Story Snow's Prose Dump

• Sep 30, 2017

• #1

S n o w

Dreamer

Roleplay Type(s)

Thumbs​

"Oh, look dear! It's one of those thumbies the news was talking about!" She patted his breast pocket to get his attention, her other hand pointing at a little girl sitting on a cardboard box. He stopped walking. Since their arms were linked, she was forced to stop too. "It's so dirty," she continued in a hushed whisper, leaning closer to him. "No wonder really, with those disgusting things on its hands."

Her husband disentangled himself, and she was left to stare in shock as he approached the ragged thing on the ground. A scandalized noise tore out of her throat when he crouched down in front of It, brown liquid staining the bottom of his coat. She quickly glanced around. It didn't seem like anyone had noticed, until her eyes caught on the young man standing in the middle of the market staring at them, an apple sitting forgotten in his hand.

"What are you doing? Get up!" Her voice had taken on a shrill edge.

He didn't seem to hear her. The thing lifted Its head, parting a yellow curtain to reveal murky eyes. He raised a hand to It, and they stared at each other for a few seconds. It slowly mimicked him, hesitating right before their fingers could touch. She barely stifled a gasp as It made contact, covering her mouth in horror. It was oblivious to her turmoil, even going so far as to smile. It wiggled Its thumb through the empty space where his was missing.

"You know, I always wanted to know what it felt like to have one of these," he said wistfully, pushing his nub against Its skin. "I wish I had the same choice you did, little one."

"Honey? What has gotten into you?" She whispered harshly. She didn't have to look to feel all the eyes on them.

He suddenly stood, wiping his hand off on his pants. "Nothing, nothing, love," he shot her a dazzling smile. It was what made her fall in love with him in the first place. He could blind the sun with that smile. "A small moment of weakness is all. It won't happen again, promise." He held out his hand.

She found herself relaxing, almost against her will. "You should be more careful," she murmured, brushing microscopic specs of dirt off her dress. "It could be diseased."

He waggled his fingers when she didn't immediately take it, and then his eyebrows. She smiled at his antics, and it was suddenly the last thing on her mind when he pulled her close. She let him steer her away from It, and didn't notice the gold coin he tossed over his shoulder.

 

Last edited: Dec 20, 2017

• Oct 9, 2017

• #2

S n o w

Dreamer

Roleplay Type(s)

The Gas Station​

Jem felt a tap on his shoulder. “Hey, so, the pumps aren’t working right again.”

He didn’t open his eyes. “Yeah, so?” He heard shifting, the employee clearing his throat.

“The customers are complaining,” he tried.

Jem crossed his feet on the table and leaned back. “Not my problem.”

More shifting feet. He heard him licking his lips. “But you’re the manager,” he protested weakly, his tone already admitting defeat.

Jem laced his hands behind his head. “I’m on break.”

A heavy sigh. “They want refunds and the cash register won’t open. It’s stuck on something.” His voice was low, feeble, already knowing the effort was futile.

“Sounds like something a cashier should deal with,” Jem replied breezily.

Muttering. Fading footsteps. The sound of the door clicking shut.

 

Last edited: Dec 20, 2017

• Dec 5, 2017

• #3

S n o w

Dreamer

Roleplay Type(s)

Reunion​

Evan absently kicked a rock in his path, watching it skitter across the concrete before finally disappearing into the pond with a small splash.

"So, how are the kids?"

His sister stare off to the right beyond the pond, trying to find meaning in the clouds drifting by. She clutched her purse with both hands, the gold sparkles on it glittering in the sun. "Oh, they're great. Matthew started grade school early in the Fall, and the teacher's all love him. Bryan's been taking extra online courses between his classes. He's hoping to graduate early. Maybe even with next year's graduating class."

He made the appropriate noise to show that he'd been listening, tugging at the tie around his throat. It suddenly felt like it was strangling him. The last time he had seen his nephew he'd barely reached his knees. He vaguely remembered a phone call, and his sister's excited voice on the other end breaking the news that she was pregnant again. Everything between that and now was a blank, like an omnipotent being had torn a hole in his head and stole all his memories of his second nephew.

"So," she spoke up to chase away the awkward silence lingering between them. "How have you been all this time?"

Oh, you know. Still working the same dead-end job for well below minimum wage. Haven't had a solid girlfriend since I dropped out of college. Oh! And the only thing that could drag me out of my shoebox-sized apartment to reconnect with my long-lost family was dad's funeral. Evan cleared his throat. "I'm good. Really," he said at her look. "Work is alright. Thinking about getting a second job. A little extra money can't hurt, you know."

"Yeah," she agreed, though her eyes lingered on him. She squeezed her purse hard, facing forward again.

 

• Dec 20, 2017

• #4

S n o w

Dreamer

Roleplay Type(s)

Homecoming​

It felt different, being on the other side of the glass. He stared up at the walkway to the house, his duffle bag in one hand, the handle of his suitcase in the other. He felt like a stranger preparing to knock on the door and deliver mail sent to the wrong address, or a neighbor asking to borrow a rake, or a lawnmower. It didn't feel like he was coming home.

