Jemima's Story

[Taika of Narfell]

I walk through the door with a tremendous stack of papers in my hands – many of them crumpled and some of them even torn at the edges. I walk to the couch and put the stack on the table in front of me before I sit down.
“So, they wanna hear about you” I say, directed at the papers mostly.
I flip through some of the papers. The pages all contain my handwriting. The oldest ones written in a very clumsy hand, the newer ones written so fast that some of them are unintelligible. One of them catches my eye. I chuckle lightly “Oh yes, that was a good one, hehe, I’m sure they’ll love it”
I put it down again. Reading everything was not my aim for today – no, today I find the important flashbacks, so that I can get the very beginnings of her life sorted out.
A loud knock on the door is heard.
I wonder who that is
I get up from the sofa.
When I open the door I am promptly accused of…
“Have you posted it?” She asks.
“What? Posted what?” I counter.
“You know perfectly well what I’m talking about.” At this I can’t help but raise an eyebrow at her impatient manner.
“Well? Have you posted the story?” Finally she became coherent.
“Dearest, I need to write it first.” I snicker. She just glares at me.
“Would you like to come in? Instead of standing out there in the rain and scolding me?” She looks somewhat perplexed at this, but she does walk through the door when I make room for her.

I close the door behind her and watch her graceful movements as she makes her way to the living room. Boy, I would kill for moves like that. She knows the place; she’s been a regular guest here for several years, so she has no problems whatsoever with spotting my favourite chair, and promptly occupying it as if it was hers.

I walk to where I sat in the couch before she arrived and make myself comfortable. I lean back and study her carefully. I wonder what got her so worked up. There’s an urgent gleam in her eyes, and though she sits perfectly relaxed, there seems to be a kind of tension in her. The paradox makes her appear almost preternatural. Well, come to think of it, she looks preternatural – tension or not. She finally shows her annoyance with my scrutiny and decides to return my stare. Our eyes meet, and our gazes lock – a battle of wills has started. It doesn’t last for long though. Just about 5 seconds – then we’re both breaking down laughing like mad.

When I regain my senses I have no idea how much time has passed. We tend to do this – her and I. Laugh like crazy for no apparent reason – it’s wonderfully relaxing actually. When our cramping abdomens slowly return to normal we exchange glances once more. Both of us looking rather bemused we sit back.

“Right,” I say: “about the story…”
“Yes, about that.” She pauses for a short while before continuing. “I’m not sure it’s a good idea”
“Why not? Everyone wants to know about this favourite character of mine. And I did promise them…” I trail off. “Maybe that wasn’t such a good idea.”
“Wouldn’t it reveal too much?” She looks worried.
I can’t help but laugh at this. “What would be revealed? That I have a big imagination? Oh the horror, we can’t let them figure that out. No, really, what if someone actually found out I can imagine all these things we meet in RPG’s and books. And even worse…” I make a short break for effect “…what if they found out I think up stories on my own?” I look at her with my best attempt at a horrified expression, right hand clutching my chest and all.
She looks at me with an odd expression before she laughs loudly.
“You know, you may have a point… somewhere in there beneath all the layers of sarcasm. It’s well-hidden, but I think it’s there.” She winks at me. I try to look superior and put on my best ‘what-did-I-tell-you’-expression.
She chuckles at my efforts.
I let out a hopeless sigh. “I might as well give up the acting career now, my skill are obviously non-existent.” She snorts and I add “Why, thank you kindly.”

“Ahem, about the story…” I try to return to the topic at hand.
She looks at me with a serious expression.
“Look, I’m just worried, it IS me after all. It’s gonna be so weird – to read about myself.” She shakes her head.
“I understand your worries, and if it’s any consolation, I never planned to post any of it without your blessing. It IS you after all.” At this I wink at her. “The least I can do is let you read through it.”
“And you won’t make me look stupid or anything?”
“HAH! You, my dear, are the main character of this entire project. I’m writing about you, I’ll write your character the way I see you. And as I want people to read this I won’t make you look awful – then they likely wouldn’t read it now would they?”
She concedes my point and nods. A shadow flickers across her features.
“You did it before, though. I mean, you wrote about me without my consent.”
“I know, and I’m sorry. Seeing as no one knew who you were, I wanted to try to see, if I could write your character precisely enough, and seeing as both you and Zak needed a little happiness… but I should’ve asked you, I know.” I truly do regret that one – it nearly cost me this wonderful friendship. “You must admit, though, Zak is yummy, eh?”
She grins – white teeth showing. “Oh yes… reminds me of…”
I’m suddenly alarmed.
“Shhhh!!! Don’t spoil them. I’ll tell them that story later. For now I need you to go through this instalment and check if it’s all right with you.” I hand her some of the pages.

She reads.

[Taika of Narfell]

Her first memories were happy. She had been a child like any other. Among her happiest memories was her 5th birthday. On that day her parents had woken her up very early. Breakfast on the bed between the scattered pieces of multicoloured paper, formerly wrapped around her presents had been great fun. Her parents had sat beside her, laughing and joking with her. She had insisted that they made the bed with her new bed linen, a set with a beautiful picture of a valley with a waterfall and a white unicorn drinking from a pond. It was a scene from her favourite cartoon – the one called Dreamland. She hadn’t missed a single episode ever. So there she had sat in the middle of the pond, drinking hot cocoa and feeling it was her best birthday ever – it got even better. When she had finished her breakfast, her mother has looked at her with a twinkle in her eye.

