krickets: (Default)
krickets ([personal profile] krickets) wrote2010-08-08 12:05 pm
Entry tags:

[fic] the unraveling [it begins]; lost; richard, alex; pg

title; rating: the unraveling [it begins]; pg
fandom; characters; count: lost; richard, alex, esau, jacob; 253
notes: for [livejournal.com profile] bold_seer and [livejournal.com profile] angeldylan628

Richard stands a few feet away from the derelict statue.

His mouth is dry and his heart pounds in his throat.

Suddenly, Alex stands beside him, as if she just strolled up from the beach, as if she were more than an apparition.

"Hey," she says, and Richard is always surprised at how well Esau gets it. The mannerisms, the tone of voice. The little details always startle him -- the curl of her hair, the marks on her skin, freckles and scars, the way she stands.

"You're dead," he reminds her. "I buried you." Absently, he rubs his fingers together, can still feel the blisters the unforgiving shovel left behind.

"Yeah well," Alex tells him, "it's not like that matters."

"What do you want?" Richard looks over at her, and it's hard to force his voice to rise to the level he wants it to when it's Alex that he's talking to. It's hard to be stern and stubborn and impatient with her, despite knowing she's just an illusion.

"You're still having doubts," she says. "I can see that."

"No," Richard tells her, shakes his head. "You're wrong."

Alex takes his hand, and even though he knows it's a lie, he lets her. He lets her, but only long enough to feel the weight of her hand in his and then he pulls away from her roughly.

"Go away," he tells her, quietly, angrily, almost under his breath.

Alex laughs, and this is where Esau gets it wrong.

"Suit yourself," she says with a shrug. "Tell Jacob I said hello."

And then she's gone.

She was never really there in the first place.

-fin

[identity profile] gigglemonster.livejournal.com 2010-08-08 07:21 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh Richard.
This is so chilling and quietly sad. I love the way you talk about which parts of Alex he gets right and wrong. That's so interesting.

[identity profile] crickets.livejournal.com 2010-08-08 07:27 pm (UTC)(link)
Thanks! :)
ext_399538: (richard)

[identity profile] bold-seer.livejournal.com 2010-08-08 11:08 pm (UTC)(link)
"Go away," he tells her, quietly, angrily, almost under his breath.

Alex laughs, and this is where Esau gets it wrong.

"Suit yourself," she says with a shrug. "Tell Jacob I said hello."


Yes! Very sharp, I can see it and it is wrong. I love that it's clear that Richard would very much like to believe in the illusion, and on some level he goes along with it, but then the rational part of him picks up these little things that just aren't her. Thanks so much for this! :D

[identity profile] crickets.livejournal.com 2010-08-09 12:03 am (UTC)(link)
Thank you! I'm so glad you enjoyed this. :)

[identity profile] angeldylan628.livejournal.com 2010-08-08 11:44 pm (UTC)(link)
You paint an amazing portrayal of Esau here. And it really is heartbreaking to read how much Richard wants to believe what's in front of him. And even though he knows better, he still allows himself something like the touch of her hand.

This was really beautiful. Thank you!

[identity profile] crickets.livejournal.com 2010-08-09 12:04 am (UTC)(link)
Aw, I'm so flattered you think so. Thank you! I'm really glad you liked this!