When Hans opened his eyes, Königin was looking at him. A half of a hamburger still in its wrapper lay at her feet. She moved it towards him with her nose. "Danke..."
"What the hell?"
Hans looked up. A chick who looked like she had suffered a severe beating was standing at the end of the street looking at him.
"Man what the Hell? Your dog just stole my hamburger and ran off."
The girl moved closer. Hans realized that what he had taken for bruises was actually too much eye makeup.
"Es tud mir leid..." Hans offered the hamburger back to her.
"Hell no! I don't know what your damn dirty dog did to it!"
Hans forced himself to his feet, despite the protests from every muscle in his body.
"Frauline, I am sorry but Königin is not dirty. And she deserves as much respect as anyone else. I cannot stand by and allow you to speak about her that way."
The girl sneered at him. He wondered how she managed to smile with those metal things stuck through her lips.
"Oh so you do actually speak English? Not just mumbo jumbo? I'm surprised. Look this neighborhood is trash as it is so just go to Hell where you belong and tell your damn dog not to steal my food anymore. I worked for that food. You probably never did a days work in your life."
It took every piece of self restraint Hans possessed not to hit this infuriating little child. She didn't look a day over 18 and probably thought she knew everything about life.
"Listen to me, Madchen. I have had enough of your kinderspiel. You do not know everything simply because you stick metal through your face and you do not know trouble because you got your hamburger stolen. I have seen things and done things that would make your childish mind reel. And neither Königin nor I are going anywhere. We have earned our place. Let's see you do as much!"
The girl looked like she wanted to say something, but at that moments sirens wailed in the direction of the bank and the girl turned in their direction. Hans took the opportunity to vanish into the shadows with Königin.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Friday, March 11, 2011
post 8
The flames leaped up towards the sky like a child's fingers reaching for a treasure. People were running every which way, some screaming, some crying. The man with the liquor screamed as his profits burned away. Agnes Monaghan with her cotton candy ran blindly down an alleyway, tears streaming down her face. In her blindness, she ran full force into a man with a dog.
"Oh I'm so so..."
Her voice trailed away as she saw the man. She had never seen him before, but he struck her as familiar. His hair was matter and he wore an eye-patch. The dog next to him actually seemed to smile up at her. But, far stranger then his appearance, the man was laughing. He threw back his head and laughed a wild hysterical laugh.
"Das Feuer!" Ich liebe das Feuer!"
Agnes backed away. Then she turned and ran full speed away. Hans stood there and laughed long after she had gone. The fire warmed his soul with a warmth he had not felt since Leona died. In his mind's eye Hans saw the flames licking the side of his house. Those flames were the work of his hands. Leona was gone and the world had turned against him. Yet he was not tied down.
Meinen Haus ist nicht dein... Ich bin frei...
Hans began to run. He ran towards the carnival, past clowns whose makeup streamed off their faces with sweat. He ran past the collapsing feris wheel, past the stalls and shops that would burn for a while and then succumb to ashes. He was the prince and each tongue of flame was his subject. Nothing could stop him. Königin ran next to him. His Königin... his Queen.
Smoke ran into his nostrils and choked him. Hans fell to the ground, laughing and coughing at the same time.
"Ich liebe dich, Königin!"
Then blackness swallowed him.
"Oh I'm so so..."
Her voice trailed away as she saw the man. She had never seen him before, but he struck her as familiar. His hair was matter and he wore an eye-patch. The dog next to him actually seemed to smile up at her. But, far stranger then his appearance, the man was laughing. He threw back his head and laughed a wild hysterical laugh.
"Das Feuer!" Ich liebe das Feuer!"
Agnes backed away. Then she turned and ran full speed away. Hans stood there and laughed long after she had gone. The fire warmed his soul with a warmth he had not felt since Leona died. In his mind's eye Hans saw the flames licking the side of his house. Those flames were the work of his hands. Leona was gone and the world had turned against him. Yet he was not tied down.
Meinen Haus ist nicht dein... Ich bin frei...
Hans began to run. He ran towards the carnival, past clowns whose makeup streamed off their faces with sweat. He ran past the collapsing feris wheel, past the stalls and shops that would burn for a while and then succumb to ashes. He was the prince and each tongue of flame was his subject. Nothing could stop him. Königin ran next to him. His Königin... his Queen.
Smoke ran into his nostrils and choked him. Hans fell to the ground, laughing and coughing at the same time.
"Ich liebe dich, Königin!"
