Hello out there!!!
I think I worked on this too quickly, that's why I put second edition. Sorry if anyone of you read the first edition, the next chapter might confuse you. Excuses if some things do not make any sense, but I'm french, so I guess I can be excused. I couldn't send it to my Corrector, because she's poorly, and I don't want to disturb her.
Anyway, enjoy.
-Human Nature-
Winnie dried her tears with a white handkerchief and then walked towards the house. She had finally chosen a path and she meant to stay put to it. She would, in the morning, prepare to leave, take out her money from her bank account and take a ship to France.
She walked a bit faster, like if time would pass by quicker. She entered the Hall, where a couple of people were talking between themselves. She passed them by to get to her son.
"Matthews," she told him discreetly, "could I talk to you?"
He excused himself from the group and joined Winnie a bit farther.
"I will be leaving."
Matthews frowned for an instant, not understanding what she was saying. Then he opened his eyes wide with comprehension.
"I must leave," she told him. "I'm a weight to your father, I don't want to give pain from my..." She hesitated to continue, "...abnormality," she said.
"You aren't a weight," Matthews tried to convince her. "Father loves you, he has always loved you."
"I think he wishes immortality, he mustn't" Winnie said. "I want you to keep TreeGap Forest safe..."
Matthews frowned, "Safe of what?" he asked.
She didn't answer the question. "Just promise me that you'll make sure that your father doesn't sell it or construct on it."
Then thinking about an excuse, she said these words: "It has been my family's for a very long time. I don't want anyone to destroy it by their presence."
Matthews nodded. "But why do you tell me these things? You've already have been away for three months without news." He told her.
"Matthews," she started, "I won't hide you that I'm thinking of not coming back at all."
Her blue eyes seemed humid.
"Anyway," he said taking her arm and stirring her towards the Great Room, as the Gregorys had called it because of all the great events that had occurred there, "the musicians are waiting for us."
The Great Room had it's wall covered with tapestries that were immense and portraits of the family. There was one of Winnie, looking much younger with blue flowers in her hands. She was actually the same age as she was now physically, because of the spring Water, but she had then removed all her make-up.
Many chairs had been installed for the concert. They were now accepted by the guests. In front, were a black orchestra piano and a wooden music stand.
Henry was already there, sitting in the first row, two seats free next to him. Coming up to him, he took Winnie from his son and held her hand as she sat down elegantly. While Matthews sat down, Henry walked next to the music stand.
"We are honoured by your presence," he started. "And are glad that you came so many. I hope you enjoyed the meal and ate well. Now, that we have finished dinner; for a start, I invite you to listen to the following pieces of music composed by Brahms. He put together popular rhythms and classical music for the pleasure of our ears."
He then turned to the left door.
"I have the pleasure to present you the pianist of the night: Turner Davis" he said lifting his arms towards the door.
A man in his thirties strode proudly out, with a bushy moustache, the kind Henry would never attempt to wear, blond hair with a parting on the side. He was wearing a black costume. He came to stand next to Henry and bowed low. He then went to sit down at the piano and started to play some chords. The guests applauded him.
"And the violinist, which is only seventeen and is very talented on four strings: Rainman Jesse."
A boy with no beard with thin features, brown curly hair put in a plat walked in, his violin and bow in one hand. With the other, he shook Henry's hand. Clapping came from the guests.
But Winnie didn't move on her chair, she couldn't make herself believe who was standing in front her. The younger son of the Tucks put the violin to his chin while Henry sat down next to Winnie and took her hand.
It first started with a leading tune with doted crochets with semiquavers, the movement finishing with rapid low notes. Then the second tune was very quick too, the piano accentuating each first note of every pulsation. The next movement was made of a measure in a slow tempo, then a rapid one back in the normal tempo, and it started over again for about seven measures.
Jesse was working his fingers with no difficulty the hard chords in the upper part of the violin's strings. His face was serene with no expression of worry about making a false note. His back was straight and he held the bow as something fragile that would brake if he squeezed it too much. It was sometimes tilted towards him, and it jumped at some notes to make them staccato.
Winnie was impressed. Surprise of seeing him hadn't finished to wash over her. Her heart was beating very rapidly, wanting to make him stop playing straight away for him to speak to her.
But she was entranced. She closed her eyes and listened to the next slow notes. She held Henry's hand a bit tighter while her heart beat with the quick measures.
If she had had her eyes open she would have seen Jesse's eyes close too, making his movements seem more natural.
The music finished with three chords, taking all four strings in one go to giving the feeling of an apogee.
