The rest of the story will be from Jemima's POV, as Cori's too traumatized to tell it…
~BGBD~
A hundred.
A hundred pieces of glass- at least, it seems like a hundred- fly against the brick wall as Coricopat smashes his fist into the mirror, teeth clenched.
And my heart shatters into a hundred pieces as I watch him pick up one of the pieces, looking at it with a strange kind of curiosity.
"Cori, don't-" I whisper worriedly as he raises it above his wrist, plunging it down before stopping just above his skin. He flings the glass away with a hoarse sob, and it clatters to the ground.
I quickly rush over to my mate, holding him as he dissolves into tears.
This has been our routine for the past month- ever since Tanto died, he's been as fragile as the glass he had just been holding.
"Shh, love, it's okay," I whisper, even though I know that it's not okay. And I'm not sure if it'll ever be okay again…
I had been hoping that our small excursion to the train station would make Cori feel better- he had looked up to Skimble when he was a kit- but it had, unfortunately, had the opposite effect.
Because I had forgotten that Tantomile had wanted to become the next Railway Cat.
"Look at all these people, Jems!" he cries bitterly, indicating the dozens of people flowing past us in a river of bodies. Even more stepped off of the trains, none more remarkable than the rest.
I nod, not knowing what he's getting at.
"And how many of them really know each other?" Cori asks sullenly, turning to me. "Like how we know each other… how Tanto and I knew each other… how many of them know each other in and out, soul-to-soul?" I sigh.
"Not many of them," I reply softly. He doesn't reply at first.
"Another hundred people just got off of the train," my mate sings at last, his eyes narrowed at the passing people.
"And came up through the ground,
While another hundred people just got off of the bus
And are looking around
At another hundred people who got off of the plane
And are looking at us
Who got off of the train
And the plane and the bus
Maybe yesterday…" He suddenly stands up, perching on a dumpster.
"It's a city of strangers," Cori sings, becoming unintentionally louder.
Some come to work, some to play.
A city of strangers!
Some come to stare, some to stay.
And every day
The ones who stay
Can find each other in the crowded streets and the guarded parks,
By the rusty fountains and the dusty trees with the battered barks,
And they walk together past the postered walls with the crude remarks…
And they meet at parties through the friends of friends who they never know.
'Do I pick you up or do I meet you there, or shall we let it go?'
'Did you get my message? 'Cause I looked in vain-'
'Can we see each other Tuesday if it doesn't rain?'
'Look, I'll call you in the morning or my service will explain…'
And another hundred people just got off of the train…" The silver tabby sits down again, his head in his hands. I wrap my arms around him in a gentle hug.
"And another hundred people just got off of the train…" I sing, joining him.
"And another hundred people just got off of the train,
And another hundred people just got off of the train,
And another hundred people just got off of the train,
Another hundred people just got off of the train…"
~BGBD~
The song's Another Hundred People, from Company. It's actually sorta praising New York, and originally sung by a woman, but I transformed it into Cori remarking about the nature of big cities… or just London.
Yeah. I'm tired. And I'm listening to happy music, which doesn't help me write angst. :P But the music from Hair is JUST SO CATCHY!
Oh, and please vote in the poll on my profile. Much thanks!
Please review, because I think I just fell into one of those self-conscious pits of despair (the stupid things keep popping up in front of me all the time!) and I'm having my doubts about how good this story is.