Wednesday 11 May 2016

The Meldings (6) Confrontation

Five years ago Sarah Midgen (nicknamed Smidge by everyone) was told that confrontations never solved anything. Five months ago Smidge found a magic door handle and her whole life changed. Five weeks ago she was told to forget about the magic by her mother and mentor; and five minutes ago she barely escaped with her life after the school bully torched the meeting hut where her mum and a couple of friends were. Smidge had managed to rescue all of them even without the handle.
Now Smidge was determined to find out what was behind it all; this was more than just a grudge match. She knew that Gert would still be hanging about, gloating over the fire; and there she was -the fire casting unholy flickers over her huddled monstrous form. Smidge expected her to be happy with what had happened, but it didn't seem that way.
Smidge shouted at Gert, got her attention; took her off guard and leapt hard at her, managing to push them both through a doorway into a newly created room. She was no longer dependent on the handle now and her rage created a focus point for her energies.
Gert was thrown to the far end of the room opposite Smidge.
The room was small, barely ten square feet, but large enough for what Smidge needed it for.
Tell me why I shouldn't beat you now, Smudge? Why I shouldn't kick you in?” Gert asked, calmly getting off the ground like a cornered feral cat.
Hurt me or kick me and you'll never escape here.” Smidge replied, sitting against the other wall, trying to gather her thoughts. “Because of you I no longer need the handle, I can travel anywhere.”
So you're going to leave me here to rot? That's it?”
No… I could do.. should do, especially after what you tried to do to us, but I can't.. I just don't understand...”
Who cares? What is there to understand?”
It was you…. You and your family that tried to get me to break into the bank, wasn't it? It was you who I actually gave the handle to.. and when it didn't work properly they kicked you out, didn't they?”
They did more than that.”
That's why you've not been at school!”
Gert started moving around, closer to Smidge but Smidge instinctively got up and walked away; keeping her distance.
You think you're so special, think you're the only one worth spending time with… well, someone seems to think that I'm worth it as well. Someone who knows a lot about you, about your precious Mrs Norn and even your mum!”
Smidge was shocked by what she was hearing and she also realised that her mum was right all along; she had no idea what she was going to do now. This was going bad and out of her control.
Your mum, eh? She really screwed up! Caused so many people to suffer….” Smidge shook her head, not wanting to hear any more. “..set things back by at least fifty years, the worst of all failures and then there was you, of course… already taking up the family name!”
Smidge launched herself at Gert but she had already moved away.
I'm not going to fight you; what would be the point? I'm stronger than you and the fight would be over quickly and then I'd be stuck here!”
Smidge backed away again.
So… what was the point of bringing me here? To reminisce over old times?” Gert bated.
I want to know why? What's behind all this?”
You think there's a reason to what I'm doing? Ha – I hated you from the first moment I saw you! You're weak, yet everyone likes you! You make me sick!”
Everyone likes me? I'm an outsider, Gert, like you. I don't fit in and the handle? It's made it worse… Now there's no way I can relate to anyone. And then I find out that my mum's known about it all the time!”
Mum? See – you don't know how lucky you are. You try and make like you know me and you don't have a clue.”
Smidge was starting to doubt herself now; she'd pushed Gert here purely on adrenaline not thinking further than the confrontation itself. She'd hoped that once she'd got Gert alone she could actually understand and talk to her but she never counted on the anger.
But I'm not the only one who feels this way about you and yours.” Gert sneered.
What do you mean?”
How do you think I knew about your precious handle and what it could do?”
With every thing that had gone on over the last few months Smidge had never even given that a thought, things were getting out of hand.
You think you're so special; to open doors...” Gert mocked, “But you know nothing about what the handle is from or what it's really used for! It should never have gone to you in the first place; you don't deserve it! Neither did your mum!”
shut up.” Smidge replied.
You really have no idea of how much a screw up your mum really is, the scale of what she did… and you're turning into an exact copy!”
SHUT UP!”
Or else what? What can you do? You face one moment of doubt… one 'spiritual crisis' because you're so high and mighty and just run away! Just like your damn-holier-than-thou MUM!”
Smidge ran at Gert but this time all it took was a single back-handed swipe to send her flying back against the wall, hard. She fell in a heap, twisting her ankle in the process.
“You wanted me to break down, apologize and maybe we'd end up the best of friends? HA! You've read far too many stories. I will tell you one thing thought… you're no longer special… no longer the only one that can do this!”
Smidge was in complete disbelief as Gert opened a doorway right in the middle of the room and stood right at its edge.
“There will be a reckoning, Smudge. I've been told to say that to you and you're precious Mrs Norn. What was buried will soon be unearthed.”
Gert turned around, before stopping and putting her hand in the pocket of her jeans. She pulled out the door handle.
“Oh.. here's the handle back. As you can see, I won't be needing it either!” She said, usually throwing it into Smidge's lap. With that she walked through the door, letting it close behind her, leaving Smidge in the room alone.

1 comment:

noggin said...

I really loved it getting very interesting, and can't wait to see where this going