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Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Canon Character Death, Spoilers, Picture Heavy
Word Count: ~1150 words and 55 pictures
Thank you: Thank you to bitter_crimson for the original idea (http://bitter-crimson.livejournal.com/ 577790.html) and to welfybomb for spending a Saturday helping me make little paper Kafka cutouts. Any direct quotations are from the Stanley Corngold translation of Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis.
Part I
“When Gregor Samsa woke up one morning from unsettling dreams, he found himself changed in his bed into a monstrous vermin.”
He thought -
Gregor looked up at the clock and realized that he was going to be late for work.
He would have to rush like a madman (or a madbug) to catch the 7 o'clock train, and he didn't even have his fabric samples packed yet.
The sound of Gregor's mother calling him roused him fully and he began to struggle to get up.
And then the sound of his father, beating on the door with his fist.
And then his sister, Greta. Gregor couldn't get a moments peace.
Gregor heard the voice of his manager and dropped his head to the floor, relieved to finally be off his bed but distressed that his boss was called all the way to his home.
Gregor made his way to the door as best he could given his current size and shape. His family was becoming more hysterical on the other side of the door.
Gregor began working the key with his jaw, as he found himself unable to turn it with his...tentacle/leg thingies.
He discovered that he didn't actually have teeth and a brown liquid came from his mouth as he worked the key in the lock.
Gregor imagined that his family was cheering him on from the other side of the door. It was a strange thing to imagine, but this was a day of strange things, so he figured it didn't really matter much.
He finally heard the key click in the lock and opened the door, still dripping the brown liquid from his damaged mouth.
Slowly, the door swung open.
The manager stepped forward so that he could see Gregor.
When he stepped away his mother took the managers place, and was equally distraught.
Gregor's father stepped forward menacingly.
Panicked, Gregor called out to his manager.
The manager seemed less than impressed by Gregor's pleas.
When it was clear that his manager was not listening to him, Gregor spoke in earnest.
Gregor tried to stop the manager from leaving, scrambling across the floor in a desperate attempt to keep his job.
The manager fled and Gregor's father moved to keep Gregor from leaving his room.
Gregor frantically tried to turn around and back up but discovered the maneuver was much more difficult in his present form. Mr. Samsa used his cane to shove Gregor back through the door, injuring Gregor in the process.
Gregor managed to get all the way back into the room and Gregor's father slammed the door closed. Gregor slept where he lay, exhausted from the days exertions.
Part II
“It was already dusk when Gregor woke from his deep, comalike sleep.”
The sound of the door closing brought Gregor to full, painful, awareness.
Gregor examined the food that had been left for him and eagerly began to eat, discovering that he favored food that had been left to rot.
After eating as much as his aching body would allow, Gregor crawled under the couch and napped. When he awoke, his sister had arrived to clean.
Gregor stayed as hidden as possible as Greta cleaned up the mess he had made while eating, his legs scrambling restlessly from his hiding place under the couch.
Days and weeks passed and eventually Greta came to move some of the furniture out of Gregor's room. Greta had taken the liberty of arranging a sheet to cover Gregor so that they would not have to look at Gregor when they came in the room. How thoughtful of her.
After a period of time Gregor's mother attempted to overcome her fear of her son and with Greta's assistance came to Gregor's room.
When Gregor's mother caught a full glimpse of Gregor she cried out.
Gregor's mother and sister fled the room. Gregor attempted to follow them out into the main area of the house but was driven back by Greta crying and throwing things at Gregor to drive him back.
Gregor crawled up the walls and onto the magazine cutout that he had so lovingly framed. He pressed his belly against the cool glass.
When Gregor heard his father arrive home he climbed back down the wall and headed out into the living room.
In the living room, Gregor's family was gathered together. Strangely, Gregor's father sounded both furious and glad to see him.
Gregor stared at his father and his father stared back.
Gregor began to move forward and was surprised when he began to be bombarded by apples. His own father was throwing apples at him! The nerve of some people.
Frantically, Gregor rushed back into his room, an apple striking him and sinking painfully into his back.
Gregor made it back into his room, the pain in his back echoing the sounds of Greta's screams.
Part III
Gregor remained in a dazed and injured state, barely aware of the maid coming and going from his room.
Food no longer held any interest for him and Gregor barely slept.
One evening, Gregor heard the sound of Greta playing the violin for the boarders that had taken up residence in the Samsa household. Gregor opened his door and moved into the living area to hear better.
Gregor's family and the boarders all listened raptly as Greta played, unaware of Gregor slowly moving into the room.
One of the boarders caught a glimpse of Gregor, much to the horror of everyone.
The boarders scrambled away from the sight of Gregor. Greta cried out her frustration with her brother, a frustration that wasn't so different from the frustration she felt for him while he was a human.
Gregor quickly made his way back to his room, thoroughly defeated. He discovered, before long, that he could no longer move.
The maid entered Gregor's room one morning and poked Gregor with a broom to discover that he had expired in the night.
Gregor's mother and father peered in the room and were relieved to discover that what the maid had said was true. Gregor was dead.
Greta came into the room and briefly grieved for her brother. Very briefly.
The remaining Samsas abandoned the house as quickly as possible, hoping to leave behind any recollection of Gregor and continue their family as though no strange occurrence had happened at all.
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It took about 8-10 hours overall. I had a friend helping me with cutting out and creating all the people and pieces of furniture, which took about 2 hours. Another 2 hours to assemble everything and take the photographs. About 4 hours of photo editing and writing everything. And then about an hour and a half to upload everything and get it put onto dreamwidth.
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into a monstrous verminwith paperdolls. I approve strongly of this.no subject