A Brighter Future?
Shrek after leaving his father in a rage ran all the way home. He felt the bands of anger tightening around his chest making it hard to breathe or was it being out of shape? He arrived home looking for a target to vent his rage.
P.u.s.s was sitting inside the door.
Shrek almost tripping over him: What are you doing here? You have a bed to rest in. You laid here on purpose didn’t you?
P.u.s.s meowing: Yeah I enjoy having my body kicked and pummeled by your clumsy feet as you trip over me. Having to scramble out of the way to avoid having a two ton rock fall on me squishing me flat as a pancake is the highlight of my day. I love the distinctive bruises that turn gray, blue, yellow and green clashing with my orange fur that decorate my body. You schmuck.
Shrek: Why do I even bother talking to you? You are just a stupid cat.
P.u.s.s: Well I may be a stupid cat, but I will always be smarter than you. Everyone knows Ogre’s have brains the size of peas. You should read the most interesting study on it done in 1886 by an eminent psychologist Dr. Walaman like I did. It was most enlightening.
Shrek: Shut up with that meowing, it isn’t like you can talk or anything and you better believe that for you that is lucky.
P.u.s.s: I don’t doubt Dr. Walaman’s study, but I do believe that your brain definitely is smaller. I wonder if a brain can be as small as a pin head? Hmm makes mental note to go to library to do research on the subject.
Shrek disgusted walked away.
P.u.s.s: Everybody idiot alert! Idiot alert! Shrek coming through!
Meanwhile Fiona sat at the table on the verandah half-heartedly staring at the meal before her.
Fiona talking to herself: Sigh another meal alone again. How I miss the dinners mom, dad and me shared.
She felt like crying, but had no more tears. She was convinced she had cried the tears of half the population of the world in the time since her father died.
Fiona: I can’t take this anymore. I have to get out or go crazy. I don’t care what Shrek says, I want to be normal.
The thought of being able to go to the store to buy what she needed evoked a powerful feeling of longing. Until this moment she had not really realized how abnormal her existence was. She knew she had to get her life back or she would go insane.
Fiona heard Shrek in the house and decided that Shrek had to see things her way. She would make him.
Fiona walked into the living room where she heard Shrek growling to himself.
Fiona: Shrek, we need to talk.
Shrek growling: Not now Fiona.
Fiona thinking Shrek was just putting her off because he knew what she was going to say, persisted.
Fiona: No now. I am tired of being a prisoner in this house. My whole existence is the yard and this house. I want to go into town and look around. I want to be free to come and go as I please.
Shrek growling: I will not discuss this now!
Fiona frustrated ignored the signs of Shrek’s temper: Too bad, because I want to.
Shrek threateningly: Back off Fiona.
Fiona: No! I don’t understand why I can’t get out. You say that there are people out there who want to hurt our kind, but you go out once in a while and come back fine. I think you just want me to be a prisoner so you can control me. Well I am revolting.
Shrek thinking: You're telling me.
Fiona more emphatically than she intended: Today is the day I start living my own life, and you can’t stop me. I will no longer be your slave.
Shrek: NO MORE! You will obey me, and I will hear no more of this.
Fiona: Just because you are a bitter, angry, hideously ugly ogre who has a chip on his shoulder larger than the top of mount Eger, doesn’t mean I have to suffer. Do you know what it is like to have no face but yours to look at day after day? Do you know how demoralizing it is knowing that you are betrothed to a freak of nature such as yourself with no hope of ever being happy? I know I am no raving beauty, but at least I have a heart not made out of stone. Before father and mother died I had a life, I even had a friend. Did you know that? A friend! You never had a friend in your life that didn’t have 4 legs did you? That is because you are so repulsive in every way, no one can stand to be around you including me! I am getting away from you as soon as I can you ugly, ugly disgusting freak.
Fiona: Shrek, we need to talk.
Shrek growling: Not now Fiona.
Fiona thinking Shrek was just putting her off because he knew what she was going to say, persisted.
Fiona: No now. I am tired of being a prisoner in this house. My whole existence is the yard and this house. I want to go into town and look around. I want to be free to come and go as I please.
Shrek growling: I will not discuss this now!
Fiona frustrated ignored the signs of Shrek’s temper: Too bad, because I want to.
Shrek threateningly: Back off Fiona.
Fiona: No! I don’t understand why I can’t get out. You say that there are people out there who want to hurt our kind, but you go out once in a while and come back fine. I think you just want me to be a prisoner so you can control me. Well I am revolting.
Shrek thinking: You're telling me.
Fiona more emphatically than she intended: Today is the day I start living my own life, and you can’t stop me. I will no longer be your slave.
Shrek: NO MORE! You will obey me, and I will hear no more of this.
Fiona: Just because you are a bitter, angry, hideously ugly ogre who has a chip on his shoulder larger than the top of mount Eger, doesn’t mean I have to suffer. Do you know what it is like to have no face but yours to look at day after day? Do you know how demoralizing it is knowing that you are betrothed to a freak of nature such as yourself with no hope of ever being happy? I know I am no raving beauty, but at least I have a heart not made out of stone. Before father and mother died I had a life, I even had a friend. Did you know that? A friend! You never had a friend in your life that didn’t have 4 legs did you? That is because you are so repulsive in every way, no one can stand to be around you including me! I am getting away from you as soon as I can you ugly, ugly disgusting freak.
