Disclaimer: Libba Bray who created the Amy Winehouse of the Victorian Era (a.k.a Pippa) and the lovely Angus and Julia Stone who brought a "soldier" to life.
Soldier
You can open the book to any page and realize that in all good fairytales the princess is rescued by her knight in shining armour from some distant tower that reaches towards the sky. She wears a vial of hope around her heart, drinking from it until her knight arrives, valiant and frighteningly courageous. But this isn't any ordinary fairytale. Perhaps it is something darker, more sinister than those faithful bedtime stories that lull small children to sleep. When her knight arrives he wrenches the vial of hope from the princess' heart, and treads on it with harsh blows. The magic is changing, and like a deadly poison it slowly works its way through the realms.
I met him down by the bay; he said life is a stranger that won't go away
Her breath became more forced as she pushed through the brambles and tree branches which loomed in front of her. The air became denser as she collapsed clutching a handful of berries in her hand. She lay as still as possible as she listened to the pained footsteps of her knight, who staggered towards her. From a far she could see what she feared most as he turned his face to the side. She saw three jagged stripes across his pale cheek. He looked at her claws, those cold hands which harboured his defeat. She did not dare to move as she watched his blood, a deep unsettling purple fall to the ground, turning the bright green grass into an ashen heap. If you couldn't hide forever in the realms you might as well try. Besides, Pippa no longer wanted to see herself reflected in her creation.
He took my by surprise and I felt for the first time what it's like to be alive
Earlier that day Pippa had wondered what day of the week it was. Perhaps it was Christmas or her birthday. She couldn't have told the difference. As she lay on a hammock fashioned out of shimmering silver string and wild passion flowers she could hear the familiar plod of her supposed lover. She wondered if there was anything she desired at the moment but nothing struck her with great importance. Perhaps it was a chord which quivered with anticipation, as her knight delicately picked her up and placed her down by the edge of the river. All she remembered were her strangled gasps as he had placed his lips over hers, looking for something that wasn't quite there. So she ran. With the taste of corruption heavy on her lips.
I'm a soldier but I don't know how to fight
Pippa wondered why she couldn't destroy the knight. If she had simply strangled him with the vines that hung from the walls of the castle in the distance or found a dagger to drive into his black heart. She felt some part of her choke with worry and knew that somehow she was part of the knight, and the knight was part of her. She brought her palm to the ground and felt the familiar throb of the ground beneath her fingers. If she could just draw on the magic and change everything. But she didn't even dream about her time at Spence anymore. All that remained were loose memories, and imaginary situations that she had invented whilst she was day dreaming at Spence. She could only hold onto the sliver of hope that Felicity, Ann and Gemma would return. And she would greet them as if they were her lost children.
I'm your best friend but I'm scared to see you tonight
Pippa took Felicity's hand and led her behind several trees with large charcoal coloured leaves. Something happened when Pippa smiled. A small miracle. She began to feel the cloud that had hovered above her since she arrived in the realms dissipitate. She felt as if her and Felicity were pretending to be two exotic princesses hiding in an enchanted cave where they couldn't see the world and the world couldn't see them. She desperately wanted to return to her childhood, as she thought that if she could go back far enough she would be able to restore everything to how it was before she entered the realms.
Felicity told Pippa that they should join the others because they wanted to explore the realms together. Pippa noticed a slight change in her friend's manner. There was something uninviting and tentative about the way Felicity handled Pippa's affections. Felicity wasn't pulling Pippa towards the other girls. She was pulling away from her.
I'm the darkness but I want to be the light
In the darkness she could see a foreign light in the distance. Three girls in white glided towards Pippa, and pressed into her palm a small package. She could feel her fingers tingling with an unfamiliar sensation. A childish joy for frivolities such as Paris' finest dress and Belgian chocolates, and trivialities such as seeing flakes of snow settling on the roof of the house across the road like icing on a cake. This was also accompanied by a new urge for passion, power and control. But something was missing as she drank greedily from the goblet that the three girls in white held before her. Her sense of clarity had been doused by a plethora of emotions she had felt or longed to feel. Her mind was filled with thoughts other than her own and secrets that should have been concealed forever.
The three girls appeared again. Funnily enough they seemed more human. Their skin. Tattered. Their dresses. Tattered. Their hope. Tattered. She wanted to change their lives and lead them down the right path. Any path but hers.
A/N: As you might know the song I chose is "Soldier" by Angus and Julia Stone. They're a sister/brother duo from Sydney and make beautiful music. If you have time take a listen to their songs on /angusandjuliastone or their live performances on youtube. Whatever floats your boat. Anyway enjoy, and reviews are always lovely.
purple.skivvy