Clive had made a little clubhouse in the attic from various chairs and lamps.
We would sometimes play at marriage.
We lay on the floor.
I looked over at him. He was a handsome boy, in the English way.
Blue eyes and creamy skin.
I rolled over and kissed his pink lips.
He flew into a rage. He said that it was depraved and I should never do anything like that again.
He rushed out and slammed the door behind him.
I next saw him years later. He’d grown much taller and even more handsome.
I didn’t think he would want anything to do with me, but he beckoned me over.
He told me he was to start Eton in the fall. He was nervous about it.
told him that Eton was a very good school and I was sure he’d be fine there.
In a strange dead voice he told me that most of the time he couldn’t really feel anything, that he only pretended to feel things.
He could imitate people laughing, crying, being happy, but inside he felt numb.
He said I was his only friend, the only human being with whom he’d ever felt a connection.
You see, he was raised by the servants. A lonely boy, but so wealthy that it was difficult to feel sorry for him.
His father inherited the title, as he would in his time.
He said he wanted to show me something very special to him, but he was afraid I wouldn’t understand.
Getting a lot of mixed messages from this story, although it seems like the narrator got a lot of mixed messages from Clive, so maybe that fits. Clive seems not to have adapted well to his upbringing. I hope the thing he wants to show his friend is something nice; I’m a bit worried about his mental state.
It’s actually not at all nice. This is a little snippet pulled from my first novel that I changed for this prompt. But since this is a fragment it can be nice for you :-). Thanks for reading
I was worried that it wasn’t nice; your hints at the dread worked.
I’ve got a bad feeling about this character. Don’t open the door!
Augh. Please tell me there’s more coming! I have problems being left in the tentative, waiting state. Or did I miss a SeeMore link?
No see more link. It’s part of a novel I’m shopping around. Maybe you’ll get your chance someday! Thanks for reading.
Isn’t this a syndrome that Clive has? I think I’ve read about this before. At least he found a connection with her, but then I’m concerned about what he wants to show her. Is he a sociopath? Will he add her to a “collection?” Lots of suspense in this one.
I’m struggling to have much sympathy for Clive too, unless there is something more in his past we should know about. She should steer clear.
Interesting story, I am guessing the girl? is six or seven years older than him, perhaps the daughter of a servant. With Clive I felt he might only be about to show her his treasure. Even though you hint at worse,