~Chapter one-A taste for humans~
The door to my room slowly creaks open, but since I'm wearing a blindfold I can't really see who it is.
"Who's there…?" I called out anxiously, while stretching my hands out in front of me.
"It's only me, little Alice…" My father replied cautiously.
I sigh deeply, before I respond teasingly, "Don't scare me like that, dad!"
Come to think of it…have I ever seen what my dad even looks like?
I-I…c-can't remember.
"I've brought your dinner again, sweetie, so eat up okay?"
"Don't I always eat until my plate is empty?" I asked innocently.
Silence fills the room, before my dad laughs slightly.
I hear a clank on the metal floor near me, so I reach out and I feel a metal tray of food.
"Make sure you eat it all…" My dad whispered anxiously, before he left the room and locked the door after him.
I never know what it is that I'm eating…it tastes sweet and bitter all at the same time.
But I trust my dad…he wouldn't feed me anything bad, right?
XXX
It's been a week now and dad still hasn't come back to feed me yet.
Ugh, my stomach can't take much more of this!
Suddenly, I hear yelling outside my door; and, I try to listen carefully to what they're saying, but I can't hear clearly because dad made this room practically sound proof.
Hardly any sounds get in…and hardly any sounds get out…
Then, out of nowhere, I hear the door to my room creak open; and then, I hear a loud thud on the floor in front of me.
Suddenly, a man with a thick voice-one I never heard before-, spoke directly to me, "Alice, eat up, it's dinner time…"
I smile weakly at the figure and even though the blindfold is still around my eyes, I can still somehow sense his presence.
Since when did I start wearing this blindfold?
How young wasI, when this all began…?
And, wasn't it also dad who told me to never take the blindfold off, for any reason?
I-I…c-can't remember.
Suddenly, the door slams shut and I hear the lock slide into place; and, now I'm all alone in my room with whatever is now lying on the floor.
Whatever the strange man chucked into my room, let it be food…
I'm so hoping it's food!
Suddenly, I get down on my hands and knees, while I'm crawling all around the room, until my fingers touch something; and, I just think that it's a piece of chicken, or something like that, so I smile happily and so does my stomach.
I quickly bring my teeth down hungrily on what I believe is the head of the chicken, which is in front of me.
When I do so, I hear a muffled scream, but I brush it off as a sign of my imagination.
So, I continue to eat and eat, until I taste something I never tasted before.
What ever it is, it's hard to bite and tastes bitter; so, I lick at it and then I try to bite it again, but that only makes my teeth hurt more.
I slowly move my hands up, to touch the blindfold, but then suddenly I remember something.
"Alice, no matter what happens…you mustn't take that blindfold off, for any reason! Do you understand?"
"D-Dad…?" I whispered nervously.
Everything, from that point, starts moving in slow motion: I untie the blindfold and let it fall from my face; and, when I finally open my eyes, I scream in horror at what is lying at my feet.
A man-in a white lab coat, which saturates in his own blood-lies dead on the floor with pieces of his flesh missing from his skull; and, his face contorted into a ghastly expression of shock and pain.
The white dress I'm wearing-which I suddenly realize I'm wearing-, is completely stained with the man's blood…
Suddenly, I'm screaming again-springing to my feet in the process-and I keep stumbling, until my back hits against the wall.
Pain shoots up through my back and spreads to all the nerves in my body, but I don't care.
I don't care about the pain at the moment…all I can think about is what I have just done!
"I-I…k-killed…someone! No, h-how…c-could I? I killed someone!"
I quickly glance all around the room, but it's empty and bare.
There is no one in the room, but the dead man and me…
Suddenly, I cry out in agony because the pain finally reaches my brain.
In moments I blacked out, from the pain and from the shock, while I kept hearing a strange laughter in the distance.
XXX
"Alice, wake up…it's morning, sunshine, and it's a beautiful day outside! Don't waste it by lying around in bed…"
I still have my eyes closed, from when I passed out earlier, so I don't see who is talking to me.
