COLD SOLITUDE
by: Suzanne E. R. Johnston
indentChloe stood in the center of the skating arena-- a tiny
spec of red and black in the center of the freezing white mass.
Wisps of ice vapor penetrated the warmth of her skates, sending
an unfamiliar chill through her body. She supposed it had always
been cold, but she had never noticed before. Squinting in the
darkness, she tried to see the rows of seats --seats that were
now empty --Just like her life. She had been here hundreds of
times, but for the first time, she was noticing how minuscule
she was. She didn't know why she had come here. She didn't know
what she had expected to find. But for some reason, she had been
compelled to see this place that was now a mere remnant of her
childhood dream. A tear rolled down her cheek and spattered on
the ice as she remembered the warming roar of the crowds. The
arena was always packed when she and her family would perform
"Mystic Ice"--an ingenious circus-like show that incorporated
magic, escapism, slight of hand, figure skating, and gymnastics,
all performed on ice.
indentJust a few weeks ago, Chloe and her family had made what
was to be their final performance. There was nothing to
indicate that it would be any different from the other times.
Hidden in the tall box shrouded in black velvet cloth along with
her twin sister Silvia, clad in identical flame-colored
costumes, she had heard the crowds cheering in amazement as her
father made a dove appear from a lit torch. Her mother had
announced, "And now another amazing trick of fire!" which was
Chloe's cue to appear. As always, Silvia had kissed her cheek,
squeezed her hand, and said, "Go get 'em Sis!". She remembered
the look of pride and excitement on Silvia's face. This was one
of Chloe's favorite parts; she skated out doing various twists,
turns, flips, and twirls with such grace that she imagined would make Olympic figure skaters green with envy. She spun around and around until everything was blurry.
indentChloe wiped her eyes and gazed upon the emptiness of the
room. Never again would she feel that joy. Never again would
she be joined with her family. For they, too, were gone. Her
parents had succumbed to the "Clench" moments before the cure
was brought in. Escape artists to the end. This time they
escaped their own lives. And Silvia, dear Silvia, had seen the
fires burning, and heard the screams of terror and the cries of
rage from the rioters as they destroyed the once beautiful city.
Silvia had gone out to try to help the innocents trapped in
burning buildings, never to return; slain by the enraged,
panicking masses. In that dark hour, she tried to save lives,
while others tried to take them. A single brave soul-- soon
joined with the ranks of the dead. Gotham had always been their
favorite city. Something about it was just so enthralling: the
vibrant life that thrived in every corner, the crowded streets,
and the excitement of daily activities. Now it was almost
moribund. A dread silence had spread over the city, almost
suffocating the last embers of prosperity.
indentChloe glided to the exit where she removed her skates
and took one final look around the arena. With a heavy sigh she
headed out the door. She would have to go home and get ready for
her job interview.
******
CHLOE'S APARTMENT:
indentChloe rummaged through her closet, looking for the
perfect outfit. She chose a black knee-length skirt, a black
dress jacket, and pine green undershirt. She toyed with her
long, red hair, trying to determine whether she should put it
up or leave it down. Finally deciding, she put it up in a neat
bun. Next it was time for the accessories: small gold stud
earrings, a thin gold necklace, and a delicate jade bracelet.
After putting on some light makeup, she searched frantically for
her organizer. Upon finding it she let out a triumphant crow,
grabbed her satchel-- which bumped several objects-- and rushed
out the door.
******
indentChloe walked through the door to Gorf's Grill, her
jewelry glistening in the light. There was ample space and the
food smelled good. The walls were off-white with depictions of
grilled food. Numerous booths lined the walls and a long counter
with stools sat in the center of the room. Simple, but not too
boring. It didn't look so bad, she decided, walking up to the
counter. "Excuse me," she said politely.
indentA middle-aged woman with thick glasses, wearing a pale
mint-green waitress uniform, turned to her smiling pleasantly.
"Can I help you, Honey?"
indentChloe returned the smile, "Yes Ma'am. I'm here for the
job opening--"
indent"Oh! Of course!" The woman said excitedly, "Geoff! Come
out here!"
indentA plump middle-aged man, with a receding hairline,
wearing a pale mint-green apron and spectacles, sauntered out.
