The Lark's Transformation
A Short Story By Eponinefreak
"Hurry up, you Miserable waste of flesh!" yelled a shrill voice from the front of the inn. Cosette's eyes welled up with tears as she looked at her hands, red and raw. "Couldn't I please have supper?" She asked. "Not until your chores are done. And I mean it! If I see one spot of dirt on this floor, you shan't see any supper for the next three days!" Cosette picked up an oversized broom and started to sweep the floor. Eponine sat at the table and watched Cosette pitifully. Poor girl, she thought. I wonder what happened to her mother. She was probably real pretty. And nicer than my mother. Eponine glanced to the room where all of the inn's guests stayed. A loud burst of laughter reached to kitchen. Eponine made sure that no one was coming their way, and then whispered to the servant girl. "Psst!" Cosette looked up, startled. "Psst!" Eponine repeated. "Come here." She checked again to make sure that no one was looking as Cosette dragged the heavy broom over to the rough, wooden table. Cosette looked at the floor as she spoke. "Yes?" she asked quietly. Eponine dug a dry crust of brown bread out of her apron pocket. "Here." She said as she handed the crust to the withered 'lark,' as she had heard travelers call her. Eponine watched her eyes light up as she crawled under the table, gnawing on the morsel of food. "So." Eponine said quietly, sitting on the floor next to Cosette. "Did you know your mother?" Cosette looked up, startled. "W-what?" "Did you know your mother? I, uh. mean." Eponine repeated, not wanting to frighten her potential friend. "It must be hard to work, um, for my mother, and, umm," Cosette started to cry. ".What? What, I -um- did I say something." "No! No." Cosette said gently, drying her tears. "No one's ever cared enough to feed me, let alone talk to me." "Well." Eponine didn't really know what to say. She didn't want to say that she felt sorry for Cosette. "Um." just then she heard her mother's voice from the kitchen. "Cosette? What'd you wanna see that lil' wench for?" The girls heard a man's voice in response. "I am sent in place of her mother, who has taken Ill." "OH!" Madame Thernardier said in an over exaggerated tone of false pity. "I had no Idea! Please, come right this way!" Eponine caught her breath before helping Cosette to her feet. "Hurry!" She whispered. Cosette slowly picked up her broom and started the painful task of sweeping the hard wooden floor. Eponine ran back to the table, nearly knocking over her chair in the process of sitting. She looked towards the door and saw her short, stout mother walk in, followed by a tall, white haired man. "Cosette, sweetie," said the squat woman. "This nice man wants to talk to you." Eponine thought she heard her mother say, "Don't screw up." as Cosette walked past her. When Cosette was acquainted with the man, Madam Thernardier left the room. Eponine watched in silence as the man dried Cosette's tears, and then reached into his bag. He pulled out the most beautiful doll that either of them had ever seen. Eponine smiled in awe of it's beautiful curls and painted on face. "Now go play." He said, smiling at Cosette. "You mean, I can play?" It was a new word coming out of Cosette's mouth. The tall man nodded his head and smiled at her glee. Eponine watched as Cosette sat down, not really playing so much as admiring her new doll. The tall stranger left the room, to talk with her mother, Eponine supposed. Eponine tip-toed over to Cosette, not wanting to disturb her. When she felt it alright, Eponine sat down on the floor next to Cosette. "That's a beautiful doll." Eponine said, once again trying to start a conversation. "Yes!" Cosette said, stars in her eyes. "And it's a doll!" Eponine heard the disbelief in her voice ad smiled, shaking her head. Just then, Madam Thernardier burst into the room, looking for her husband. "What is it, Mama?" Eponine asked. "Get out of my way, child!" she yelled, dashing about the kitchen. "He's got money. Lot's of it! And he wants the wench!" Eponine looked at Cosette, who looked at Eponine with tears in her eyes. "You mean, I get a home!? And a family!?" Cosette was ecstatic. "I guess so." Said Eponine, sad that she was losing her first potential friend. Cosette must have guessed at Eponine's sadness. "I'll always remember you." She reached over and hugged Eponine. Right then they were no longer skive and little mistress, but best friends. Eponine cried for Cosette's good fortune, and Cosette cried because she was leaving her friend. There they sat on the floor, hugging and crying. They were interrupted by the tall man. "Come, Cosette." He said. "I am a friend of your mother. I will take care of you now." Cosette placed her tiny, warn hand in his large, rough one, and they headed for the door, Cosette peering over her shoulder at her friend. She waved good bye with tears in her eyes, and Eponine ran up and gave her one last hug. As she did so, she slipped a small gold bracelet into Cosette's hand. "I know it's too big, but you'll grow into it." She whispered. Eponine waved one last time as her new and only friend left her. The door shut and the two went their separate ways.