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almaviva.livejournal.com) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
fellowshippers2006-03-26 11:58 pm
almaviva.livejournal.com) wrote in fellowshippers2006-03-26 11:58 pm
Fic: A Wolf at the Door, Prologue
Title: A Wolf at the Door, Prologue
Writer:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
almaviva
Fandom: lotrips
Pairing: bb/dm (others as well)
Rating: R
Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction from which I earn no money and by which I mean no harm.
Note: AU. This is a mystery with the all the accompanying violence, possible character death, and gratuitious sex.
Dominic gnaws on the ragged edge of his thumbnail as he searches the face in the crowd. The music from the Tilt-O-Whirl blares out; its swinging seats mostly empty as the ride spins. People move slowly, parting around him as if he were a rock in a river. Dominic curses Elijah for making him wait so long; he thinks maybe Elijah has done it on purpose to make Dominic search for him. It would be just like Elijah. Dominic stays where he is instead, nervous and uncomfortable, and waits.
When he had been a lad of ten, he'd wandered away from his mother at a carnival in Liverpool while on holiday with his family. She had been buying a pastie for Dominic to share with his older brother, Matt, and while she dug into her purse for a few pence, he'd wandered off at his brother's encouragement.
He'd been drawn to the Haunted House ride, watching it carefully with big, round eyes. He didn't think it was a real haunted house. He knew it was only just a lorry painted to look like a house and filled with things to make it a ride. In any case, he didn't believe a real ghost would haunt an old lorry. Matt had been teasing him, though, by quietly hissing into Dominic's ear so their mother couldn't hear. Dominic hated to be teased. It made him feel weak and sick to his stomach, like how he felt after he'd smoked a cigarette on a dare behind school one day. Worse, he knew that what Matt was saying was true; he was frightened, just in case ghosts did haunt lorries, and had clung to his mum's hand as they walked past. He didn't like Matt knowing that though and so plucked up his courage, jutted out his chin to show Matt he wasn't afraid, and walked into the dark space between the tent and the ride.
The heavy canvas was rough beneath his fingers as he moved forward slowly, looking back over his shoulder to see Matt watching him. He could tell by the look on Matt's face that he hadn't thought Dominic would actually do it. That gives him a bit of courage and he turned again, stepping carefully over a coil of wires. A generator hummed loudly from somewhere ahead; it dulled the sounds of the carnival and filled Dominic's ears but beneath it he could hear another sound, something he couldn't identify.
He was moving more slowly now in almost complete darkness until he came to the end of the alley. There he found a thin man, his face deeply shadowed and a cigarette hanging precariously from his lips, fucking a woman. His jeans were pushed down in a bunch around his thighs, crouched as he was between the woman's legs. They were lying in the dirt only a little ways from Dominic's feet and Dominic could smell the thick scent of sex, see as the man's bony hands mechanically kneaded the woman's breasts, pinching her nipples until she whined and panted, as he pushed himself roughly inside her.
Dominic watched out of morbid curiosity because Matt had told him that was what grownups did and Dominic hadn't believed him. Seeing the couple there in the dirt, the man grunting as the woman turned her vacant eyes towards Dominic; it scared him and made him feel dirty--ashamed. The woman opened her mouth but no sound came out and in Dominic's mind, her mouth was a twisted, mauling grin inviting wickedness to enter his soul.
He had turned then and ran back to his mother, burying his face into her soft, brown coat as she scolded him for running off. Matt had pinched his arm hard to warn against telling it was his fault, but Dominic couldn't speak--couldn't rid himself of what he had seen. His mother had died soon after that day, in a smashup on her way home from work. Dominic believed it was his fault, punishment from God for what he had seen.
Ever since that day, Dominic has hated carnivals or circuses. He hates the dead, empty fields that filled suddenly overnight with rides painted over to hide the rust and barking vendors who sold tickets for games of chance and offered plastic trinkets as prizes. The bright lights and tinny music remind him of those secret places in his soul crowded with ghosts and demons, creatures rutting like dogs in the dirt. It made him feel small and vulnerable, even after all that he's done in his life; it makes him dread dying and worry of burning in hell for eternity—of never again seeing his mother.
