Melange vol.7 April 2003

Poems
Just Like You
flower of the night

Round Table Talk
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4

Novel
Adonis Blue (6)
Adonis Blue (7)

Relay Writing
Cafe Evergreen

Notes on Group Writers

Epilogue

Jeanne stood in front of the building Tane had talked about some day, and gazed up at the skyscraper.

That's in the ground-floor lobby.

The automatic door opened, and he entered.
He nonchalantly passed through security guards standing on both sides, and approached a painting near the reception.

- Without doubt this is my picture -

He opened his ears alone in the passage with a constant stream of people going in and out.
- A faint tick could be heard from the painting of a rainbow he was facing.

He turned round to look at the direction of the reception on a whim, there was a digital clock diagonally above which couldn't tick.

He left the building intact, entered a cafe on the first floor of the building across and took a seat by the window overlooking outside.
It was 11.10am. There were not many people having lunch.

- Now then, shall I sit back and keep the ring -

He sipped the beer he ordered in full daylight. 11.20am.
When he returned the bottle on the table, it hit the badge Eugene gave him, and clinked.

Half an hour to go.
More people gradually came into the shop.
Inside the bustling shop he was carried away by the warm spring weather and looked blankly at the building over the window.

An ordinary fine sunny day.
People cracking up for an idle talk.
Waiters cleaning tables with practised hands.

He came to and looked at the clock to find it was past 11.50.
He bounced back as if he woke up from a dream, and stared at the building.

Fastening his gaze at the building which hadn't changed at all, he waited for the time to come.
A large number of people were walking past the building: business people, both men and women, students and children on holidays.

Among them he saw a figure he had seen before, which was walking from a distance towards the direction of the building.
What came into his sight, was the figure of Crystal.

He took his eyes off the building he was watching so intently that the image of the building was almost seared into his eyes, and looked at the clock.
Three minutes to go.
The way things stand in three minutes, she'll pass just in front of this building.

He sat up straight in his seat.
The building could be seen sideward.
So could the crowds of people.
Her figure was too distant to recognise, but projected vividly in his mind.

He rose from his seat.
And - he rushed through and went out of the crowded shop at an incredible speed.
The time was already down to less than two minutes left.

He frantically rushed down the stairs, flung out of the building, cut across the road and darted into the automatic door.
He cast off the jacket with the badge, ran in front of the painting, and abruptly put his hands on the lower side of the frame.
He ripped the frame off the wall though it had been firmly pegged, and in spite of security guards jumping on him from both sides, he wrested the small device Eugene had attached on that day.

In that instant, a high voltage current shot through all his body.
He uttered a cry full of pain, and fell on the ground.

(Continued Overleaf...)

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