Re: Measure Once, Cut Twice
Posted: Wed Nov 03, 2010 12:33 am
"What about the school trip?" Percival Fletcher glanced at his son from across the table.
"What about it?" Simon was re-reading Thud for about the third time. The book's pages were kept fairly clean, but they had gotten yellowed by the oil that coated his fingers
"We were wondering if you wanted to go." Caroline was looking over the newspaper. "Your girlfriend is going on it, you know?"
"I don't have a girlfriend." Simon's protest lacked energy. His mother always said that about every girl he was friends with, and it really did get old.
"Well, I know the Duncan boy is on it. I heard from his mothers yesterday." Simon's father took a sip from his drink.
Simon wondered how many times his father even talked to Trevor. "Yeah, I guess it could be fun." He sometimes wondered if he was doing the right thing with his life. Simon never seemed to go to parties or hang on Fridays like the others students. It wasn't like he had a problem with the way he was living; it was just that maybe it would be good to get out and socialize some more.
Besides, what did he have to lose?
"It's your decision, Simon." His mother was saying now. "We just want you to be happy. Besides, you deserve a little time for yourself before you go off to college."
"No, I want to go." And he really did too. It would be interesting, at least. "Here's the form." Simon pulled a white paper out of a folder in his messenger bag. Caroline signed it, even though her hand writing was borderline illegible.
"Thanks, mom." Simon nodded to his mother and opened his book again. The school trip was still a long way off, and he would worry about packing latter.
Simon Fletcher heard the girl place an arrow on her bow.
With his eyes closed, He couldn't see the shapes of Eve and Eva. However, their voices had found a way into Simon's head.
Why did you let Sarah go?
Why did you help Kris?
Why did you let R.J. take your gun?
Why did you tell this girl to kill you?
Why?
He wanted to argue, to say that he really was trying to do the right thing. Simon had been trying to do the right thing since he got into this island. He wanted to avoid killing people, to find a group, to stick together. And look where that had gotten him, really. Two lives on his hands, his friends dying before he met up with them.
It was amazing that he couldn't work up the nerve to kill himself.
Simon Fletcher heard the bowstring pull back.
This kind of thing wasn't supposed to happen, not to anyone. Simon had never exactly wanted a whole lot out of life. He was going to go to a fairly large college and come home to Minnesota with a diploma in hand. He'd find a decent paying job where he could use language skills, and maybe take that trip to China that he had always wanted to. He would write to Zhang laoshi, and tell him how much he had helped Simon's life.
And, somewhere along the way, Simon might meet a plain, book loving girl who went to history museums on the weekends. They could live out their ordinary lives together, in a medium sized house in the suburbs. Simon could grow old by the fireplace, remembering the days when he had been innocent. He'd die, of course, after had had truly finished his life.
A boring, normal, fucking existence. Was that really too much to ask?
Simon Fletcher heard the soft twing of a arrow leaving the bow.
For a girl who had never killed before, Samantha Ridley was a fairly good shot.
B104 – Simon Fletcher – DECEASED
"What about it?" Simon was re-reading Thud for about the third time. The book's pages were kept fairly clean, but they had gotten yellowed by the oil that coated his fingers
"We were wondering if you wanted to go." Caroline was looking over the newspaper. "Your girlfriend is going on it, you know?"
"I don't have a girlfriend." Simon's protest lacked energy. His mother always said that about every girl he was friends with, and it really did get old.
"Well, I know the Duncan boy is on it. I heard from his mothers yesterday." Simon's father took a sip from his drink.
Simon wondered how many times his father even talked to Trevor. "Yeah, I guess it could be fun." He sometimes wondered if he was doing the right thing with his life. Simon never seemed to go to parties or hang on Fridays like the others students. It wasn't like he had a problem with the way he was living; it was just that maybe it would be good to get out and socialize some more.
Besides, what did he have to lose?
"It's your decision, Simon." His mother was saying now. "We just want you to be happy. Besides, you deserve a little time for yourself before you go off to college."
"No, I want to go." And he really did too. It would be interesting, at least. "Here's the form." Simon pulled a white paper out of a folder in his messenger bag. Caroline signed it, even though her hand writing was borderline illegible.
"Thanks, mom." Simon nodded to his mother and opened his book again. The school trip was still a long way off, and he would worry about packing latter.
Simon Fletcher heard the girl place an arrow on her bow.
With his eyes closed, He couldn't see the shapes of Eve and Eva. However, their voices had found a way into Simon's head.
Why did you let Sarah go?
Why did you help Kris?
Why did you let R.J. take your gun?
Why did you tell this girl to kill you?
Why?
He wanted to argue, to say that he really was trying to do the right thing. Simon had been trying to do the right thing since he got into this island. He wanted to avoid killing people, to find a group, to stick together. And look where that had gotten him, really. Two lives on his hands, his friends dying before he met up with them.
It was amazing that he couldn't work up the nerve to kill himself.
Simon Fletcher heard the bowstring pull back.
This kind of thing wasn't supposed to happen, not to anyone. Simon had never exactly wanted a whole lot out of life. He was going to go to a fairly large college and come home to Minnesota with a diploma in hand. He'd find a decent paying job where he could use language skills, and maybe take that trip to China that he had always wanted to. He would write to Zhang laoshi, and tell him how much he had helped Simon's life.
And, somewhere along the way, Simon might meet a plain, book loving girl who went to history museums on the weekends. They could live out their ordinary lives together, in a medium sized house in the suburbs. Simon could grow old by the fireplace, remembering the days when he had been innocent. He'd die, of course, after had had truly finished his life.
A boring, normal, fucking existence. Was that really too much to ask?
Simon Fletcher heard the soft twing of a arrow leaving the bow.
For a girl who had never killed before, Samantha Ridley was a fairly good shot.
B104 – Simon Fletcher – DECEASED