Summary: Just why was Monica so obbsessed with Shane Collins?
-The sword is slicing through the quesion
So I wont be fooled by his angel light.
Flyleaf- Sorrow
xxx
There was screaming.
Alot of it.
An expensive looking vase whistled through the air at an alarming speed and smashed into fine shards of glass rain, barely missing the little girls head as she shrieked and stumbled out of the way. Heart racing, the small child pressed a fist into her mouth and watched from her hiding place under the dining room table with wide, tearfilled eyes as mommy and daddy continued to scream and shout, circling each other like she had sometimes saw wolves do on the documentries her big brother liked to watch. That wasnt her Mommy and Daddy, those people who where getting closer and closer, more feral looking by the minute, they were strangers. Closing her eyes, the child shivered and forced the increasing panick that was rising in her chest back down, it would'nt do her any good. Instead, she gripped the tables wooden leg in a death grip and took a deep breath before dashing out from her hiding place and, fast as lightning, making her way to the front door. She paused only a moment to shrug on her favourite pink coat and tiny white sneakers and then reached up on her tippy toes, tounge poking out the side of her mouth in concentration as she tried to reach the handle."Come on!" she cried, jumping up in a spur of desperation, but she was just too small and no matter how much she tried to stretch her body it just wasnt enough.
"Monica!"
The roar was one of raw, primal fury and it seemed to echo through the entire house. Monica shuddered and glanced around, frantically trying to find another escape route that she knew wouldnt be there. Her blue eyes stayed dry though, even when heavy footsteps thudded in her ears and sent a chill of foreboding through her compact body she refused to cry. Her shoulders slumped and began to quiver in fear and a mixture of hatred and desperation that she had never imagined a person could feel before, all the while his footsteps drew closer..closer... almost there. Shuddering, she drew herself further into a corner in the hallway and clenched her tiny fists at her sides. There was no frantic screaming, no cries of pain, so Monica guessed that her mother was already lying knocked out on the living room floor. That was nothing new though, she had lost count of the number of times she had hobbled into various rooms after her father had vented out his anger for awhile and crawled to her mothers side, tracing her fingers over the dark shapes on her waxy skin, staying by her side until the older woman would eventually wake up, draw in a deep, shuddering breath and cry in away that Monica didnt think grown up's could. She would cling to her daughter and promise, never again! But there was always a second time. "Monica, come out, come out where ever you are." he drawled, his voice a deep, menacing whisper that the little girl just knew would give her nightmares when she tried to sleep for weeks to come. He was close: at the stairs maybe, she thought, squatting down in her corner and clamping a hand over her mouth so to make as little sound as possible. She knew her attempts at hiding were futile though, all he would have to do was glance over the stairs and that strange smirk of sinister triumph would grace his lips as he reached for her... Monica shivered. "You can't hide forever little girl." he promised, and Monica huddled further into the corner, wincing as something sharp dug into her side. What the...
"Dad!"
The shout was followed by a loud bang! as a door upstairs slammed shut and Monica's eyes where wide when she heard her father growl under his breath and begin to charge up the stairs. "Richard you little bitch!" he snarled, sharp curses becoming more and more vigorus as he mounted each step. As she listened, the door burst open and a sharp yelp of pain resounded through the finally filled Monica's ice blue eyes and she felt such a rush of love towards her big brother that she almost choked.
He was sacraficing himself for her.
Sniffling, Monica reached behind her and pulled a little at the unknown object digging painfully into her side, breath seizing in her chest as she realized what it was. Her fingers carressed the the little black foot stool that her and Richard used to reach the cookie jar lovingly and she wasted no time, positioning it in front of the door and stretching upwards to reach the locks. A little higher... almost there... come on...
Yes!
Restraining a woop of delight, Monica threw the door open and ran into the warm Texas air, relishing the sun as its warm rays danced across her face and made her feel warm, safe. She had no idea where she was going, Disney Land maybe, she mused with a tiny grin. Yes, she would go to Disney Land and live with princesses just like she had told her bestfriends Gina and Jennefer she would. Unfortunately, she got a stitch five minutes into her run and realized with some regret that she probably wouldnt make it to Disney Land.
