Day: July 14, 2014

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Sixth scene, TALES OF OLD

Later that day, Jeanne and Claire are sitting at quite a sturdy table while an overcast weather and a light drizzle have replaced the morning sunny spell. The mother is explaining to her daughter who looks rather bored how to recognise edible berries from poisonous ones. Sophie is standing on a chair next to the window where she just lit a candle.

Jeanne – Sophie, come here, will you ? We need some light over here while birds and rodents have little use for it. Besides, you’ll wet the wick. – Sophie grabs the candle and waves it gently in front of the window – Well, what are you doing ?

The young girl turns to her mother and there seems to be something like a smile on her face. At this moment, we hear the door in the other other room being opened, then closed and a few moments later, François appears at the door looking distraught and his clothes dripping on the wooden floor.

Jeanne, quavering with goggled eyes – Here you are ! We were so worried ! Where have you been ? Come on, don’t just stand there, you’ll get cold.

Then, he starts to move forward with small and clumsy steps so Jeanne and Claire dash towards him to help him stand on his feet and to undress him – when he sits at the table, he wears only his linen pants and the blanket that has just been put on his shoulders. Jeanne is crouching in front of him with her hands on his lap while the two girls are standing a few steps behind her.

François, looking up from the ground and meeting his partner’s face – I… I was getting some wood to guard against the storm that was brewing when it preyed down on me unexpectedly. I didn’t know where to go nor what to do, so I climbed up the mountain as if I could stand above the clouds. There I stood before a dilapidated chapel in which was a most peculiar man. After having come to blows, I let him lying on the floor, I waited a while to see if he would wake up and nodded off. The next day, I found him as I had left him and went to get some food. When I came back, the chapel was empty and, as I was looking about the area, I received a violent blow on the back of my neck. – He pauses and sighs heavily – Upon waking, so dark was the night, cold as Hell was the ground and there I lay amidst an unknown forest, unable to move and with the hooting of an owl as the only token of my being awake. Later, I managed to get up and wandered as a blind man in the dark, searching for a way out. The only thing that I remember after this is that glimmer dancing in the distance.

Jeanne – Oh, François, I was so afraid ! But you are among your own now, you don’t have to be afraid any more.

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Scène sixième, CONTES D’ANTAN

Plus tard le même jour, tandis que l’éclaircie matinale a laissé place à un ciel couvert et un fin crachin, Jeanne et Claire sont assises à une table assez massive. La mère explique à sa fille, manifestement peu intéressée, comment différencier les baies comestibles des baies toxiques. Quant à Sophie, elle se tient debout sur une chaise devant la fenêtre où elle vient de placer une bougie.

Jeanne – Sophie, veux-tu venir par ici ? C’est nous qui avons besoin de lumière, pas les oiseaux, ni même les rongeurs. De plus, tu vas finir par mouiller la mèche. – Sophie saisit la bougie et l’agite doucement devant la fenêtre – Et bien, que fais-tu ?

La jeune fille fait alors face à sa mère et l’on croit deviner sur son visage un léger sourire. À ce moment, on entend la porte s’ouvrir et se fermer dans la pièce voisine et quelques instants plus tard apparaît dans l’encadrement François, l’air hagard et les vêtements dégoulinant sur le plancher.

  Jeanne, les yeux écarquillés et la voix chevrotante – Te voilà enfin ! Nous avons eu si peur ! Où étais-tu passé ? Allez, ne reste pas planté là, tu vas attraper froid.

Alors, il s’avance à petits pas peu assurés et Jeanne et Claire se précipitent vers lui pour l’aider à marcher et le débarrasser de ses vêtements ; si bien qu’au moment où il s’assied à la table, il ne lui reste que son pantalon en toile et une couverture que l’on vient de lui jeter sur les épaules. Jeanne est accroupie devant lui, les mains sur ses genoux et les deux filles sont derrière elle, légèrement en retrait.

François, levant ses yeux du sol vers le visage de sa compagne – Je… J’étais parti chercher du bois pour nous prémunir contre la tempête qui arrivait lorsqu’elle me tomba dessus sans prévenir. Je ne savais plus où aller, je ne savais plus que faire, alors je gravis la montagne comme pour m’élever au-dessus des nuages. Là,  je me retrouvai devant une sorte de chapelle vétuste dans laquelle je trouvai un homme des plus étranges. Après en être venu aux mains, je le laissai gisant sur le sol et, m’étant assuré qu’il ne reprendrais pas connaissance, je m’assoupis à mon tour. Le lendemain, je le trouvai comme je l’avais laissé et partis chercher à manger. À mon retour, la chapelle était vide et inspectant les alentours, je reçus un violent coup sur la nuque. – Il marque une pause et laisse échapper un profond soupir – Lorsque je me réveillai, il faisait nuit noire, le sol était plus froid que les Enfers et j’y étais étendu de tout mon long au milieu d’une forêt qui m’était inconnue, incapable de me mouvoir et seul le cri d’une chouette pour m’assurer que je ne dormais pas. Plus tard, je me relevai puis errai dans l’obscurité tel un aveugle, essayant de trouver une sortie. Ensuite, la seule chose dont je me souvienne, c’est cette faible lueur dansant au loin.

Jeanne – Oh, François, j’ai eu si peur ! Mais tu es parmi les tiens maintenant, tu n’as plus rien à craindre.

 

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Blue

 

 

“Blue? What is Blue to you? Ha, ha! See what I did there? I should have been a poet, I tell ya!” The vendor guffawed, clearly pleased with himself. Kepa ignored him, staring instead at the tower, his forehead furrowed in thought.

Blue.

“Come on then”, he gestured with a pair of tongs, “you can have one of these, on the house. You look like you need cheering up”.

Blue. Why can’t I remember? The colour means something. Blue for the sky, blue for the sea, blue for sensible corporate business. Blue for loyalty blue for intelligence, blue for memory…

The vendor pulled out a small, concealed drawer and with the tongs delicately removed what looked like a mini burrito. He placed it with care into a cardboard case and trotted the couple of steps over to his frowning companion. The gathering crowd looked only at the billowing steam.

“Here, try this one on for size. New variety. You’ll love it. People are dying for it! hahahaha”

Blue.

Absently, Kepa palmed the roll, feeling the warmth in his fingers. He was cold, he realised, and popped the roll into his mouth.

Blue for the sea. Blue for memories….

He choked, coughing and spluttering as part of the roll went down his wind pipe. He doubled over with the effort to dislodge the piece of food. When it finally moved, he stood up and looked to the vendor who was looking back at him with a grin.

“What is blue to you?”

Kepa looked at the Elysium, shining brilliantly in the dark of night. Then, he turned to the vendor and his stand. The stand had not been touched since the vendor first opened it yet it still billowed out steam, a steam that enticed almost all, no, Kepa realised, every single person who passed by was drawn to it. He looked around. Every last person stood, staring at the vendor’s stand, some visibly salivating. And yet, it began to dawn on him, looking at the stand properly for the first time, that he could smell nothing. Whatever was drawing them in, was not affecting him. The vendor cocked his head and nodded towards Ellie. To Kepa, it looked as though the tower was beginnning to leak light. Blue seeped at first, then rapidly gathered force, covering the landscape in an icy glow. He watched as it crept nearer and nearer, until it began to touch the gathering crowd, draining them of any hues of pink or red. It did not just make them look frozen, it was, he suddenly realised, literally, freezing them in place. He turned quickly to find the vendor.

With his usual cheerful expression the vendor said: “You have three minutes”.