Title: Illusion of Permanence
Rating: T
Warning(s): None so far
Summary: On a foggy November night in London, Alice's life is rescued from a runaway carriage by none other than Ilosovic Stayne. What will transpire when she is forced to nurse him back to health, after his memories of her and Underland have been forgotten?
A/N: I guess I should start off by saying that I haven't written a multi-chaptered for at least a year and a half now. I'm rusty at this in more ways than one, from having written in second person for a good while now and only publishing oneshots. I'm getting back into the groove of things, and I do hope you enjoy this. I was really hesitant about posting this story, so we'll see what happens.
The wind howled like a wolf in the night, and in the process blew the last remaining withered crimson leaves through the chilly night air. Skeletal trees with their naked branches seemed to dance as if a nighttime specter had cast a spell on them. Occasionally rain drops would fall from the heavens, as if like a maiden crying over her broken heart. High above in the sky, stars shined like diamonds that had fallen off a broken necklace, while the moon veiled London in a blanket of silver. The populace had all fallen blissfully asleep, and would not wake until the flaming sun began its ascension. As for the streets, they were all but deserted. No sign of life would be seen for the next few hours…
And yet amidst a sleeping city, one person remained far away from a warm bed and sweet dreams.
Standing underneath a gaslight was a very tall gentleman. Unlike the occasional male passerby, he did not wear a top hat, or smoke from a pipe; he opted for a long black cloak that fell to the wet ground. At first glance one might think him to be a statue, while the fainter of heart would choose a more mystical name to describe the man: a phantom.
Phantom or man, (you decide) he did not move an inch- not even when Big Ben struck the bewitching hour: midnight. As if on cue, a young woman dashed out of the nearby woods, muttering words that could only be heard to her. The man leaned on the gaslight lazily, and turned his head to follow where the young woman went to next. She stopped just outside of the woods and adjusted her blue coat -which was slightly damp from a past storm; her long blonde hair had once been pinned up beautifully, but alas, had now fallen limply to her waist. After securing her coat and looking fearfully at the pocket watch she carried, the young woman quickly picked up her skirts and ran down the wet cobblestone street at breakneck speed.
Choosing to remain in the shadows, the man stealthily followed her through the maze of alleys and streets. Despite apparently knowing the layout of the city like the back of her hand, the girl did not once notice the tall looming figure following her.
Or that her life was about to change forever.
After stepping out of an alleyway, the girl stopped suddenly, and nervously stared at a tall house that held an air of finery about it. Despite it being late at night, the golden plaque beside the door was still readable to anyone that passed by: Kingsley residence.
It was none other than Alice Kingsley that stood outside of her home, on a cold November night, shivering underneath her thin blue coat. For the past few months after returning from China, she had taken a liking to visiting the woods surrounding the Ascot's large manor home. Under the cover of the night, Alice would retreat into the wooden area, and lay on her back while staring up at the ocean of stars and planets. There was something oddly comforting about the forest; perhaps it was knowing that just underground, all of her friends dwelled happily…
Banishing such thoughts from her mind, Alice bit down on her lip as she thought about how to get back into her home. This was always the most dangerous and difficult partwhich she both dreaded and yet found exciting. There was always the way through the servant's entryway, or perhaps the window in the parlor that was always unlocked; each night Alice tried a new way in, finding the situation to be deliciously thrilling.
It was then that she began to feel quite odd –as if someone was watching her. Swiftly turning around, Alice's hazel eyes scanned the foggy streets for any signs of life; alas there was none, and the young woman felt a wave of relief wash over her.
There are rare moments in our life when one single action can change everything; when lady fate steps in, and as if our lives are a game, changes the rules and outcome at whim. As Alice stepped out onto the street to cross to her home, she did not notice the carriage racing towards her –nor did she notice the towering male behind her suddenly realizing what was about to transpire. In one swift movement, he ran out onto the street and pushed Alice away just in time.
Yet time was not on his side. As if she were caught in a dream, Alice watched as the man that saved her slipped on the wet pavement and fell to the ground; the carriage, (whose driver was admittedly intoxicated) driven by two coal black horses, trampled over the man without notice.
Alice let out a horrified cry as she quickly ran to her savior. The cloak he had worn was torn to pieces, and by the looks of it he had more than likely broken a rib or two. Biting down on her lip and resisting the urge to cry for her rescuer, she pushed back his ebony colored hair to stare into the face of the man that had given his life to protect her.
This time, another gasp escaped Alice's full lips. This man –her protector- was in fact someone she knew all too well.
It was Ilosovic Stayne.
And he was certainly not dead.