‹ Prequel: Jane Doe
Jane Doe
..
A little girl named Jane stands in the window frame; waiting to finally be seen.
In the eyes of society she was the perfect child. A girl to be seen not heard, One who knew that she was not to trouble Papa when he was working, to leave Mama be while she was embroidering the pillowslips. Surely, the governess and the maids would keep her out of trouble. Her parents did not pay them so highly simply to fold clothes and read books. She would most definitely be fine so long as the maids were hired and the governess employed.
She never caused trouble to the maids. Her pretty dresses always remained clean, and she never lost her ribbons in the mud like that Smithson girl, and she was not one to ask anyone for anything.
She never caused trouble to the governess. Her knowledge of math, science and literature far excelled her years, but she kept this to herself, as to not disturb the lesson plans laid out at the beginning of her tutoring.
She was an exceptional child; a child with love and grace, and an almost unbelievable beauty for one so young. She was alone. It wasn't their job to care for her; that's what her parents were for. Naturally, she would be fine so long as her mother and father were close at hand. The maids and the governess were busy with other duties, and the stable hand and the butler were hardly expected to supervise a small girl child such as her.
Jane had forever been alone but her constant companion prevented loneliness. She found a joy in him that people would never offer her. Many a day was spent on the riverbank surrounded by lush green shelters of fern and soft, convenient beds of moss with a small black bear with slightly lopsided stuffing.
Children used to wander past with curious judging eyes. Surely when their parents had mentioned the Doe girl they didn't mean this black haired, blue eyed shade of a girl. The Doe girl, they had reasoned, probably never left the confines of her parents’ home on the hill and if she was to remain so aloof then the children of the village wanted nothing more to do with her. This girl at the riverside was simply a constant that had been by the riverside talking cheerfully to a bear for as far back as they could remember. She was probably the ghost of a girl lost at sea who had floated aimlessly down channels and rivulets till she crawled on shore driven mad by her haunting journey. Even if she weren't a shade of the past, she was a stranger and one who talked to the air as if it talked back. No, the children of that village would have nothing to do with her. They would walked past quickly and focus on thoughts of home to keep them safe from her pale ghostly form.
Teddy was all Jane had and all Jane ever wanted existed in the silent, listening bear.
She loved him quite dearly and, had Teddy been animate, he may have even have loved her back.
Jane, however, had been careless.
One happy day, there rang out a large frightful splash. Jane had reached into the river after Teddy, but he was too far away; swept too quickly for her tiny arm span to have the time to rescue him.
Jane could see Teddy in the middle of the stream and she decided.
Another splash sounded in her small green fairyland.
The little girl's white embroidered dress was soon soaked with chilly water, and her little red hair ribbons floated on its surface. Her lips were blue and purple as she struggled valiantly against the tides. Her Teddy, her constant and abiding Teddy, was swept further and further away.
In a sudden burst of strength a pale hand stretched out to Teddy, and white, delicate fingers wrapped around the stuffed toy's ankle. Jane was sated, she had all she needed. She could wait here forever, under the beautiful electric waters in her wonderland world, or in the old sanctuary that was her home, so long as she had her Teddy.
She clutched Teddy to her chest and sank beneath the surging waves, a small smile playing on her lips. Jane was happy at last.
Her mother, standing at the end of the stream, saw a little red ribbon float past her on the surface, drifting and twirling in the currents and eddies that had pulled her daughter peacefully past underneath the dark swelling rapids. She sighed, and shook her head.
"That Smithson girl."
And so, she waits.
In the eyes of society she was the perfect child. A girl to be seen not heard, One who knew that she was not to trouble Papa when he was working, to leave Mama be while she was embroidering the pillowslips. Surely, the governess and the maids would keep her out of trouble. Her parents did not pay them so highly simply to fold clothes and read books. She would most definitely be fine so long as the maids were hired and the governess employed.
She never caused trouble to the maids. Her pretty dresses always remained clean, and she never lost her ribbons in the mud like that Smithson girl, and she was not one to ask anyone for anything.
She never caused trouble to the governess. Her knowledge of math, science and literature far excelled her years, but she kept this to herself, as to not disturb the lesson plans laid out at the beginning of her tutoring.
She was an exceptional child; a child with love and grace, and an almost unbelievable beauty for one so young. She was alone. It wasn't their job to care for her; that's what her parents were for. Naturally, she would be fine so long as her mother and father were close at hand. The maids and the governess were busy with other duties, and the stable hand and the butler were hardly expected to supervise a small girl child such as her.
Jane had forever been alone but her constant companion prevented loneliness. She found a joy in him that people would never offer her. Many a day was spent on the riverbank surrounded by lush green shelters of fern and soft, convenient beds of moss with a small black bear with slightly lopsided stuffing.
Children used to wander past with curious judging eyes. Surely when their parents had mentioned the Doe girl they didn't mean this black haired, blue eyed shade of a girl. The Doe girl, they had reasoned, probably never left the confines of her parents’ home on the hill and if she was to remain so aloof then the children of the village wanted nothing more to do with her. This girl at the riverside was simply a constant that had been by the riverside talking cheerfully to a bear for as far back as they could remember. She was probably the ghost of a girl lost at sea who had floated aimlessly down channels and rivulets till she crawled on shore driven mad by her haunting journey. Even if she weren't a shade of the past, she was a stranger and one who talked to the air as if it talked back. No, the children of that village would have nothing to do with her. They would walked past quickly and focus on thoughts of home to keep them safe from her pale ghostly form.
Teddy was all Jane had and all Jane ever wanted existed in the silent, listening bear.
She loved him quite dearly and, had Teddy been animate, he may have even have loved her back.
Jane, however, had been careless.
One happy day, there rang out a large frightful splash. Jane had reached into the river after Teddy, but he was too far away; swept too quickly for her tiny arm span to have the time to rescue him.
Jane could see Teddy in the middle of the stream and she decided.
Another splash sounded in her small green fairyland.
The little girl's white embroidered dress was soon soaked with chilly water, and her little red hair ribbons floated on its surface. Her lips were blue and purple as she struggled valiantly against the tides. Her Teddy, her constant and abiding Teddy, was swept further and further away.
In a sudden burst of strength a pale hand stretched out to Teddy, and white, delicate fingers wrapped around the stuffed toy's ankle. Jane was sated, she had all she needed. She could wait here forever, under the beautiful electric waters in her wonderland world, or in the old sanctuary that was her home, so long as she had her Teddy.
She clutched Teddy to her chest and sank beneath the surging waves, a small smile playing on her lips. Jane was happy at last.
Her mother, standing at the end of the stream, saw a little red ribbon float past her on the surface, drifting and twirling in the currents and eddies that had pulled her daughter peacefully past underneath the dark swelling rapids. She sighed, and shook her head.
"That Smithson girl."
And so, she waits.
♠ ♠ ♠
a rewrite of an old oneshot. I reckon this is a lot better then the first which seemed to just end up somewhere without the actual getting there part.like an apparating plot.
XO BELLA