E2A: A little girl's friendly smile

Chapter 3
Another Encounter: Gratitude

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Chapter Description: Things start to happen when Hannah is walking out late at night. And what are they talking about over drinks?

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[size=4]Ensis Excor Acer, a mini-novel: "A little girl’s friendly smile."[/size]

[size=4]= = = 1.0 TABLE OF CONTENTS = = =[/size]

1.0 Table of contents

2.0 Information

3.0 Chapter 2

4.0 Wordlist on E2A for readers

[size=4]= = = 2.0 INFORMATION = = =[/size]

Affiliations: E2A, the main story.

Universe: E2A.

Type: Mini-novel.

Genre: Modern fantasy, drama and super natural.

Recommended age: 15.

Specific warnings:

Chapter size:

Phase: 2/3, certain inconsistent scenes in development.

An original idea by Marvin Teabag.

Authorized sites:

- www.ararchive.com

If this work is found on any other site then the ones noted above, please contact us. Once finished, if you want to add this on a site none of us is a member of, contact Marvin for permission and the site will be added to the list. You may never change anything in this work. Everything written must be kept intact.

You may print and/or distribute this for private use. This mini-novel is not for use in financial profit in any way outside its creator’s control.

Produced by the Braelvemh Court:

’Ensis Excor Acer (fourth draft) copyrighted 2006-2007.

- Marvin "Trash Raider" Teabag, main writer, visualizer and spokesperson.

- Cassie-Lyn Long, storyboard and sketcher.

- Stuart Dreng, dialogue scriptor, consistence- and spell/grammar checker.

- Henry Mein, our beloved mascot, punching bag and muse.

This is a work of fiction. The scenarios, characters and locations are invented and does not reflect reality. Readers are advised against copying anything, in any form, happening in this novel back in reality. Just sit back, read and enjoy.

[size=4]= = = 3.0 CHAPTER 3, ENCOUNTERING SOMEONE; A DRUNKARDS’ TALE = = =[/size]

= = = 3.1 = = =

It was tiring. The moist in the dark evening touched her. So odd, the little girl thought when she stopped under a light. Hannah’s legs were aching after running. She didn’t get this tired even on the ’jum’.

"Why didn’t I bring any shoes?", Hannah said. "... Or a warm sweater. Jakie, you dummy."

It was his fault she didn’t have the time to bring any clothes, their mother could come any moment back then. His fault alone.

"Dumb brother..."

She sat down on the kerb, patted her legs and curled up. The shirt was wet from moist. Hannah felt tired in more then her legs. The tummy made noises. It reminded her she hadn’t eaten anything supper.

Anything thing would do, even the long, orange things her mother liked...

"Who can help me... JonS?", Hannah said.

She felt a brief moment reassured before realising something; Hannah didn’t know where he lived.

= = = 3. 2 = = =

People walked by on the sidewalk. The path was illuminated by lampposts. Hannah ha decided to get up and walk again. It was cold walking on the sidewalk. She decided to take off on the grass hoping it was warmer. So wrong. Even if the grass tickled her feet it was even colder.

The grass"path" went towards a small park with dim illumination. Benches set up along with plastic chairs towards a scene. When Hannah sat down on something on the bench she jumped down when it made a rustling noise. She was scared but calmed down a moment later. It was a sleeping man who turned around when he felt something woke him up.

Looking around the spotted what had disturbed his slumber. The man looked rugged with his unshaven face and torn clothes. His hair a mess.

"Wah ’ctha li’l la-dee ’oih au lej’?", the man said and strained his eyes like he was trying to keep focus on Hannah.

((What’s does a little lady doing here late?))

The little girl tried to look away when their eyes met. Hannah didn’t know why she did this, only that she felt her heart bump an extra hit when he looked. She put her hands in front of her nose when a funny smell hit her nose.

"Huh? ... I’m-I’m sorry.", Hannah said and looked down on the grass.

The man took a final look at her and grunted before going back to sleep. Soon after snoring came from the bench when Hannah sat down on a nearby chair.

There was something about that man. She couldn’t put a finger on it. The chair she sat on was wet but it got warmer the longer she sat. Thoughts went back to how hungry she was, not to mention being tired.

"It can’t be the mirror-girl... I helped fixing that doll. So how could I become a-"

Hannah couldn’t say it. She wasn’t a kid, only looking like one with the mirror-girl’s face and hair.

