Thursday, July 8, 2010

The Sweetest Trolls #2: Lady's Hands -- #FridayFlash






This is the second installment of the Troll Serial. To read from the beginning, or to find past and future installments, click here.


*


Blackberries! Aimee shouted silently.

She dropped on her knees, pressed her hands together and prayed to Holy Mary, letting her tears follow the rhythm of her words. She then feasted like the small and fragile wild animal she’d become.

Her golden-white curls were tied behind her head, but it wasn’t enough to prevent the dishevelment on her hair. Oh, how she missed her mother’s quick work with the brush! She promised herself that she’d never complain again if mother were harsh on undoing the knots that her thin hair frequently produced. Aimee’s dress was ripped in several places, she’d lost her shoes and the basket she should be collecting wood with, when she got lost.

She had lost count of the days and nights of hunger and thirst. Only because of St. Mary’s protection she had been ignored by the wandering bear on the first day, and the trolls that almost squished her sleepy body like a bug the night before.

She raised her head to the sound of water. The fruit’s juice wasn't enough to satisfy three days of thirst, so licking her black stained lips she walked towards the sound. She would run if she had the strength to, but she felt too weak. She had always been the skinny one, the delicate girl that would become a lady some day.

As the sound grew closer she accelerated, surprised to find herself sprinting uphill when discerning the scent of the river water. She never thought she’d salivate when seeing a cascade. Tripping and falling, Aimee threw herself in the margin, drinking avidly. She washed her hands and her face and smiled to the dancing rainbow above her head. The day was warm and the cool water was inviting, so she took her clothes off and untied her hair, splashing the water like a little girl. Letting it carry the weight of her body Aimee closed her eyes, her strained muscles relaxing.

A thought startled her. What if there were people watching her? She covered herself with her hands, her chin kissing the water. She scanned the surroundings, seeing only trees, stones, and— Oh no, two men!

She took a deep breath and went below surface like the boys did in the early days. She arrived at the opposite margin, glad that the men hadn't noticed her. One was looking down, and the other had his back turned to her.

She cocked her head. They were very still indeed, these men, and they seemed oddly large. Not bothering to dry herself, she got dressed with her eyes fixed on them, noticing how well they blended with the stones behind.

Are these statues? She thought.

Cautiously, she climbed the hill and crossed the stream above the waterfall, hiding behind the high stones that had protected Kutril and Katran the night before. Kratan had his chin on his club; he was looking at Kutril’s feet when the sun rose. Kutril was looking up, at Aimee’s direction.

Aimee laughed out loud; what a silly girl she was! These weren't men at all, they were trolls made into stone.

Fools, she thought.

There was nothing to fear, so she circled the rock, climbing down to where the stone trolls were, and gave a good look at them.

Their non-human features conveyed not the horror of her childhood nightmares, but a deep sadness. She felt sorry for these poor lost souls. She would practice compassion, she decided. If they didn’t look this ugly, maybe God would receive them in His arms. St. Mary would be proud of her. She smiled to herself, hoping it wasn’t too late.

Aimee set to work at once. She made garlands and placed on the statue’s heads and shoulders. She took quite a while to find sufficient flowers to their large heads and shoulders so when she finished her task the sun had passed its peak hours ago. Famished and exhausted, she fell asleep between Kutril’s feet.

*
Note: John Wiswell wrote one of his Bathroom Monologues about trolls and ogres. If he's right I'm afraid I failed to meet the writing challenge, as my trolls would be actually ogres. (dumb-dumb and all) I'm no mythology expert, but I'm really curious about it, so if you'd like to share your own knowledge on the matter, I'd really appreciate it. :)


30 comments:

  1. I'm almost afraid of what's going to happen to her. Trolls is dangerous, even made of stone and decked with flowers.

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  2. --Tony: You haven't met Kratan and Kutril then, heh. May I suggest you read the first installment? They're quite nice not-people. ;)

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  3. I can't wait to see what happens when they wake up to their finery! :)

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  4. Aw, sweet little girl. This has a hint of Beauty & the Beast-- the part where one sees goodness beneath the appearance.

    I can't wait to see what happens when they wake up, either. Love it!

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  5. --Laura and Gracie: I hope Kutril won't decide to get up at once, heh.

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  6. Looks like they're in for a nice surprise when they wake up. Good story.

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  7. Fun story Mari, with just the right amount of description to picture her vividly.

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  8. Now, I'm strongly opposed to troll propaganda. Being an ogre, I have suffered from their politics for far too long to remain silent.

