This freebie story involving the characters from my Work In Progress, The Players Are the Thing was the result...
“Have a pickle?”
Rhane blinked at the dripping green object offered. Her skin prickled with pain, too much exposure to the sun.
She’d forgotten the world, studying the small ceramic figures and houses in the window, the impression of thatched roofs, looming over tiny, frozen people going about their lives, peering up at the giants staring at them through the window.
“What are you looking at?” Mona withdrew the pickle to pop it in her own mouth and started chewing. “I didn’t know you liked that kind of thing.”
“I’m guessing you don’t.” Rhane rubbed her aching forehead, fighting resentment over the phrase “that kind of thing”. Not to mention Mona had offered and eaten the pickle without giving Rhane a fair chance to refuse.
“It’s just a window display with a bunch of miniatures. No,” Mona stopped herself, hearing an echo of Beatrix’s customary contempt for anyone else’s interests she didn’t share. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like that.”
The taller girl winced, ducking her dark head.
Rhane tried to keep her own mouth from twisting in sympathy. Perhaps Mona was reliving the last time Beatrix had taunted her. Rhane could recall her words only too well.
“Mona, you’re like a puppy dog, aren’t you? Following me around, repeating everything I say.” Beatrix eyed Mona’s black t-shirt, exactly like one Beatrix herself had crumpled on the bedroom floor. “Don’t you have any original thoughts? Or are you hoping I’ll pat you on the head, call you a good doggy?”
Rhane bit her lower lip and winced, on the verge of apologizing herself. Not that she was sure if she’d done anything wrong.
Mona avoided her gaze. She leaned closer to the glass, peering at the ceramic village. “Actually the details on these miniatures are pretty good. Um, I didn’t mean to say actually like that. I’m not trying to belittle your interest.” Mona blushed and lowered her head. “Sorry. Everything I’m saying is coming out wrong.”
“It’s all right.” Rhane smiled, even though her lips felt heavy and unwilling to move. “You don’t have to apologize.”
“I want to.” Mona turned toward the glass, avoiding Rhane’s gaze. “It’s a nice display. Different than the kind of miniatures we use in games. This is a peaceful little world. Guess I’m not used to that.”
“A peaceful little world.” Rhane tilted her head toward the sky, feeling her skin ache. “Wouldn’t it be nice if there was such a thing?”
“What do you mean?” Mona turned to fix large, anxious brown eyes upon her.
Great. Rhane had to open her big mouth and say what she was really thinking. Well, she might as well say the rest.
“Even when people aren’t fighting each other, they still snipe at each other. Trying to find less violent ways to cause pain, to hurt.”
“Hey.” Mona touched Rhane’s shoulder with a tentative hand. “It’s still better to leave our victims alive. That way we can learn to be kinder and they can learn to avoid us.”
Rhane chuckled, amused out of her funk at this comment. “You’re assuming we’re the villains in this scenario. Not the victims.”
“Well, duh!” Mona tossed back her full head of dark hair, letting it bounce in loose waves over her shoulders. “You and I are way too interesting to be victims while Beatrix is too ornery.”
Rhane smiled at Mona’s innocence as much as at her compliment.
Victims could be just as interesting as villains. Victims might become villains if they didn’t save themselves. If someone didn’t save them from themselves.
She didn’t argue, though. Nor did she resist when Mona presented her with another pickle.
She leaned forward and took a bite, letting the sour sweetness explode within her mouth.
It was a bit like life.
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