Alice jolts awake. rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she tries to remember the dream she just had. It had something to do with a girl, she was locked away. Away into a cold, dark room, where men, evil men, poked and prodded her. Alice remembers the girl crying out, and the room suddenly bursts into flames and the bad men fall there bodies disintegrating before her eyes until they were nothing but bloodied bones. And the girl slowly turned her head and golden eyes stared into Alice's.
'Alice...'
She jumps and looks around her room. The five and a half year old grips her teddy bear closer to her chest as her eyes dart about in fear. something scuttles about the end of her bed and she yelps, diving under the covers. She curls into herself and tries not to cry out. She waits, hoping beyond hope that it was all just her imagination. She takes a shaky calming breath, and she slowly slips her head from underneath the covers. She screams as she sees the golden eyes, she flies under the covers once more as pounding footsteps make their way to her room. She looks out again to see her father rushing to her side.
Scooping her up, he rubs her back soothingly as she cries into his shoulder. After a few minutes his little girl calms down enough and she pulls back rubbing her nose against the sleeve of her night shirt.
" Alice, what's wrong, did you have a nightmare?" He asks, trying to keep his voice as soothing as possible.
She clutches her teddy as she nods furiously, knowing she'd burst out crying again if she opened her mouth.
" Tell me about it, please, I can help make it all better, my darling." He urges, the man would not let his daughter be haunted by any night terrors.
Alice takes another calming breath before she launches into a vivid retelling of her dream. By the time she had finished tears were once again streaming down her face, only to be wiped away by the comforting hand of her dad.
" It's okay, my darling. Nothing, will happen to you, I will always be there to make the bad things go away." He reassures her.
He lays her back down, and tucks her in. Signing her mother's lullaby and staying with her until she fell back asleep. The man, tiredly runs a hand through his graying brown hair, standing up he quietly closes his daughters door as he leaves and makes his way back to his home office. He huffs as he all but collapses into his office chair, staring away at nothing as he lost himself in dark thoughts.
Briiing, Briiing, Brii- "What is it?" He says into the receiver, not at all happy that the damn thing had nearly given him a heart attack.
" Harlan? Thank God, it's a damn mess down here. Several of the men fucking exploded and we-"
" Is the vault closed?"
" Wha- Yeah, the damn thing's closed, we were just finishing up the procedure when sh-"
" Did any complications occur, did the procedure go as planned?"
"... Yes, everything went as planned. But the men?"
" They don't matter, as long as she is still locked away and the procedure went as planned, then it doesn't matter." Harlan says coldly, hanging up the phone.
The chairs leather creaks as he leans back, his hand rubbing clutching the bridge of his nose. Muttering about useless employees he heaves himself out of the chair. He looks down at his computer, still showing the progress report on Project Origin. Giving it one last look over he shuts down the machine.
Walking back down the hallway to his bedroom, Harlan takes a quick peek into Alice's. She moved about but still slumbered on. He casts her a worrying look but still closes the door and continues into his bedroom. Thoughts of his daughters filled his head until he himself fell into an uneasy sleep.
xXx time skip to just before dawn xXx
Alice awakens once more, but this time it wasn't from a nightmare. She felt a hand on her shoulder again, but it was to small and cold to be her fathers. She sights up and turns around, and there siting right beside her was the girl with golden eyes. Alice almost screamed but when she tried, no sound would come out.
' I'm sorry.' Was the only thing that broke the silence but it sounded different, like it was in her head. The word made Alice pause.
The other girl could sense the fear, and curiosity of Alice, she presses on.' Didn't mean, to scare. Was only curious. I'm sorry.'
Alice stared in amazement but she was still frightened, after a second of trying she finally works up the
courage to ask.
" Wh-who are you?" She asks quietly.
But the other girl quirks her head. Her pale face screwing up in thought, but it brightens after a moment.
' Alma. I am Alma. Who are you?' Alma asks, she clutches the hem of her red skirt nervously.
Alice relaxes a little as she sees that Alma, is just as nervous and scared as her.
" I'm Alice Wade. What are you doing here Alma?" She says.
Alma heard her last name and grew angry, until she heard the question. Alma thought about that, what was she doing here? She thought about it, she could feel the thoughts and feelings of the men around her. Especially her dad, she felt the frustration, the hate, and the sadness. From Alice though, she felt a different side, she could feel the acceptance and the joy that her father bestowed upon Alice.
' I want... Happiness?' She finally replied.
" Oh, well don't you have a mother and... Father? Er, never mind." Her question died, when the look of hatred appeared on Alma's face. Then she asked.
" What about friends?"
The question stumped Alma, she didn't even know what friends were really. The confusion must have shown because Alice giggled a little and explained.
" Friends are people that can give you happiness, they are people you can have fun with and do all sorts of things." She said, she saw the uncertain look and then a brilliant idea sprung into young Alice's mind." I will be your first friend!"
She watches as surprise flashed through those golden eyes before settling into a guarded curiosity.
' Why do you want to be my friend?'
" Because everyone should have at least one friend."
Alma couldn't sense any lies. She couldn't sense anything that indicated that Alice was deceiving her, only excitement. A small smile makes it's way to Alma's lips.
' Okay...'
" Great! Then here, have this." Alice says, handing Alma her stuffed bear." He always makes me feel better when I feel scared or lonely, and I think you need him more then I do. He's a gift for you."
Alma takes the bear and she looks it over, it was unremarkable, the only thing that it had were mismatched eyes and a rough patch job on the bear's backside. She looked into it's eyes and she clutched it gently to her chest. She looks up and sees Alice's smile.
" I will do anything for my friends."
Alma was about to say thank you but the door opened at that minute, and Harlan stepped into the room. Alice saw the surprise on his face and she was about to explain the other girls presence when she noticed that Alma was not there.
" Sweet pea, what are you doing up so early?"
She looks back to her father who did not even seem to have noticed Alma, deciding not to bring her up she just shrugs and says.
" I heard you coming Daddy."
" Oh, well I'm going in to work. I will see you when I get home." He leans down and kisses the top of her head, then crushes her in a bear hug. Getting up he closes the door behind him.
Alice sinks back down into her bed. Wondering where her new friend had gone when she feels a presence. Looking about, she doesn't see a thing until a red mist condenses at the foot of her bed and Alma appears holding the bear she had given her. Smiling she waves, before disappearing in the same way she appeared.
' Thank you...'
Alice gasps at how her friend appears but she smiles as well, before waving, getting an even larger grin when she hears the thanks. Laying back down, she wonders what will happen with her new friend.
Author's Notes.
ScareCr0w here my friends! And man has it been a while... Inexcusable really, but you have my sincere apologies, but when life comes at ya... Anywho, I am getting this story going, and I am going to finish it. That is my new years resolution. Hopefully I'll have the next chapter out within a month. But we shall see.
If you want to beta then please message me. Otherwise drop a review, fav or follow the story, or whatever your hearts content.
Until next time. ScareCr0w, sighing off.