Chapter 21 - "She is Safe..."
William watched the stage. He hadn't seen Meredith all intermission. He slumped back into his seat, bored out his mind. He liked coming to see Meredith, but her much preferred her in exciting roles. She did play Joan of Arc in one her many acting experiences, but that was for her grade 8 thesis play on the history of France and she was only on for fifteen minutes doing a good job while everyone else was droning on and on with their French accents.
But this show was worth it. In the last scene he had seen ever so sensible Meredith hump floors and dance on clouds with a moon that sung. He laughed. This really was a wacked up show. He thought of Meredith as Claudia in Interview with the Vampire. Sure. Now that would have been a show worth seeing. He gave another laugh and picked up the program. So this scene was called "A Darker Force". He flipped through the program booklet, looking through the many stills from the show. He gave a weak smile. There was Meredith, clad in nothing but a corsette and robe, lying in the arms of another man, John Poe or just Poe as she called him. He looked into her painted face, the unfamiliar red hair.
"God I love you." He thought to himself, then stopped short. He thought about what he had just said, then took it back.
"God I like you." Much better he thought. He couldn't bring himself to love Meredith. Not yet. He just wasn't ready for that. He closed the program and watched the stage.
Still not curtain time he thought glumly. Usually he would have been more enthusiastic, but right now he was bored and leaned back in his very comfortable chair and closed his eyes for a minute. When he opened them a glaring light was in his eyes.
He shook it off him. He looked up again. The light was gone. He sighed. I have got to catch up on my sleep, he thought deppressingly. He loosened his tie, the darn thing digging into his neck. He felt the fabric under his fingers. He pulled it off, his collar opening up and revealing his high risen collar bones. He felt the crucifix, the one he never took off and stupidly enough no one noticed, and pushed it under the collar of his shirt. His mother had bought him and Meredith matching ones, even though Meredith wasn't a strong Catholic, but she became one after that. Even though she went to a public highschool and was free from Uniforms, she attended church regularly and came to youth groups with William sometimes. Her parents had nothing to worry about. At least she wasn't honouring the devil.
"My mother gave me and my sister one when I turned six for Christmas." They had celebrated Christmas at Meredith's house that year. She was in a skirt and turtle neck, perfect. William had come in his nicest clothes. He towered an inch higher then Meredith that year, but with Meredith's shoes on she was the same height.
Dana clipped the cross around Meredith's neck, the gold of her cross going nicely with the gold on her skirt.
The lights dimming woke him up. He sighed. Another hour and a half of Meredith macking on John Poe. He couldn't wait. He watched the large red curtain rise and the view of three places at once. The apartment with John at his table, the Elephant with Meredith on the ground, and the Gothic Tower. He set the program by his Mother's purse. A rise of clapping came from the audience. William joined in, his lack of movement annoying him. He watched the theatre.
As the play progressed, the audience clapping at the end of each scene, Meredith remaining backstage until the end came.
William watched the dance scene start. He had to admit the dancers in nothing but belly tops and short skirts were attractive, but the Meredith, blue with the lights on her pale skin came up, and the boom came from the back. William shot out his seat, looking around the back.
"Shooter got away!" Fox and his mother were off and running after the man that shot.
"No please...not her." William was on stage in an instant.
Blood trickled from the open wound on Meredith's abdomen. William gaped at it. Her mother and father fought against the crowd. Monica was on stage holding her daughter's hand in a moment, checking for a pulse. It was slowed, almost not there.
"No...no....no..." Monica began crying. William covered her wound with his coat. Meredith's eyes, green with contacts and her hair, red as the blood that rushed from her wounds. William stroked her cheek. A whisper came from her lips.
"She....is....safe....."
Then silence.
William began to cry himself.
His beautiful Meredith was dead.
William watched the stage. He hadn't seen Meredith all intermission. He slumped back into his seat, bored out his mind. He liked coming to see Meredith, but her much preferred her in exciting roles. She did play Joan of Arc in one her many acting experiences, but that was for her grade 8 thesis play on the history of France and she was only on for fifteen minutes doing a good job while everyone else was droning on and on with their French accents.
But this show was worth it. In the last scene he had seen ever so sensible Meredith hump floors and dance on clouds with a moon that sung. He laughed. This really was a wacked up show. He thought of Meredith as Claudia in Interview with the Vampire. Sure. Now that would have been a show worth seeing. He gave another laugh and picked up the program. So this scene was called "A Darker Force". He flipped through the program booklet, looking through the many stills from the show. He gave a weak smile. There was Meredith, clad in nothing but a corsette and robe, lying in the arms of another man, John Poe or just Poe as she called him. He looked into her painted face, the unfamiliar red hair.
"God I love you." He thought to himself, then stopped short. He thought about what he had just said, then took it back.
"God I like you." Much better he thought. He couldn't bring himself to love Meredith. Not yet. He just wasn't ready for that. He closed the program and watched the stage.
Still not curtain time he thought glumly. Usually he would have been more enthusiastic, but right now he was bored and leaned back in his very comfortable chair and closed his eyes for a minute. When he opened them a glaring light was in his eyes.
He shook it off him. He looked up again. The light was gone. He sighed. I have got to catch up on my sleep, he thought deppressingly. He loosened his tie, the darn thing digging into his neck. He felt the fabric under his fingers. He pulled it off, his collar opening up and revealing his high risen collar bones. He felt the crucifix, the one he never took off and stupidly enough no one noticed, and pushed it under the collar of his shirt. His mother had bought him and Meredith matching ones, even though Meredith wasn't a strong Catholic, but she became one after that. Even though she went to a public highschool and was free from Uniforms, she attended church regularly and came to youth groups with William sometimes. Her parents had nothing to worry about. At least she wasn't honouring the devil.
"My mother gave me and my sister one when I turned six for Christmas." They had celebrated Christmas at Meredith's house that year. She was in a skirt and turtle neck, perfect. William had come in his nicest clothes. He towered an inch higher then Meredith that year, but with Meredith's shoes on she was the same height.
Dana clipped the cross around Meredith's neck, the gold of her cross going nicely with the gold on her skirt.
The lights dimming woke him up. He sighed. Another hour and a half of Meredith macking on John Poe. He couldn't wait. He watched the large red curtain rise and the view of three places at once. The apartment with John at his table, the Elephant with Meredith on the ground, and the Gothic Tower. He set the program by his Mother's purse. A rise of clapping came from the audience. William joined in, his lack of movement annoying him. He watched the theatre.
As the play progressed, the audience clapping at the end of each scene, Meredith remaining backstage until the end came.
William watched the dance scene start. He had to admit the dancers in nothing but belly tops and short skirts were attractive, but the Meredith, blue with the lights on her pale skin came up, and the boom came from the back. William shot out his seat, looking around the back.
"Shooter got away!" Fox and his mother were off and running after the man that shot.
"No please...not her." William was on stage in an instant.
Blood trickled from the open wound on Meredith's abdomen. William gaped at it. Her mother and father fought against the crowd. Monica was on stage holding her daughter's hand in a moment, checking for a pulse. It was slowed, almost not there.
"No...no....no..." Monica began crying. William covered her wound with his coat. Meredith's eyes, green with contacts and her hair, red as the blood that rushed from her wounds. William stroked her cheek. A whisper came from her lips.
"She....is....safe....."
Then silence.
William began to cry himself.
His beautiful Meredith was dead.