dolly ❥ lrh

0 5 | r e v e r i e

05 | REVERIE

navigating easily through the labyrinth of corridors, the spindly man found his way back down to the ground floor of his crooked but quaint establishment. half of the omelette breakfast he'd made earlier was wrapped in clingfilm and stored in the fridge for the next day.

perhaps, if his special little guest behaved herself, he'd let her have her share.

he ambled through his garage-cum-workshop, and then stepped out through the store room door, just as the ringing of the brass bell of his shop chimed. his keen blue eyes watched as a woman stepped over the threshold, with a young boy clinging to her hand. the child, with an abundance of golden curls, scampered alongside the woman, tripping over his own feet as he tried to match her pace.

an old vinyl record that'd been put on that morning played from the gramophone in the corner of the pokey store. the man stood still and inconspicuous, lingering behind the counter, scrutinising their every move.

"mummy..." the little boy whined quietly, tugging on his mother's hand. she ignored his attempts to attract her attention, and continued to browse the shelves for something the blue eyed man was still trying to figure out.

the little boy grumbled and slumped, craning his neck in search of anything that was worth his enthusiasm, when he happened upon a shining metal train set which sat on display under a soft yellow light. his luminescent green eyes doubled in size with nothing but pure wonderment. he began tugging vehemently on his mother's hand once more.

"mummy!" he squeaked, brimming excitedly for the toys in his sight,"mummy, look!"

the woman sighed, and sent a stern glare down to the giddy infant who strained her hand. he remained innocently oblivious to her irritation, and continued to pull on her in hopes to direct her attention to the item of his interest.

"mummy, the train..." he gazed on at the bright red carriages, all fixed with their own individual little windows and doors. suddenly, he was tugged backwards by the woman, who seethed with reddened cheeks.

"we're not here to look for toys. i told you before we came in." she hissed at him with a scathing glower, grabbing his wrist now with a grip that turned his tiny hand purple.

he winced, grasping at her bony, unrelenting fingers. the whites of his emerald green eyes became bloodshot, while tears emerged and gathered on his waterline. his bottom lip quivered as he pouted up to his mother, a look of sheer discomfort on his rosy, cherubic face.

the anaemic store clerk eyed the grip she had, and felt something of a strange familiarity with it. his own hand twitched unconsciously. he could almost feel the way her fingers dug into the milky white skin of the boy's wrist.

"stop crying." a cruel voice spat, echoing from the very back of his mind. he stared on impassively at the two customers, listening to the dulcet, whimsical melodies of rêverie by debussy as they became distorted, and distant.

and then, suddenly, he was blinded by sunlight.

he squinted out over the burnt patchy grass he stood on, listening to the whirring and chirping sounds of birds in trees overhead. his eyes scanned his surroundings. he knew this place.

"i said, stop crying." that grisly, unforgiving voice resonated across the lawn. a tremor wracked his spine, and he followed it. he soon heard gentle, choppy sobbing, cut off then by a sharp whimper, and felt his heart rate pick up.