Wednesday 28 November 2007

The Girl Who Danced with Trees

I have a cyber friend who is a real inspiration for me. She told me something that made me think of this story. I wrote it for her...and for me. She is a dreamer, just like me. She is lovely, dovely Dove and she has her own blog on the Web. Go read it! That is an order.


This story has no spankings and no naughtiness at all but I do like it. Please read it! And thank you for being you, Dove. This is for you and for all the dreamers out there.


'Don't pay her any attention,' he said, 'she's a little potty.'

Brian made a gesture to his head and smiled.


The girl had red hair, or was it auburn? He couldn't say. It looked a little tousled. She wore a light blue dress, low below her knees and ordinary walking shoes. She looked very ordinary. Still she caught his eye.


She passed by and he turned to the boys. Brian and Mike laughed at him and made gestures to their heads. Eric seemed to be occupied with something else, most likely he was staring at some of the other girls.


Laughing at him meant that he was accepted. He was part of their group now. That was good. That meant he was not alone in the new school.


He couldn't get the girl out of his head. He had hardly seen her face but he remember that she looked solemn, not sad but solemn. The way she dressed and her hair told him she was nobody. She would never get any attention. Still he couldn't get her out of his head.


He saw her later that day, alone by the main building. She was still looking solemn but as he stole some glances at her he thought that she also looked content. She didn't seem happy but content. As if she didn't mind being on her own. As if she didn't mind not being popular. Still there was this air of sadness about her he couldn't get rid of.


He kept looking for her in the school grounds. He saw her quite often, standing on her own. He didn't want to show the boys where he was looking and he never mentioned her to them. He didn't know why he looked for her. She was not very pretty, not ugly in any way but ordinary.


He saw her again. One Saturday he saw her again. He was taking a shortcut to town, walking through a tiny bit of woodlands between his street and the town centre. His bike was broken so he had to walk.


As he passed the small hill that almost was the entirety of the wooded patch of land he realised he wasn't alone. On top of the small hill there was a small clearing and when he looked towards the summit he saw someone there.


The girl moved between the trees in a strange way. She turned with every step and her hair stood out form her head as she turned and turned. He stood in silence regarding her. She was dressed in a white dress this time, its long wide skirt flowing with her movements.


She was dancing. He realised the girl was dancing. She moved between the trees and turned with every other step. There was no music but he could see she had music in her body. She moved from three to tree and her left arm encircled the trunk of the tree while her right arm was stretched out. Then she turned and moved away from the three.


She was dancing with the trees. She moved from partner to partner as a girl on a dance floor who can't decide which boy will be allowed to woo her. He couldn't see her face but he knew she was smiling. She moved with grace and beauty and although he heard no music he knew it was there.


He stood in silence regarding her, not being able to move. He felt like an intruder, as if he had come upon a great secret, a secret that was not only hers and the trees but a secret that was far, far greater than that.


He was startled as he realised that the dance was over and the girl was coming down the hill. He saw her approaching and knew she would pass him. He felt embarrassed, caught out. As if he had been doing something wrong, spying on her or been somewhere he shouldn't.


He looked at her as she passed him.

'Hi,' he said, smiling, wanting to be inviting, wanting to show he didn't think her potty or silly. Wanting her to know he wasn't an enemy. Wanting her to notice him.

'Hi,' she said, gave him a quick glance and passed him.


He stood, regarding her for a while as she walked to the buildings away from the hill. She didn't turn her head to look for him. She walked on, thinking of something else. He wondered if there had been a smile on her face.





6 comments:

Paul said...

Janice, I enjoyed this, as good a piece of imaginative writing as I've read in some while. I totally understand the girl.
Warm hugs,
Paul.

Anonymous said...

How dreamlike, and lovely.
Totally original, at least, in my experience as a reader.

Dove said...

Ah Janice, so very beautiful and your sweet mention of me at the beginning brought tears to my eyes. You know what a softy I am and thank you for being you.

I truly loved this story and the images here. She is a little dreamy thing and was completely happy in her own world dancing with the trees. How nice that someone took notice. She still dances with trees she just learnt to hide it better.

Hugs
Dove

Janice said...

Dear Paul, thank you ever so much. Those words warm my heart.

Dear Marcus, thank you for that comment, I am glad that you think it was original.

Dear Dove, I too like the story, it almost seemed to write itself. You are a great inspiration for me.

Hugs

Janice

Anonymous said...

A lovely story Janice, Thanks.

There are many people in the world like this girl, content to be misfits, and the lack of embarrasment at the end was excellent.

Janice said...

Dear Ollie, Thanks for your words. having seen your story (and put it on my blog...smiles) I know you know what you are talking about regarding writing. Thank you.

hugs

Janice