Odaisé Gaelach
10-05-2004, 10:15 PM
Just, simply, tell me what you think of it.
Maybe if people like it I'll post up some more stories.
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And then she left the note on the kitchen table explaining why she would not come home, and she left without a sound.
Joanne coughed, and watched her breath swirling in the air, until it vanished in the cold night. Maybe she would be cremated... Nah. Not yet. She was sixteen years old. And she was going to die.
Joanne coughed again. She hadn't her mobile phone, there was no one else with her, she was walking alone. Alone again. Well, tonight she would be free. Free in love, forever. She pushed her short white-blonde hair back out of her hazel eyes. Her clothes were loose enough to hide the tumour on her waist.
She thought of the other boys who were in "love" with her. Morons who wanted a kiss, a hug or something else. She wanted love, not sex. But they wouldn't be at the céilí. "Thank God," Joanne muttered.
And Joanne reached the céilí, gave €5 to the small bouncer at the door, and then was inside. She looked around. Banna na nÓg were preparing their equipment, the girls were jabbering and laughing, the boys talking loudly.
There.
Lee was sitting with them. She placed a hand on her breast and felt her heart beating hard. She willed it to be quiet and pain rushed through her. She winced slightly and looked at her watch. Only three hours left.
"Hey, Joanne!"
Lee was calling her. She ignored the pain and sat down beside Lee.
"How are you?" he asked.
"I'm fine," she lied. "How are you?"
"Couldn't be happier," Lee grinned.
"Really, why?"
And then Joanne saw Ophelia approaching them. She sat beside Lee and handed him a can of Coke.
"Bonsoir," she said.
"Bonsoir," replied Lee and he gave her a kiss. "Are you dancing tonight?"
"Hmm, we'll see," and she gave him a kiss. They would have kissed until the end of time but the master walked out onto the dance floor.
"Siege of Ennis," he announced.
"Great!" Lee said. "Ophelia, are you dancing with me now?"
"No," she replied. "I'll stay here and talk to our friend."
So Lee left and the French trollop chatted to Joanne. "He's wonderful, magnificent, blah," talking to a girl who was green with envy.
After a while the music stopped and Lee sat down. He was red in the face and drank the rest of his Coke but he only had a moment's rest until the music started again.
"Are you dancing now Ophelia?"
"Err... no." she answered.
"Oh, okay, Lee said, a little put out.
"I'm dancing," Joanne stood up and pushed her white-blonde hair back again.
"Great!" Lee smiled warmly.
Hand in hand they danced, Joanne's heart was racing and she started to blush. "It's hot in here," she said. She was in Heaven so close to Lee, and when the music stopped Lee was laughing and so was she. She never felt so alive - and pain burned inside her again. She clutched her side and the tumour.
"You okay?" Lee asked.
"Yeah..." she gasped. "I've a stitch in my side. That was a tough dance."
"Yeah," agreed Lee, laughing again. "Can you take another one?"
Joanne smiled broadly. "Try and stop me."
And the night passed, Lee dancing, Joanne suffering with a smile on her face. Now and again Ophelia would dance as well, but it wasn't too often. One time Ophelia and Lee were dancing and the little bouncer sang a beautiful waltz, and they kissed under the glimmering disco ball. Joanne couldn't bear to look at them.
After three hours the bouncer came to the microphone again and the time had come. The final dance. Joanne looked at Lee, her lips and her heart trembling. But Lee was already talking to Ophelia. Incredibly, she shook her head; she'd refused. Lee looked very annoyed.
"I'd like to dance with you Lee," Joanne said.
For the longest second Lee said nothing.
"Yeah," he finally answered. "Thanks."
"Okay," she said and they started. She put her hand on his waist and he put his hand on her waist - and on her tumour.
Joanne gasped.
"What's wrong?!" Lee asked her.
"Nothing, I'm fine..." she straightened up. "Now, where were we?"
They danced, and as soon as they were under the disco ball Joanne whispered softly in his ear.
"Lee, I love you."
Lee stopped dancing, and looked into her eyes.
"I don't love you," he replied slowly.
The words that she had been dreading fell on her like swords. She felt the vicious pain again and thought her heart would break.
"But... why?"
"Because I love Ophelia."
She was stunned. She couldn't understand why Lee loved that French slut. "And me... don't you have any feelings for me?"
"No."
"But," she sniffed, "what will I do?"
For the first time Lee hesitated.
"Because you're Joanne, nothing else. I'm Lee, nothing else, except my soul and my life. You’re Joanne, and nothing else, except your soul, and your life."
And as Lee said "life" Joanne suddenly realised that she hadn't long left in her life. Her life. And the pain in the tumour and her body intensified. Her body. Joanne's alone.
And she knew the end had almost come, and she made to leave, but first Joanne turned to Lee and kissed him.
"Goodbye Lee," she whispered, and with her heart heavy and a tear down her cheek she disappeared into the night.
Joanne walked on, and as the buildings changed to trees and the sky was no longer tarnished with the town lights she stopped and looked at her watch. She was shaking badly and her breath was harsh.
She should have died half an hour ago.
And as her eyes dimmed she looked up at the stars, shining in all their brilliance and drew her last breath. She was finally free. Free from love. Free.