Dominic suspects Elijah knows this. He has an uncanny ability to suss out secrets and fears. Craves it. For Elijah, Dominic's discomfort would be as entertaining as going to a horror movie. He'd welcome the darkness of Dominic's thoughts—-revel in them-—which is why they're here even when it's obvious Dominic would prefer to be anywhere else. And then he buggers off.
Twenty minutes later and Dominic is still standing in the same place where Elijah had left him. He tries to shake off the sense that evil is swirling around him and the paranoia the place inspires in his mind. He has to lower his eyes to keep from seeing the ride operator who might be watching him too closely and close his ears to the barker from a game who seems to be calling specifically to him and not to any of the others in the crowd of people. So intent is Dominic on pushing these thoughts from himself that he jumps when someone taps him on the shoulder. Dominic's face contorts in anger when he hears Elijah's raucous laugh.
"You should see the look on your face. I can't believe you're afraid of this place." Elijah bounces on his feet as he looks about with barely contained glee before he focuses on Dominic. He moves in close to force Dominic to either take a step back or stand his ground.
Dominic moves back, shrugging his shoulders. "I'm not afraid."
"Are. It's just a few lame rides and games. There's not even a fucking bearded lady."
"I'm not afraid." Dominic says it again, giving more emphasis to each of his words before he thrusts his cold hands into his pockets and walks off. "It's just stupid."
Elijah scoffs and rolls his eyes but runs to catch up with Dominic anyway. "C'mon. I was just playing. Don't go. Ride something with me."
"No."
"If you don't, I'll tell Orlando what you did."
"I don't care." But he does care and Elijah knows it. Elijah has been holding this threat over Dominic for weeks now, using it to his advantage, and Dominic hates the smug look that crosses Elijah's features. He knows Dominic will give in. They face off for a moment, Dominic trying and failing not to give away too much but then Elijah pulls on Dominic's tatty jacket, lets go, and walks off. "The fun house," he calls over his shoulder and Dominic follows.
The fun house ride bears a resemblance to the haunted house of Dominic's childhood. The paint is different but the structure is the same and sends the same chill of foreboding down Dominic's back. Elijah runs ahead as soon as they buy their tickets and walk onto the ride. He calls back to Dominic, laughing and cutting past people who grumble but settle back into the line. Dominic acts as if he isn't with Elijah, determined to ignore him and then leave as soon as they are through.
Dominic shuffles through the first level of the ride, a dark maze set up with macabre displays filled with dancing skeletons and children. He shivers, disturbed by the images, and tries to keep close to the family walking in front of him. They're a nice looking couple with two children, all of whom are looking at everything with wide eyes and none of the cynical skepticism that fills Dominic. He pretends he belongs to them, that he has a family again and a mother who will give him a nice supper and a clean bed to sleep in tonight. When they stop to look at another display, he cautiously and covertly gathers the fringe from the woman's scarf between his fingers and rubs it very gently so as not to be caught before they all move on.
Dominic plays his game throughout the ride, forgetting for a while to be afraid. It's not until they reach the long hall of mirrors that he remembers. The kids are laughing at their exaggerated reflections, pointing at themselves and at Dominic, and Dominic turns to see himself-—his too big head and feet, his skinny body. He steps over to the next mirror and he's turned squat and wavy. He smiles at the little girl, steps to the next, and sees his reflection going on forever. There's a thousand, maybe a million, little Dominic's going on through the mirrors and the smile disappears. That's how he feels more often than not—-shattered, pieces of himself scattered everywhere. It brings his fears back, makes him feel as though he's suffocating. Elijah chooses that moment to jump out from where he had been hiding, scaring both Dominic and the kids.
