Hook, Star Line and Sinker
Rose began to accept her life as one disaster after the next. It was as if even hoping to hope was useless. It had been a fortnight since the incident and Rose, filled with lackluster, had sequestered herself away inside her London flat with no desire to ever saunter outside again. Outside of her window Rose gazed onto the busy cobblestone street. The world was changing exponentially due to new inventions, such as the automobile. Rose's world was also changing, hardly for the better. She knew that the only constant was change, but somehow it was hard to accept what Cal had done to her that night on his property. She felt hollow and responsible for the rape, but as the days passed she instead became numb and indifferent to it. Rose gazed on as an affluent man assisted his young wife into an automobile as a crowd of spectators watched with awe. Moving pictures were the next big thing of course. Rose wondered what kind of stories would be made into moving pictures. Perhaps one of her favorite books Wuthering Heights. Rose imagined playing the part of Cathy in the moving picture; she imagined the mysterious and ruggedly handsome bartender Bill as the brooding Heathcliff.
"What has got you so disheveled?" Ruth remarked, after scrutinizing Rose's unruly appearance.
Rose slighted her mother and closed her copy of the Bronte classic, replacing it on the bookshelf.
"Are you giving me the silent treatment, for I have done nothing." Ruth stated. "Most daughters would be grateful if their mother arranged them a marriage. But you're not because you are an ungrateful wretch." Ruth fumbled with a lack of a better word.
At those words, Rose suddenly had a change of heart. She knew where she ought to be right now, rather who could cheer her up. "I'm fine, I just need some fresh air." Rose said finally breaking her silence.
Rose scurried of to her room and began dressing herself. She combed her knotty hair and styled it. Rose turned her head to the right and noticed that she had lost some of her baby fat. She put on a high neck blouse and tie, that hadn't already been packed for the voyage. She thought it complemented the side swirls in her hair. She placed some rouge on her cheek, grabbed her purse and a few shillings she had lifted from her mother's drawer and disappeared from her Mother's sight. Rose first stopped at a confectionary shop and bought some fags, matches, and a flask of gin. Rose felt satisfied as she filled her empty purse with her new possessions. As she was about to leave her eye caught something in the window that brought a smile to her face.
"Mother would pass out." Rose smirked as she eyed a jade cigarette holder. However, the jade holder was much more than she could afford. Rose decided to lift it. Rose nonchalantly re-entered the shop and walked by the newspaper section as she waited for the store's owner to turn away or get engrossed in another customer. In a moment's notice, a young boy with tattered clothes and rotten teeth came in carrying some boxes filled with confectionary items. As the man instructed the young boy where to leave them, Rose quickly dropped the cigarette holder into her purse. A surge of adrenaline filled her body. Exhilarated, she turned and headed straight for the door.
"Thief!" The shop owner shrieked. "That woman pinched something!" The shopkeeper shrieked again, this time at a higher decibel.
Now on the street, Rose began briskly walking and pushed through some pedestrians that had gathered outside a tailor shop. Rose tried to dodge an oncoming man but failed and he fell flat onto his feet. "Watch it, why don't you" The man scolded while brushing of scuff from his trousers, as his wife tried to help him back on his feet.
"Pardon me." Rose muttered, as she bolted down a side street and out of the eyeshot of the shopkeeper.
It dawned on Rose that she'd better make herself scarce so she changed her trajectory and headed toward the London Night Tavern. Meanwhile, she lit a fag. Almost instantly, Rose exploded in a bout of coughs as the smoke burned her lungs, causing her diaphragm to expel its presence.
"Tastes horrible." Rose observed. Rose was adamant however. She took another drag of the cigarette and this time the burn down her esophagus and lungs was much less displeasing. Rose sulked as she rummaged through her handbag, stopping after she felt what she was looking for. She took the handmade jade cigarette holder out and placed the fag inside. "Splendid." Rose affirmed just as she realized she was outside of the London Night Tavern.