:01 AM by Starshine
Joanna Ridderbos Female 8 years old Short dark brown hair, muddy green-flecked (hazel) eyes, pale skin which gets a bit of gold tan with sun, but mainly freckles, determined jaw, short, compact, energetic, resentful. Starshine The woman put her sad moon-face close to Joey’s and kissed her gently. Joey wrapped her arms around her warm neck, but had to let go as the woman stood up, away from her. Joey leaned back in her seat and tried to make herself relax. The woman half smiled, and looked down at her. ‘That’s all right then.’ She slung her purse over her shoulder and walked away, her stride made uneven by her broken sandal thongs, thin elbows showing through holes in the oversized sweater, her jeans baggy and faded. Joey wanted some quiet to think, but the rain tapping on the waiting shelter’s roof was drowning out her thoughts. She thought about getting up to find somewhere quiet, but then she saw a new figure coming out of the rain towards her. It was too quick. She raised her chin, stared ahead as if she had every right to be where she was, as if she was waiting for something important, as if she knew where she was going. The figure moved closer. He was wearing an official’s uniform. He took his time getting to her, as if he was sure she’d wait, sure of his own strength to hold her, even at that distance. He moved like he thought she was afraid of him, too afraid to run. ‘Hey,’ the man said. His shirt was soaked from the rain, and his belly bulged in it like a dead weight in a wet sack. Joey didn’t answer, but she didn’t look away. He was heavy, out of shape. ‘Hey, kid,’ he said, as if she had shown signs of running and he needed to halt her. He had a pig-person’s face, a coarse skin that sagged at the jowls, little blue eyes and pale eyebrows, and a fat, pushed-back nose. Joey stood up out of her seat as he came nearer. ‘What’s your name, kid?’ ‘Joey.’ ‘What you doing here? Don’t you know boys and their dogs ought to be in Samaria?’ She felt funny, as if she’d lied to him about her name. It’s what everyone called her. She hadn’t known that about the boys – so that was where Jack had been taken. She shrugged. ‘I have to wait here, our dog’s died and this is where they’re sending the new one.’ He looked at her, and took out a flashlight. He shifted between his hands as if it were a club. ‘Are you bulling me?’ ‘I wish I was.’ He stared at her some more, ‘I can’t think of why I should believe you. Nope, now I come to think of it, I don’t think I do believe you. The only question in my mind is, what do I do with you?’ Joey thought fast, and then acted faster. She brought up her knee as if to him in the groin where she knew it would hurt bad, and he moved to protect himself. In that moment whilst he was off balance, Joey took off. She ran smoothly off the flattened earth, through the wet grass, his heavy breathing behind her, into the woods. She was used to running on sand, where it gave under your feet, and it was easier to run like this. She drew away from him, and kept running, rejoicing in taking her life into her own hands, in leaving Antipas. I can see a lot of life in you |
Replies:
- Accepted - By Pixie January 11, 2010 at 03:04:17 AM
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