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Eponine ran up to her little brother. "Gavroche! Gavroche!" she yelled. A small boy dressed in rags turned to face Eponine, "Ho! Eponine! And how are the ancestors?" He asked, bowing. "Fine, Fine" Eponine rolled her eyes. "What production is showing tonight?" "Oh, I don't know." He sighed, holding up two tickets. "Send Azelma my blessings." "Whatever that's worth, Gutter brat!" she said teasing his hair. He threw a punch and she dodged it. "I didn't have to miss." He warned. Eponine laughed as she walked back to the inn, whistling a tuneless song to herself. She stopped when someone caught her eye. "Maruis! Marius!!" She yelled, waving her hand frantically in the air. "It's me! Eponine!" "Hello 'Ponine!" Answered a young man sitting at a small table outside a café. "How is life treating you?" "As well as ever!" She answered cheerfully. "Any news on the streets?" "Yes!" Eponine answered excitedly. News was her specialty. If anyone lived in these parts of Paris, she knew where they had come from, and who they were. "There are some new people in town. An old man and a young lady. They moved in where those old ladies used to live. I haven't met them yet, though." "Well, they look new" said Marius, pointing to a young girl about Eponine's age, and an old man with white hair. Eponine examined the couple. The girl was dressed in all black and looked about 15 or 16. The old man had white hair and wore a suit. Eponine decided to get a better look. She bid farewell to Marius, and headed over to where the couple was standing. ".And this is Cosette." She heard the man say. Cosette, Cosette, Eponine thought. Why does that sound so familiar? Suddenly, she had a flashback of her mother yelling in the kitchen. There was a small girl holding a large broom, and a doll, more beautiful than she had ever seen before. My Friend! Eponine thought. Sure enough, Cosette was wearing a small golden trinket on her right wrist. Eponine rushed over to the girl, tapping her on the shoulder. "Cosette!" she said. The girl turned to face Eponine. Wow, Eponine thought. She's beautiful. "Um. Cosette, it's me!" Eponine smiled. "Remember?" Eponine reached for Cosette's right wrist, trying to jog her memory. Cosette sharply pulled her wrist away. "Please do not touch me." She said firmly. "I don't want to catch. whatever it is that makes you look that way." Cosette turned away and walked briskly up to the tall man. Eponine stood alone and faceless in the crowd. Tears ran silently down her cheeks. She touched her well worn blouse.
She didn't remember.
A Short Story By Eponinefreak
"Hurry up, you Miserable waste of flesh!" yelled a shrill voice from the front of the inn. Cosette's eyes welled up with tears as she looked at her hands, red and raw. "Couldn't I please have supper?" She asked. "Not until your chores are done. And I mean it! If I see one spot of dirt on this floor, you shan't see any supper for the next three days!" Cosette picked up an oversized broom and started to sweep the floor. Eponine sat at the table and watched Cosette pitifully. Poor girl, she thought. I wonder what happened to her mother. She was probably real pretty. And nicer than my mother. Eponine glanced to the room where all of the inn's guests stayed. A loud burst of laughter reached to kitchen. Eponine made sure that no one was coming their way, and then whispered to the servant girl. "Psst!" Cosette looked up, startled. "Psst!" Eponine repeated. "Come here." She checked again to make sure that no one was looking as Cosette dragged the heavy broom over to the rough, wooden table. Cosette looked at the floor as she spoke. "Yes?" she asked quietly. Eponine dug a dry crust of brown bread out of her apron pocket. "Here." She said as she handed the crust to the withered 'lark,' as she had heard travelers call her. Eponine watched her eyes light up as she crawled under the table, gnawing on the morsel of food. "So." Eponine said quietly, sitting on the floor next to Cosette. "Did you know your mother?" Cosette looked up, startled. "W-what?" "Did you know your mother? I, uh. mean." Eponine repeated, not wanting to frighten her potential friend. "It must be hard to work, um, for my mother, and, umm," Cosette started to cry. ".What? What, I -um- did I say something." "No! No." Cosette said gently, drying her tears. "No one's ever cared enough to feed me, let alone talk to me." "Well." Eponine didn't really know what to say. She didn't want to say that she felt sorry for Cosette. "Um." just then she heard her mother's voice from the kitchen. "Cosette? What'd you wanna see that lil' wench for?" The girls heard a man's voice in response. "I am sent in place of her mother, who has taken Ill." "OH!" Madame Thernardier said in an over exaggerated tone of false pity. "I had no Idea! Please, come right this way!" Eponine caught her breath before helping Cosette to her feet. "Hurry!" She whispered. Cosette slowly picked up her broom and started the painful task of sweeping the hard wooden floor. Eponine ran back to the table, nearly knocking over her chair in the process of sitting. She looked towards the door and saw her short, stout