The next time Lee saw her was in her coffin. He saw her peaceful smile, and it comforted him.
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Maybe if people like it I'll post up some more stories.
--------------
And then she left the note on the kitchen table explaining why she would not come home, and she left without a sound.
Joanne coughed, and watched her breath swirling in the air, until it vanished in the cold night. Maybe she would be cremated... Nah. Not yet. She was sixteen years old. And she was going to die.
Joanne coughed again. She hadn't her mobile phone, there was no one else with her, she was walking alone. Alone again. Well, tonight she would be free. Free in love, forever. She pushed her short white-blonde hair back out of her hazel eyes. Her clothes were loose enough to hide the tumour on her waist.
She thought of the other boys who were in "love" with her. Morons who wanted a kiss, a hug or something else. She wanted love, not sex. But they wouldn't be at the céilí. "Thank God," Joanne muttered.
And Joanne reached the céilí, gave €5 to the small bouncer at the door, and then was inside. She looked around. Banna na nÓg were preparing their equipment, the girls were jabbering and laughing, the boys talking loudly.
There.
Lee was sitting with them. She placed a hand on her breast and felt her heart beating hard. She willed it to be quiet and pain rushed through her. She winced slightly and looked at her watch. Only three hours left.
"Hey, Joanne!"
Lee was calling her. She ignored the pain and sat down beside Lee.
"How are you?" he asked.
"I'm fine," she lied. "How are you?"
"Couldn't be happier," Lee grinned.
"Really, why?"
And then Joanne saw Ophelia approaching them. She sat beside Lee and handed him a can of Coke.
"Bonsoir," she said.
"Bonsoir," replied Lee and he gave her a kiss. "Are you dancing tonight?"
"Hmm, we'll see," and she gave him a kiss. They would have kissed until the end of time but the master walked out onto the dance floor.
"Siege of Ennis," he announced.
"Great!" Lee said. "Ophelia, are you dancing with me now?"
"No," she replied. "I'll stay here and talk to our friend."
So Lee left and the French trollop chatted to Joanne. "He's wonderful, magnificent, blah," talking to a girl who was green with envy.
After a while the music stopped and Lee sat down. He was red in the face and drank the rest of his Coke but he only had a moment's rest until the music started again.
"Are you dancing now Ophelia?"
"Err... no." she answered.
"Oh, okay, Lee said, a little put out.
"I'm dancing," Joanne stood up and pushed her white-blonde hair back again.
"Great!" Lee smiled warmly.
Hand in hand they danced, Joanne's heart was racing and she started to blush. "It's hot in here," she said. She was in Heaven so close to Lee, and when the music stopped Lee was laughing and so was she. She never felt so alive - and pain burned inside her again. She clutched her side and the tumour.
"You okay?" Lee asked.
"Yeah..." she gasped. "I've a stitch in my side. That was a tough dance."
"Yeah," agreed Lee, laughing again. "Can you take another one?"
Joanne smiled broadly. "Try and stop me."
And the night passed, Lee dancing, Joanne suffering with a smile on her face. Now and again Ophelia would dance as well, but it wasn't too often. One time Ophelia and Lee were dancing and the little bouncer sang a beautiful waltz, and they kissed under the glimmering disco ball. Joanne couldn't bear to look at them.
After three hours the bouncer came to the microphone again and the time had come. The final dance. Joanne looked at Lee, her lips and her heart trembling. But Lee was already talking to Ophelia. Incredibly, she shook her head; she'd refused. Lee looked very annoyed.
"I'd like to dance with you Lee," Joanne said.
For the longest second Lee said nothing.
"Yeah," he finally answered. "Thanks."
"Okay," she said and they started. She put her hand on his waist and he put his hand on her waist - and on her tumour.
Joanne gasped.
"What's wrong?!" Lee asked her.
"Nothing, I'm fine..." she straightened up. "Now, where were we?"
They danced, and as soon as they were under the disco ball Joanne whispered softly in his ear.
"Lee, I love you."
Lee stopped dancing, and looked into her eyes.
"I don't love you," he replied slowly.
The words that she had been dreading fell on her like swords. She felt the vicious pain again and thought her heart would break.
"But... why?"
"Because I love Ophelia."
She was stunned. She couldn't understand why Lee loved that French slut. "And me... don't you have any feelings for me?"
"No."
"But," she sniffed, "what will I do?"
For the first time Lee hesitated.
"Because you're Joanne, nothing else. I'm Lee, nothing else, except my soul and my life. You’re Joanne, and nothing else, except your soul, and your life."
And as Lee said "life" Joanne suddenly realised that she hadn't long left in her life. Her life. And the pain in the tumour and her body intensified. Her body. Joanne's alone.
And she knew the end had almost come, and she made to leave, but first Joanne turned to Lee and kissed him.
"Goodbye Lee," she whispered, and with her heart heavy and a tear down her cheek she disappeared into the night.
Joanne walked on, and as the buildings changed to trees and the sky was no longer tarnished with the town lights she stopped and looked at her watch. She was shaking badly and her breath was harsh.
She should have died half an hour ago.
And as her eyes dimmed she looked up at the stars, shining in all their brilliance and drew her last breath. She was finally free. Free from love. Free.
The next time Lee saw her was in her coffin. He saw her peaceful smile, and it comforted him.
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