Soundings 2014 Compiled by Kim Muncey Cover by Ourania Zafiri All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without permission from the authors. Vanier College, 821 Ste-Croix, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H4L 3X9 http://www.vaniercollege.qc.ca Vanier College Press, 2014 ISBN 978-2 -923990-08-8 Preface Welcome to Soundings 2014, the newest compilation of Vanier student writing. Inside, you will find stories that span all genres and poetry that touches all styles. I welcome you to lose yourself in these pages and enjoy the different tales and songs the talented creative writers of Vanier have to share with you. We appreciate the support from the people involved in making this publication possible: Eric Lozowy, Dean of Science and General Studies, Judy Macdonald for her continued support and enthusiasm for projects that celebrate student writing, The Learning Centre staff for their help with editing, Ourania Zafiri for designing the cover, and to all the authors who contributed to this compilation. Kim Muncey The Learning Centre, 2014 Table of Contents Hiroki Spencer Soot Boy…………………………………………….…..1 William Spinney Project Generation………………………………......7 Sinthusha Kandiah Bullets……………………………........................……16 Tristan Masson A Night in the City……………….…………………...18 Alexis Lahorra I am the Philippines………………….……………....23 Nikki Rellin Love Moon……………………………………............35 Kabisha Velauthapillai Autumn…………………………………………………36 Read the Rubric..……………….……………….……37 Emily Zenga Something for the Better……………...…………….39 Melissa Mancino Monster………………………………………….……..44 Keiran Arscott I’m Lost……………………………………………...…45 Ann-Kim Linéus Grandma’s Bible………………………….……………47 Jacqueline Dzandu Being Misunderstood Should Not Cause Pain……………….…………………….……….48 Katy Giannakakis You’re the Music to My Ears…………………..……50 Joseph Blais That Warehouse Gig…………………………..……..52 Sevarina Di Paolo Nemophilist………………..…….……………………..60 Clara Levesque The Child in a Box……….………………………….…62 David Mendez Burrito…………………………………………..………65 Marium Begum The Price I Paid for Falling in Love………………..…78 Grant Menor Rudy Downy……………………………….,…..…….…79 Simeon Cvetkovic Power On, Power Off……………...…,……………....96 Timeless Revenge……………………………………...98 Alex Modonese The Burial…………………………..……...………….100 Wendie Sambour Jax………………………………………………….……101 Esteban Houet-Ruiz Alluring Intro………………..………..……...…………116 The Battle of the Iris……………….....……………….118 Jiayi Chen Momentum………………..………………………..…120 Our Problem Is…………………..…………………….132 Soot Boy Hiroki Spencer A little black thing is curled up in the middle of an empty, dark, murky expanse of earth. There is absolutely nothing else in sight except for the clammy, grey earth beneath the little black thing, and the thick black air that is so thick, it seems as if one can reach out and touch it. It quivers and trembles in its spot, before it lifts its head up, showing that it is, in fact, a small, scrawny, little boy. He peers up with his big, innocent, hazelnut eyes at his surroundings before timidly raising up onto his feet. His legs and body tremble, and quiver, and shake, even more than before, as if he can barely carry his own weight. Under closer inspection, the young boy's body is covered in large splotches of soot with a stark contrast of bright, deathly-pale, almost white skin peeking through the spaces where the soot does not kiss his skin. His black inky hair brushes against his bony shoulders whenever he moves. He shivers and chews at his lip nervously, quietly calling out to someone, his voice just a whisper that seems to float away into the thick air. His eyes dart around as if afraid that there is something lurking in the too silent expanse of earth, waiting to strike at him. He chews his lip a little harder, before meekly calling out again, attempting to raise his frail, small, soft, high- pitched voice. His bloody-red lips tremble as he calls [1] out, his whole being giving off a frightened, weak, and fragile aura. A deep resounding voice responds back to the small soot-covered boy. "Where....Where are you?”, the Soot boy calls out timidly, voice still so small and such a contrast to the deep voice that responds to him. His hazelnut eyes dance around the area quickly, trying desperately to locate the voice that means so much to him. The voice that he has started to cling to and need. He holds his breath as he waits for a response, desperation starting to show on his features as he shivers, quivers, and trembles in place. "I'm right here. I'm right here. Come to me, and tell me your name," the deep Voice resonates and echoes in the seemingly dead, and confined