In the end she found herself playing alone on the swings at the park.
While she absently scraped the toes of her sneakers against the black tarmac and clutched the chilly chains on either side of her with clammy palms, Monica thought about her mother and Richard. She wondered if her mom had woken up yet, she wondered if Richard was okay, but mostly she wondered when her dad was going to find her.
And what would happen when he did.
A tremor of fear ran down her spine, her mind going on overdrive as she contemplated all of the various scenerio's in her mind. Would he be terribly angry with her again? Or maybe he would be back to nice daddy again, cuddeling her and telling how worried he was? She was doubtfull about the ladder. As a breeze of wind gusted through the park and Monica hugged herself, wishing that she had worn a thicker coat than her flimsy little rain jacket, her eyes suddenly filled with tears and she felt utterly miserable as a mournful sob escaped her lips. Why couldnt daddy be nice all of the time? Her body shook with the force of her tears and she bowed her head, dark hair spilling across her face like a sheild against the world.
Monica liked the sound of that.
"Hey, are you alright?"
Glancing up sharply, ready to snap something venomous at the intruder, Monica did a double take and stared at the voice's owner with something akin to startled fascination. Oh he was... pretty. A shock of dark tousled hair, golden skin, high cheek bones, and those eyes... a warm, rich golden brown that looked genuinely concerened as he stared at her.
Monica blushed.
Which surprised her. In her six years of life she had never been one to blush, there wasnt an awful lot to blush about if she were honest, but this boy... well, he was different. Attempting to brush her hair out of her eyes, she tried for a watery smile. "Im... okay." she lied and those golden brown eyes narrowed. "No you're not." he stated simpily, glancing over to where a little girl of about four was sitting in the sandbox giggling, and then taking a seat on the swing next to her. Monica stared at him, curious and a little bewildered about what he was up to. He shot her a side long glance. "What?" he questioned when she continued to stare.
Cocking her head to one side, she studied him for awhile before finally speaking. "Im Monica." she offered him a smile and stuck her hand out, just like she had sometimes saw her mom do with her Fathers clients. The boy stared at her hand for a moment and then turned bewildered eyes on her. "I hope you dont want me to kiss it or something, 'cause i've seen dudes do that in all those films my mom likes to swoon over..." Monica giggled and reached over to grab the boys hand from his sides, grasping his warm fingers firmly in her own and pumping it up and down. "No silly, you shake it. Nice to meet you...'
"Shane. Shane Collins."
Monica glanced up and was amused to see little red smudges high up on the boys cheek bones and he cleared his throat as she let his hand go. "Shane,"she tested, liking the way his name felt on her lips. "It suits you." she said after a moment of deliberation, sitting back on her swing and biting back a grin as he mimicked her movements.
"Thanks."
A comfortable silence descended over the two, only occasionally disturbed by the swings creaks and the bubbly laughter coming from the little girl in the sandbox. "She you're sister?" Monica asked after catching Shane glance over at the sound of her laughter a couple of times, a smile tugging at his lips. "Yup. Her names Alyssa." he announced proudly, his chest puffing out a little in that way that boys did sometimes and Monica bit her lip to contain another smile. "She's cute." she said honestly. The little girl was adorable, a cloud of black curly hair, large brown eyes- just like her brothers- and little dimples when she smiled. Sweetness personified.
Shane gave her a total grin this time, as though she had complemented him, and she noticed that despite the fact he had lost his first front tooth, he still looked cute. "Y'know, you're kinda alright for a girl Monica."he said after a moment, glancing at his watch and jumping up from the swing with wide eyes. "Oh crap, we're late for dinner. Lyssa!" he called, and the little girl looked up with a smile and danced towards them, still laughing. "I think you're sisters a bit crazy." she admitted and Shane chuckled. "Sometimes being a little crazy is healthy." he murmered, and smiled wryly when Monica gave him a look.
"See you around Monica." he grinned, giving her a half hearted wave and jogging over to his little sister.
As Monica watched him dissapear hand in hand with his little sister, she felt warm inside. Suddenly, she wasnt worrying about her father being angry or if her mother was going to be concious when she went home, Only one thing was on her mind.
Shane Collins.
And so the seed is planted.
xxx