Then blackness swallowed him.
post 7
The carnival was in town. If not for that, Hans would have enjoyed the spring weather. The sky was blue and the sun kissed his sad face in a way that made him almost handsome. “Heute ist eine neue Tag…” The thought somehow made him happy. It meant something he had never had: a new start. No one had ever given him a second chance…
A busload of kids was unloading. Their tiny voices made Hans’s head hurt. Pastor Dan was standing on the street preaching about the evils of the carnival. Swinehundt… Königin walked next to him, a quiet reminder that sanity still existed in the world. Hans stood for a moment and looked at the carnival. Nobody would ever let him into that place. They took one look and decided he wasn’t worth it. Hans looked at the ferris wheel. It stopped after every rotation. “Just like me.” thought Hans. “As soon as I get rolling, I hit a snag.” Suddenly, he realized there were tears on his cheeks. Königin nuzzled his hand. “Danke, mein Rose. Ich bin sehr trauig… Ich will nach Hause gehen… Los gehts.” Man and dog turned away from the shouts and laughter and walked towards the sun. They did not look back until the carnival was out of sight.
A busload of kids was unloading. Their tiny voices made Hans’s head hurt. Pastor Dan was standing on the street preaching about the evils of the carnival. Swinehundt… Königin walked next to him, a quiet reminder that sanity still existed in the world. Hans stood for a moment and looked at the carnival. Nobody would ever let him into that place. They took one look and decided he wasn’t worth it. Hans looked at the ferris wheel. It stopped after every rotation. “Just like me.” thought Hans. “As soon as I get rolling, I hit a snag.” Suddenly, he realized there were tears on his cheeks. Königin nuzzled his hand. “Danke, mein Rose. Ich bin sehr trauig… Ich will nach Hause gehen… Los gehts.” Man and dog turned away from the shouts and laughter and walked towards the sun. They did not look back until the carnival was out of sight.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
post 6
When Hans awoke, the world was covered in ice. Cold, wet, unforgiving ice. The ice mirrored the feelings inside of Hans. Königin was not here to warm him. Hans looked down at his hands; they were bright red from the cold. As red as her blood the night he killed her... It had all happened so quickly: Leona crying, his hand striking her just as he had struck Königin, Leona's scream as she fell, all crowded inside his head. The Ultimate Nightmare. Hans blinked. Something lay in the street. Something small and flat. Hans picked it up and examined it. A sock?
Hans looked up the street to where an overweight man was walking slowly down the street, looking at the ground and muttering to himself. "I know I dropped it somewhere..." The man glanced up and, for a brief moment, the eyes of the two men locked. Then the moment passed and the little man did what most everyone did when they saw Hans: he ran away. Hans moved to chase him, but slipped and fell. As Hans sat up, he tasted blood. Tears welled up and began to fall. They mixed with blood from the cut lip and dripped bright red onto the snow.
A rough touch on his face made Hans open his eyes. There stood Königin licking away the blood and tears and whimpering softly. Hans could only wrap his arms around her neck and hold her. Slowly, the warmth from Königin's fur faded the cold, redness of Hans's hands.
Hans looked up the street to where an overweight man was walking slowly down the street, looking at the ground and muttering to himself. "I know I dropped it somewhere..." The man glanced up and, for a brief moment, the eyes of the two men locked. Then the moment passed and the little man did what most everyone did when they saw Hans: he ran away. Hans moved to chase him, but slipped and fell. As Hans sat up, he tasted blood. Tears welled up and began to fall. They mixed with blood from the cut lip and dripped bright red onto the snow.
A rough touch on his face made Hans open his eyes. There stood Königin licking away the blood and tears and whimpering softly. Hans could only wrap his arms around her neck and hold her. Slowly, the warmth from Königin's fur faded the cold, redness of Hans's hands.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Post 5
Hans stood up slowly. He was alone. The rain had soaked him through and the cold had touched him much deeper than the goose bumps on his skin showed. Königin was gone. He looked around the rain soaked streets and realized how hungry he was. Slowly, mechanically, his muscles moved his body off to find food. As he wandered past a restaurant, he watched a man with no pants on wander inside. What a fool. That happy smile on his face embodied all that Hans had found to be naive and childish in the world. He thought he had chance. He thought people would listen to him. The world never listened to anyone who didn't have several million dollars and an army behind them. Hans- Georg was proof of that. All those years, scraping and working his fingers to the bone had been repaid with nothing. He had had no choice. His theivry had been his only choice. Leona had changed that though. Leona... Meine Königin...
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Post 4
It was pouring rain. Again. The man with the eye patch had taken refuge under one of the awnings of the church. The shadow hid the part of his face that his hair had left free. The dog sat next to him, never barking, never trying to run away. A woman and her child ran by in the rain. The child saw the dog and broke away from her mother, wanting to pet her.