= = = 3.3 = = =

The man started to snore higher and higher before it was almost silent. When it happened the snoring got louder and louder. It made Hannah almost jump from her chair a couple of times.

She looked at the sleeping man. Her skipped heart. It was like he was... unhappy?

Not that he seemed like it, more like tired. Hannah could agree herself caught yawning. She felt herself forced to get closer to him even she wanted to sleep.

"... Maybe I can help him."

The little girl jumped down from the chair, went close to the man. He looked scary in the dim light when Hannah looked at him close up.

Something dripped from his cheek. It smelt funny. Hannah reached over to the man, she didn’t want to do it but at the same time she wanted to.

Her heart beat faster. The hands strained to take Hannah’s face closer to the man’s lips.

She hesitated a moment before kissing him. The man’s eyes opened, looking somewhat confused at who was hanging over him. The space around them went cold.

The man’s eyes met Hannah’s. She couldn’t back out and at the same time wanted to.

His eyes were brown with a hazy look. It hurt looking at them for Hannah. She wanted to look away, but kept her eyes locked with his. Her pupils became small like nails.

"Wha’ cha do-", the man said before he stopped. His eyes widen before they went blank.

Next moment the park broke up in tiny pieces, chairs and benches flew up and vanished. The lampposts went down under the grass, which in turn changed to a wooden floor.

Everything was replaced bit by bit with tables, carpets, odd pictures and a white misty atmosphere. Hannah was standing over the man during the whole process. Bottles in various shapes came from nowhere and brushed her head as glasses joined them on the tables.

Blurred outlines became men dressed in ragged jackets and women in twinkling dresses. Some had glasses in their hands. One started to talk to those by his table like he had been doing it for some time. They nodded and laughed. Glasses were refilled when emptied. A woman roared and hit the woman next to her, who took the wrong glass failed taking notice of the mistake.

Everyone around the tables were beet-red in their faces. But still laughing.

Hannah stood still in the middle of the commotion, unaware of what was happening around her until the phasma was complete, and her prey vanished in smoke. He reappeared at one of the tables with a bottle in the hand.

She blinked once, then again before her hand shielded the right eye from the bright light. The little girl coughed at the foul atmosphere.

"Where is this?", Hannah said. She couldn’t recall what happened when she hesitated kissing the man more then they looked at each other. "... Phasma?"

Hannah walked between tables to a window and looked outside; A large room with tables and people around them drinking something. She saw a little girl with brown hair in a large red striped-shirt. Her back was turned to Hannah, looking outside a window aswell.

Hannah went across the room and looked outside the other window. Same girl, same people around the tables. This made it clear she had used the phasma.

"But how did it happen? It is odd. Lyn said I could only get inside by kissing... Maybe she didn’t know herself.", Hannah said.

Hannah thought of trying to call for Lyn again, but decided against it now. She was here to see why the man was sleeping on a bench.

Looking around, she found out this room was smaller then others she had entered before. The homeless man the other day had a much larger phasma then this when she thought about it. Both he and this man looked alike in that they both had ragged clothes and haven’t showered. Yet this man was a bit more dirty and had a scary face. Not to mention how he spoke funny.

The people looked like they were having fun talking and laughing while hitting the glasses.

Hannah walked around the tables to find the man. People were shouting in the room so everyone could here what they were saying.

"Another toast to the duke!", said a man with a dotted green bow-tie on the side.

"Aye, we need to hear more about your achievements. Duke, tell us again about the Prombadore inc trial, FoN-15 , or the homicidal creamer.", said the man next to him and heaved his glassed. Most of the content missed and dripped down his cheeks. He wiped his face before continuing. "You know how to push the buttons, Duke."

The people in the room laughed and toasted.

"More liquor!", said a woman with a fur on her axels.

The woman could barely stand on the spot when she said this. When the glass was emptied, it refilled itself with hazel-coloured liquid. She started over the procedure again and the glass had new beverage when it was emptied.

Hannah didn’t know what they were talking about. She didn’t care now when she had found the man. He stood by the largest table. The man now looked so different from how he looked like in the park.

The nut-brown hair was combed back, his face was washed. The untidy beard was now a smile moustache. His coat was replaced by a brown suit with a green tie tucked outside the white shirt. He was red in the face like all others.

A woman dunked his back.

"Don’t hold us up anymore, duke. Or is it something you don’t want tell us? What about that Dawson worker?"

Duke’s face became white, nostrils widened. His pupils became small.

