Post by kitascribe on Nov 16, 2019 21:30:12 GMT -6
"Lights out ladies! Lights out in five minutes!" screamed the big, Anglo SA as she poked her head into the bathroom, of Suite Feynman 1-A, the eighth grade female house/dorm.
Kitra stood under the shower, scrubbing shampoo into her hair. She'd be a few minutes late back to her bedroom. There wasn't a choice. There had been a long line at the infirmary that night. There was always a long line at the infirmary. The SA was not authorized to dispense medication, so twice a day...
From another shower stall came a wordless song that rose and soared octaves as effortlessly as a bird flies. The song had no words though Kitra listened for them, or more precisely the bones of grammar that underlay where words should be. "Nothing!" she thought. "Nada," and several more words for the same.
"Stop the moaning," growled a voice from the opposite shower stall. "What you doing in there, freak jerking off?"
"Lay off Ariane," snarled Kitra.
"At least the freak has a voice," Ariane snapped back.
"Think of something more original," Kitra advised her neighbor.
"Three minutes!" the SA bellowed a warning.
"Go fudge yourself," Ariane responded.
Kitra began rinsing her hair. "Buenos dias," called out a fourth voice.
"It's Buenos noches," Kitra corrected the voice; for it was just before ten pm. It was early. The shelter never quieted before midnight. The twelve-thirteen female floor of the shelter had been the true embodiment of disquiet.
"I don't really habla espanol," the fourth voice called out.
"Time's up!" the SA was back. "I'll be done soon," Kitra pleaded.
"It's ten pm. All of you. Showers are over."
Kitra turned off the faucets. "You know why I'm late," Kitra told the SA.
"You need to manage your time better."
"There was a line, a long line."
"fudge this crap," snarled Ariane who had turned off her shower. "Don't you have something better to do?"
"You're going to be sorry," the SA told Ariane.
"Oooohhhh," sighed the girl who didn't know what time it was. "Such drama." The girl with the lack of linguistic prowess came from the great plains, had shoulder length sandy hair, and pointy teeth. "Medical's a bitch," she said to everyone and no one, but particularly Kitra. "The real vampires are over at medical."
"Agape, shower time is over," the SA addressed the girl who was still singing her tuneless song.
"Bitch," complained Ariane. "I wonder what she'll do after she gets in bed tonight..."
"Sleep," snarled the SA. The song ceased. Agape, who was Kitra's roommate turned off the shower. Kitra hated the silence which spoke its own language. She toweled herself with one of two very thick towels and took pains to sniff their clean, laundry smell before tying one into a turban to quickly half dry her hair. She shoe shine boyed with the other towel, rubbing it back and forth across her back.
"...Your roommate's already asleep,Lindsay," the SA cajoled the little vampirette. Everyone's nightmare gathered at St. Juno's when you thought about it. Kitra knew who's nightmare she was. It was one of the few things that made her smile.
"Come on Agape..." bellowed the SA.
"Come on Agape," Ariane imitated.
"You're going to be sorry," replied the SA.
Kitra found her t-shirrt, gray thermal pajamas and dressing gown. She dressed quickly as the brush fire argument burned in a fire proof bathroom. "I'm sorry, Solange," Agape said to the RA as she slipped out, night gown dragging on the wet floor. With a short armed long fingered hand she grabbed a wad full of nightie and slipped through the bathroom door. Kitra followed and Lindsey came after. "Good night. Sleep tight. Don't let the bed bugs bite," Lindsey sing songed.
Agape made a fake fart in return. "So mature," snotted Lindsey. Kitra closed the dorm room behind her, not before she heard a thud followed by a curse coming from the bathroom. "Miss Solange can take care of herself," commented Agape who climbed a carpeted animal step and pulled all three feet inches of herself, onto the bed. Agape's arms and legs though fully formed were both short, and not quite normally shaped with long fingered large hands and feet. In the water, Agape could use those hands and feet to swim with surprising speed and grace. She could hold her breath and stay under water for fifteen minutes if she wanted, longer if she worked at it. On dray land she was a bow legged dwarf who needed to sit on an inflated cushion because she had a short, working tail. Needless to say, Agape could not sleep on her back.
Kitra turned off the dorm room's main light and turned on her bed lamp. "It's lights out," Agape warned her. "Carla and Giselle are still up next door."
"They're next."
"Game time is over," bellowed the SA.
"I told you."
Kitra wanted to read Romeo and Juliet. She needed the sound of Shakespearean English even if it was not quite another language. "I won't sleep if I don't read something. This place gets on my nerves."
"You have a voice you know," Agape remembered Ariane's insult.
"Please, I just want to read."
"One more hand please," Carla's voice weedled through the wall.
"No more hands. It's twenty after ten, and tomorrow is a school day."
"Lay off," answered Giselle, Carla's roommate. Giselle wore thick terry cloth bands around both her wrists and ankles. "It's just a game."
"It's over. Play time's done got that."
"Why?" this time it was Carla.
"Because the school has rules."
Silence.....
"Shit," commented Agape who was also listening.
"That's not going to work Carla. Now put the cards away."
"Maybe I should switch to Tarot."
"I'm not interested. Goodnight."
Kitra reached for the bed lamp. "Last one under the wire," she thought with satisfaction.
"You got the alarm set?" asked Agape.
"Yeah.... I can't stand an Senora Solange first thing in the morning."