“Jemima? Can you guess why we woke you up so early?” She had asked.
“You and daddy need to be at work.” That had been her logical answer. “But first you wanted to be with me!” Her young face had lit up in a big smile.
“Yes, of course we want to be with you, dear” said her mother.
“But today is Saturday” her father chimed in “we don’t have work today”

Jemima looked from one to the other with a puzzled expression on her face.

Her father put an arm around her shoulders.
“Get up and put on some clothes on. Then we’ll go to where your last present is. You see, we couldn’t bring it here – it was a tad bit too big” With that he gestured as if drawing a horizon with mountains.
Jemima could no longer sit still. Like a lightning she darted out of bed, leaving her parents looking at each other with raised eyebrows.
“I think you got her attention” her mother chuckled.

The whole process of showering, brushing her teeth, and getting dressed took her less than 10 minutes. And when she again stood before her parents, wearing her favourite jeans and the new blouse of incredibly soft green viscose her grandmother had sent her, she was beaming.

“Where are we going?” She was practically jumping up and down.

“Easy now, Jem, we won’t tell you. That would be like unwrapping your present before giving it to you, and that really wouldn’t do, now would it?” her father reasoned.

Eyebrows knitted she considered his logic. Then she lit up in a smile again. “But I wanna unwrap it now, let’s go!” She took her parents’ hands and pulled them off of the bed and towards hall. “Come on! Hurry!”

Her mother laughed heartily. “Yes, yes, darling, but you have to let go of our hands, otherwise we can’t tie our shoelaces, and we’ll never get anywhere” Jemima promptly let go. She also seemed to recall that she needed to don shoes as well. They all got out the door fairly quickly; though to Jem it couldn’t possibly be quick enough. She was already seated in the middle seat in the front of the hovercar, seat belt fastened and all, when her father finally came out and started the engine. Her mother joined them soon after, with a big basket and an insulated bag, which she placed in the back of the car. As she joined them in the front seat, her father let the car float out from their driveway.

“Jem, honey, you’ll have to be patient. This is a 1½-hour ride. If you keep bouncing in your seat, the other people in the traffic will be wondering if we’re dancing River dance in here.” Jem couldn’t help but laugh at the thought of people dancing inside their car, but she did calm down a little bit.

Considering how excited she was and how long the ride was, the time passed incredibly fast. Jem mainly concentrated on a comic book she got the very same morning. Until her father brought the horizon to her attention, that was. He gave her a small nudge, and she looked up at him. He smiled at her and then gestured towards the horizon like he did back at the house. She looked in the direction of his outstretched hand, and suddenly all admonitions about sitting still were forgotten.

In the horizon the slopes of a huge roller coaster towered. As they drove under one of the hills to get to the parking lot, Jem was staring at the magnificent sight.
“You see that’s why we woke you up so early” her mother said to her. “The earlier we got here the more time we can spend here.” Jem nodded, an eager expression soon replacing that of awe. There were only few other cars in the parking lot, so they got a place very close to the entrance. When Jem’s parents reached the ticket sales, Jem had already run more than 4 times as far. This was the first time she had ever been to an amusement park.

Since this occasion, they had made it a tradition to always go to the amusement park on her birthdays, but none of the trips ever equalled the first experience. No roller coaster could ever compare to the first time she felt the exhilarating rush of the steep drop from a height she had never thought possible.

Oh yes, her childhood had been all right. Her parents had loved her, and they had made sure that she learned everything she wanted to. Her life had pretty much been perfect.
On their way home from the amusement park she had fallen sleep while looking out the rear window of the car. The sunset had been beautiful; a perfect conclusion to a perfect day.

Jem puts down the pages when she’s done. She looks sad.
“I remember that day so clearly” There’s a hint of bitterness in her voice. “How far we have come since then.”
I can but agree with her: “How far indeed.”

We sit in companionable silence for a while.

“I’ll have the next instalment ready as soon as possible. I’m still in doubt as to whether I should include a few more of these childhood memories, or whether I should skip straight to the rough stuff. What do you think?”
She gives me a thoughtful glance. “I don’t know. How about some of those episodes that hinted at what was to come? Those that didn’t make sense before I knew why.”
I look at her questioningly. “Which episodes are those? I don’t seem to recall you telling me…”
She smiles and nods. “I haven’t ever told anyone, you’ll be the first… Just give me a few to gather my thoughts will you? These memories can be quite unpleasant.”
I nod. “Of course, of course” Looking at her troubled eyes, I add: “Look, I’m gonna make us a pot of tea, and then we’ll sit down and take it all at your pace, okay? This could be a long afternoon before we’re done. Yes, tea would be good”
With that I head for the kitchen and the tea.

[Billy]

Well you know what I think of this. So when is more coming? LOL, I want more! ;D

[Alyanntha]

I was spell bound and loving it..the BAM, end of story. All I gotta say is Gimme more More MORE! I love it Jem, really. Not only is the way you right absolutly beautiful but I love the idea of it. So far, it's wonderful. Now, get typing on the rest! ;D lol

[darklink]

What was the point of this story, not to be mean but it sounds like a story a person would have to write as an assignment in English class. Seriously, it's just the story of a girl remembering the first time she went to an amusement park. Whoopdidoo. I had to do something similar last semester as my ISU for grade 9 english, something that I absolutely did not want to do but I had to and I read this story expecting there to be a twist at the end but find all she does is go to an amusement park.

[Taika of Narfell]

Actually it's much more than that, this is just a beginning of a long tale.

[martinspellweaver]

Is there more available at the moment, Jem? I'm afraid you've got me curious... and there's nothing I hate more than my own unsated curiosity...

Probably because I'm a nosy so-and-so...

[Taika of Narfell]

Nope, nothing else available atm

I will move along with it at some point, though. And that's a promise. I won't promise anything about time-frame, however