mother walk in, followed by a tall, white haired man. "Cosette, sweetie," said the squat woman. "This nice man wants to talk to you." Eponine thought she heard her mother say, "Don't screw up." as Cosette walked past her. When Cosette was acquainted with the man, Madam Thernardier left the room. Eponine watched in silence as the man dried Cosette's tears, and then reached into his bag. He pulled out the most beautiful doll that either of them had ever seen. Eponine smiled in awe of it's beautiful curls and painted on face. "Now go play." He said, smiling at Cosette. "You mean, I can play?" It was a new word coming out of Cosette's mouth. The tall man nodded his head and smiled at her glee. Eponine watched as Cosette sat down, not really playing so much as admiring her new doll. The tall stranger left the room, to talk with her mother, Eponine supposed. Eponine tip-toed over to Cosette, not wanting to disturb her. When she felt it alright, Eponine sat down on the floor next to Cosette. "That's a beautiful doll." Eponine said, once again trying to start a conversation. "Yes!" Cosette said, stars in her eyes. "And it's a doll!" Eponine heard the disbelief in her voice ad smiled, shaking her head. Just then, Madam Thernardier burst into the room, looking for her husband. "What is it, Mama?" Eponine asked. "Get out of my way, child!" she yelled, dashing about the kitchen. "He's got money. Lot's of it! And he wants the wench!" Eponine looked at Cosette, who looked at Eponine with tears in her eyes. "You mean, I get a home!? And a family!?" Cosette was ecstatic. "I guess so." Said Eponine, sad that she was losing her first potential friend. Cosette must have guessed at Eponine's sadness. "I'll always remember you." She reached over and hugged Eponine. Right then they were no longer skive and little mistress, but best friends. Eponine cried for Cosette's good fortune, and Cosette cried because she was leaving her friend. There they sat on the floor, hugging and crying. They were interrupted by the tall man. "Come, Cosette." He said. "I am a friend of your mother. I will take care of you now." Cosette placed her tiny, warn hand in his large, rough one, and they headed for the door, Cosette peering over her shoulder at her friend. She waved good bye with tears in her eyes, and Eponine ran up and gave her one last hug. As she did so, she slipped a small gold bracelet into Cosette's hand. "I know it's too big, but you'll grow into it." She whispered. Eponine waved one last time as her new and only friend left her. The door shut and the two went their separate ways.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Eponine ran up to her little brother. "Gavroche! Gavroche!" she yelled. A small boy dressed in rags turned to face Eponine, "Ho! Eponine! And how are the ancestors?" He asked, bowing. "Fine, Fine" Eponine rolled her eyes. "What production is showing tonight?" "Oh, I don't know." He sighed, holding up two tickets. "Send Azelma my blessings." "Whatever that's worth, Gutter brat!" she said teasing his hair. He threw a punch and she dodged it. "I didn't have to miss." He warned. Eponine laughed as she walked back to the inn, whistling a tuneless song to herself. She stopped when someone caught her eye. "Maruis! Marius!!" She yelled, waving her hand frantically in the air. "It's me! Eponine!" "Hello 'Ponine!" Answered a young man sitting at a small table outside a café. "How is life treating you?" "As well as ever!" She answered cheerfully. "Any news on the streets?" "Yes!" Eponine answered excitedly. News was her specialty. If anyone lived in these parts of Paris, she knew where they had come from, and who they were. "There are some new people in town. An old man and a young lady. They moved in where those old ladies used to live. I haven't met them yet, though." "Well, they look new" said Marius, pointing to a young girl about Eponine's age, and an old man with white hair. Eponine examined the couple. The girl was dressed in all black and looked about 15 or 16. The old man had white hair and wore a suit. Eponine decided to get a better look. She bid farewell to Marius, and headed over to where the couple was standing. ".And this is Cosette." She heard the man say. Cosette, Cosette, Eponine thought. Why does that sound so familiar? Suddenly, she had a flashback of her mother yelling in the kitchen. There was a small girl holding a large broom, and a doll, more beautiful than she had ever seen before. My Friend! Eponine thought. Sure enough, Cosette was wearing a small golden trinket on her right wrist. Eponine rushed over to the girl, tapping her on the shoulder. "Cosette!" she said. The girl turned to face Eponine. Wow, Eponine thought. She's beautiful. "Um. Cosette, it's me!" Eponine smiled. "Remember?" Eponine reached for Cosette's right wrist, trying to jog her memory. Cosette sharply pulled her wrist away. "Please do not touch me." She said firmly. "I don't want to catch. whatever it is that makes you look that way." Cosette turned away and walked briskly up to the tall man. Eponine stood alone and faceless in the crowd. Tears ran silently down her cheeks. She touched her well worn blouse.
She didn't remember.