He sighed and started up the path. It took less than a minute to reach the porch, but it was longer before he worked up the nerve to knock on the door. He barely rapped his knuckles against the glass before it swung open. His mother stood on the threshold, a ghost in a white bathrobe and fuzzy slippers. He recoiled when the ghost threw herself at him, but luckily she didn't notice. Instead she tried to crush him to death, pinning his arms to his side so he couldn't escape.

"Oh, my baby boy! I've missed you so much!" She smoothed down his hair in a gesture that he thought was supposed to be comforting.

"I missed you too, mom," he swallowed, the lie leaving a bitter taste in his mouth.

She pulled back, tears in her eyes. His own dry eyes made him feel cold inside. "Let me get a good look at you." He tolerated it as she squished his cheeks, patted his shoulders, and even squeezed his side. "I'm so happy you're back." Her hands moved back to his shoulders, as if she could squeeze the emotion into him. He adjusted his tie, but managed to refrain from brushing her scent off his uniform.

"Well," she swiped her hand against her cheek, her eyes red. "What are we waiting around here for, right? Come in, come in!" She took his suitcase hostage, dragging it into the house, even as it creaked in protest.

He ran his fingers through his hair, looked to the wasp nest in the far corner for guidance, and then followed her, hefting his duffle over his shoulder. He let it fall at the base of the staircase and took a look around, his eyes lingering on a family photo on the wall, depicting two smiling parents and three happy children. It was framed in gold. He moved to stand in front of another photo, staring at the boy frozen on the porch, presenting a snowman to the camera. Two toddlers were in the background, bundled in so many layers they looked more like small turtles than people. The boy had his face, his hair, his hands, but the grin looked out of place. He didn't remember taking that picture, neither did he remember the last time he was that happy.

He stumbled forward when something bumped against the back of his legs and braced a hand against the wall to keep himself from receiving a new bruise to the forehead. He slowly glanced down, eyeing the giggling five-year-old, tiny claws tearing into his dress pants. "You're here!" The child looped small legs around his ankles, and they almost felt like shackles. A line of snot formed a line down to the child's mouth, and an assortment of splotchy colors stained its shirt. It sniffed hard, sucking it back in, only for a green drop to leak back out of his nose a second later. He had the sudden urge to grab the power hose that used to be in the backyard and use the highest setting on his little brother.

 

• Jan 8, 2018

• #5

S n o w

Dreamer

Roleplay Type(s)

Alley Cats​

​

Jay grabbed a fistful of the kid's shirt when she tried to walk past him, pushing her back against the wall. "No, you don't get it." He leaned closer, until the kid made a face and turned her head away. Jay stabbed a finger against her chest. "You got lucky. You don't take ore than what you're told to, and you especially don't steal from one of us."

Defiance burned in her eyes. "One of you? What a joke! I was hungry, so what?"

Jay pulled back, his eyes cool. He let her go. "Okay. Next time I see a shopkeeper pinning you to the ground, I'll walk on by. Hell, I'll even whistle while he's shouting for the peacekeepers."

The kid frowned, brushing her shoulders off. "I didn't ask for your help. I had it handled."

Jay nodded. "Yeah, I bet you you'll still have it 'handled'," he made air quotes. "While you're hanging from the square."

She huffed. "That wouldn't have happened."

"Another thing," Jay stepped closer, and she took a step back, squirming under the weight of his gaze. He lowered his voice, towering over her like a predator over their prey. "You gotta do something about that naivety of yours. It's gonna get you killed, kid."

She crossed her arms tightly, her eyes skittering to the side. "What's the big deal anyway?" She huffed. "I didn't get caught. You didn't get caught. We got away and no one came after us."

Jay narrowed his eyes. "I shouldn't have had to step in in the first place," he hissed. "You were told to take one bag of oranges. One. Greed is a sin, and if you're not careful, it'll bite you in the ass one day."

She huffed again. "Whatever."

"No 'whatever', this isn't a game."

"I get it," she muttered, looking further away. "I messed up. Fine. Can we go now?"

Jay quirked an eyebrow. "Oh, so it's back to 'we' now?" He shook his head. "No. You're staying out here tonight."

Her jaw went slack. She dropped her arms and took a step closer to him. "What-? Common, that's not fair! I learned my lesson, okay? And I'm starving!"

"We're all starving," Jay said, unmoved by her pleas. "And this isn't just about your screw up today. It's also payment for raiding Jess' stash."

 

• Jan 23, 2018

• #6

S n o w

Dreamer

Roleplay Type(s)

Home​

I remember the light.

The kitchen was always bright, like the sun itself had lent the tiny space a piece of its glow. I remember the warmth. Even in the middle of winter, when ice crystallized on all our windows and attempting to dig our car out of the snow was best left to the professionals, my father laughing as I demanded another snack or my mother hiding a smile as I enthusiastically licked pancake batter off a spoon made it the warmest room in the house.

I think its cold now. I think that even on the hottest day in summer, the tile floor feels like ice. I think the sun grew bored of our tiny little kitchen and awarded its light onto a family more deserving of it, casting it into the dark.