The conversations in the room died down fast. No one said anything. No one moved. No one drank. It was like the room had frozen. The woman with fur laughed heartily and dropped from her chair with a loud bang.

"No, no. That never happened. Duke would never get a guilty verdict. Right, duke?", the bow-tie said. Others agreed with him. They raised their glasses.

Colour returned to the duke’s face. Duke smiled slightly assured and nodded. He showed with the hand others should listen to him now.

"Very well then. Where should I begin...", said the duke.

He scratched his chin. "Hmm... It was in February five years ago," people in the room stretched over on their places to hear him. Tables in the corners were moved closer. " a secretary from Prombadore inc. called me. They wanted help with something small, an insignificant and trivial... error in their economic charts for the last quarter of the year. I said-" , Duke shook his glass and it was refilled with something green he took a zip from before continuing.

He waved his hand in the air as something was bothering him, even if others couldn’t see it, or more likely; didn’t care since they were having too much fun.

"’Sure, but do your CEO know my motto?’", said the duke.

Hannah didn’t listen anymore on the Duke’s speech. She had found him now, but couldn’t still understand why he was unhappy with so many happy around him here in the phasma. Anyone could fall asleep on a bench in a park and look like they haven’t been washed.

But it still wouldn’t explain why his coat was torn at some places.

This is diffy, where could he have hidden the bad feeling? Maybe I was wrong. He doesn’t look unhappy, this ’Duke’. I shouldn’t have come here...

Hannah felt bad for coming here after looking through the whole room. Under tables and between chairs nothing. No one had paid attention that a child was crawling on the floor. They were occupied with praising the duke for his cunningness.

What she was looking for was something different, it should look like a flower of some sort with thorns. They could grow anywhere inside the phasma. Sometimes Hannah could spot them with no difficulty. Other times hidden high up.

= = = 3.4 = = =

It was funny how the ’addies’ could turn red after drinking when Hannah thought about it. She have never red after drinking something. Maybe getting red after eating some ice cream, or yummy cookies. But never red when it came to milk, water or anything else for that matter.

The men whispered across other tables, turning crimson, while the duke was going through his accusation of falsified evidence from the prosecutor’s side. How his client was innocent as a lamb. Two women had fallen asleep and used their fur as pillows. Others followed one by one redder then the other one.

Hannah could recall her mother was red like them late one night years ago, when she looked up at them from a table-corner. Her face had mixed between white and red when she realised Hannah came down in the kitchen for a glass of juice. Hannah didn’t know why she was trying to explain what she was doing.

She listened and nodded half-asleep while her mother talked. All Hannah wanted was some apple juice. If she just nodded it would be over quicker and she could go back to sleep in the warm bed...

"I remembered something new... ", Hannah whispered under one of the smaller tables.

She felt warm inside over this realisation. A new memory, one step closer to her goal.

= = = 3.5 = = =

Hannah had looked through the whole room with no result. There wasn’t anything she could have reacted to. The girl decided to stay some time before leaving. Hannah was getting really tired now from what had happened the whole evening. She sat under a table tried listening to what the duke said, but found it making her feel sleepy.

Those who could still nod raised their glasses to toast the duke. Others were sleeping, using the tables as pillows. The duke himself was discussing how he for the eighth time turned the table on the, he called, ?Marduke’-trial.

The woman with fur had sobered up somewhat and looked around for her glass. When she couldn’t find it she looked down under chair and spotted something unusual. A little girl sitting under the table, dousing off now and then.

“Well... Well. Look-ee wut we ?ave here...”, the furclad woman said.

Hannah woke up quickly when she felt a hand taking her with a tight grip. The furclad woman brought her up, fully visible for everyone, took a good look at the little girl trying to rub sleepiness from her eyes, and laughed.

"Look-ee here ev’one!", the furclad woman yelled in a cheery tone. No one seem to have noticed among those still awake. They listened to the duke and nodded at parts where it seemed fitting best.

The furclad woman wrinkled her face, it didn’t look as friendly like it was a moment ago.

She cleared her throat. Hannah who had woken up somewhat tried to shake off the hand holding her captured. The woman’s face looked so scary when she first looked up at her.

It was no use. Hannah was too weak to break free from the woman’s grip. The furclad woman looked down at Hannah. She took another zip from her glass before clearing her throat again. Her face changed from being intimidating to somewhat more friendly.