The public clapped hard, Henry was one of them that stood up to do so. Winnie clapped like, a "lady", not too hard and with delicacy.
For the next pieces she opened her eyes and watched Jesse. He hadn't changed a bit, except for the clothes, neat black trousers, a white shirt with large sleeves put back to his elbows. Over the shirt was a sleeveless cardigan, green and yellow silk forming lozenges at the front and black silk on the back. He must have put his hair into a plat to not have it in his face because he couldn't cut it.
He then played Hungarian folklore, which Winnie adored. But what marked her most was the last piece. It was the melody of the Ma Tuck's music box, the bow at each stroke making double string notes, soft and smooth with a couple of chords from the piano. At the last notes, Winnie felt her throat swell with emotions.
The audience showed their feelings by clapping hard, standing up to congratulate him for a couple minutes. The applause finally died down. Jesse bowed a couple of times with a big smile on his face that made Winnie shiver with happiness. She was finally going to find her friends.
From the corner of her eye she saw Matthews tell Henry something in his ear that made her husband glance at her.
Jesse walked away to probably put away his violin. Winnie got up and, regardless about the public, walked swiftly after him.
The pianist had stayed behind.
It seemed as if Jesse hadn't heard Winnie behind him and continued his way down a corridor to a small room where a sofa and a desk stood. Winnie finished running to the room's door.
"Jesse Tuck, where have you been?" she asked with nearly no more breath.
Jesse turned his blue eyes towards her.
***
Winnie had seemed tense or overjoyed with happiness, Henry wasn't sure. She might have been both.
He couldn't believe what he son had told him. Winnie would be leaving, leaving for France. He felt pain in his chest as he wondered what he had done wrong. A little voice in his head told him it was because of her immortality.
Since Winnie had told her secret, or part of it, Henry envied her, even if she had told him it wasn't a good thing. Being immortal was one of his most treasured boyish dream. And he had pushed her too hard to try to learn how she had become immortal. He felt bad about it. He would excuse himself, tell her to stay... No, plead her to stay.
He went to felicitate the pianist, and talked with the Guests. But still Winnie wasn't back. He started to get worried. She might have been chatting with the boy. But if he remembered rightly, Winnie didn't seem to know many people. Henry had met her eight years ago, and had nearly always been with her.
She finally turned up, a small smile on her face. He walked over to her.
"Do you know the violinist?" he asked.
"I do," she answered. "It's an old friend of mine."
***
The lights were out and it was night outside, and only a ray of moonlight made the couple visible. Winnie lied down next to Henry in her white silk night gown, snuggled in his arms.
"It's a shame you have to leave," Henry told her in a whisper.
"I wish it wasn't so," she told him back. "But things are getting to complicated for me to stay any longer."
"I understand," he said.
It was becoming too suspicious how Winnie seemed only in her twenties for so long. She was right. One of his friends, not so close had remarked how she looked always so young and beautiful.
He kissed her forehead.
"I love you," he whispered to her.
But Winnie seemed fast a sleep, clutching his waist in her frail arms. But she lifted her head to kiss him on the cheek leaving a smile on the man's face.
"I'm happy that this Jesse accompanies you," he told her. "He looks like a nice boy and friend."
Winnie smiled at the word boy. "Yes, what a boy," she thought, "he hasn't changed at all since..."
She fell asleep.
Henry thought he would feel very lonely after Winnie left. He also felt the weight of a sure death coming near. But he tried not to think about the end of his life. Instead he tried to convince himself that Winnie had the chance of not having the restraint of death.
With that thought he went to sleep.
***
Third chapter, hope you liked it and it wasn't too confusing!!
Thanks for the reviews, and I invite you to write down you feelings and ideas about what I write or on what ever you want. You might wonder what Winnie and Jesse told to each other (if you haven't seen the first edition of this chapter), if you have, I found that it was not a realistic meeting. I haven't met someone that I really liked and haven't seen for a long time, so I don't think that their meeting was the proper way they would react. I wasn't managing to write a realistic dialogue.
Excuse me if I have disgusted you from the story, or something like that. I realised that I hadn't spent enough time on the chapter...
Anyway.........
It still gets up my nose than Winnie in the book might be in a tomb, if you have an idea to make my story credible, tell me please.
Any way, REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW
(I write the Review several times so you can't miss it.)
You tell that is was true love, I haven't seen the film (yet) and I don't find that their relationship felt too profound in the book. Anyway, I plan to match them up anyway (one day)
You might have noticed that write a lot "anyway" sorry if it gets on your nerves
And again, THANKS FOR YOUR REVIEWS, ALL OF YOU!! I could KISS YOU.