Dominic watches all the reflected Elijah's laughing at him, his beautiful face contorted into something hard and hateful. He despises Elijah in that moment. He feels it welling up inside him and is glad when Elijah disappears as quickly has he had appeared because Dominic wants to hit Elijah. To hurt him. By the time he swims back up from the well of his anger, Dominic finds he is alone in the room with the mirrors.
Beneath the whirring, metallic audio track of screams and shrieks, Dominic can hear the hum of the ride's motor. The sound transports him back to that long ago time when he had stood next to the generator of the haunted house and the woman had turned to him, had stolen something from him he could never retrieve and without which he could never feel whole.
The memory leaves Dominic feeling sick and dizzy and he—-and his reflections—-reach out to grab the smooth surface of the mirror. He stays there for a long time, pressing his cheek against the glass until he feels strong enough to move on—-to get out. He doesn't look at the displays anymore, tries to block out the noise from ricocheting across his brain. In a moment he can see the midway again with its flashing bright lights and crowds.
They could go home now. He did what Elijah had wanted and they can go back. He knows the dreams will come tonight but it will be okay as long as he is far away from here. He sees Elijah standing outside, his hands on his hips and his face expectant as he waits. Dominic knows that Elijah will crow about this for days, about how he made Dominic jump like a girl. Dominic doesn't care as long as they can just leave.
Relief floods through him and he hurries forward down the tunnel and towards Elijah. He doesn't notice that the floor is moving from side to side, another part of the ride. Suddenly disoriented and off balance, Dominic falls to his hands and knees. Pain blossoms through his body and he closes his eyes against it. Blindly he reaches for the railings to pull himself to his feet, his skinned hands burning as he grips the metal. It takes him a few seconds to regain his equilibrium and walk out. By the time he's makes it back out onto the Midway, Elijah is gone again.
"Damn it, Elijah!" People swerve around him, turning their heads to watch as they pass when he yells out in frustration. The pain in his hands burns again in the cool air and he looks at them. There's blood on his palms and he wipes them against his shirt, holding them against his stomach. He looks all around, spinning in place, but can't see Elijah's dark head or hear his laughter. He swallows hard against the lump of anger and pain in his throat and decides he's had enough.
Writer:
almavivaFandom: lotrips
Pairing: bb/dm (others as well)
Rating: R
Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction from which I earn no money and by which I mean no harm.
Note: AU. This is a mystery with the all the accompanying violence, possible character death, and gratuitious sex.
Dominic gnaws on the ragged edge of his thumbnail as he searches the face in the crowd. The music from the Tilt-O-Whirl blares out; its swinging seats mostly empty as the ride spins. People move slowly, parting around him as if he were a rock in a river. Dominic curses Elijah for making him wait so long; he thinks maybe Elijah has done it on purpose to make Dominic search for him. It would be just like Elijah. Dominic stays where he is instead, nervous and uncomfortable, and waits.
When he had been a lad of ten, he'd wandered away from his mother at a carnival in Liverpool while on holiday with his family. She had been buying a pastie for Dominic to share with his older brother, Matt, and while she dug into her purse for a few pence, he'd wandered off at his brother's encouragement.
He'd been drawn to the Haunted House ride, watching it carefully with big, round eyes. He didn't think it was a real haunted house. He knew it was only just a lorry painted to look like a house and filled with things to make it a ride. In any case, he didn't believe a real ghost would haunt an old lorry. Matt had been teasing him, though, by quietly hissing into Dominic's ear so their mother couldn't hear. Dominic hated to be teased. It made him feel weak and sick to his stomach, like how he felt after he'd smoked a cigarette on a dare behind school one day. Worse, he knew that what Matt was saying was true; he was frightened, just in case ghosts did haunt lorries, and had clung to his mum's hand as they walked past. He didn't like Matt knowing that though and so plucked up his courage, jutted out his chin to show Matt he wasn't afraid, and walked into the dark space between the tent and the ride.
