Title: Much Ado Story (Margaret's Tale)
by Clare from Nottinghamshire | in writing, fiction
You can still smell the scent of flowers lying heavy in the air. This is a sign that everything was happy and calm half an hour ago. You look up and see the devastation that has ripped its way through what once was a beautiful scene, like something from a fairy story. You pick up a glass of wine that stands adjacent to you and force it down your throat. The wine tastes fizzy on your tongue as the flavour explodes in your mouth. You begin to walk forward, treading carefully, avoiding the smashed pieces of the altar on the floor. You keep your head down. Just in front of you, you can see something vibrant and red hiding underneath the brown dullness of the wood. You bend down to take a closer look. It is a single red rose. You move the wood away to pick it up but you accidentally cut your hand on a sharp piece of wood. You watch as the blood trickles down your hand and lands next to the rose in one singular droplet. You pick up the rose and a hold it to your face, breathing in its luxurious smell. You close your eyes trying desperately not to think about the happenings of today. But words still rip through your calmness. You hear the words 'rotten orange' and 'an approved wanton'.
'It is untrue!' you scream in your head. As you open your eyes you realise that it wasn't just in your head that you screamed, it was out loud. You drop the rose, stand up and continue forward. You reach the end of the altar, still with your head down. You hear something. You look up sharply. Someone is inside the church. No, not someone. Two people. A man and a woman. Maybe it's Claudio and Hero making up. You creep slowly across to the grass at the side of the main church building. You sit there, hands holding your knees to your chest. You take in a big breath and strain your ears to listen to what the people are saying. Alas, nothing. But from the tones of their voices you can tell that the woman is very upset and angry and the man is trying to calm and soothe her. Suddenly you hear the voices coming closer and getting louder. You scamper across to a near by bush and hide behind it. 'Oh please God let them not have seen me' you whisper to yourself. You want to be alone. People are the last company you want to entertain. You peek round the bush and see that it is Beatrice and Benedick walking down the altar. It must have been them talking in the church.
After you are quite sure they are gone you uncover yourself from the bush. The sun is beating down on you and you feel like your about the explode. You crawl away from the bush and lay down on the grass. You close your eyes and block yourself off from the world. You try your best to just forget everything. What happened today, where you are, who you are. But memories keep flooding back as persistent as the tide of the sea. You lay with your arms outstretched above you, your head slightly resting on your left shoulder. You can hear someone calling your name but you're not sure if it's in your head or not. You keep your eyes closed and allow yourself to slip away into a place of numbness, the darkness of this place consumes you and everything is washed over. The voice gets louder. You keep your eyes shut. The voice is right in your ear. It's so loud and clear. You open your eyes squinting as the blazing sun pours into them. You jump as you see one of Hero's kinswomen standing beside you. You push yourself up from the ground; just this action drains most of your energy. You turn to the kinswoman. She hasn't said anything yet but you're already irritated with her.
'Yes?' you ask.
'You are wanted inside. Master Leonarto told me to fetch you.'
'Fine I will be there in a minute' you reply shortly.
The kinswoman walks off and you are left alone again. This is your entire fault. Everything. You know you should come clean but this could mean risking your job. You begin the walk towards the house. When you arrive there, the chief maid greets you with her normal hospitality.
'Margaret. There you are. Where the hell have you been?'
Well we were asked to write a story in English, based on Much Ado About Nothing, using one of our set focus scenes. So this is what I wrote. It is based after Claudio refuses Hero at the alter and is in Margaret's point of view.
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