I think I worked on this too quickly, that's why I put second edition. Sorry if anyone of you read the first edition, the next chapter might confuse you. Excuses if some things do not make any sense, but I'm french, so I guess I can be excused. I couldn't send it to my Corrector, because she's poorly, and I don't want to disturb her.
Anyway, enjoy.
-Human Nature-
Winnie dried her tears with a white handkerchief and then walked towards the house. She had finally chosen a path and she meant to stay put to it. She would, in the morning, prepare to leave, take out her money from her bank account and take a ship to France.
She walked a bit faster, like if time would pass by quicker. She entered the Hall, where a couple of people were talking between themselves. She passed them by to get to her son.
"Matthews," she told him discreetly, "could I talk to you?"
He excused himself from the group and joined Winnie a bit farther.
"I will be leaving."
Matthews frowned for an instant, not understanding what she was saying. Then he opened his eyes wide with comprehension.
"I must leave," she told him. "I'm a weight to your father, I don't want to give pain from my..." She hesitated to continue, "...abnormality," she said.
"You aren't a weight," Matthews tried to convince her. "Father loves you, he has always loved you."
"I think he wishes immortality, he mustn't" Winnie said. "I want you to keep TreeGap Forest safe..."
Matthews frowned, "Safe of what?" he asked.
She didn't answer the question. "Just promise me that you'll make sure that your father doesn't sell it or construct on it."
Then thinking about an excuse, she said these words: "It has been my family's for a very long time. I don't want anyone to destroy it by their presence."
Matthews nodded. "But why do you tell me these things? You've already have been away for three months without news." He told her.
"Matthews," she started, "I won't hide you that I'm thinking of not coming back at all."
Her blue eyes seemed humid.
"Anyway," he said taking her arm and stirring her towards the Great Room, as the Gregorys had called it because of all the great events that had occurred there, "the musicians are waiting for us."
The Great Room had it's wall covered with tapestries that were immense and portraits of the family. There was one of Winnie, looking much younger with blue flowers in her hands. She was actually the same age as she was now physically, because of the spring Water, but she had then removed all her make-up.
Many chairs had been installed for the concert. They were now accepted by the guests. In front, were a black orchestra piano and a wooden music stand.
Henry was already there, sitting in the first row, two seats free next to him. Coming up to him, he took Winnie from his son and held her hand as she sat down elegantly. While Matthews sat down, Henry walked next to the music stand.
"We are honoured by your presence," he started. "And are glad that you came so many. I hope you enjoyed the meal and ate well. Now, that we have finished dinner; for a start, I invite you to listen to the following pieces of music composed by Brahms. He put together popular rhythms and classical music for the pleasure of our ears."
He then turned to the left door.
"I have the pleasure to present you the pianist of the night: Turner Davis" he said lifting his arms towards the door.
A man in his thirties strode proudly out, with a bushy moustache, the kind Henry would never attempt to wear, blond hair with a parting on the side. He was wearing a black costume. He came to stand next to Henry and bowed low. He then went to sit down at the piano and started to play some chords. The guests applauded him.
"And the violinist, which is only seventeen and is very talented on four strings: Rainman Jesse."
A boy with no beard with thin features, brown curly hair put in a plat walked in, his violin and bow in one hand. With the other, he shook Henry's hand. Clapping came from the guests.
But Winnie didn't move on her chair, she couldn't make herself believe who was standing in front her. The younger son of the Tucks put the violin to his chin while Henry sat down next to Winnie and took her hand.
It first started with a leading tune with doted crochets with semiquavers, the movement finishing with rapid low notes. Then the second tune was very quick too, the piano accentuating each first note of every pulsation. The next movement was made of a measure in a slow tempo, then a rapid one back in the normal tempo, and it started over again for about seven measures.
Jesse was working his fingers with no difficulty the hard chords in the upper part of the violin's strings. His face was serene with no expression of worry about making a false note. His back was straight and he held the bow as something fragile that would brake if he squeezed it too much. It was sometimes tilted towards him, and it jumped at some notes to make them staccato.
Winnie was impressed. Surprise of seeing him hadn't finished to wash over her. Her heart was beating very rapidly, wanting to make him stop playing straight away for him to speak to her.
But she was entranced. She closed her eyes and listened to the next slow notes. She held Henry's hand a bit tighter while her heart beat with the quick measures.
If she had had her eyes open she would have seen Jesse's eyes close too, making his movements seem more natural.
The music finished with three chords, taking all four strings in one go to giving the feeling of an apogee.