"What is it Ethyl?" he thundered in a deep voice.
indent"We have someone applying for the job! Isn't she just
the prettiest young thing?"
indentGeoff smiled approvingly, "She certainly is!"
indentWhat am I? Chloe thought. A dish on the menu? Don't
they realize I have ears? I hate it when people talk about me
like I'm not here. Chloe smiled politely. At least they're
saying nice things.
indentEthyl gestured to one of the stools, "Have a seat, dear."
indentChloe thanked her as she sat down, pulling her satchel
onto her lap. Ethyl leaned across the counter while Geoff
twisted a tan drying rag in his hands.
indent"Now what's your name, darlin'?" Geoff inquired.
indent"Chloe," she answered, "Chloe Zharkov."
indentEthyl patted her hand, "Such a pretty name, too! Now do
you have any experience as a waitress?"
indentChloe blushed, "No Ma'am, but I have been previously
employed . . . let me show you my resume`." She opened her
satchel and pulled out a folder, setting it gently on the
counter top.
indentEthyl opened the folder slowly and began to read. After
a few moments, she looked up and exclaimed. "Oh my! Geoff,
look at this!"
indentGeoff leaned over and adjusted his spectacles.
indentChloe waited silently for a reaction, hoping it would
be positive.
indentGeoff ran his finger under the writing as he read,
occasionally mumbling, "Hmmm . . . ", raising his eyebrows, and
nodding.
indentChloe bit her lip. He's certainly taking his time . . .
I hope nothing's wrong . . .
indentEthyl squeezed Chloe's hand and gave a reassuring smile.
Chloe smiled back weakly, still waiting for some indication of
Geoff's decision.
indentGeoff closed the folder and looked at Chloe, rubbing
his chin. Chloe met his gaze trying to read his expression, but
to no avail. Finally his serious expression transformed to a
smile and, turning to Ethyl, he spoke, "The way I see it, if
she has the coordination to ice-skate and do fancy tricks, she
can easily carry trays and take orders. And a girl with her
looks could attract more customers."
indentChloe chuckled nervously. Oh great! I've always wanted to be an appetizer.
indent"Well then, Geoff, it looks like we've got ourselves a
new employee!" Ethyl beamed brightly, then turned to Chloe,
"You can start Monday at eleven. That's when we need help most.
Most of our customers come at noon and we need to be ready for
them. Okay?"
indent"Okay." Chloe sighed in relief. "I'll see you Monday."
******
LATER:
indentChloe walked into her empty apartment and set her
satchel on the coffee table. That went well. Better than I'd
expected. They even seemed impressed. She smiled to herself;
being a waitress was hardly a glamorous job-- not nearly as
exciting as performing "Mystic Ice", but it was a job. The extra
money would help to get her through college --if she chose to go.
indentShe pulled out the hair band and gave her long strands a
toss, letting them fall to full length, a few inches above her
knees. Then she loosened her bra and walked toward her bedroom.
As she stepped, she heard the crinkling of paper underfoot.
Looking down, she saw a paper bag, its contents spilled on the
floor. Must have knocked it over on the way out. She
crouched
down and began gathering up the contents. Old photographs. She
smiled sadly as she looked at them. A lump formed in her throat.
This was all she had left of her family. Photographs and
memories.
indentShe sat on the floor and traced her fingers across the
faces as if they could somehow reach back and wipe away the
tears that had sprung forth from her dark brown eyes. She looked
at each picture longingly, wishing that some magical force
could whisk her back in time to that moment so she could be with
her family again. But this wasn't a fairy tale and there were
no fairy godmothers. There was only the cold reality of her
seemingly meaningless existence. One lone heart beat in this
room; a heart that was not accustomed to solitude. For all her
life, Silvia's company had been a constant. They had done almost
everything together.
