3rd of Fall, 515 AV
Time: Evening
Place: Cottage on East Street
The sting was mild, almost so faint that Felicity would not have noticed it if she could not see the thin trickle of red as it beaded and rolled down her inner thigh. She watched it curiously as he slide across her mostly smooth skin, before it dropped and joined a small pool of the same on the floor. The knife was held loosely in one hand as Felicity bent down further to inspect the cut. It was shallow, hardly more than a paper cut, yet somehow the sting was stronger than some of the deeper ones that were around it.
"You shouldn't do that." the airy voice came from another corner of the room where her mother and father were curled up together, sharing what looked like joint of some kind. As her father took in a breath its end sparked with red and yellow lights before a small piece of the burnt end flaked off and fell on his dirty pant leg.
"You shouldn't do that." he repeated, handing the smoke sideways to the woman on his arm as he leaned his head back and exhaled slowly through his nose.
"I know." Felicity replied, looking down as she drew another thin cut now closer to her knee. This trail of blood slid down and around to the top of her thigh, following the curve of some muscle as it made its way down. This one was thin and watery looking, Felicity noticed with interest. Why was that?
"You're going to hurt yourself." This time Mother's voice broke the silence between them, only a slight edge of concern marring the otherwise indifferent woman's expression, "How will you get a husband then?"
Felicity shrugged, "I wont have a husband."
"That is just sad... You are too beautiful not to have a husband." Her response was only half hearted as her eyes rolled up and her head rocked forward on her chest, "You could get a good husband..."
Felicity watched them for a tick or two before setting the knife gently down beside her, crossing her legs beneath her as she rested her elbows on her knees, "What are husbands even for?" She wondered allowed. Looking at her own parents Felicity could not quite understand what the point was in taking one man and one man only to your bed. That would mean you always had to wake up to them, and listen to them. What if you didn't like them and they were already your husband? Then it would be all the worse wouldn't it?
"They keep you warm at night and give you someone to talk to." Father blinked his eyes open, coming in on the tail end of the last statement, "They provide for you, make you feel special."
He was out of his mind, Felicity realized. If that was what he thought then this man was doing a terrible job. Her father was a thin man, so skinny that he looked almost sick with deep pockets in his cheeks and bags under his eyes. He wasn't sick though, just strung out each and every day. He spent all their money on drugs, gave nothing to either or her mother, though he did share his drugs with her. Maybe he was a good husband after all.
"I don't think I need just one. If I have many husbands I will have many more people to talk to, and get many more things." It made sense to Felicity, but her father shook his head, squinting his eyes as if he were surprised she didn't get something so simple.
"No, no you can't have more than one."
"Why?"
"Because you can't" He took another draft, and then he was gone once more, resting his own head against her mother's.
"That doesn't make sense." Felicity said dryly, standing up and brushing off her bottom. With one hand she smeared the blood across her inner thigh, letting it mix with the dirt and dust there to hide its red color. The cuts had mostly stopped bleeding by now, and the sudden pained growl from her abdomen made her forget about any slight twinge she felt elsewhere.
Summer had been hard. Father had spent everything, barely having enough to buy food for mother and himself, but that left Felicity to fend for herself and do for her. It hadn't been a good season for a thief. People kept their doors and windows locked tight, and everyone seemed more alert than usual for whatever reason. Maybe Summer just wasn't a good season for her. Fall though, Fall would be different.
Still rubbing her stomach Felicity picked up a small pack and slung it over one shoulder by the strap, brushing a hand through her dirty hair as she looked back once more to her parents before leaving into the night. As usual, she did not bother to say good bye.
Time: Evening
Place: Cottage on East Street
The sting was mild, almost so faint that Felicity would not have noticed it if she could not see the thin trickle of red as it beaded and rolled down her inner thigh. She watched it curiously as he slide across her mostly smooth skin, before it dropped and joined a small pool of the same on the floor. The knife was held loosely in one hand as Felicity bent down further to inspect the cut. It was shallow, hardly more than a paper cut, yet somehow the sting was stronger than some of the deeper ones that were around it.
"You shouldn't do that." the airy voice came from another corner of the room where her mother and father were curled up together, sharing what looked like joint of some kind. As her father took in a breath its end sparked with red and yellow lights before a small piece of the burnt end flaked off and fell on his dirty pant leg.
"You shouldn't do that." he repeated, handing the smoke sideways to the woman on his arm as he leaned his head back and exhaled slowly through his nose.
"I know." Felicity replied, looking down as she drew another thin cut now closer to her knee. This trail of blood slid down and around to the top of her thigh, following the curve of some muscle as it made its way down. This one was thin and watery looking, Felicity noticed with interest. Why was that?
"You're going to hurt yourself." This time Mother's voice broke the silence between them, only a slight edge of concern marring the otherwise indifferent woman's expression, "How will you get a husband then?"
Felicity shrugged, "I wont have a husband."
"That is just sad... You are too beautiful not to have a husband." Her response was only half hearted as her eyes rolled up and her head rocked forward on her chest, "You could get a good husband..."
Felicity watched them for a tick or two before setting the knife gently down beside her, crossing her legs beneath her as she rested her elbows on her knees, "What are husbands even for?" She wondered allowed. Looking at her own parents Felicity could not quite understand what the point was in taking one man and one man only to your bed. That would mean you always had to wake up to them, and listen to them. What if you didn't like them and they were already your husband? Then it would be all the worse wouldn't it?
"They keep you warm at night and give you someone to talk to." Father blinked his eyes open, coming in on the tail end of the last statement, "They provide for you, make you feel special."
He was out of his mind, Felicity realized. If that was what he thought then this man was doing a terrible job. Her father was a thin man, so skinny that he looked almost sick with deep pockets in his cheeks and bags under his eyes. He wasn't sick though, just strung out each and every day. He spent all their money on drugs, gave nothing to either or her mother, though he did share his drugs with her. Maybe he was a good husband after all.
"I don't think I need just one. If I have many husbands I will have many more people to talk to, and get many more things." It made sense to Felicity, but her father shook his head, squinting his eyes as if he were surprised she didn't get something so simple.
"No, no you can't have more than one."
"Why?"
"Because you can't" He took another draft, and then he was gone once more, resting his own head against her mother's.
"That doesn't make sense." Felicity said dryly, standing up and brushing off her bottom. With one hand she smeared the blood across her inner thigh, letting it mix with the dirt and dust there to hide its red color. The cuts had mostly stopped bleeding by now, and the sudden pained growl from her abdomen made her forget about any slight twinge she felt elsewhere.
Summer had been hard. Father had spent everything, barely having enough to buy food for mother and himself, but that left Felicity to fend for herself and do for her. It hadn't been a good season for a thief. People kept their doors and windows locked tight, and everyone seemed more alert than usual for whatever reason. Maybe Summer just wasn't a good season for her. Fall though, Fall would be different.
Still rubbing her stomach Felicity picked up a small pack and slung it over one shoulder by the strap, brushing a hand through her dirty hair as she looked back once more to her parents before leaving into the night. As usual, she did not bother to say good bye.