    But this was freaking adorable and sweet, and thank you for writing it. I enjoyed it - but only because I am an ogre, not a troll, and thus can enjoy nice things!

    (It's not really a mythological issue at all, you're fine)

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  9. Great episode. Good description. Love the illustration..:)

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  10. lovely rich descriptions and mellifluous prose.

    I think trolls elide into ogres, they're really only cultural differences with trolls being part of germanic & Scandanavian folklore. Not too sure where ogres come from originally.

    marc nash

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  11. Oh I am enjoying these episodes! Very beautiful descriptions.

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  12. I had a nasty feeling she was going to grab a rock and attempt to "improve" their ugly appearance. Great episode!

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  13. What lovely description you use throughout the story. Her golden-white curls, black-stained lips, etc.

    Very charming episode, Mari-girl!

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  14. Very sweet story, and it works fine on as a standalone story too

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  15. --Eric, Deanna, Aussie, Icy and Mari-girl (Marisa): Glad you all liked this episode. I'm not too confident about my descriptive skills, so I usually put some dialog in between to make things less boring. This time I had no way of doing this, as Aimee was alone all the time. Great way for a writer to trick herself, eh?

    --John: Dear Mr. Ogre,

    thank you for taking time to read my troll tale. This is a great step into pacifying troll-ogre relations. I appreciate you lowering your ax when entering Randomities. This is a peaceful place.

    Please feel free to enjoy yourself while you're here, but I ask you kindly to mind the other guests. They're to have a good time as well, and leave as sane as when they've entered. (physically at least, heh)

    Sincerely,
    Mari

    p.s.: Thanks for the input on the non-mythological aspect of ogres and trolls. I think I'll have fun one of these days researching the matter. :)

    --Marc (Sulci Collective): Thank you for your kind words, for enlarging my vocabulary (had to look up "mellifluous", heh) and for the geographic clarification. If you're right, I'm afraid Kutril and Katran are ogres, but I can't speculate more without giving away a minor spoiler. I don't think anyone wants that! ;)

    --Sam: Hahahha! Fantastic! If Aimee hand't such delicate constitution she might think of it. I can't imagine the mess when the boys woke up if it were the case, uh.

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  16. --mazz: Thanks! I hadn't thought of it, but I certainly will in the future. :)

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  17. Very cute tale, and I also hope she doesn't get stepped on. Even better, they need to teach the girl to fish or something. :-P

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  18. --Valerie: That would be fantastic! lol

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  19. I'm guessing things will be quite interesting when they wake up :)
    Great flash, Mari!

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  20. --Estrella: Thank you! My wicked mind is having all these crazy ideas... heh

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  21. Lovely writing, beguiling story, love the stone trolls.

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  22. Good story VERY creative, love it.
    HA I remembered I'm a Youtube Troll.
    Love the story. Best read yet.

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  23. --Alison: Thanks! The stone trolls come back to life on the next installment. ;)

    --Angus: Thank you for the kindest of comments!

    Hey, please share some of the youtube troll stuff you have. You got me curious. :)

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  24. Cute installment. I like how she created flower garlands, it reminded me of Duke Kahanamoku's statue in Waikiki that is always covered with leis.

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  25. --Aidan: Man, are you a traveled man or what? Volcanoes, flower-covered statues, and other travelling mentions I spotted here and there. Awe. lol

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  26. Unusually sweet for you, Mari. Very nice! I hope she finds her way home.

    CD

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  27. --Cecilia: Thank you dear! I was drafting the next installment just today, so I can tell you she will, eventually, heh.

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  28. BAH!!!

    Ogres are related to trolls, but their blood is not as strong. It's okay.

    This is a wonderful piece that is helping trolls be loved and welcomed the way that they should be.

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  29. --Sterling: The trolls have invaded Randomities, shoving the dragons aside, and it's all your fault! heh

    Thanks for the inspirational push and the cool info on trolls & ogres. :)

    Hey John, now that we know they're cousins, we could end this conflict once and for all, eh? ;)

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  30. Cute.
    I`ve just read the first and second part and it seens a lovely fairy tale to me.
    Good engagement, nice sequence of descriptions.

    "She raised her head to the sound of water. The fruit’s juice wasn't enough to satisfy three days of thirst, so licking her black stained lips she walked towards the sound. She would run if she had the strength to, but she felt too weak. She had always been the skinny one, the delicate girl that would become a lady some day."

    Really liked the atmosphere you created by these details.
    Well done.

    Camila Nascimento

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