“You love your hair, honey. You’ve been growing it out since you were four.” My mother tugs on a lock. She’s right. It was my pride and joy, the way the light bounced off it giving highlights and redness. It has a gentle wave that is neither too curly nor stick straight. It gives it volume off the top of my head, looking full and luxurious. My friends always told me I should model in shampoo commercials. However…
“Yeah, well, it’s a pain in the ass when you don’t have reliable water and it gets caught in everything.”
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Long hair in science fiction stories ... this reminds me that in one of my published shorts, the ladies' man hero regrets that women on zero-g space stations never had long hair -- for precisely the reasons your character learned.
ReplyDeleteI figured that's why they always have it pinned and knotted in elaborate up do's. But yeah, easier to just not have it.
DeleteGood excerpt, very common sense as far as what might be an asset in normal times sure can be a problem in the post apocalypse!
ReplyDeleteCassy is nothing if not practical in the end.
DeleteHair is so important so hang on, girl.
ReplyDeleteHeh, I think you might be disappointed, for this loop anyway.
DeleteYes, I can understand how it would get in the way when running from zombies.
ReplyDeleteI hate it when mine gets in my way, so this was a personal note.
DeleteAs someone who also takes care of her very, very long hair, I can totally sympathize with everything she says and thinks!
ReplyDeleteYeah, mine is pretty long too. I like keeping it long enough to put in a quick knot.
DeleteLong hair is lovely, but can be a pain to maintain. I cried when I cut mine short.
ReplyDeleteYes. I've only cut mine to above my shoulders once and hated the result. Since then I've kept it long.
DeleteAs a person who has stick straight hair, which is fine to boot, I cannot feel bad for someone who has curls and body. Nope - not one little bit.
ReplyDeleteHaha. Fair enough!
DeleteI guess she could always put it in a plait but speaking as one who always had trouble growing my hair (and now I'm resigned to not having it long it's decided to grow) I would be lothe to cut it despite the problem with not having water and shampoo.
ReplyDeleteI keep mine in ponytails and knots, but those are never 100%. Braids are better, but even then, I find the sides fall out after a while. Maybe I just need a new hair cut...
DeleteI admire how you make Mom sound so normal and everything's hunky-dorey then contrast that with Cassy's no-nonsense retort. Cassy knows how tough things are. How difficult this must be for her.
ReplyDeleteThat's exactly what I'm trying to convey, that only Cassy is having this weird loop experience. To everyone else, it's just another day.
DeletePracticality wins out over looking good in a disaster. Sensible of her!
ReplyDeleteYes. That plays out more in the second chapter as well, when she runs into her clique.
DeleteIt would be sad to cut her hair but if it is for survival, there is only one choice. It has to be cut.
ReplyDeleteHair doesn't win over living. It's dead after all. ;)
DeleteMan, I'm suffering from hair envy reading this excerpt. lol. Great descriptions!
ReplyDelete