Status: Complete
Wild Child: Love Cannot Save You Part 1
We're On Our Way
Even under the influence of the narcotic draught, Caroline read eagerly, taking in the words on the page in front of her, of which songs of all primitive men and peoples speak, or with the potent coming of spring that penetrates all nature with joy, these Dionysian emotions awake, and as they grow in intensity everything subjective vanishes into complete self-forgetfulness
“Wow,” she breathed, letting the words sink in. From the way Jim had described Nietzsche’s theories, she had believed that she would very much enjoy the book he had given her. And she was extremely pleased to see that she had not been mistaken. She was already halfway through, devouring his words like a starving animal.
In the German Middle Ages, too, she continued, singing and dancing crowds, ever increasing in number, whirled themselves from place to place under this same Dionysian impulse.
A knock at the door pulled her out of her thoughts, and she reluctantly marked the page she was on before closing the book in front of her.
Before she could tell him to come in, Phil had entered, and was moving to sit on the bed beside her.
“Most people wait for a response before barging into someone’s room you know,” said Caroline.
“You didn’t say anything. I figured it was safe,” he replied. “Car, can we talk?”
“Do I have a choice?”
“Not particularly,” he managed a half smile.
“Caroline,” he started, “I know you think I’m being unfair, and maybe I am being a bit overprotective. But I’m your brother. It’s my job to try and protect you. And I’m telling you there’s something off about-“
“Don’t say it, Phil,” she warned.
“Caroline, please just listen to me-“
“Why should I?” she asked, “I’m old enough to make my own decisions, Phillip. If what you’re saying is true then I’ll find out for myself. But you have to let me make my own mistakes. I’m not a child.”
“No,” he sighed, “you’re not a child. But you are my little sister and I don’t want to see you get hurt.”
“Sometimes,” said Caroline, “the best way to learn and to grow is to make mistakes. Do you want me to be a sheltered little girl for the rest of my life? Even if I am making a mistake right now, I’ll learn from it. And besides,” she grinned, “you don’t really live unless you take risks.”
“You’re much too wise, you know that?”
“Yeah,” she giggled, “I am quite the genius aren’t I?”
“I wouldn’t go that far,” he laughed, playfully nudging her.
“Don’t worry about me,” said Caroline, resting her head on her brother’s shoulder, “I’ll be okay. And besides, we’ll always have each other. No matter what.”
“I know-“ Phil started, but was cut off by the sound of something small hitting the window.
“What was that?” He asked.
*Bam* There it was again.
“I don’t know,” said Caroline, looking down to see where the noise was coming from.
She couldn’t believe her eyes. Standing below her window, throwing what looked to be small rocks or pebbles, was Jim. He seemed to be able to see that he had gotten her attention, and began motioning for her to come down.
“I’ll be right back,” she told her brother, jumping to her feet and quickly throwing on a black coat.
“Caroline-“ he began.
“Life’s about risks, Phil, remember?” she grinned, heading out the door. And before he could respond, she was outside, surrounded by the chill night air.
“Hey,” she called out, making her way towards him, “this is a surprise. What are you doing here?”
“Just wanted to see how you were doing.”
“So you walked to my house at eleven o’clock at night?” she raised an eyebrow.
“Well, actually,” if it wasn’t so dark out she could have sworn he was blushing, “I was wondering if you wanted to come with me to Washington tomorrow? There are a few books that I’ve been meaning to get.”
“Sure!” she said, “I’d love to!”
“Have you read the Nietzsche I gave you yet?” He asked.
“Yeah! I’m actually almost done with it. What he’s saying is just so true, you know? We all just live in this perfect plastic society, but we’re not really living. In order to really live, we have to embrace the dark side of life.”
“I thought you’d like it,” he smiled.
“I love it,” she said, “and I’d love to read more if you wouldn’t mind loaning them to me.”
“I wouldn’t mind in the slightest,” Jim grinned, “you know when I first met you, I knew you’d appreciate his work. Most people don’t even understand it. But you…you’re different.” He let his eyes linger on her for a moment longer, before turning to walk away.
