Thank you all for your wonderful applications. I'm sorry it took me so long to update, partly because kicked me off for a few days, which is somewhat understandable. Anyways, so i've only gotten a small amount done, but don't worry your next! Enjoy, and review!

Marbles, 1920, Chicago

The club was swinging, the sound of authentic Jazz reverberated throughout the famous Chicago club. You could almost see the heat rising from the piano player's hands, his fingertips dancing some hot jig on the ivory keyboards of the piano. His skin was glistening with sweat, but he was smiling, probably at the uproarious tumult of Jazz that seemed to come from his soul rather than the skill of his well-worked hands. Of course, that's what Jazz was all about. That's what the '20s were all about. Marbles knew that better than anyone.

If you were to judge Marbles by just looking at her, you'd probably get it all wrong. Leaning casually against the bar with a mixed drink in her hand, staring out amongst the crowd looking for familiar faces, you'd probably mistake Marbles for just another one of those jump-on-the-bandwagon, baby vamp, loves-to-have-a-drink, no-depth kinda gals, who you could enjoy for a goodnight of... fun, and then who you'd probably get tired of. After all, those girls were everywhere, why waste your time on one who's exactly like all the other ones? Sure, she had that certain appeal,with her curvy body, short black curls and eyes that matched her honey smile. She'd be something to brag about alright. But then something to forget, right?

But Marbles wasn't like that. She may have the look, and that sweet flirtatious smile that gave way to tongues lolling out of some guys mouths, and sure, she enjoyed a drink as much as the next girl... Hell, Probably more! But she had a lot more depth than to settle for hanging on some guy's arms and giggling at all his stupid jokes, and she wouldn't be the kind of girl who would turn her eyes when the guy in question winked and nudged his friends. Nope. Marbles stood up for what was right, and she had made a permanent friend of all those who were weaker than she was. She didn't like to see people get pushed around just because of their station, gender, size, race... Marbles didn't see people like that. As for conforming, she had never followed the trends just because all the 'celebrities' were. She did what she wanted, even if she looked stupid doing it. And there were definitely times she looked stupid.

But Marbles wasn't like that. She may have the look, and that sweet flirtatious smile that gave way to tongues lolling out of some guys mouths, and sure, she enjoyed a drink as much as the next girl... Hell, Probably more! But she had a lot more depth than to settle for hanging on some guy's arms and giggling at all his stupid jokes, and she wouldn't be the kind of girl who would turn her eyes when the guy in question winked and nudged his friends. Nope. Marbles stood up for what was right, and she had made a permanent friend of all those who were weaker than she was. She didn't like to see people get pushed around just because of their station, gender, size, race... Marbles didn't see people like that. As for conforming, she had never followed the trends just because all the 'celebrities' were. She did what she wanted, even if she looked stupid doing it. And there were times she looked stupid.

Marbles smiled, taking some more of her drink and savoring the bitterness of it, tossing back her head and closing her eyes just a second too long. It was so odd to watch all of these people, hunger and sweat glistening on their bodies and in their motions. Beneath the music you could barely hear the shy giggling of girls who had yet to learn about the Jazz way of life. Excuse me, the only, way of life. The buzz of sexual tension, unspoken of, was getting louder each time a new couple left together, holding eachother a little too tight than was usual. Marbles frowned into her drink, wondering why she had yet to be approached that night. She knew she was pretty, she knew she had the 'look', she knew that her award-winning smile could melt the coldest heart... so why the hell was no one coming up to her! She sighed in resignation, and was about to leave the bartender with the most generous tip she could afford to leave when she heard a familiar voice, breaking through the cracks and gaps in the crowd.

She signalled for another drink.

"Marbles!" Marbles looked over to see some hip-hound walking over to her. Or trying to walk, with all the alcohol in his system all he could do was sway, out of rythm with the rest of the place, slow and steady rather than upbeat. It was Marble's opinion that if you couldn't hold your drink, you shouldn't drink and then try and act like you could. She had no sympathy for those kind of people. Sometimes Marbles wished she could get that drunk. She saw girls drink nothing more than a cocktail and they'd be stewed to the hat! But that wasn't the case with this guy... and she would know.

"Marbles!" She looked at him, his drunk face oblivious to her cringe at the acidic trail of alcohol trickling down her throat and ending to burn a hole in her stomach.

As if she already wasn't suffering enough.

"Dave." She let the monosyllable drop from her lips coldly, and she ignored the sudden lurch in her stomach.

"Baby, baby, baby. How's my little bear-cat these days, huh?" Bear-cat. A hot blooded female? Well, that did sound somewhat like her. She was hardly sweet or demure like some of the other girls at the Private School she attended. She thought of herself, the hot-blooded female she was, ditching all those low-cut dresses her mother was hardly fond of, and ditching that "rebellious attitude" of hers. Why, who would she be then? Probably like her sister. She almost laughed out loud. Instead she swallowed it, saving it for another time when she'd need it more than she did right now. Who needed a laugh at a time like this? She signaled to the bartender for another drink.
Dave saw her smile, and his grin grew uncannily wider, sinister thoughts swirling in the haze that was his brain. He saw only Marbles, her black tresses and her hot-enough-to-make-you-melt honey brown eyes, smiling up at him, and he took that as a sign that she had accepted his apology...
He was wrong.

Daydreaming, she hadn't noticed him inching clumsily toward her, until his face was only inches away from hers. He smelled like something strong, something you wouldn't get at a local bar like this. She'd heard a rumor that his parents made moonshine, that Dave knew how. Up until then, she hadn't had proof enough to believe them. She looked into his face, saw him smile ludicrously at her, his lips puckering up and his hands raising to grope her publically. She was too shocked to move at first, and she saw that he had a pimple right over his left eyebrow. He nuzzled her neck with his lips. "I've been missing you, kid... so much I can't sleep." His voice was ragged, and every nerve in her body was signalling her to move, move, MOVE! It seemed she was much to rebellious to listen.