"Look-ee here ev’one," the woman said again. "We ’ve a visitor, a schmal one indeedie. Duke! Duke, you shou’ look at ’he peach. Brown little one!"

The furclad woman’s laughter became a giggle, then a cackle. She threw down her glass on the table hard enough to wake up those sitting around nearby tables.

Duke stopped in his speech to spot who was interrupting him. He looked around in the imaginary room, eyeing each one in his audience until he stopped at the furclad woman.

The furclad woman brought up Hannah, who opposed the idea, on her lap but still held her grip on the little girl. She petted her on the head like a good pet.

People in the room sobered up when they didn’t hear the duke’s speech and looked around to see what was happening. They went from Duke to the furclad woman he was looking at.

Each time Hannah tried to get off the lap the woman pinched her arm hard, and releasing the grip a bit until she settled down again.

Hannah wasn’t sure what it was they were drinking, but she could feel close up the scent was still hanging in the air when she first arrived here.

"So schweet, I can almost eat her here and now with scotch and lemon...", the furclad woman said and began to stroke the little girl’s brown hair. She smelt at it. Moving over the little flamewaker’s head like a vaccumcleaner. Hannah couldn’t move because she was stiff besides

"Wait a bit with that until later, young madam," Duke said and made a gesture. The furclad woman frowned and hugged Hannah closer to her chest.

"No, ’uke. Sche’s ma’jne! My little honey-dipped pie in schok’lad.", the furclad woman said and took another sniff in Hannah’s hair. She stroke her hair and tried to cuddle with the little girl, who in turn tried to get away from the treatment. She wasn’t going to give up on her new pet just yet.

Duke scratched his beard, glanced at the little girl who looked scared, closed his eyes and hummed on a song. It was one of those songs which caught up in the head days, perhaps weeks after.

He didn’t stop humming until those still sleeping in the room were somewhat awaken. The Duke opened his eyes again; he smiled, looking at the situation.

"Dear, dear, madam...", Duke said. “I didn?t say she wasn?t. But wouldn?t it feel better sharing the honey-pie with us others; I mean what is having something so sweet when no one else can appreciate it? A sweet and understanding lady like yourself will make us others understand much better.”

He offered a hand to furclad and flashed a beaming smile at her. The furclad woman looked at him with small squinted eyes, but as his words sunk in she released her grip on Hannah.

The little flamewaker tripped away as far as she could when the woman glanced at her, the duke caught her in his left when she turned around her head.

The furclad woman now had a shade of a different red colour replacing the usual one. People turned their attention to the duke and started to applaud. It grew louder along with the increasingly frequent clapping.

“Marvellous, absolutely marvellous, Duke.”

“How splendid”

“He can even handle things outside court.”

“A role model for society, I tell you.”

Duke and bowed and made a graceful move with his other hand to silence the crowd.

He sat down on his knees, still smiling with white teeth fully visible.

“And whom might this little lady be?”

= = = 3.6 = = =

?Lady’ was something you called a girl, most often a child. Hannah knew that from books she had read, but ?role model’ was something she had look up later.

“Mmh...”, Hannah said and looked down. She wasn’t sure if she should tell her name to this ?Duke’. Not when he thought she was a kid.

It felt odd being this shy when someone spoke to her. He didn’t look as scary like on the bench, but still.

The duke was tall as a house when he stood up. Now he looked friendly, warm and inviting when he sat down on his knees. She felt her heart skipped again like back outside the phasma when the duke was so close to her.

“... Hannah...”, Hannah whispered. She looked away on his chest when their eyes met.

“Now, now. Speak up, young lady! Don?t be shy”, Duke said. He

patted her

Why does he think I am a kid? I will show him I’m not.

She looked up at the duke, smiled and showed with fingers how old she was.

“I?m Hannah, not a ’little lady’. And I am fifteen and two months old.”

The duke lowered an eyebrow and muffled a smirk. His lips curled up as he petted her head again. "You sure is, ...Hannah."

Hannah blew up her chins. She felt like stomping on the imaginary floor, but calmed down and decided against it.

He still thinks I am a kid! Somehow, I know he does even if he doesn’t say it. Maybe I should have told him I really was nine days older then that... It’s true, I really am. I have counted before.

The duke nodded. Two chairs shot up from the floor below them. Comfortable pear-green chairs clad in soft fabrics, perfumed with summerflowers. Both were stuffed with cotton.

He sat stood up on his knees, took her hand gently like handling a porcelain doll. Hannah’s hand felt so small in the man’s much larger hand.

