Post by Aquisha on Feb 3, 2010 1:53:37 GMT -5
So first (as always with my posts) an explanation:
This was inspired by a few things: 1) I'm re-reading the glorious "Jane Eyre" and have just gotten to the climax of the events at Thornfield. This is kind of written with that prose style in mind, though God knows it will be a far, far cry from Bronte. 2) Vidia's newest story made me think about re-visiting the original plot line, working with parts of the story that we don't see. Sorry Elphie, I know it's not the post-spinny kiss story I promised, but that will come! 3) Zavi's point about Ariel crying in the movie in another thread had interested me and I wanted to work with that a little bit. 4) I just wanted to try something a little darker, a little sadder. You all know that's not usually what I write at all, so please let me know what you think because this is really foreign territory for me.
Lastly, I wrote a little more to this, but after I thought about it, I just loved this first part so much that I felt like anything coming after it would put a damper on it. So...that's that. Like I said, I'd love to hear back from you guys! Enjoy!
Even though her eyes were clouded with tears and the castle was still an alien labyrinth, she somehow made it back to her bed chamber. The second she crossed the threshold, Ariel turned and threw the door closed. She put her hands against the strong wood of the door, willing herself to stay upright, but it was no use. The shaking that she’d managed to control on the landing wouldn't be held back. Some twisting, contracting thing had grabbed hold of her stomach and was swiftly working its way up, seizing her chest and then her throat. In a moment, her new legs gave out on her as if, like the love she’d put so much faith in, their magic had ebbed away.
She caught herself on her hands and her thigh. It might have been painful but she really didn’t know. She couldn’t focus on the present at all; her thoughts were incoherent and compartmentalized, a series of pictures charged with too much past hope for her to bear. They were all of him. The more she thought of him asleep on the beach, him catching her from the rock, the way he’d danced with her and held her hand, the more she contracted into herself like some collapsing celestial body. And suddenly it struck her that she wasn’t just weeping, she was sobbing, crying outright, but there was no sound. She was expressing all of this anguish without the comfort of hearing it release from her. For the first time, Ariel was struck with the terrible reality of being without her voice. She felt the full pressure of the feelings that had no outlet. There were no cries, no wails, no sighs, and no words that could carry her pain away. Without her voice, she was inextricably bound to whatever she felt and would have to bear its weight alone. She finally understood the nightmarish price she’d paid to the sea witch.
She was still trembling at her silence when a small rap came on the door came.
“Ariel?” asked the small voice.
She didn’t move.
“Ariel, I heard what dey were saying down dere,” Sebastian continued. “It has to be a mistake, girl, an awful mistake! Dere has to be someting we can do! Maybe if we get de Prince to just see you, be wit you for a while…”
Ariel winced at the word “prince” and stopped listening entirely. That monosyllabic sound had jolted her world again. She tried her hardest to breathe evenly and focus on the little voice that was still talking.
“It will work out, I promise you dat Princess,” Sebastian continued. “Dis little crab hasn’t given up! …You can’t eider,” he added softly.
She was still gazing at the floor, but his last words made Ariel turn towards the door. She noticed that it took a moment before she heard the light scratching of his claws on the floor. She bit her lip. She felt so guilty for having Sebastian running about around all those humans for her sake. She couldn’t let him do that especially now when it was so futile.
Before she knew what she was doing, Ariel was struggling to make it back onto her feet. She had to go and find Sebastian and stop him from getting into any trouble. As soon as she was up she felt dizzy but strangely determined, given the fact that moments earlier she’d had no plan of ever leaving the floor. She was trying to control her breathing again when another knock came from the door. The sound was so unexpected it sent a shock through Ariel’s raw nerves.
“Ariel, dear, it’s Carlotta.”
Ariel knew she had no choice but to receive the woman so she wiped her face with both hands and staggered forward to open the door.
“Good morning…” Clearly, the sight of the little creature inside the room stopped the housekeeper instantly. Ariel had pressed her lips together in what could have been some semblance of a smile but it was forced and unsure. She couldn’t meet Carlotta’s gaze either; it was too painful to see the reflection of what she looked like in someone else’s countenance.
“Oh, sweetheart,” said the little woman, stepping into the room. She put either hand on Ariel’s arms. “My goodness, what happened? Is everything alright?”
Ariel started to nod the false affirmative but as she did her eyes started burning with tell-tale tears and instantly her hand moved to cover her face.
