Mind Over Matter

Disk 2: "Did people live in a black and white world?"

Disk 2, my audience. Now before we begin I just want to mention that this is 15th July 1856. A girl I once knew said the funniest thing. She asked if people from this time lived in a black and white world. Totally preposterous. Yet, TV wasn't even invented by this time. I didn't want to trouble her with the knowledge; she would've probably thought that there was no world at this point in time. But there is. Or should that be "there was"?

I have reached the predicament that one usually finds himself in, whilst attempting to travel through time, be that figuratively or literally. The tenses become very complicated very quickly.

Sorry, now back to the story...  

The boy in the corner is called William Harvey. He looks just a tad bit pathetic, don't you agree?

Sorry, that was uncalled for, and I apologise. As a witness to this whole charade, I must remain unbiased.

So, dear watcher, observe young William and his surroundings. Look at the large four poster bed that he is currently curled upon, and the sheer vastness of his room. The tears are streaking down his face, and he's hiccupping in sad sobs. He wipes his eyes in an attempt to strengthen himself, and wear a straight face as he walks up to his mirror.

Then he looks at himself, drinking in his reflection. That's when William sees himself. He sees his dark curly locks and full lips, coupled with his rosy cheeks, making him look at lot younger than he really is. For, the child that was crying upon his bed, and wallowing in self-pity is a 16 year old boy. How does he compare with the "teenagers" of your day?

Yet, you should forgive poor William, or Will as his friends later came to call him, for this display of weakness. His father is the owner of a large factory, and his mother is too busy to give him the attention that he needs. So what does every child do in this situation, I ask?

They rebel. That, my audience, is the reason that William is crying. His father had just announced that his mother was having another child, and William became enraged. You see, having children was the "done thing" since Queen Victoria had dramatised it. Now, what you must understand is that William wasn't jealous, nothing of the sort. He was merely angry at the fact that two, clearly incompetent parents were going to inflict their lack of affection onto another child. The problem however, is that William didn't exactly know how to display his rage, and it came out in a tumble of words under a broken voice, laced with tears.

Like I said, pretty pathetic, especially compared to the children of your day speak to their parents. But, dear watcher, don't despair, for a certain feisty and strong-willed girl will teach him. She'll teach him how to be strong, fearless and most of all, and what William craved the most - she'll teach him how to be a man. 

So as William stood looking in the mirror, footsteps came closer and closer to the door. Strong, heavy footsteps. William was lost in thought, and his eyes widened in surprise when his father flung the door open. He let out a yelp, and received a look of displeasure. William cast his eyes downwards, and waited for the lecture that was inevitable.

"William Charles Harvey, I'm thoroughly displeased with your behaviour downstairs! Is that any way for a young man to conduct himself? Especially, may I add, in the presence of females such as your sister?" his father asked, his voice raining down on William, as he stood almost a foot taller.

William did not grace his father with a reply, but chewed on the side of his lip nervously, all his former passion gone.

"Well is it? Look at me boy, and you'll answer when I speak!"

William raised his head, pushing his long dark hair out of his face.

His father jerked his chin upwards, and looked straight into his dark brown eyes. His father, noticing the red rim around his eyes, and the tracks his tears had left, clicked his tongue in disgust.

"You've been crying again, have you not? William, this must stop. Why, I'd say that even you sister had more of a backbone then you! You're a sixteen year old boy, on the verge of adulthood, yet you cry like a child. Its disgusting." chastised his father. 

William could feel the tears forming, and the lump growing in his throat. He clenched his jaw in a bid to suppress the sob that was trying to make its way out.  

"Do you not have anything to say, boy?"

"I-I'm sorry father. I apologise most emphatically." William said, his voice hitching, giving way to the tears that started to flow profusely down his face. 

These tears did not escape the attention of his father, Charles, who, with gusto, struck William across the face. 

And so, William crumpled to the floor.

Now, don't get it into your head that Charles had struck William to the point of unconsciousness, because that's far from the truth. The truth is, William is weak, both mentally and physically, and no amount of sugar-coating will be able to deter from the fact. So, after sighing with resignation, Charles Harvey left the room, leaving William to pick himself off the floor, and make his way to the bed. 

William pulled the covers over his head, and curled up into a foetal position, cursing himself. 

"I wish I wasn't here. I wish-I wish I was someone else. I wish..." muttered William under his breath, and with this, he created his own lullaby, and drifted off to sleep.

Had his eyes been open, had his head been outside the covers, he would have seen the flash of white light and heard the metallic thrumming of an engine.

But he didn't, so William Charles Harvey of Wellston House, Cadogan Gardens, Chelsea, became Player Number One.

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Vote, comment. 

Ta Sugas. 

 Oh, and I purposely didn't add any courtroom scenes here. They'll be some more later though.