[Fic] "Wonderland" -- Harry Potter

[edenfalling]

A couple weeks late, but who really cares: Alice Longbottom, 200 words. Also up here on ff.net.

[ETA: The AO3 crosspost is now up.]

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Wonderland
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She was lost in her own mind, thin and drawn with the residue of pain that would never leave no matter how many Healing potions she drank. She liked picture books, though, and listening to people sing. Some days she even seemed to recognize her husband as he lay in his stupor on the bed beside hers. But that only made her keen and wail until a Healer brought her something new to redirect her attention.

That was how they learned she liked bubblegum; a single piece could distract her from any distress. She unwrapped each piece with painstaking care, folded the paper into neat squares that she saved for her son, and chewed thoughtfully. She was a champion bubble-blower, spinning huge, gossamer spheres out of the gum. If she wasn't watched closely, though, she would wet her hands in the pitcher that stood constantly by her bedside, and hold the bubble in front of her face.

"Hollow," she said once, when one of the Healers tried to levitate a bubble away before it exploded in a sticky mess over her face and hair. "Hollow, hollow, hollow."

"Like me," was what she would have said, if she'd still known how.

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Inspired by the 9/12/04 15minuteficlets word #72: empty

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In other life news, I still have no job. Argh. Next week, I'm going to start walking into convenience stores and whatnot and ask if they need clerks.

Comments

[annearchy.livejournal.com]

Sorry about your lack-of-job. Can empathize due to my long-term-unemployed DH. I liked this drabble; it's a nice little character study.

[edenfalling]

I will join in with a gripe about my still-unemployed-after-five-and-a-half-frickin'-years father. *grumble grumble grumble* At least he is now submitting papers to academic things instead of just messing around the house and burying himself in volunteer church work. Oh, the shame of two unemployed family members! ;-)

Glad you like the drabble. (Well, double drabble, technically...) It just sort of popped into my head this morning.

[annearchy.livejournal.com]

still-unemployed-after-five-and-a-half-frickin'-years father.

holy freakin' goddess... Now I don't feel quite so bad. Your poor father. Your poor mother!! Believe me, I feel her pain. I myself have been unemployed a couple of times, but never for more than a few months. I can't imagine how anyone deals with long-term unemployment; my observation is that it's very debilitating to one's self-esteem :( Hang in there.

[redwolfoz.livejournal.com]

Great look at Alice and the bubblegum.

[edenfalling]

My poor parents is right! They've always kind of genially sniped at each other, but for a few years, it was starting to get nasty. I'm glad they've calmed down some.

[edenfalling]

Thanks!

[erised1810.livejournal.com]

ohw how clever and edgy.
augh. suddenly have all kinds of frank and alice plot bunnies. and just for the notion of 'hey if smeoe can understandthe ti of the icebeg of their dreamworld it has to be luna." ah well we'll see. butthis was lovely.

[edenfalling]

Luna and the Longbottoms...? Hmm... definite possibilities there...

*snaps open giant fan and blows plotbunnies away in self defense*

[erised1810.livejournal.com]

wel now if you kee to yru witing grspce I'll se if icna handle tos nast buggers. ha-hum....since i oh hel o please i hada one-shot about nevile and a plant where he thougth he'd found the possible cause f their state-of-mind and now it wants to be chapter one. :P