Status: Complete.
Ghost of You
12 : Desires
Everyone moved around, the commotion uncontrolled. The carts stood one next to another in a perfect line on either side of the black concrete. There was a single sign floating above every cart, unreadable red-neon words that seemed more like scribbles on a blue-neon backboard, with an orange-neon outline. Carnival lights decorated the poles holding the roofs of the carts, and around the outside of the carts themselves. The items in the carts were not on a stand, but inside, where you had to reach to pull the items out. I never saw a single item, because every person cradled them like precious gold to their breasts. Men would always withdraw money from their top hats. Ladies drew money from their high boots. It struck me as an odd marketplace of some sort.
I stood in the middle of the road, my head swinging wildly from side-to-side. Men passing by would lift their hats to solute me. They all looked scary, their faces hidden by shadows. That's when I saw it. A lone cart, distant in the background. No sign above it. Not next to any other carts. No lights decorated it. It seemed abandoned. I pushed through the crowd to it, my feet leaving concrete and stomping down on mulch. My breath stained the chilly air, shivers running up my arms. The voices from the road faded, only small murmurs now on the wind. I inspected the cart closer. The body of it had dents and holes, the wood of the cart chipped with splinters poking from everywhere I could see. It was missing the front-left wheel. Almost half of the roof was gone.
“HELLO!”
“ARGHHH!” I fell over, grabbing a fist-full of mulch.
A man had appeared from inside the cart, towering over me now. His top hat had a red ribbon tied around it, near the rim. He wore a black suit and a white tie. His eyes were hidden by the shadow of his hat. He grinned lopsided down at me. His legs were long, his dress shoes were scuffed. I put my hand over my chest, taking a deep breath to stop my heart from beating so hard. He stuck a hand down to me. I swallowed, searching for an expression on his face, but found none. Slowly, I reached and grabbed his calloused hand. He threw me to my feet, sending me in dizzy circles.
“My dear boy,” he said with a slight English drawl, “what brings you here?”
I shook my head to stop the ground from twirling beneath me. “I... don't know. Where am I?”
He reached up with a black cane that had appeared in his hand. He tapped my forehead with it. I sighed.
“I'm dreaming, aren't I?”
He nodded once. “In a sense.”
I raised my eyebrows at him. He did a small twirl, behind his cart now. He used his cane to tap once on the pole of the broken cart. The cart gave a jolt and I hopped back, making a small gasping noise. The cart suddenly folded out to a smooth, long, white table. He smiled down at me. Two black boxes, with pink ribbons tied around the middle, appeared in the center of the table. He leaned over the table, his breath hot in my ear.
“Tell me your desires,” he whispered.
I shivered, staring up at him. “My desires?” He nodded once. I shrugged my shoulders, and he frowned. “I don't know what exactly they are.”
He smiled, a small little part of his lips. “But I do. And in these boxes lay the consequences of the two paths of your main desire.” He patted the box on my right. “In this box lies a heart that can be obtained.” He patted the other box. “In this box lies death.”
I gaped at him. “Do I … have to choose one?”
He shook his head twice. “No.”
I glared at him. “Then what's this about?”
“Choice. The choice of words. You say the right thing, and this heart will be set free. Say the right thing, and your heart might be set free.”
“And that would lead to death?”
“Exactly.”
It took me a minute to take this in. “My death?”
He nodded his head once.
“What will the obtained heart do?”
He looked worried. “I can't tell you too much, some things you must figure out on your own.”
“Can you tell me the right thing to say?”
“No.”
“Then can you tell me how to figure this out?”
He tapped his chin with his index finger. “Look beyond belief.”
I glared at him. “Really? Is that it?” He reached over and clawed at my hand. “OW! What the heck was that for?” I shouted.
He smiled.
I stood in the middle of the road, my head swinging wildly from side-to-side. Men passing by would lift their hats to solute me. They all looked scary, their faces hidden by shadows. That's when I saw it. A lone cart, distant in the background. No sign above it. Not next to any other carts. No lights decorated it. It seemed abandoned. I pushed through the crowd to it, my feet leaving concrete and stomping down on mulch. My breath stained the chilly air, shivers running up my arms. The voices from the road faded, only small murmurs now on the wind. I inspected the cart closer. The body of it had dents and holes, the wood of the cart chipped with splinters poking from everywhere I could see. It was missing the front-left wheel. Almost half of the roof was gone.
“HELLO!”
“ARGHHH!” I fell over, grabbing a fist-full of mulch.
A man had appeared from inside the cart, towering over me now. His top hat had a red ribbon tied around it, near the rim. He wore a black suit and a white tie. His eyes were hidden by the shadow of his hat. He grinned lopsided down at me. His legs were long, his dress shoes were scuffed. I put my hand over my chest, taking a deep breath to stop my heart from beating so hard. He stuck a hand down to me. I swallowed, searching for an expression on his face, but found none. Slowly, I reached and grabbed his calloused hand. He threw me to my feet, sending me in dizzy circles.
“My dear boy,” he said with a slight English drawl, “what brings you here?”
I shook my head to stop the ground from twirling beneath me. “I... don't know. Where am I?”
He reached up with a black cane that had appeared in his hand. He tapped my forehead with it. I sighed.
“I'm dreaming, aren't I?”
He nodded once. “In a sense.”
I raised my eyebrows at him. He did a small twirl, behind his cart now. He used his cane to tap once on the pole of the broken cart. The cart gave a jolt and I hopped back, making a small gasping noise. The cart suddenly folded out to a smooth, long, white table. He smiled down at me. Two black boxes, with pink ribbons tied around the middle, appeared in the center of the table. He leaned over the table, his breath hot in my ear.
“Tell me your desires,” he whispered.
I shivered, staring up at him. “My desires?” He nodded once. I shrugged my shoulders, and he frowned. “I don't know what exactly they are.”
He smiled, a small little part of his lips. “But I do. And in these boxes lay the consequences of the two paths of your main desire.” He patted the box on my right. “In this box lies a heart that can be obtained.” He patted the other box. “In this box lies death.”
I gaped at him. “Do I … have to choose one?”
He shook his head twice. “No.”
I glared at him. “Then what's this about?”
“Choice. The choice of words. You say the right thing, and this heart will be set free. Say the right thing, and your heart might be set free.”
“And that would lead to death?”
“Exactly.”
It took me a minute to take this in. “My death?”
He nodded his head once.
“What will the obtained heart do?”
He looked worried. “I can't tell you too much, some things you must figure out on your own.”
“Can you tell me the right thing to say?”
“No.”
“Then can you tell me how to figure this out?”
He tapped his chin with his index finger. “Look beyond belief.”
I glared at him. “Really? Is that it?” He reached over and clawed at my hand. “OW! What the heck was that for?” I shouted.
He smiled.
♠ ♠ ♠
Woot ^-^ I really, really, REALLY hope I don't have writer's block on the next chapter. I'm sorry it took so long for this chapter, I was just uber-busy and couldn't think of anything to write.If you don't get it, Tomi was dreaming ;)
:EDIT: 4/5/10 - I took out the end of chapter 11 and changed the name of the chapter, and I also deleted chapter 13 because if I hadn't, this story would be going nowhere. I'm sorry if I'm confusing anyone with the story, I really hope I'm not!