Magenta Monster

UD sat in the orphanage looking out at the stark grey city scape, the dreary half light of the dismal day was nothing compared to the splendour of the light jewelled night. Of course it was not called an orphanage, that was an old term and not allowed. It was called the childrens home and foster centre, UD and the other kids, however called it the orphanage.

Sometimes the other kids got homes but Joan who ran the centre had explained time and again why UD would not get a home. She was after all disruptive, distracted and distant but worse than those things… were her deep pits of too slanted eyes and bulbous cheeks, UD’s forehead was too wide and hair too sparse.

Joan thought it was why as a baby UD had been dumped in a bin, she had been thrown away. Bitter anger filled the child, 8 yrs at the Home was enough to turn anyone cynical. UD only had her hate, she held it close and lashed out at the other kids. After all they and the grown ups had all made it clear that she was a monster – why shouldn’t she behave like one?

Her antics had gotten her a room of her own, and she had filled the walls with drawings of a home, they were all drawn in red, always in red, she hoarded the red and purple crayons. The cleaner would not clean her room, UD didn’t care.

Rain began to sheet down outside and the overcast day became a dark premature night, UD could not wait for the night when the world would glow wetly, but that was hours away. Jasmine crashed into her room, a tall girl who was almost old enough to be sent away (no one was really sure where too but if you weren’t adopted…), ‘New arrival!’ she cried and hurtled on towards the next room. UD stared at the rain a moment longer and then clambered off her bed and followed the other kids down to the hall.

There were ten of them in the Home and each of them craned to catch a glimpse of the new kid. He was slightly disappointing to behold, a pale child with paler yellow hair, so pale UD thought at first that it was white. He was dripping, bundled up in a grey padded coat that was about four sizes too big. His eyes were in shadow by UD was sure they would be that steel grey people called blue, he looked scared, new arrivals always did.

He did not look at any of them as he shrugged his coat off and hung it on his new official hook. They had known he was coming, ‘this is Bruce everyone now play nicely until lunch is served,’ said Joan as she bustled off to where ever it was she went.

‘So what did you do?’ asked a tall kid, nick named Skid due to the state of his pants. Bruce just stared at him and UD began to grin, others being picked on was always a pleasure, it meant it wasn’t her and she wouldn’t get into trouble for biting again. ‘Well? Why are you not wanted?’ Skid drooled.

Bruce shrugged and turned away, Skid grabbed him by his luminous hair, yanking his head back, ‘I said… why are you not wanted!’

The boy began to tremble, UD’s skin felt prickly as she watched the scene unfold, the pale boy suddenly went rigid and then began to thrash wildly, Skid let him drop and there was a thud of head hitting the floor. They all stood dumbly watching the froth spewing from the contorting face. Jasmine screamed and ran to the kitchen. UD wasn’t sure why she did it but she moved forward and crouched down by the boy, this wasn’t like the tears of the kids she’d thumped, this was… wrong.

‘Don’t touch him! Come away!’ hissed Joan but UD was never good at listening and she certainly was not going to start now that things were interesting. She laid her hand on the boy’s forehead and felt a tremor pass. He quietened, the froth round his mouth was red where he had bitten his tongue. He felt waxy, she stroked his hair and made a soft clicking sound with her own tongue, he opened his eyes and stared at her. Horror of what she was filled her and she rocked back on her hunches and sprung onto her feet. Joan and Michel the grown ups, the know bests, knelt by him and she fled the eyes of the other kids.

Cocooned in her room with the muted reds and purples she ignored the dinner bell and hoped it would all be a dream, a gentle tapping at her door told her it wasn’t going to work like that though. The pale kid came in, she hadn’t said he could.

He came right in and shut the door! No one ever did that incase she had the mads, perhaps he was mad? He was still coming towards her, she curled up more tightly into her corner by the window, it didn’t seem to matter to him though, he just sat on her bed.

‘I’m mouse,’ he said quietly, ‘thankyou for stopping the seizure.’

He wasn’t asking her about her eyes or pointing out she was almost bald, UD didn’t know what to say in the situation, ‘I’m UD,’ she said when the silence started to hurt her head. He smiled at her and put his hand out, she stared at it then gently shook it.

‘Why are you called UD?’ he asked eventually.

‘Short for Ugly Duckling.’ She shrugged and turned to the view from the window, it was still not night, she sighed and waited for the taunts.

‘Have you turned into a swan yet?’ he asked, she noticed he looked through his pale lashes, not quiet making eye contact with her.

‘A swan?’ she asked confused.

‘Yeah the ugly ducking wasn’t a duckling but a baby swan that had gotten lost, don’t you know the story?’ she shook her head sometimes Jasmine would read to the kids but she had never had the patience to sit still. He told her the story and she scrambled forward to listen.

‘I think I’m not a swan yet,’ she said quietly.

‘Good! That means you can be my friend – I don’t think anybody wants a quiet little mouse, grey and dull that’s me.’

She smiled at him, she’d never had a friend, ‘greys a good colour, it lets the light jewels shine,’ she said thoughtfully, ‘when it gets dark I’ll show you!’

He nodded and they went off to find some left overs from lunch.

Posted: Tuesday, February 4th, 2014 @ 7:34 pm
Categories: Flash Fiction.
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