space. The Soot boy jumps a little, as if he had not expected a response, and timidly begins to walk towards the Voice. After a moment he begins to pick up his pace, the Voice whispering encouragements and sweet little nothings to the boy. With the encouragement of the voice, the boy's feet begin a quick, even rhythm of a pitter-patter on the grey, clammy ground, rushing as fast as his scrawny, bony legs can take him. It isn't long before he sees large, pure black- black as his inky hair and the soot covering him- arms extend out of the thick air in the comforting gesture of a hug. The Soot boy quickly rushes into the inviting arms, his fragile body quickly being encased in warmth. He slowly lifts his tiny arms, dwarfed by the other's size, and clutches [2] onto the other- onto the Voice with a body black as a shadow. Slowly the boy's eyes close, his long eyelashes brushing against his soot covered cheeks, and his shivering, quivering and trembling ceases. A calm spreading through the boy now that he is in the arms of the Voice. He remembers the other's question and frowns a little, the calm inside him starting to fade away, being replaced by a tight, painful knot in the pit of his stomach. "I-I don't have a...a...name," the nameless Soot boy whispers timidly, voice quivering with a heavy cloud of pained sadness, tensing slightly as if he expects his response to anger the other. As if he expects the other to strike out at him or to yell at him. The Voice simply chuckles and one can faintly see him shake his head. In fact one can make out the Voice's body faintly, even in the thick black air that matches his skin. "Yes you do. Don't you remember the one I gave to you?", the Voice whispers gently, as if trying to keep from frightening the nameless Soot boy. The aforementioned boy perks up a little, opening his hazelnut eyes to gaze curiously up at the Voice. He squints a little, and tilts his head to the side thoughtfully as he thinks upon the other's words. The nameless Soot boy smiles fondly after a moment, remembering the name the other gave him. It was not a real name, rather it was a pet name, but it was his name, and that [3] was all that mattered. That name belonged to him, and only him. It was his only belonging and he treasured it more than any real name he could ever have, or be given. That name was the most precious thing to him. It made him feel real, like he existed, and like he mattered. It destroyed all the pain and hurt he felt of not being born with a name he could call his own. It was the best feeling the not-so-nameless Soot boy could ever feel when he thought about that name. It was a feeling he could only describe as a liquid, fluttery heat in the core of his body. The fact that his precious Voice had given that name to him- gave him that gift of being able to have something belong to him- something that identified him- made that feeling all the stronger and better. It had him happier than he could ever explain. He slowly closed his eyes again, hiding his smile in the black skin in front of him. "Remind me of what it was again, please, I forgot," the Soot boy whispers softly, a warmth in his voice that he cannot hide. The Voice chuckles knowingly, and lowers his head to the Soot boy's ear and whispers his name into it gently, lovingly, intimately. The Soot boy shudders, eye lids fluttering as a shiver runs down his spine. He breathes softly through parted bloody-red lips, eyes half lidded, the intimacy of the moment and the whisper of his name making that liquid, fluttery heat in his stomach spread like wild fire through him. He clutches tightly to the voice, still [4] trying to calm himself as a few more shudders wrack his fragile, little body. He lets out a soft, little, content sigh. "Please, please say it again. Please, I need to hear you say it...I need you." the Soot boy whispers desperately, needing more from the other. Needing the comfort of the other's voice and that name, that name that belongs soley to him. The only thing on the earth that he could say belonged to him. He needed the security of the other, the feeling of being precious to another, all those feelings the Voice gave him. He needed them so bad. He wanted the other to possess him- he wanted to belong to the Voice more than anything, and so he whispered it softly. Whispered to the Voice that he wanted to belong to him, wanted the Voice to have him entirely. The Voice chuckled, shaking the Soot boy in his arms with his laughter. One would think that the feeling of being shaken would be unpleasant, but the Soot boy found it comforting, like being rocked gently back and forth.