Hello all! Maddy here, with a short little ficlet from the younger Pip's point of view in Charles Dicken's "Great Expectations". This was a class assignment, so I thought, "What the heck?!" So here it is, hope you enjoy it!!!
O, and to all those who are reading "The Namesake Chronicles", I'm currently recovering from a severe case of writer's block, so it will probably be up soon!!! Trust me, it's worth it.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything that belongs to people who are long dead.
Winter Delight
Harsh, morning sunlight streamed into my not-so-tidy room, stirring me from my comfortable slumber. I blinked, trying in vain to rub the sleep from my eyes. As I sat up, I looked out my tiny window at the winter landscape that lay before me. Puffy, white snow covered the ground, and the evergreen trees looked as if an over-excited toddler had smattered them with vanilla icing. I smiled. Winter was my absolute favorite time of the year. So many festive holidays, warm nights by the fire, and (the climax to every child's year) Christmas! A great warm feeling seemed to fill me as I thought of these, and I dressed with great enthusiasm.
"Pip!" called my mother from downstairs, "Best hurry down! Your breakfast is getting cold!"
I pulled on my socks in the great hurry of a ten-year-old boy and pulled a comb roughly through my disheveled hair. I eased my door open and did my best to step silently down each step. The smell of sizzling bacon and cooling bread reached my nose, and I sighed inwardly. Yes, winter was most definitely the best time of the year.
o-o-o
"'Ello Pip, ol' chap," said my father warmly as I entered the room. In response, I jumped up onto his lap and swing my arms around his neck, though then they did not reach all the way around him. He chuckled deeply, and ruffled my already mussed up hair, earning him a disapproving glance from my mother.
"Now Joe, I have a hard enough time keeping that sorry boy presentable without you making matters worse!" she exclaimed, sending me a sideways wink as she said this. Father smiled, and set me as gently as a blacksmith could on my wooden stool.
Breakfast seemed all to short, and soon I found myself racing down the steep slope of the local sledding-hill with Billy, a short, red-haired, freckle-faced boy I had met on my first day of school. Casual gliding down the glittering slope had soon escalated, and by the time my mother found us, we were racing at incredible speeds (for one my age) down the hill. Usually with the discovery of our dangerous conduct she would send Billy home and sit me down for a long lecture on the dangers of rough play, but she seemed to be in an exceptionally good mood that day, and served as an enthusiastic audience, cheering us on as we slid.
By the time the winner had been determined (best out of 45), it was late evening, and the sun was beginning to set in the sky. Mother seemed to suddenly realize the time, and hurried us off to change and eat dinner. Billy went to his home, and I to mine. Supper was a short affair, since my father had decided to work late, and I ate alone with my mother.
After father had finished work and eaten supper, we all gathered around the fireplace, I on my favorite stool, and Joe in his chair. We sat in silence for a long while, watching the flames leap up off the logs, when I heard the heavy footsteps of a man in the kitchen. Before I could look around, I heard my father jump up and give him a warm greeting.
"Why Pip, ol' chap! Been many a long year since we'd seen you here," he exclaimed. At first, I thought he was talking to me, but then I realized that the middle-aged man whom he greeted responded to the name, and graciously hugged Joe. I looked up questioningly, and Joe gave my mysterious smile as he said.
"Pip Gargery, it's my pleasure to introduce you to...Pip."
The End
Did ya like? Good!?! Ok, then please, please PLEASE review. Keep in mind that I only had 40 minutes to write this, lol. Which is why it seems so rushed at the end. Anyway, please review, visit my bio and go to my site, and stay tuned for more LOTR fics!!!
Czech Chicka