Carlotta had seen enough. She took to the girl up in an embrace and held her. Ariel didn’t make a move to pull away; she didn’t have the strength to. But she really wasn’t disquieted by the fact that Carlotta was relatively a stranger; the woman had the perception to see that she was upset and had done something to fix it. In that moment, Ariel felt that she might just love her for that.
After good while, Carlotta leaned back and looked at the girl. “Come on, honey, have a seat for me.” She led Ariel to the bed where they both took a seat. Ariel was trying to gather herself and give the good woman the full attention of her gaze if she could give nothing else.
“Oh, dear, I’m afraid I don’t know what’s wrong and I don’t know how you could tell me,” Carlotta said, brushing back a few stray hairs from Ariel’s face. “You were so happy yesterday, after you and Eric came back.”
At his name Ariel dissolved. Carlotta put her arm around Ariel’s shoulders. “Oh, honey...” Carlotta waited until Ariel could draw herself up. She held the girl in a look of delicate understanding and gently, she started again. “I imagine you had a very good time with him.” Ariel gave her a look so full of sadness and disgrace that Carlotta almost gasped. “Oh, Ariel, dear I’m so sorry.” Ariel lowered her gaze and dropped her head.
Carlotta paused for a moment, taking in the sight of this pitiful little girl. “I know it won’t be much consolation,” she started earnestly. “But I can promise that I’ll do everything in my power to take care of you and get you home.”
The last word hit Ariel with a force that threatened to break her. But as she looked up at Carlotta through her teary eyes she knew the woman had meant it to be a saving grace, a reprieve in the face of final judgment. It took all she had to press her lips into her little smile and nod. Carlotta smiled in turn, leaned back, reached into her pocket and drew out a kerchief which she used to dry Ariel’s face.
A small sound came from the doorway just then that turned both Ariel and Carlotta to it. There was a small maid standing there, looking very put-upon. “Carlotta, Sir Grimsby is saying that needs your help immediately with the preparations.”
“Tell Sir Grimsby that I’m occupied and I will be down to him within the hour. For now, he can get along with just Mildred, I’m sure.”
“Yes, ma’am,” said the little maid and she quickly scampered away.
Carlotta gave a deep sigh towards the doorway. “Now,” she said, looking at Ariel. “Let’s put you together, alright?”
And it was the woman’s beautiful sympathy and good nature that drew from Ariel a real smile.
This was inspired by a few things: 1) I'm re-reading the glorious "Jane Eyre" and have just gotten to the climax of the events at Thornfield. This is kind of written with that prose style in mind, though God knows it will be a far, far cry from Bronte. 2) Vidia's newest story made me think about re-visiting the original plot line, working with parts of the story that we don't see. Sorry Elphie, I know it's not the post-spinny kiss story I promised, but that will come! 3) Zavi's point about Ariel crying in the movie in another thread had interested me and I wanted to work with that a little bit. 4) I just wanted to try something a little darker, a little sadder. You all know that's not usually what I write at all, so please let me know what you think because this is really foreign territory for me.
Lastly, I wrote a little more to this, but after I thought about it, I just loved this first part so much that I felt like anything coming after it would put a damper on it. So...that's that. Like I said, I'd love to hear back from you guys! Enjoy!
****************************************************************************************
Even though her eyes were clouded with tears and the castle was still an alien labyrinth, she somehow made it back to her bed chamber. The second she crossed the threshold, Ariel turned and threw the door closed. She put her hands against the strong wood of the door, willing herself to stay upright, but it was no use. The shaking that she’d managed to control on the landing wouldn't be held back. Some twisting, contracting thing had grabbed hold of her stomach and was swiftly working its way up, seizing her chest and then her throat. In a moment, her new legs gave out on her as if, like the love she’d put so much faith in, their magic had ebbed away.
She caught herself on her hands and her thigh. It might have been painful but she really didn’t know. She couldn’t focus on the present at all; her thoughts were incoherent and compartmentalized, a series of pictures charged with too much past hope for her to bear. They were all of him. The more she thought of him asleep on the beach, him catching her from the rock, the way he’d danced with her and held her hand, the more she contracted into herself like some collapsing celestial body. And suddenly it struck her that she wasn’t just weeping, she was sobbing, crying outright, but there was no sound. She was expressing all of this anguish without the comfort of hearing it release from her. For the first time, Ariel was struck with the terrible reality of being without her voice. She felt the full pressure of the feelings that had no outlet. There were no cries, no wails, no sighs, and no words that could carry her pain away. Without her voice, she was inextricably bound to whatever she felt and would have to bear its weight alone. She finally understood the nightmarish price she’d paid to the sea witch.