indentChloe picked up another picture. In it, she and Silvia
were cuddled close together, showing off their gifts on their
sixteenth birthday. Chloe looked at her sister's face. In the
past she had always found it difficult to figure out which one
was her, in photographs. But for some strange reason, Silvia had
always been able to tell. Silvia seemed to know almost
everything. Chloe hadn't realized how much she had depended on
her twin, until now. "Oh, Silvia," she whispered, "what am I
going to do without you? What can I do to fill this void?"
indentShe stared at the photographs spread out on the floor,
waiting for an answer. Suddenly, one of the photographs caught
her eye. She blinked twice, then picked it up. Her eyes closed
as she conjured up the memory:
indentIt was Halloween. She and Silvia were dressed as female
Batmen at a "haunted house". There were rubber masks,
scarecrows, skeletons, and candles everywhere. While other
children screamed in terror, Silvia laughed with amusement and
explained how each trick was done. This had a calming effect on
Chloe. With Silvia there she had nothing to fear. The haunted
house would have been pretty boring if Silvia hadn't kept
cracking jokes. The comedy routine was suddenly interrupted by
bloodcurdling shrieks. Silvia frowned. Those shrieks were
distinctly different. They were far more intense then the cries
of Halloween mirth.
indentHeavy smoke poured into the room and the shrieks were
soon accompanied by a chorus of shouts. FIRE!!! A wall of flame
burst behind them. Silvia grabbed Chloe's hand and dragged her
away. This was no fun-house trick. This was real. They were the
last ones left in the maze. Dashing toward the exit, they were
stopped dead in their tracks by a flaming beam that came
crashing down in front of them. Silvia quickly pulled Chloe to
the floor, instructing her to pull her cape over her face. She
started kicking the weakest looking wall and shouting, "We're
in here!" There was no answer. She and Chloe kept kicking in
hopes of drawing assistance. The heat was almost blistering.
indentJust when they thought they would be consumed by the
inferno, something grabbed them and lifted them to safety. They
took in large gulps of the fresh air and tried to clear their
eyes.
indent"Are you all right?" a melodious feminine voice
inquired. Coming into focus, Chloe saw a woman dressed in a
Batman costume, only slightly different.
indent"You're not dressed up for Halloween," Silvia observed.
indent"No," the young woman replied, "I'm not. I'm the real
Batgirl."
indent"Batgirl!? Wow!" Silvia gasped.
indent"Chloe! Silvia!" a hysterical voice shouted.
indentThe twins looked up to see their father rushing over,
"My little angels! Are you hurt? You must have been terrified!
I know I was!" Tears of joy rolled down his cheeks.
indentBatgirl looked at him thoughtfully, "These two were very
brave, Mister . . . "
indent"Zharkov," he stated, "Mortimer Thackary Zharkov."
indent"Mortimer the Magician!?" Batgirl asked in surprise.
indent"The one and only!" the twins said proudly.
indentNow it was Batgirl's turn to be impressed, "I've watched
your show. I love it! I didn't know you had twins! Guess that
explains how you do some of the tricks!"
indentMortimer bowed slightly, "Guilty as charged. Just don't
let the general public know."
indentBatgirl smiled brightly, "You guys are great! I'm honored
to meet you!"
indentMortimer shook his head, "I'm the one who should be
honored. You just saved my girls!"
indentJust then Silvia piped in, "Since everyone's so honored,
can we have our picture taken with you?"
indent"Sure!" Batgirl replied enthusiastically, "But only if I
get to keep one of them. Deal?"
indent"Deal!" the twins responded in unison.
indentAfter the photos were taken Mortimer turned to Batgirl,
handing one to her, "If there's anything I can do--"
indentBatgirl waved him off, "No thank you, sir. Just being
able to see all of you perform again is good enough for me."
indentWithin moments she was gone. Silvia stared up into
the midnight sky in amazement and whispered breathlessly,
"Someday I'm going to be just like her! Someday, I'm going to be
a Batgirl!"
indentPoor Silvia. Now she would never have that chance.
But she had once said that identical twins were almost like the
exact same person. Tears trickled down Chloe's lips as she
finally found her answer; she realized her true purpose in life.
"I know what to do now, Silvia. I'm going to make you proud.
I'm going to be what you wanted to be. I'm going to be . . .
BATGIRL!"
THE END
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