Untold Stories

The silent ones have the best histories.

   She sits, tapping her cane on the porch, staring off at the crisp green lawns and gushing fountains. Her neighbors are playing chess next door, chuckling. Her dog comes outside, sniffs her hand, and races back inside. She squints at the sun, wishing she had the energy to go back inside and get a hat. But she didn't, so she sits, sun pelting down on her back, sighing deeply.
   "Marcie, would you like to play winner?" John asks her from the chess board, speaking loudly and enunciating each word with great care. This annoys her, because she used to be able to hear the flap of butterfly wings, the cry of a helpless child blocks away.  She still can listen. She tries to listen. The explosions damaged her hearing.
   She shakes her head, focusing on the tapping of her cane.
   John's graddaughter frowns, she can see it in the corner of her eye. "Is she shy?" she murmurs to her grandfather. John laughs quietly, leaning in to whisper. Marcie can still hear what they're saying. At least some of it.
   "She's mumble mumble long time ago mumble war hero mumble mumble mumble crippled her mumble mumble mumble left mumble never speaks."
   "She was the best soldier, and they didn't even know she was a girl?" his granddaughter asks in awe. John has mentioned his granddaughter many times before, but Marcie can only remember that her name started with a G. Marcie can only guess what they're talking about, and she frowns, clutching her cane tighter. The girls tight pigtails bounce as she nods eagerly to what John is saying.
   She tunes out, staring at her lap, fingering the lace on her blouse. Her glasses fall off her nose, hanging on her chest by their chain. She sighs again, stopping her cane and resting it on her lawn table.
   "How do you know all of this?" the girl asks in an accusing tone.
   "After she revealed herself, Genevieve, she was famous. All over the papers, I remember hearing about her."
  "So-" Genevieve's voice lapses into a mumble, and even if Marcie strains she can't hear the tinny voice. She grunts, disappointed. John begins talking, his hands waving animatedly. Genevieve props her round head on her elbows, leaning in. Marcie twists her stiff neck to look in her house, seeing if the dog was making a mess. She turns back, squinting at the sunlight.
   "...and she hasn't spoken in twenty five years. I think she lost her voice," John ends, folding his hands on his leg.
  Genevieve rolls her eyes in disbelief. "I don't believe you." She stands up suddenly, darting across her lawn and into Marcie's.
   "Genevieve! Don't!" John scolds, but she doesn't stop. She just skips up the front steps, plopping herself down in front of Marcie, and sits criss cross style.
   Marcie watches the girl in slight interest, her wrinkled mouth pulled into a tight line.
   "Could you hear us talking?" the girl asks, cocking her head.
   Marcie nods once. John's face is a mild mixture of regret and shock. The little girl simply nods too.
   "Tell me everything," the young girl demands. It doesn't seem bratty or rude, the girl's eyes are filled with curiosity and wonder. Marcie shifts her weight, leaning back a tad. John is standing frozen, waiting for her to shoo the girl off with her cane, or spitting on the floor.
   "Alright," Marcie says, speaking for the first time in twenty five years. "It started with my hearing..."
  

Author's Note

I tried to write this with a more mature style of writing, but then halfway I forgot how, ha.

Also trying to challenge myself with different writing styles. Wildly different from what I usually write, right?

Reviews

[Feary]

This is definitely a change of style. I love how she started talking to the girl.

[roarke]

Nice setting, immediately interesting characters, developing points of view, spurs the reader, like Genevieve to want to know more.
There better be more ..... right? lol
Good stuff.

[Bella-Marie]

I thought it was quite beautiful actually, very sweet. You captured all three types of characters- child, adult and elderly citizen. I enjoyed it immensely. I like your other style better though. More edgy :P