She was still trembling at her silence when a small rap came on the door came.
“Ariel?” asked the small voice.
She didn’t move.
“Ariel, I heard what dey were saying down dere,” Sebastian continued. “It has to be a mistake, girl, an awful mistake! Dere has to be someting we can do! Maybe if we get de Prince to just see you, be wit you for a while…”
Ariel winced at the word “prince” and stopped listening entirely. That monosyllabic sound had jolted her world again. She tried her hardest to breathe evenly and focus on the little voice that was still talking.
“It will work out, I promise you dat Princess,” Sebastian continued. “Dis little crab hasn’t given up! …You can’t eider,” he added softly.
She was still gazing at the floor, but his last words made Ariel turn towards the door. She noticed that it took a moment before she heard the light scratching of his claws on the floor. She bit her lip. She felt so guilty for having Sebastian running about around all those humans for her sake. She couldn’t let him do that especially now when it was so futile.
Before she knew what she was doing, Ariel was struggling to make it back onto her feet. She had to go and find Sebastian and stop him from getting into any trouble. As soon as she was up she felt dizzy but strangely determined, given the fact that moments earlier she’d had no plan of ever leaving the floor. She was trying to control her breathing again when another knock came from the door. The sound was so unexpected it sent a shock through Ariel’s raw nerves.
“Ariel, dear, it’s Carlotta.”
Ariel knew she had no choice but to receive the woman so she wiped her face with both hands and staggered forward to open the door.
“Good morning…” Clearly, the sight of the little creature inside the room stopped the housekeeper instantly. Ariel had pressed her lips together in what could have been some semblance of a smile but it was forced and unsure. She couldn’t meet Carlotta’s gaze either; it was too painful to see the reflection of what she looked like in someone else’s countenance.
“Oh, sweetheart,” said the little woman, stepping into the room. She put either hand on Ariel’s arms. “My goodness, what happened? Is everything alright?”
Ariel started to nod the false affirmative but as she did her eyes started burning with tell-tale tears and instantly her hand moved to cover her face.
Carlotta had seen enough. She took to the girl up in an embrace and held her. Ariel didn’t make a move to pull away; she didn’t have the strength to. But she really wasn’t disquieted by the fact that Carlotta was relatively a stranger; the woman had the perception to see that she was upset and had done something to fix it. In that moment, Ariel felt that she might just love her for that.
After good while, Carlotta leaned back and looked at the girl. “Come on, honey, have a seat for me.” She led Ariel to the bed where they both took a seat. Ariel was trying to gather herself and give the good woman the full attention of her gaze if she could give nothing else.
“Oh, dear, I’m afraid I don’t know what’s wrong and I don’t know how you could tell me,” Carlotta said, brushing back a few stray hairs from Ariel’s face. “You were so happy yesterday, after you and Eric came back.”
At his name Ariel dissolved. Carlotta put her arm around Ariel’s shoulders. “Oh, honey...” Carlotta waited until Ariel could draw herself up. She held the girl in a look of delicate understanding and gently, she started again. “I imagine you had a very good time with him.” Ariel gave her a look so full of sadness and disgrace that Carlotta almost gasped. “Oh, Ariel, dear I’m so sorry.” Ariel lowered her gaze and dropped her head.
Carlotta paused for a moment, taking in the sight of this pitiful little girl. “I know it won’t be much consolation,” she started earnestly. “But I can promise that I’ll do everything in my power to take care of you and get you home.”
The last word hit Ariel with a force that threatened to break her. But as she looked up at Carlotta through her teary eyes she knew the woman had meant it to be a saving grace, a reprieve in the face of final judgment. It took all she had to press her lips into her little smile and nod. Carlotta smiled in turn, leaned back, reached into her pocket and drew out a kerchief which she used to dry Ariel’s face.
A small sound came from the doorway just then that turned both Ariel and Carlotta to it. There was a small maid standing there, looking very put-upon. “Carlotta, Sir Grimsby is saying that needs your help immediately with the preparations.”
“Tell Sir Grimsby that I’m occupied and I will be down to him within the hour. For now, he can get along with just Mildred, I’m sure.”
“Yes, ma’am,” said the little maid and she quickly scampered away.
Carlotta gave a deep sigh towards the doorway. “Now,” she said, looking at Ariel. “Let’s put you together, alright?”
And it was the woman’s beautiful sympathy and good nature that drew from Ariel a real smile.