The heavy canvas was rough beneath his fingers as he moved forward slowly, looking back over his shoulder to see Matt watching him. He could tell by the look on Matt's face that he hadn't thought Dominic would actually do it. That gives him a bit of courage and he turned again, stepping carefully over a coil of wires. A generator hummed loudly from somewhere ahead; it dulled the sounds of the carnival and filled Dominic's ears but beneath it he could hear another sound, something he couldn't identify.
He was moving more slowly now in almost complete darkness until he came to the end of the alley. There he found a thin man, his face deeply shadowed and a cigarette hanging precariously from his lips, fucking a woman. His jeans were pushed down in a bunch around his thighs, crouched as he was between the woman's legs. They were lying in the dirt only a little ways from Dominic's feet and Dominic could smell the thick scent of sex, see as the man's bony hands mechanically kneaded the woman's breasts, pinching her nipples until she whined and panted, as he pushed himself roughly inside her.
Dominic watched out of morbid curiosity because Matt had told him that was what grownups did and Dominic hadn't believed him. Seeing the couple there in the dirt, the man grunting as the woman turned her vacant eyes towards Dominic; it scared him and made him feel dirty--ashamed. The woman opened her mouth but no sound came out and in Dominic's mind, her mouth was a twisted, mauling grin inviting wickedness to enter his soul.
He had turned then and ran back to his mother, burying his face into her soft, brown coat as she scolded him for running off. Matt had pinched his arm hard to warn against telling it was his fault, but Dominic couldn't speak--couldn't rid himself of what he had seen. His mother had died soon after that day, in a smashup on her way home from work. Dominic believed it was his fault, punishment from God for what he had seen.
Ever since that day, Dominic has hated carnivals or circuses. He hates the dead, empty fields that filled suddenly overnight with rides painted over to hide the rust and barking vendors who sold tickets for games of chance and offered plastic trinkets as prizes. The bright lights and tinny music remind him of those secret places in his soul crowded with ghosts and demons, creatures rutting like dogs in the dirt. It made him feel small and vulnerable, even after all that he's done in his life; it makes him dread dying and worry of burning in hell for eternity—of never again seeing his mother.
Dominic suspects Elijah knows this. He has an uncanny ability to suss out secrets and fears. Craves it. For Elijah, Dominic's discomfort would be as entertaining as going to a horror movie. He'd welcome the darkness of Dominic's thoughts—-revel in them-—which is why they're here even when it's obvious Dominic would prefer to be anywhere else. And then he buggers off.
Twenty minutes later and Dominic is still standing in the same place where Elijah had left him. He tries to shake off the sense that evil is swirling around him and the paranoia the place inspires in his mind. He has to lower his eyes to keep from seeing the ride operator who might be watching him too closely and close his ears to the barker from a game who seems to be calling specifically to him and not to any of the others in the crowd of people. So intent is Dominic on pushing these thoughts from himself that he jumps when someone taps him on the shoulder. Dominic's face contorts in anger when he hears Elijah's raucous laugh.
"You should see the look on your face. I can't believe you're afraid of this place." Elijah bounces on his feet as he looks about with barely contained glee before he focuses on Dominic. He moves in close to force Dominic to either take a step back or stand his ground.
Dominic moves back, shrugging his shoulders. "I'm not afraid."
"Are. It's just a few lame rides and games. There's not even a fucking bearded lady."
"I'm not afraid." Dominic says it again, giving more emphasis to each of his words before he thrusts his cold hands into his pockets and walks off. "It's just stupid."
Elijah scoffs and rolls his eyes but runs to catch up with Dominic anyway. "C'mon. I was just playing. Don't go. Ride something with me."
"No."
"If you don't, I'll tell Orlando what you did."
"I don't care." But he does care and Elijah knows it. Elijah has been holding this threat over Dominic for weeks now, using it to his advantage, and Dominic hates the smug look that crosses Elijah's features. He knows Dominic will give in. They face off for a moment, Dominic trying and failing not to give away too much but then Elijah pulls on Dominic's tatty jacket, lets go, and walks off. "The fun house," he calls over his shoulder and Dominic follows.
