Writing Prompt: Coming Home, #2

[shadesong]

What Tessa noticed first was the quiet. It was something she prayed for on ordinary days, but with this crowd, it was definitely cause for concern. She twisted around and looked toward the back of the van.

The boys looked uncommonly sober, but it was Julia who drew the eye. Gregarious, intermittently hostile Julia... absolutely silent. Pale. Looking like she'd been kicked in the stomach. Clutching Lyric's hand like a lifeline. The boys' eyes were locked onto Julia, Julia's out the window, Lyric's on Tessa. Pleading.

Tessa cleared her throat. "Julia. Are you okay?"

Julia blinked, turning slowly. Her eyes seemed to take up her whole face, wide and dark and haunted. "I don't want to go."

"We... have to, honey."

She shook her head. "It's pulling at me. It's filling me up."

She's scared. How long has it been since Julia's been scared?

"It's okay. You'll see when we get there. It's just... memory."

"It's too much. It's too many people, it's too much - there's ivy on the walls. I shouldn't know that. I see this random-ass shit, I see railings - I see people - my head is too full of this. And there's going to be more. I don't want to go."

"We can't un-do this."

"I know. I - I don't want to be this thing that you want me to be."

"You are the Lishaya whether you ever set foot in Shayara or not. You are the Lishaya even if you run away now and never see another Dasaroi again."

"I know," Julia whispered. And then: "Look. The gates."

The gates rose in front of them... massive, fog-shrouded. Strange to think that those without Dasaroi blood would just drive right by...

Julia gave a shuddery sigh. "The gates. And right inside, the mural they painted. And the Library. Fuck, I remember the Library. I don't want this. I don't want this."

At the border now. "Are you ready?"

"No." Head down. Another shuddery sigh, and she threw her head back; eyes closed, jaw clenched. Opened her eyes. "Fuck. Okay. Drive."

Comments

[jnanacandra.livejournal.com]

This. Is awesome.

I'm not sure what about it hit me so much harder than usual - but Julia is just so *real* in this bit. I love it!

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

Phew. Thank you. Was wondering if anyone cared about this one... *laugh*

Coming home is a happy thing for Jessa. There's a tiny bit of trepidation in it for Shawn, but mostly excitement. For Julia.... it's scary.

[ian-gunn.livejournal.com]

I did not have time the last couple of days to read the Shayara posts. I caught up with them last night. I am enjoying these little vignettes. Now if I can just get to a store that is carrying the anthology...

[shadesong.livejournal.com]

Thanks. :) Hold off til I can verify that it's Actually In Stores; I'm still hearing reports that it's on backorder...

[ian-gunn.livejournal.com]

I called to the two better stocked local stores and they do not have it yet. One of them normally will have a few issues of it, supposedly.

[moniqueleigh]

Wow. Just... Yeah. I get it.

Both pieces are good. But it's late, so I'm only replying to the one. :)