The clicking of her heels on the cobblestone resonated in perfect syncopation with the rain that stained the street in a canvas of gray. The symphony was a comforting tune like that of a remembered nursery rhyme.
Slender fingers moved to turn the collar of her jacket closer to the alabaster skin of her neck as she drew closer to her apartment. This wasn't the greatest part of town. It wasn't uncommon to hear some tragedy had occurred on Belgrave Street through the television or radio or, more times than not, just through the grape vine.
It wasn't a few nights ago that she had come across a prostitute being thrown from a car. The young girl’s pale skin had been bloody and torn from the impact of the unforgiving road and her bright red hair a wild mess of fire. Instances like these are what paint this street in apprehension and fear.
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Glancing around, one would think that they were attending some form of business meeting or a seminar on how to properly suck up to their boss in order to get that raise or promotion. Boys all clad in business suits clearly picked out by their fathers and girls in pencil skirts and dark colored blouses. Perhaps these kids were all attending a funeral, mourning the loss of the Saturday they would rather spend watching cartoons in the comfort of flannel pajama pants. Little would one of these outsiders suspect that these business-styled dungarees acted much more like armor than their appearance would suggest.
Like in a Roman coliseum, there are many different labyrinths in which to partake in and traverse. The crests of their clans branded in the shapes of their school mascots. A wolf fights with teeth and claws against a titan, a falcon sinks its talons into the winds and rains of a thunderstorm.
One event hosts rounds of battle over various moral standings. It requires its volunteers to be quick-minded, their tongues sharp and coated in poison. Cobras ready to strike without a moment’s hesitation. The riptide that pulls its victim under before the swimmer even knows it’s there.
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Slim fingers brought the Styrofoam cup to faded red lips. She'd gotten ready for the day nearly twenty four hours ago so she didn't doubt that she looked a mess. That thought in mind, she absent mindedly ran a hand through her red hair in a halfhearted attempt to tame it.
Exhaustion hung on her face like a mask as she forced more caffeine past her lips, too tired to feel it burn down the path of her throat.
This was the first break she'd had in hours. Being a doctor in Moscow was hard enough on a "good" day, this was stifling.
"Natalia," a voice called, snapping her out of her thoughts. "Four more just came in."
Nurse Liya stood in the doorway of the small break room. Her graying hair was falling out of the once tight kept bun and her eyes mirrored the same tiredness the doctor felt.
"Are they still sick or have they entered the latent period?" Natalia asked, standing to throw away her cup before moving to follow the nurse.
"Three of them have entered the latency period claiming to have stopped vomiting or even feeling nauseas for a few hours now. The fourth, however, is still in the immediate stage. He hasn't stopped vomiting since he arrived." Liya explained.
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I guess it's true old habits die hard.
She watched as the moon cheered on the stars' arrival.
Her eyes shinned as her smile grew wide.
Her mother glares at her teeth tattered cuticles
and the already scuffed dress shoes barely hidden in white.
I guess it's true old habits die hard.
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There is no map frayed, yellowed or faded enough
to know where Monkshood lives. The only mortals
who know its sorrows are the poor sods that call it home.
Trapped forever in both time and place, pining
to leave but unable to find their way past the thick
redwoods to the east and the train tracks to the west.
Forever nuzzled in the cloak of autumn's equinox;
summer's smile never quite leaves in the light of day
but fall's eerie whispers fill the darkness brought by
nightfall.
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It isn't until the rains of spring and the occasional frosts mend away, that the young ones begin to sprout and come into the world. Taking in the wonders of this life the way only a newborn can; with curious minds they stretch and reach and feel the different parts of the earth. The soil in the gardens, the soothing water that pours from the sky and the bright sunshine all welcome the young to their new lives.
Our community is a large one. Its residence come in all shapes and sizes, never hesitating in offering companionship or words of wisdom. It isn't until the mild summer days of around late August or early September that the community is in full bloom. It is a wondrous and awe inspiring spectacle to see. The little ones gather together and laugh and play in the way that only young ones can. The older, more mature, gather in groups as well; speaking of the weather and other topics of small talk.
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