Shrek felt his temper boiling over. First his talk with his father and now this. Hurt beyond mere words at Fiona’s rebellion and his father’s betrayal Shrek lashed out.
Shrek felt his hand lifting without his volition reach up and slap Fiona across the face not once, not twice, but three times. It was like his hand was not attached to his arm. Horrified Shrek backed away. He had never hit a woman before, but he had to admit that a part of him felt some better.
Fiona never expecting that was shocked, and reeling from that powerful slap, stood there speechless.
Shrek still hurt and angry refused to apologize.
Shrek: Are you happy now? Did you enjoy that? Well, just know that if you go out there that is just a taste of what you can expect. I didn’t want to do that, but you needed to be taught a lesson.
Fiona the shock receding found her voice and spat out: I hate you, and I will be free!
Shrek: Fine, do what you want! I don’t care. I have had enough of you and your ugliness. Yes, I will say it again, you are ugly, and this whole marriage idea wasn’t mine. I never wanted anything to do with you, and I still don’t. You are an immature, ugly troll of a woman, and you can go to the divil for all I care!
Shrek felt his hand lifting without his volition reach up and slap Fiona across the face not once, not twice, but three times. It was like his hand was not attached to his arm. Horrified Shrek backed away. He had never hit a woman before, but he had to admit that a part of him felt some better.
Fiona never expecting that was shocked, and reeling from that powerful slap, stood there speechless.
Shrek still hurt and angry refused to apologize.
Shrek: Are you happy now? Did you enjoy that? Well, just know that if you go out there that is just a taste of what you can expect. I didn’t want to do that, but you needed to be taught a lesson.
Fiona the shock receding found her voice and spat out: I hate you, and I will be free!
Shrek: Fine, do what you want! I don’t care. I have had enough of you and your ugliness. Yes, I will say it again, you are ugly, and this whole marriage idea wasn’t mine. I never wanted anything to do with you, and I still don’t. You are an immature, ugly troll of a woman, and you can go to the divil for all I care!
With that Shrek walked away. He had to get away. He didn’t trust himself not to strangle her. Shrek went outside to saddle donkey to ride to his safe place.
Fiona shocked and a feeling a little ashamed walked after him. Maybe she had been a little out of line?
Fiona saw Shrek on donkey about to leave: Where are you going? I am not done talking to you.
Shrek: Well I am done talking to you. Do me a favor would you Fiona? Since you want to leave so bad, why don’t you do me the favor of not being here when I get back. In fact if you do leave don't come back.
Fiona shocked and a feeling a little ashamed walked after him. Maybe she had been a little out of line?
Fiona saw Shrek on donkey about to leave: Where are you going? I am not done talking to you.
Shrek: Well I am done talking to you. Do me a favor would you Fiona? Since you want to leave so bad, why don’t you do me the favor of not being here when I get back. In fact if you do leave don't come back.
With that Shrek wheeled donkey around and galloped off.
Fiona stood there for a long time after Shrek left filled with a sense of unexplained regret and overwhelming sadness. The future which should have been so filled with happiness and promise, was looking dark and bleak. What was she going to do? Undecided Fiona walked into the house sadly looking around. As far as prisons go, this one was pretty, but a prison was any place that you weren’t free, and filled with pain and horror. That described this place perfectly.
Fiona whispering in agony: Oh Shrek, Shrek, why couldn’t things be different? Why can’t you understand that I just want to be happy? Why won’t you meet me half way?
Shaking herself from her descent into self pity, Fiona realized that she would go insane if she didn’t get out even for a little bit. Resolutely she walked to the door determined to walk into that world painted so dark and evil by Shrek, and try to begin to make a life for herself even if it meant just being able to be normal for just a little while. She stopped briefly at the door finding herself nervous and filled with trepidation. Did she dare? Did she really dare?
Fiona stood there for a long time after Shrek left filled with a sense of unexplained regret and overwhelming sadness. The future which should have been so filled with happiness and promise, was looking dark and bleak. What was she going to do? Undecided Fiona walked into the house sadly looking around. As far as prisons go, this one was pretty, but a prison was any place that you weren’t free, and filled with pain and horror. That described this place perfectly.
Fiona whispering in agony: Oh Shrek, Shrek, why couldn’t things be different? Why can’t you understand that I just want to be happy? Why won’t you meet me half way?
Shaking herself from her descent into self pity, Fiona realized that she would go insane if she didn’t get out even for a little bit. Resolutely she walked to the door determined to walk into that world painted so dark and evil by Shrek, and try to begin to make a life for herself even if it meant just being able to be normal for just a little while. She stopped briefly at the door finding herself nervous and filled with trepidation. Did she dare? Did she really dare?
Turning to look back into the house she saw the familiar walls, and felt the security that she craved surround her in their evil tentacles. She felt for a brief moment like walking back into that world. A world of horror true, but of safety. She felt conflicted. Now that she was going to take the plunge she didn’t know if she could. All of a sudden she felt smothered, like the house had arms that were reaching for her, grabbing her to suck her back and make her permanently a part of it. Fiona scared, bolted out the door, the door to freedom, the door to normalcy, the door that was the key to her future. She hoped that this was a new beginning, but even if it wasn’t, it was a baby step to what now seemed a brighter future.