"D-Dad, is that you…?" I questioned nervously.
"Of course it's me, who else were you expecting?"
"I-I don't…k-know. Hey dad, can I tell you something, I had a crazy dream last night…" I mumbled lazily.
"What was it about, sweetie?"
"Someone blindfolded me; and, I accidentally ate someone in a lab coat…" I whispered slowly.
Silence fills the air between us.
"Dad, what's wrong…?" I whispered anxiously as I slowly opened my eyes and I suddenly found myself staring at two strange men.
One of the men is wearing a long, copper, overcoat, a coal suit-with a black tie and black shoes-and tinted sunglasses; and, his hair and eyes are the same copper color as his overcoat.
As for the other man, he is wearing a lavender suit with ebony shoes, a lime green shirt-underneath the purple suit's jacket-, a lime green flower sits on the collar of the suit's jacket, and an orchid bow-tie hangs around his neck.
I quickly glance around the room and I notice that I'm in a similar bare room as my own.
It takes a while for my eyes to adjust to the dimness, however, because there is only one light in the room, which hangs low from the ceiling.
From the dimly lit ceiling light, I suddenly notice that the man-in the lavender suit-has strange hair color and skin color: his jade hair is sleeked back-probably with gel or something-and his skin is deathly pale, almost white in this light.
As I stare at the man in the lavender suit, I also notice that his face is extremely white, as if he is trying to hide his face for some reason.
Wait, are his eyes red…?!
But, it must just be the light…
The light is only playing tricks on me!
Suddenly, I realize I'm sitting in a metal chair, while a table sits in front of me, and the man-with the copper overcoat-is sitting in a chair across from me.
I just assume that he is an interrogator because of the way he dresses; and, the man, in the lavender suit, stands next to the only door in the room.
"Thanks for your help, Mr. Wilson. I couldn't have done it without you…" The interrogator spoke seriously.
"No problem, chief, I just want the little murderer to get what's coming to her…" The man, in the lavender suit, replied firmly.
"Couldn't do what without him? Murderer…?! What are you two talking about?!" I questioned heatedly as I started to panic.
The man, in the lavender suit, casually makes his way over to where I'm sitting and whispers softly into my ear, "Don't worry, Alice…I'm on your side."
What… does he mean?
He's on my side?
Why did he say that…?
Really…?!
…
Suddenly, he turns quickly and strides back over to the door; and, then he knocks on it, so that the police can let him out of the room.
But, before he leaves, he flashes a smirk in my direction.
Once he leaves, I quickly turn my attention back to the interrogator.
I try to speak as calmly as I can, "Listen, sir, I didn't do anything wrong, so you can just let me go now…okay?"
"I'm sorry Alice, but killing someone is against the law in Gotham City. So, I'm afraid I'll have to take you to the courthouse, so they can put you on trial."
I suddenly jump out of my chair and I glare at him.
The chair hits the ground instantly and makes a loud metallic bang, which almost makes me jump out of my skin!
"Listen hear, you crazy officer: I didn't kill anybody, alright?! So, stop accusing me already!" I cried angrily as I threw my hands on the table.
"I have you on tape, Alice… You have already admitted that you killed your father." The interrogator replied impatiently with a sigh.
He suddenly pulls out a black tape recorder, from one of his overcoat's pocket, and then he replays my last words: "I ate someone!"
As I'm staring at the man, in front of me, I'm slowly losing the ability to breath.
"I-I…k-killed…my father? Is that what you're telling me?! That I killed my own dad!" I screamed angrily at the top of my lungs and as I threw my hands into the air.
My voice doesn't even sound like it belongs to me anymore…
Suddenly, I charge at the interrogator like a cheetah, with my nails going for his throat. But, in a few minutes-give or take a few-police officers swarm into the room and they grab me to stop me from attacking him.
I start to laugh insanely and uncontrollably, while babbling about killing my dad, even as they drag me out of the police station and into a police car.