Or much too scared.

She felt his lips on hers, hungry and demanding. She tasted moonshine, and musk, and... aggresion. His tongue delved deeper, choking her, and she was now trying to release herself from the jaws of life. Or rather, the jaws of death. When she broke free, she gasped for air, and thought only of what in the world she could drink to rid herself of this taste in her mouth. She had just a few seconds ago savored the acid feel of slime trickling down into her, giving her a buzz. Now, she thought only of what she could to to rid her mouth of this awful taste, this savage taste. She felt bile raise in her throat, along with anger. Why the hell should he treat her this way? Why didn't she do something about it?

Dave noticed the heightened flame in her eyes. The igniting of her passion for him... or so he thought.His cheshire grin grew and grew, and his hands came closer and closer, and that's when she realized he had backed her into a corner. A dark, dim corner. She didn't realize what was happening, it all went too fast, a curse from her, a scream, something hard, fumbling hands, angry eyes... Then she was out of herself.

Literally, as if she were having some kind of Out of Body Experience. She'd heard about those, and when she'd been a little kid she had "meditated", trying to obtain the right piece of mind needed for leaving the prison that was her body behind. She'd wanted to visit Heaven. Well, despite her best efforts she had remained Earthbound. Until now, it seemed. She felt an eery sensation, and then a breath of freedom. She looked down and was surprised to see herself. Caught up in this heavenly daze, she smiled.
Hello down there...that outfit i'm wearing sure is the bee's knees!
Looking down, she realized that there was someone with her.
I wonder who that could be... Oh its Dave!... OH! Its Dave!
It seemed even her out-of-body-self could sense danger. Of course, with Dave involved, you didn't exactly have to be Einstein to figure that out.
What are you doing to me! MARBLES! ME! WAKE UPPP!
She fought to get back down from her narrative perespective, but was only sent higher, until the whole club was hers to admire.
Help! Help! ANYONE!
The next thing she thought of was how the hell was she going to get out of this one?

"Excuse me!" Marbles looked down to see a dark beauty below her. She was shoving through the crowd to get to Marbles limp form, and at the sound of an approach Dave took the hint to scram. No one saw where he went, in fact, no one seemed to have noticed. Marbles watched in a somewhat detched interest as the woman shoved through dancers forcefully. It was actually quite impressive.

The young woman hissed at the crowd that had gathered around, and told them to beat it. With her imposing height and air of sophistication, she seemed like some sort of up and coming celebrity. She had brown skin, and because of this Marbles was reminded of the innocent summers of her youth... the grass irritating the back of her neck, and the smell of car exhaust tickling her nostrils. That was the most still she'd ever been in her whole life... She looked at herself again. Well, until now it would seem.

Her mother had scolded her, lecturing on and on about her precious skin"...in my day woman took great care of their skin. Everyone hoped to get the same ivory pallor that has come to you so naturally. And now you're all red and brown. Honestly, Elise, I just don't understand you." Now that she thought of it, her mom had always had this really pale freckled skin. Marbles supposed her mother was just angry about her not taking care of her skin because she was jealous she didn't have it herself. She had once tried to show her mother what it was like to lay down in the grass, the ants crawling down your shirt and sweat sticking to the back of your knees. The way the sun baked you, no, more like it seemed to breathe life into you, hug you close, nurse you with its sunshine. Of course when she'd tried to tell her mother about this, tried to show her, her mother had gotten this pale look in her eyes, and had opened her mouth in a perfect O. This was what she did when she made protest. Then she had yanked her hand away from Marbles and started scrubbing furiously at the counter, mumbling softy so that Marbles couldn't hear what she said exactly, but loud enough for Marbles to get the point.

Thinking about it, she frowned, and felt a slight pressure in her cheeks.

"Ma'am?" Her voice was soft, gentle. It cascaded over her warmly, like... like sunshine. Marbles opened her eyes a crack and realized that instead of looking down at the woman, she was looking up. Up into her worried, warm dark eyes. Up at her smooth brown complexion, at her frowning lips, and her furrowed brow. Marbles felt a sigh of relief trickle somewhere deep within her. She looked up at the woman, mesmerized by her genuine emotion. Looking into her eyes, Marbles saw all these woman's summers. Cool lemonade, cooking out in the small backyard, a large man bellowing with laughter and a little girl bouncing on his knee..."Ma'am?" Marbles let her voice slide over her, let relief take her away. This woman... she reminded her of something.
"Can you talk?" Marbles opened her mouth to find her own voice, wondering at the croaking, choked voice which came out.

"What did you say?" The woman was pressing her face eagerly near to Marbles.

She tried out a whisper. "You remind me of..." The young woman, about Marbles own age she guessed, snapped her head back and looked down at her.

"What?" Marbles tried to find the words to answer. What was that thing, that thing where you walked around the streets smiling all the time, even as sweat dripped uncomfortably down your back, as the fabric of the gab suit clung to you... that thing where you sat out on the porch drinking gallons of sweet tea and snatching an ice cube to slip down your sister's shirt before anyone saw... that thing where you made homemade icecream and sat on the porch to watch the day go by, knowing you had no obligations... that feeling of happiness, wholeness, freedom, love, warmth? It was something you always wanted to last forever. You dreaded it ending, rejoiced its beginning...

"Summer." Marbles smiled, pleased with herself, and then everything went black.

So whaddya think?