Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Rooftop Conversation

“Don’t you ever sleep?”
Only grabbing the ridge of the roof beside me saved me from sliding several feet down the sloped roof. “Why are you still here?” My heart could slow down any minute now, really, it could.
Aidan snorted. His feet whispered on the roof tiles, coming closer. “Nice to see you, too. Sakeri asked me to stay the night. Mother agreed it was a good idea.”
Mother. I would not flinch, not react. “Mm.”
My twin settled down beside me, close enough I could feel the heat from his body, but not so close we were actually touching. “So. Why are you still awake?”
Why are you? I wasn’t in the mood for the pointless back-and-forth that would send our conversation into, so I just shrugged. “Not tired.” And if he dared try to dig past the block I’d put on our twin-sense...
“That explains the dark circles under your eyes.”
I growled under my breath. I’d wanted to be alone, not nagged by my older brother.
Especially not an older brother I’d known for less than a month. Who was only older than me by less than an hour.
He touched my shoulder, his fingers a light, barely noticeable pressure. “Kieran?”
I shrugged his hand off. “I haven’t slept well in a while, all right?” Not since this whole mess started, really. “So I came out here to relax before bed. Satisfied?”
Aidan sighed. “I didn’t mean it as an interrogation.”
I crossed my arms over my chest and leaned back against the tiles. The sun’s warmth had already been leeched away.
Silence wrapped around us like a tight, stifling blanket. I stared up at the cloudy sky and wished I could see the stars and the moon.
Aidan left without saying good night.

~~~

When I wrote this, I was attempting a style that was a little more indirect and used more implication than direct statements. Not entirely sure if I succeeded, though.

2 comments:

  1. Awesome writing, Leandra.It's intriguing and very well written. :)

    " Mother. I would not flinch, not react. “Mm.” " Oooh? *Mind starts wondering about back story* Is this a randomly written scene to try a style, or part of a larger story?

    " And if he dared try to dig past the block I’d put on our twin-sense... " Cool!

    *Pokes* You should blog more often! ;) :D


    ~ZA

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    1. Heh. It's part of a larger story that's in development. I don't know if this particular scene will end up in the book, but yes, there's a lot more to Kieran and Aidan and their pasts than you get here. :D

      *blocks the poke* I know, I know...I should plain old write more, too. :P

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