XXX
"Excuse me, sir…can we pull over? I'm thirsty!" I whined from the back of the police car.
My wrists are hand cuffed together behind my back, so I brought my face close to the metal screen, which separates the car.
"Sit back, you! Or else…" The driver spoke angrily, while glancing over at the officer in the passenger seat.
The officer, in the passenger seat, pulls out a taser-gun and shows me purposefully, so I sit back…a little.
I glance out the window of the car and I see that we are suddenly slowing down.
"Where are we going?" I questioned quietly.
"The chief said not to wait until Monday-because apparently you're too dangerous to keep at the station-so, instead we're taking you to the courthouse now; and, then you'll have your sentence given out." The driver replied grimly.
I become stiff at the thought of going to jail and rotting away there forever…
Or something even worse than that…
XXX
We finally arrive at the courthouse, after what seems like hours, only to find at least a dozen reporters waiting to get the scoop on the infamous kid, murderer.
At least, that's why I think they're all here…
The police officer, who is driving us here, suddenly gets out of the car and starts to push the reporters back; so, the second officer drags me up the stairs, of the courthouse, and straight inside.
…
It takes only seconds for the officer, who is dragging me, to pull me inside the real court room, before he takes off my hand cuffs.
I see the jury is waiting for me, along with a full house of onlookers.
I glance around nervously and thought, for a second, that I see the man in the lavender suit in the crowd, but I just brush it off as my imagination playing tricks on me again.
Maybe, that is what this is…
Maybe, it's just my imagination!
I mean, everything is happening so fast, I don't even have the time to react…
Ugh, why me?!
Why did this have to happen to me?!
…
I sigh deeply as the judge comes out, then suddenly the judge calls me to the stand.
"This court is now in session. You may sit." The Judge spoke firmly.
I quickly sit down at the stand, as the Bailiff hobbles over to me and he holds out a bible.
"Raise your right hand," He began seriously, so I raised my right hand, and then he added coolly, "Do you, Alice Baker, swear to tell the truth-and nothing but the truth-so help you god?"
"Yes…" I whispered back weakly.
As the Bailiff shuffles away, I turn my attention to the audience and I can feel myself growing sick from all those people staring at me.
I suddenly feel like I'll throw up at any minute!
But, I swallow back any bile that dares to force its way out of my mouth and suddenly I taste human flesh again; which, only makes me want to throw up even more.
"Can't you just sentence me to life, or something… I can't stand it anymore…" I whispered hopelessly.
"You can't stand what, Alice?" The Judge questioned curiously.
"My stomach hurts so much! I don't want to sit up here anymore…" I replied in a whisper.
"You'll sit there until we've decided what to do with you!" He responded in a huff.
I clench my stomach with tight fists, as it growls in protest, but then I suddenly spring up from my seat; and, I try to swallow back the bile, but it's already too late…
With my hands on either side of the podium, blood pours out of my mouth like there's no tomorrow. After that, I hack up dark chunks of flesh.
It only takes me a few minutes, before I calm down and-with one of my shaky hands over my mouth-I force the rest of it back down.
Suddenly, I stare down at the blood, and flesh chunks, in front of the podium.
There is blood not only on the floor, but splotches of it on the front of the podium; and, as I continue to stare down at the puddle of blood, it begins to spread and make its way towards the audience-section of the court room.
I smile weakly as I'm suddenly starting to feel light-headed.
I can faintly hear laughter, from somewhere in the crowd, in the audience section.
"Stop that laughter, at once!" The Judge ordered heatedly.
People are now shouting and screaming as they try to rush out of the court room, before the blood gets near them.
XXX
After that, I blacked out and the court meeting was just a hazy blur.
When I woke up next, I found myself in Arkham Asylum…for the criminally insane.
The doctors, here, tell me that I'm not quite right in the head and that I should get used to living here…because this will be my new home from now on!
I just hope they can handle a little insanity of my own!
XXX
Until we meet next time…