She felt warm like back in her bedroom. Her heart beat faster when the duke guided her to one of the chairs. What Hannah didn’t know was that she was getting a bit smaller.

Her stature was getting a bit smaller. Arms and legs retracted, making her red-striped shirt look even bigger. Hannah’s face was rounder then before, making her look more childish.

The duke didn’t attention to the people around the tables complaining about why he didn’t tell anymore of his fabulous cases in court.

= = = 3. 6 = = =

"Now tell me what you are doing here, Hannah. Among my regular friends here I haven’t seen a polite girl like yourself. A precocious flower yet to reach its budding. I am an eager listener.", Duke said and moved his chair closer.

Maybe Hannah was wrong. The duke didn’t think she was a kid after all when she thought about it. What a flower had to do with her was beyond Hannah.

She took a deep breath, coughed at the perfume and started to think about what she could say.

Lin always said that she couldn’t tell Duke about why she was here, not that it mattered to him. Everything they saw in the dream, the phasma, was simply part of the dream for them.

The Duke was no exception on this. But Lin wasn’t here to tell Hannah that, and Duke seemed so nice... She could tell him a bit of it.

"Why do you speak so funny in..."

The Duke nodded

"Just let’s say I am a modest drinker. It effects my vocal cord", Duke said.

He started to talk about

= = = 3. 7 = = =

“A monster dressed up like a little girl, that is what you are! Go find your own humans to feast on. This is our food. Ours alone to devour as we choose. Drink, drink you must do, Duke. It is what you want, what we want. It will help against those nasty men and women hurting poor Duke. Muffle the wounds from sharp tongues and pointing fingers. Yes, Duke. Yes. Drink more... We will listen to your glory from the past. We will remain as your friends. Never drawing one witty word. Play with us everytime you go to sleep. We will wait with more drinks and warm smiles until you have to leave us again. Tears will pour from our chins until you return with soothing words.”

“We are Egolin! We are many, but imprefect! Heed our last warning, or be eaten like the monster you are!”, Egolin said with its many voices.

Egolin held them both hard in its’ grip.

Hannah had a hard time breathing. Her pulse was thumping along with the breathing.

She felt warmer, she could burst any second.

Should I just let it... go?

= = = 3.8 = = =

Hannah had doused off until it was early in the morning when she awake by something loud.

It was the man who had fallen off the bench. He looked around in the park, perplexed as if he didn’t know why he was there in the first place.

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Duke stood up and dusted off his jacket. He touched his head muttered something.

"Shun’t ’ave taken tha’ last pinte... Tha’ woman knows ’ow to trick ’nest men... "

Looking around he found himself sleeping on a bench in the Creaves’ park, a place were plays or small concerts were performed on the summer. The duke’s head felt heavy. He staggered before regaining balance. Shaking his head cleared up the fog inside a bit.

"Mait need ’o drink sum’fin elsh... Tesht like mea’ loafh.", the duke said. He smacked the lips and cleared his throat. "... Tha’s a bi’ better. Shu’d try find sum’thin’ to eat."

Last thing Duke remembered was when he had started drinking on bars the last week. Perhaps one and a half. He wasn’t sure about when it started.

The morning was like a fresh breeze. Morning dew and a clear sky. The sun was rising.

Duke inhaled the scents. His head started to work again while he stretched his arms.

While he took his time finding a good bush the duke spotted someone else have been sleeping next to him a on a chair. A young girl in a red night-shirt of some sort. Too large for someone like that. While emptying the bladder he thought the little girl sleeping looked familiar somehow.

"... Kids shoun’t be out late. Not when they are..", the duke muttered before he came off. He eyed her small frame over a couple of times, "Ten? Elw’n?"

The bladder had gathered a lot over the last few days. It was relieving getting rid of all that liquor. Duke squeezed the remaining drops and pulled up the zipper. He walked past the ’roommate’ and stopped next to the child.

"Dunno why I do this, but she might nee’ it a wee bit more then me. Don’t sleep outside yet, yun’ lady. You are too young for tha’, hope it wun’ happen again in a long, long time... ", said the duke.

He removed his ragged coat, dusted off some dirt he had missed earlier, and put it over the girl like a blanket. The duke walked away from the park in search for something to eat.

~~ End of chapter.

[size=4]= = = 4.0 WORDLIST = = =[/size]

A quick dictionary for readers:

- Incomplete

 

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