Status: On the 14th of April 2013, I will be editing this story. Most chapters are subject to change, and some may be combined. Stay tuned for the remake.
Maleficent
Widening the Crack of a Forgotten Memory
He started with a small smile; his lips arcing ever so slightly as it curved with the shape of his chin. The glow in his eyes was captivating, like the flashing sheen of a cat’s as it stalked the streets in the moonlight. It was at this time that I knew. There was something in the air. A subtle spark crackled like static, igniting an otherworldly power. Immediately, my eyes turned to the rose that twirled between Jeremy’s callused fingers.
“Do you know what this is?” He asked me, finally breaking the awkward silence that hovered in the air.
Almost magnetically, the rose drew my attention, my body edging closer to the flower that danced just out of reach. Trailing the familiar lines of its blood red petals, I carefully searched for any irregularities. Any sign that it wasn’t my rose, but a fake. My eyes had grazed the flower daily since I had found it, engraving the perfectly curved petals that curled around the rest and noticing the single scar that split the edge of an outer petal.
When nothing abnormal appeared, I reached out tentatively for my rose, feeling an odd attachment to the ever-blooming flower. I hadn’t even realised how tense my shoulders were until the thorned stem was safely back within my clutches. At that point I forced my muscles to relax, hoping my eyes hadn’t glazed over in obsession.
Glancing back up at Jeremy, I nodded. “Of course,” I replied stupidly. “It’s a rose.”
Even though my answer had been one that at least ninety-nine per cent of the population would have answered with, Jeremy glowered at me in frustration. I could feel the disgusted disappointment as I threw him an innocent smile, only to be met with a slight narrowing to the man’s eyes.
“This rose is my lifeline,” he growled as if that answer had been the most obvious one in the world. “I gave it to you for safe keeping.”
Taking in a chunk of my bottom lip, I nodded again, watching the twitch in Jeremy’s jaw as he grumbled something incoherently. As mine had been before, Jeremy’s shoulders tensed, his anger deepening unnecessarily and coming off in thick waves. In a matter of moments Jeremy had gone from calm to pissed and I had no idea how in the hell it had happened or what I’d even done wrong.
“Your lifeline,” I stated tonelessly, starting to get a little irked. “What the hell is that supposed to mean? Like a love fern? If it dies, our love will wither?” I scoffed mockingly, throwing Jeremy a sarcastic look.
Pushing up from the chair, my eyes followed Jeremy as he paced my small room, dragging his feet through my fur rug splayed out on the carpet. His mouth was twisted into a confused smile as if he were trying to control himself from bursting into another fit of rage. Instead he brushed a hand through his hair in frustration, his eyebrow twitching.
“I’m sorry,” he breathed through clenched teeth. “It’s just hard for me to – I’ve just –” He paused, turning his back to me in defeat. “I’ve missed you, ma petite belle Raven.”
My heart froze, my breathing coming to an abrupt halt as the crack in my memory suddenly widened. Jeremy’s voice sang through my thoughts, weaving its way into my head and wrapping itself tightly around it. Flashes of a life I didn’t know suddenly began to pummel into me, pounding my head in anger at my forgetfulness.
With refreshed eyes, I turned to Jeremy’s silvery gaze; noting their curious edge and hopeful spark. For the first time since meeting him, I suddenly realised exactly why he looked at me that way. With knowledge and faith, because now I looked at him the same way.
“Jeremy,” I sighed.
“Do you know what this is?” He asked me, finally breaking the awkward silence that hovered in the air.
Almost magnetically, the rose drew my attention, my body edging closer to the flower that danced just out of reach. Trailing the familiar lines of its blood red petals, I carefully searched for any irregularities. Any sign that it wasn’t my rose, but a fake. My eyes had grazed the flower daily since I had found it, engraving the perfectly curved petals that curled around the rest and noticing the single scar that split the edge of an outer petal.
When nothing abnormal appeared, I reached out tentatively for my rose, feeling an odd attachment to the ever-blooming flower. I hadn’t even realised how tense my shoulders were until the thorned stem was safely back within my clutches. At that point I forced my muscles to relax, hoping my eyes hadn’t glazed over in obsession.
Glancing back up at Jeremy, I nodded. “Of course,” I replied stupidly. “It’s a rose.”
Even though my answer had been one that at least ninety-nine per cent of the population would have answered with, Jeremy glowered at me in frustration. I could feel the disgusted disappointment as I threw him an innocent smile, only to be met with a slight narrowing to the man’s eyes.
“This rose is my lifeline,” he growled as if that answer had been the most obvious one in the world. “I gave it to you for safe keeping.”
Taking in a chunk of my bottom lip, I nodded again, watching the twitch in Jeremy’s jaw as he grumbled something incoherently. As mine had been before, Jeremy’s shoulders tensed, his anger deepening unnecessarily and coming off in thick waves. In a matter of moments Jeremy had gone from calm to pissed and I had no idea how in the hell it had happened or what I’d even done wrong.
“Your lifeline,” I stated tonelessly, starting to get a little irked. “What the hell is that supposed to mean? Like a love fern? If it dies, our love will wither?” I scoffed mockingly, throwing Jeremy a sarcastic look.
Pushing up from the chair, my eyes followed Jeremy as he paced my small room, dragging his feet through my fur rug splayed out on the carpet. His mouth was twisted into a confused smile as if he were trying to control himself from bursting into another fit of rage. Instead he brushed a hand through his hair in frustration, his eyebrow twitching.
“I’m sorry,” he breathed through clenched teeth. “It’s just hard for me to – I’ve just –” He paused, turning his back to me in defeat. “I’ve missed you, ma petite belle Raven.”
My heart froze, my breathing coming to an abrupt halt as the crack in my memory suddenly widened. Jeremy’s voice sang through my thoughts, weaving its way into my head and wrapping itself tightly around it. Flashes of a life I didn’t know suddenly began to pummel into me, pounding my head in anger at my forgetfulness.
With refreshed eyes, I turned to Jeremy’s silvery gaze; noting their curious edge and hopeful spark. For the first time since meeting him, I suddenly realised exactly why he looked at me that way. With knowledge and faith, because now I looked at him the same way.
“Jeremy,” I sighed.