Monday, June 12, 2006

Night

She sat beside him in the passenger's seat, trying to catch her breath as he drove the car away from the park. She tried to grab a piece of tissue paper from the tissue box on the dashboard in front of her, but her trembling fingers betrayed her; the box instead fell near the gear stick. Without as much as a sideways glance, he picked up the box and placed it back on the dashboard, removed a piece of tissue paper and passed it to her wordlessly, never once taking his eyes off the road. She took the paper from him and at the same time looked at him. His face was a picture of intense concentration, as though he thought that any moment now an obstruction was going to block his way. He seemed as though he hasn't even registered her presence beside him.
Perhaps he was angry. He had every right to be angry. Yet what exuded from him was not rage, yet she felt it was a form of calmness, like a deep lake with an unruffled surface, the blue water concealing a hidden volcano of emotions.
However, she also felt sadness and concern from his being, but she could feel he was suppressing them. He may not have looked at her directly, but she could see him take a few peeks at her from the various mirrors in the car.
She suddenly felt self conscious. Her hair was tousled, her make up smudged by the excessive sweating due to her exertions. In a vain attempt to salvage her appearance, she tamed her hair with a rubber band to tie a ponytail, and removed the make up with the rest of the tissues left in the cardboard box.
She looked at him as the car moved along, the trees casting silhouettes thanks to the golden lights from the streetlamps. She suddenly felt very small. She had managed to get herself into such a mess, and now she had to call upon someone who had trusted her so much, but whom she betrayed to drag her out of this.
When she called him, she wondered if he would help at all. After all, her betrayal had hurt him deeply, and he still bore the scars of her decisions. Yet, he was here, coming to her aid in her time of need.
She could not take it anymore.
"Aren't you going to ask me why I asked you to pick me up in from that desolate place at such a late hour?"
Her words seem to echo in the car.
He said nothing at first. He didn't even change his facial expression. Then with a sudden jerk, the car screeched to a stop on the empty road. He changed to parking gear and leaned back on to his chair.
"If you wanted me to know, you would have told me by now."
He turned to face her.
"Do you?"
For only perhaps one second, their eyes met, but she swiftly averted her gaze downwards in shame. He sighed, changed gears and moved off again.
"Let's go home." He simply said.
The car sped off into the night.


Definately not one of my best works, but I sort of made it up as I wrote it. I was trying to write a short story based on the first 2 lines of dialogue. Not really classic material, but I hope people will like it.

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