"Marianne," he says, "Would you mind telling me why you set Town Hall on fire?"
She thought upon the question for a moment, wondering if she should tell the truth or the designated lie.
"The records. I had to destroy the records before anyone found them." The truth flowed from her lips. He was her lawyer. She could not lie to him, not in good conscious.
"What records?" He asked.
"The birth of Joseph. He can never know that I am his true mother. The consequences would be devistating to him."
"In what way?"
"He's a good kid. How would he feel if he found out that his teacher, his favorite teacher, was actually his mother. He'd give up on his writing as a punishment to me. I know he would."
He ran his hands through his hair. The etching around his eyes grew deeper. He reached a hand to cover hers. He was also her lover.
"He has a right to know." He said with a tenderness normal only displayed in the bedroom.
"He doesn't. You best not tell him."
"Or what? Will you burn me down to ashes also?"
She thought upon the answer, but did not respond, afraid of what truth may be revealed.
"Marianne," he says, "Would you mind telling me why you set Town Hall on fire?"
“Wasn’t me.” Marianne was examining her pink fingernails. “Not my style and you know it. But I will say...it was pretty spectacular.”
“Glad to hear it. And yes, it was.” He drains his wine glass.
“You know, the old me would be insulted that you even asked, George.” Marianne removes his dinner plate and walks to the kitchen. “Hey honey, I forgot the ice cream. Please?” She gives him a sweet look.
“Sure. What kind do you want?” George grabs his car keys.
“Doesn’t matter, baby. It’s your choice.” She blows him a kiss. “Love you.”
Marianne watches the man she loves climb into his black Porsche.
"Marianne," he said, "Would you mind telling me why you set your Town Hall on fire?"
"Huh," said Marianne as she dropped a minion who shook his head when he landed on the game board before standing up and continuing to collect wood from the forests.
"Over there." Joseph levitated on his VR cloud over Marianne's cloud so he towered over her. He pointed at a pillar of black smoke rising from Marianne's town tile.
"Oh that, I need to raze the Town Hall so I can expand my basilica." Marianne smiled up at Joseph, she knew he wouldn't understand.
"Marianne, Marianne," he shook his head as he looked down at her, "You can't win without your Town Hall. This is going to be a cake stomp." Marianne looked down to stifle her laughter at his attempt to use a 20th century colloquialism. The kids these days thought they were into veracity. If Joseph had truly paid attention to history, he'd have known that the religious fanatics had lots of babies and always fought the hardest. Marian picked up another minion and dropped him on the basilica.
He peers at her over steepled fingers.
ReplyDelete"Marianne," he says, "Would you mind telling me why you set Town Hall on fire?"
She thought upon the question for a moment, wondering if she should tell the truth or the designated lie.
"The records. I had to destroy the records before anyone found them." The truth flowed from her lips. He was her lawyer. She could not lie to him, not in good conscious.
"What records?" He asked.
"The birth of Joseph. He can never know that I am his true mother. The consequences would be devistating to him."
"In what way?"
"He's a good kid. How would he feel if he found out that his teacher, his favorite teacher, was actually his mother. He'd give up on his writing as a punishment to me. I know he would."
He ran his hands through his hair. The etching around his eyes grew deeper. He reached a hand to cover hers. He was also her lover.
"He has a right to know." He said with a tenderness normal only displayed in the bedroom.
"He doesn't. You best not tell him."
"Or what? Will you burn me down to ashes also?"
She thought upon the answer, but did not respond, afraid of what truth may be revealed.
Cher, I like!
ReplyDeleteHe peers at her over steepled fingers.
ReplyDelete"Marianne," he says, "Would you mind telling me why you set Town Hall on fire?"
“Wasn’t me.” Marianne was examining her pink fingernails. “Not my style and you know it. But I will say...it was pretty spectacular.”
“Glad to hear it. And yes, it was.” He drains his wine glass.
“You know, the old me would be insulted that you even asked, George.” Marianne removes his dinner plate and walks to the kitchen. “Hey honey, I forgot the ice cream. Please?” She gives him a sweet look.
“Sure. What kind do you want?” George grabs his car keys.
“Doesn’t matter, baby. It’s your choice.” She blows him a kiss. “Love you.”
Marianne watches the man she loves climb into his black Porsche.
The explosion blows out the kitchen window.
Aha, I like yours more.
ReplyDeleteJoseph peered at her over steepled fingers.
ReplyDelete"Marianne," he said, "Would you mind telling me why you set your Town Hall on fire?"
"Huh," said Marianne as she dropped a minion who shook his head when he landed on the game board before standing up and continuing to collect wood from the forests.
"Over there." Joseph levitated on his VR cloud over Marianne's cloud so he towered over her. He pointed at a pillar of black smoke rising from Marianne's town tile.
"Oh that, I need to raze the Town Hall so I can expand my basilica." Marianne smiled up at Joseph, she knew he wouldn't understand.
"Marianne, Marianne," he shook his head as he looked down at her, "You can't win without your Town Hall. This is going to be a cake stomp." Marianne looked down to stifle her laughter at his attempt to use a 20th century colloquialism. The kids these days thought they were into veracity. If Joseph had truly paid attention to history, he'd have known that the religious fanatics had lots of babies and always fought the hardest. Marian picked up another minion and dropped him on the basilica.
Cher, I liked the way you envision Marianne's character. Deb, I like this, it reminds me of your Lulu & Lexi one as well.
ReplyDeleteAidanF - Different, I like different. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Cher!
ReplyDeleteAidan, this is really great. Your pieces are getting more and more interesting and creative! ;)