“I’ll see you tomorrow.” He called before disappearing into the darkness.
“See you,” she said, long after he’d gone.
“Wow,” she breathed, letting the words sink in. From the way Jim had described Nietzsche’s theories, she had believed that she would very much enjoy the book he had given her. And she was extremely pleased to see that she had not been mistaken. She was already halfway through, devouring his words like a starving animal.
In the German Middle Ages, too, she continued, singing and dancing crowds, ever increasing in number, whirled themselves from place to place under this same Dionysian impulse.
A knock at the door pulled her out of her thoughts, and she reluctantly marked the page she was on before closing the book in front of her.
Before she could tell him to come in, Phil had entered, and was moving to sit on the bed beside her.
“Most people wait for a response before barging into someone’s room you know,” said Caroline.
“You didn’t say anything. I figured it was safe,” he replied. “Car, can we talk?”
“Do I have a choice?”
“Not particularly,” he managed a half smile.
“Caroline,” he started, “I know you think I’m being unfair, and maybe I am being a bit overprotective. But I’m your brother. It’s my job to try and protect you. And I’m telling you there’s something off about-“
“Don’t say it, Phil,” she warned.
“Caroline, please just listen to me-“
“Why should I?” she asked, “I’m old enough to make my own decisions, Phillip. If what you’re saying is true then I’ll find out for myself. But you have to let me make my own mistakes. I’m not a child.”
“No,” he sighed, “you’re not a child. But you are my little sister and I don’t want to see you get hurt.”
“Sometimes,” said Caroline, “the best way to learn and to grow is to make mistakes. Do you want me to be a sheltered little girl for the rest of my life? Even if I am making a mistake right now, I’ll learn from it. And besides,” she grinned, “you don’t really live unless you take risks.”
“You’re much too wise, you know that?”
“Yeah,” she giggled, “I am quite the genius aren’t I?”
“I wouldn’t go that far,” he laughed, playfully nudging her.
“Don’t worry about me,” said Caroline, resting her head on her brother’s shoulder, “I’ll be okay. And besides, we’ll always have each other. No matter what.”
“I know-“ Phil started, but was cut off by the sound of something small hitting the window.
“What was that?” He asked.
*Bam* There it was again.
“I don’t know,” said Caroline, looking down to see where the noise was coming from.
She couldn’t believe her eyes. Standing below her window, throwing what looked to be small rocks or pebbles, was Jim. He seemed to be able to see that he had gotten her attention, and began motioning for her to come down.
“I’ll be right back,” she told her brother, jumping to her feet and quickly throwing on a black coat.
“Caroline-“ he began.
“Life’s about risks, Phil, remember?” she grinned, heading out the door. And before he could respond, she was outside, surrounded by the chill night air.
“Hey,” she called out, making her way towards him, “this is a surprise. What are you doing here?”
“Just wanted to see how you were doing.”
“So you walked to my house at eleven o’clock at night?” she raised an eyebrow.
“Well, actually,” if it wasn’t so dark out she could have sworn he was blushing, “I was wondering if you wanted to come with me to Washington tomorrow? There are a few books that I’ve been meaning to get.”
“Sure!” she said, “I’d love to!”
“Have you read the Nietzsche I gave you yet?” He asked.
“Yeah! I’m actually almost done with it. What he’s saying is just so true, you know? We all just live in this perfect plastic society, but we’re not really living. In order to really live, we have to embrace the dark side of life.”
“I thought you’d like it,” he smiled.
“I love it,” she said, “and I’d love to read more if you wouldn’t mind loaning them to me.”
“I wouldn’t mind in the slightest,” Jim grinned, “you know when I first met you, I knew you’d appreciate his work. Most people don’t even understand it. But you…you’re different.” He let his eyes linger on her for a moment longer, before turning to walk away.
“I’ll see you tomorrow.” He called before disappearing into the darkness.
“See you,” she said, long after he’d gone.