The Les Miserables Challenge!

19. A Silent City

19. Write a scene that has no dialogue...yes, no speech, no singing, nada. Zip.

~~***~~

When the snow falls, the world seemed to be at peace. At rest - even. The cold blanket could absorb any sound, muffle any cry, stifle any laugh. Some found it beautiful. Some found it terrible.

Feuilly was making his typical trek back from his work, stomping through the billowing wind and trudging through the snow. His eyes red from tiredness, his nose red from the biting cold. All he wanted for was to be home as fast as possible - even wished he had a women to take care of him, warm him with an embrace, melt his heart with a kiss. But alas, this wasn't so.

Courfeyrac, Bahorel, and Jehan were laughing, quite loudly as they stumbled out of the tavern - faces flushed from drinks. The laughter echoed off the walls of the empty street. Their breath clouded and froze in the air, blowing snowflakes this way and that.

Lesgles and Joly, ever happy to finally return home - instantly went for the cupboards, searching desperately for food and warmth. Joly pulled out the extra blankets as Lesgles prepared a feast for far more than two men. Immediately after returning to the kitchen to be warmed by the stove (also wrapped in several new scarves), Joly was fretting over how his friend hand used all of their food supply. Apperently they were going die of pneumonia anyways, so Lesgles insisted that starving wasn't a better way to go. 

Combeferre was enjoying a book, in the depths of his room in the corner farthest away from the window. It was the warmest spot of course - he could not be bothered to move to the next room where the fire was burning as he was too engrossed in his reading.

Joleigh and Enjolras had spent the day inside, by the warmth of the fire, whose light flickered on the walls. They spent it in eachother's company - sometimes in silence, sometimes in conversation, but both enjoying the peace and comfort of eachother's embrace - snuggled up close, with the burgundy blanket draped around them. They weren't outside where the weather was worsening.

Grantaire had a game which he was indulging in this night. It was called - 'drink for every time a snowflake falls'. In other words, 'just get entirely off your head so you can stop worrying about life and...and people and the God damned weather!' He was enjoying himself. Maybe he would pay the others a midnight visit. Surely he would be welcomed. 

Gavroche had climbed his elephant, helping a younger boy up the rope ladder behind him. He had found little Tómas on the side of the road, sniveling and crying - and could not refusing taking the boy to shelter. He was freezing himself, he had only gone out tonight to scavenge the garbage and possibly pick up a few sous from unlucky passer-byes. If he hadn't - well Tómas may have been frozen to death. Gav, set up a mat and gave the boy an empty old sack of flour to bring the colour back to his cheeks. Tómas had long stopped crying, instead cheerfully thanked this strange older boy and buried himself into the straw mat. Gavroche told him he had to go tomorrow, but he'd find him food first. The boy knew what it was like starving through a winter and never wanted anyone to go through it alone.

Montparnasse spun the polished franc on the table, watching with dull grey eyes as it glinted in the candlelight. His gang members were seated around him, talking in hushed voices. He thought it was stupid, as they were the only ones left in the miserable inn, therefore there sholdn't have been any reason to be talking so quietly. Winter was such a boring season for the dandy. No one was out, so there was no one to steal from or pester. Not only that, but it put Montparnasse in a bitter mood. It reminded him of her. That one winter would never be forgotten, when he had her all to himself. He could mock her and she would sometimes laugh and mock him right back if he was lucky. And that one time, when she had once embraced him for giving her his coat to shield her pale skin from the wind - it wasn't going to be forgotten. Neither was the time when she was taken from him. Montparnasse stopped the spinning coin and slumped back in his chair.

The dandy wasn't the only one sulking. Eponine was cold and barefoot, padding up the stairway behind Monsieur Marius. She had tried to woo him once again, and once again had failed. Nothing was working these days. The young man himself was always in a daydream, or possibly busy with his work. The snow was so terrible, but the benefit was that he was forced to stay inside the tenement, so Eponine could visit him when she chose. She thanked the weather for that, and only that.

Cosette was warm, toasty and wide eyed as she gazed fodly at the drifting snowflakes from her window. It jsut seemed so beautiful to her. How a hush went over the city, she saw the snow as a white cloak meant for royalty, which brought amusement to everyone. She loved the way it would stick to the window in places and when she leant closer she could see every shining shape. Her Papa watched her with a certain amusement from his armchair next to the fire.

She was still nïave. She had so much to learn.

For winter is a harsh thing.

~~***~~     

Wow, I realyl have no idea how I thought of this - since it's summer and all! I guess I just like writing so many different perspectives?! What do you think? Like it? 

-Kat/Grantaire xx