The public clapped hard, Henry was one of them that stood up to do so. Winnie clapped like, a "lady", not too hard and with delicacy.
For the next pieces she opened her eyes and watched Jesse. He hadn't changed a bit, except for the clothes, neat black trousers, a white shirt with large sleeves put back to his elbows. Over the shirt was a sleeveless cardigan, green and yellow silk forming lozenges at the front and black silk on the back. He must have put his hair into a plat to not have it in his face because he couldn't cut it.
He then played Hungarian folklore, which Winnie adored. But what marked her most was the last piece. It was the melody of the Ma Tuck's music box, the bow at each stroke making double string notes, soft and smooth with a couple of chords from the piano. At the last notes, Winnie felt her throat swell with emotions.
The audience showed their feelings by clapping hard, standing up to congratulate him for a couple minutes. The applause finally died down. Jesse bowed a couple of times with a big smile on his face that made Winnie shiver with happiness. She was finally going to find her friends.
From the corner of her eye she saw Matthews tell Henry something in his ear that made her husband glance at her.
Jesse walked away to probably put away his violin. Winnie got up and, regardless about the public, walked swiftly after him.
The pianist had stayed behind.
It seemed as if Jesse hadn't heard Winnie behind him and continued his way down a corridor to a small room where a sofa and a desk stood. Winnie finished running to the room's door.
"Jesse Tuck, where have you been?" she asked with nearly no more breath.
Jesse turned his blue eyes towards her.
***
Winnie had seemed tense or overjoyed with happiness, Henry wasn't sure. She might have been both.
He couldn't believe what he son had told him. Winnie would be leaving, leaving for France. He felt pain in his chest as he wondered what he had done wrong. A little voice in his head told him it was because of her immortality.
Since Winnie had told her secret, or part of it, Henry envied her, even if she had told him it wasn't a good thing. Being immortal was one of his most treasured boyish dream. And he had pushed her too hard to try to learn how she had become immortal. He felt bad about it. He would excuse himself, tell her to stay... No, plead her to stay.
He went to felicitate the pianist, and talked with the Guests. But still Winnie wasn't back. He started to get worried. She might have been chatting with the boy. But if he remembered rightly, Winnie didn't seem to know many people. Henry had met her eight years ago, and had nearly always been with her.
She finally turned up, a small smile on her face. He walked over to her.
"Do you know the violinist?" he asked.
"I do," she answered. "It's an old friend of mine."
***
The lights were out and it was night outside, and only a ray of moonlight made the couple visible. Winnie lied down next to Henry in her white silk night gown, snuggled in his arms.
"It's a shame you have to leave," Henry told her in a whisper.
"I wish it wasn't so," she told him back. "But things are getting to complicated for me to stay any longer."
"I understand," he said.
It was becoming too suspicious how Winnie seemed only in her twenties for so long. She was right. One of his friends, not so close had remarked how she looked always so young and beautiful.
He kissed her forehead.
"I love you," he whispered to her.
But Winnie seemed fast a sleep, clutching his waist in her frail arms. But she lifted her head to kiss him on the cheek leaving a smile on the man's face.
"I'm happy that this Jesse accompanies you," he told her. "He looks like a nice boy and friend."
Winnie smiled at the word boy. "Yes, what a boy," she thought, "he hasn't changed at all since..."
She fell asleep.
Henry thought he would feel very lonely after Winnie left. He also felt the weight of a sure death coming near. But he tried not to think about the end of his life. Instead he tried to convince himself that Winnie had the chance of not having the restraint of death.
With that thought he went to sleep.
***
Third chapter, hope you liked it and it wasn't too confusing!!
Thanks for the reviews, and I invite you to write down you feelings and ideas about what I write or on what ever you want. You might wonder what Winnie and Jesse told to each other (if you haven't seen the first edition of this chapter), if you have, I found that it was not a realistic meeting. I haven't met someone that I really liked and haven't seen for a long time, so I don't think that their meeting was the proper way they would react. I wasn't managing to write a realistic dialogue.
Excuse me if I have disgusted you from the story, or something like that. I realised that I hadn't spent enough time on the chapter...
Anyway.........
It still gets up my nose than Winnie in the book might be in a tomb, if you have an idea to make my story credible, tell me please.
Any way, REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW
(I write the Review several times so you can't miss it.)
You tell that is was true love, I haven't seen the film (yet) and I don't find that their relationship felt too profound in the book. Anyway, I plan to match them up anyway (one day)
You might have noticed that write a lot "anyway" sorry if it gets on your nerves
And again, THANKS FOR YOUR REVIEWS, ALL OF YOU!! I could KISS YOU.