The fun house ride bears a resemblance to the haunted house of Dominic's childhood. The paint is different but the structure is the same and sends the same chill of foreboding down Dominic's back. Elijah runs ahead as soon as they buy their tickets and walk onto the ride. He calls back to Dominic, laughing and cutting past people who grumble but settle back into the line. Dominic acts as if he isn't with Elijah, determined to ignore him and then leave as soon as they are through.
Dominic shuffles through the first level of the ride, a dark maze set up with macabre displays filled with dancing skeletons and children. He shivers, disturbed by the images, and tries to keep close to the family walking in front of him. They're a nice looking couple with two children, all of whom are looking at everything with wide eyes and none of the cynical skepticism that fills Dominic. He pretends he belongs to them, that he has a family again and a mother who will give him a nice supper and a clean bed to sleep in tonight. When they stop to look at another display, he cautiously and covertly gathers the fringe from the woman's scarf between his fingers and rubs it very gently so as not to be caught before they all move on.
Dominic plays his game throughout the ride, forgetting for a while to be afraid. It's not until they reach the long hall of mirrors that he remembers. The kids are laughing at their exaggerated reflections, pointing at themselves and at Dominic, and Dominic turns to see himself-—his too big head and feet, his skinny body. He steps over to the next mirror and he's turned squat and wavy. He smiles at the little girl, steps to the next, and sees his reflection going on forever. There's a thousand, maybe a million, little Dominic's going on through the mirrors and the smile disappears. That's how he feels more often than not—-shattered, pieces of himself scattered everywhere. It brings his fears back, makes him feel as though he's suffocating. Elijah chooses that moment to jump out from where he had been hiding, scaring both Dominic and the kids.
Dominic watches all the reflected Elijah's laughing at him, his beautiful face contorted into something hard and hateful. He despises Elijah in that moment. He feels it welling up inside him and is glad when Elijah disappears as quickly has he had appeared because Dominic wants to hit Elijah. To hurt him. By the time he swims back up from the well of his anger, Dominic finds he is alone in the room with the mirrors.
Beneath the whirring, metallic audio track of screams and shrieks, Dominic can hear the hum of the ride's motor. The sound transports him back to that long ago time when he had stood next to the generator of the haunted house and the woman had turned to him, had stolen something from him he could never retrieve and without which he could never feel whole.
The memory leaves Dominic feeling sick and dizzy and he—-and his reflections—-reach out to grab the smooth surface of the mirror. He stays there for a long time, pressing his cheek against the glass until he feels strong enough to move on—-to get out. He doesn't look at the displays anymore, tries to block out the noise from ricocheting across his brain. In a moment he can see the midway again with its flashing bright lights and crowds.
They could go home now. He did what Elijah had wanted and they can go back. He knows the dreams will come tonight but it will be okay as long as he is far away from here. He sees Elijah standing outside, his hands on his hips and his face expectant as he waits. Dominic knows that Elijah will crow about this for days, about how he made Dominic jump like a girl. Dominic doesn't care as long as they can just leave.
Relief floods through him and he hurries forward down the tunnel and towards Elijah. He doesn't notice that the floor is moving from side to side, another part of the ride. Suddenly disoriented and off balance, Dominic falls to his hands and knees. Pain blossoms through his body and he closes his eyes against it. Blindly he reaches for the railings to pull himself to his feet, his skinned hands burning as he grips the metal. It takes him a few seconds to regain his equilibrium and walk out. By the time he's makes it back out onto the Midway, Elijah is gone again.
"Damn it, Elijah!" People swerve around him, turning their heads to watch as they pass when he yells out in frustration. The pain in his hands burns again in the cool air and he looks at them. There's blood on his palms and he wipes them against his shirt, holding them against his stomach. He looks all around, spinning in place, but can't see Elijah's dark head or hear his laughter. He swallows hard against the lump of anger and pain in his throat and decides he's had enough.
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by the way, in "The fun house ride bares a resemblance..." I think you mean "bears"...
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