Red Eye

As Victoire Absinthe switched trains in Kentucky, she paused to listen to the crickets. Who knew crickets would be active at this hour. Her heels clicked against the platform as she boarded her train. She looked at her watch. 5 am. The world would be getting up soon. She train started to move as she found her window seat. She rested her forehead against the window watching the station grow fainter and fainter into the distance. A blurb of glowing lights in a sea of pitch. Shadows pressed against the glass and the back of Victoire’s eyelids. It won’t be too long now. She was almost there.

“Or,” she chuckled to herself, “I should hope so.”

In the reflection of her window, she saw the porter start, turning to her. He looked a boy of 18 employed in his first job. He looked surprised to hear that she had spoken. Victoire turned from her window to him. The boys eyes widened then dropped as he shuffled away. Victoire smiled. No matter where she went, some things never changed.

Victoire rested her head back against her seat, retreating into the madness that were her own thoughts. What was waiting for her in Nashville? Love? Hate? Total disaster? Her heart started to pound as she considered this last possibility. The familiar thrill of excitement drummed in her veins as she considered her plan. Did she consider this a plan? She clicked her heels in anticipation.

Victoire pulled the paper she had swiped from the last train. The old man wasn’t using it. Why couldn’t she put it to good use? Inside was the advertisement to the hotel she would be staying at.

“Chartreuse Paradise! Make your friends green with envy at your lavish stay at the Chartreuse Paradise! Luxurious rooms with hot plate and private bath! Continental breakfast every morning! Lounge at the side of the in ground pool while sipping a drink from the pool side bar!”

The advertisement showed a happy couple in front of the hotel. Didn’t look like paradise, but damn well close enough for Victoire. After 2 months of crappy hotels and neon winking at her between the blinds, she felt she deserved a bit of paradise. She phoned the hotel at the station where she switched trains to Nashville, making a reservation under the alias, “Molly Stuart”. The most generic, unobtrusive name she could think of.

The hotel was three blocks from the nearest bank. That, in and of itself, was a blessing. She readjusted her bag, which was about to fall over. She zipped it shut. It may be 5 am, but cops were the rodents of the world. Creeping into crevices in the most private of spaces.

Victoire sat for awhile, thinking. But as the sun started coming over the horizon, she fell into a deep sleep.

For this story in sound, I used the sounds of crickets, a train, clicking, and the song, La Valise d’Amelie from the Amelie soundtrack. Fun fact, the title means, “the suitcase of Amelie.” I thought that the song was especially appropriate considering that Victoire was traveling. I wanted this story to be about how she got onto the train, and then sank into deep thought.

In this and other sound posts, I’ve been using the same sound track quite a bit. The movie is French, and considering that Victorie Absinthe is French, and came from New Orleans, that there was a neat correlation between the sound and her character.  I’m still working on how to show this, but I want Victoire to put on multiple masks, but through this soundtrack show her real self.

Sound Effects Story: 3.5

If you’d like to try this assignment, click this Link