“April!! Where do you think you’re going?”
The mother sounded frightened when she saw the man standing next to his dog. His face did not convey a very safe feeling. The man looked down at the child and said something to her. The girl smiled and nodded.
“APRIL!!!!!”
The girl turned back and ran to her mother. The man and the dog both watched her go. At the end of the street, the little girl turned around and waved. Then she shouted:
“Goodbye, Hans!!”
Then they were gone. Hans stared after them and, for a moment, it seemed that tears rose in his eyes. Then he stepped forward into the pouring torrents of rain. And for the first time since he had come to Watershed heights, Hans- Georg threw back his head and laughed. He laughed at the rain, at the sky, at the church, at people who passed by on the other side of the street, and (though no one knew this) he laughed at himself in all his loneliness. Then suddenly he stopped laughing and fell to the ground sobbing. He pounded the ground until his hands bled. Königin began to lick at the blood and Hans struck out, hitting her in the head. Königin fell with a howl. Hans- Georg froze, looking at the dog.
“Nein… Nein, Leibshön. “
The dog looked at him. Then turned and ran away, leaving Hans on his knees, alone.
“Leona…”
“April!! Where do you think you’re going?”
The mother sounded frightened when she saw the man standing next to his dog. His face did not convey a very safe feeling. The man looked down at the child and said something to her. The girl smiled and nodded.
“APRIL!!!!!”
The girl turned back and ran to her mother. The man and the dog both watched her go. At the end of the street, the little girl turned around and waved. Then she shouted:
“Goodbye, Hans!!”
Then they were gone. Hans stared after them and, for a moment, it seemed that tears rose in his eyes. Then he stepped forward into the pouring torrents of rain. And for the first time since he had come to Watershed heights, Hans- Georg threw back his head and laughed. He laughed at the rain, at the sky, at the church, at people who passed by on the other side of the street, and (though no one knew this) he laughed at himself in all his loneliness. Then suddenly he stopped laughing and fell to the ground sobbing. He pounded the ground until his hands bled. Königin began to lick at the blood and Hans struck out, hitting her in the head. Königin fell with a howl. Hans- Georg froze, looking at the dog.
“Nein… Nein, Leibshön. “
The dog looked at him. Then turned and ran away, leaving Hans on his knees, alone.
“Leona…”
Monday, September 13, 2010
post 3
Night falls quickly over Watershed Heights; almost as though it wants to get its job done and move on. Nobody wants to spend much time in Watershed Heights; sometimes not even the people who live here.
And on this particular night, I certainly didn’t want to be here. The rain was pouring and my jacket had too many holes to offer any real protection. Someone had parked a limo out behind the Vietnamese restaurant where I had spent the last hour looking for food. Vietnamese food was one of the few good things about being in America. Still, I missed Germany...
Königin had gone off to find herself food and I missed her. She was the only thing keeping me going now… now that Leona was gone. Gone. Forever. Königin was my last hold on her memory. Ever since that night she showed up, the night after Leona fell down the stairs… My fault. Very few things hurt as deeply as knowing that you killed the one you loved.
A trash can fell over with crash.
“Königin?”
My only response was a low chuckle. Then with another crash, Leeroy Jenkins ran off into the night.
Leeroy was a strange sight, running around with his clothes off. What allows a man to do that? Only someone with nothing to hide would do anything so free. I placed my hand on my side and felt the scar underneath. Lucky Leeroy. Anyone who felt bad for him was an idiot. That kind of freedom should only be envied.
And on this particular night, I certainly didn’t want to be here. The rain was pouring and my jacket had too many holes to offer any real protection. Someone had parked a limo out behind the Vietnamese restaurant where I had spent the last hour looking for food. Vietnamese food was one of the few good things about being in America. Still, I missed Germany...
Königin had gone off to find herself food and I missed her. She was the only thing keeping me going now… now that Leona was gone. Gone. Forever. Königin was my last hold on her memory. Ever since that night she showed up, the night after Leona fell down the stairs… My fault. Very few things hurt as deeply as knowing that you killed the one you loved.
A trash can fell over with crash.
“Königin?”
My only response was a low chuckle. Then with another crash, Leeroy Jenkins ran off into the night.
Leeroy was a strange sight, running around with his clothes off. What allows a man to do that? Only someone with nothing to hide would do anything so free. I placed my hand on my side and felt the scar underneath. Lucky Leeroy. Anyone who felt bad for him was an idiot. That kind of freedom should only be envied.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)