Chapter Four:
A/N: Fifteen hours of airline hell! But I am back home and the sweet internet connection is mine at last!! Mwahahaha! Anyways… I hope this chapter pleases, I am now forming my ideas for the plot of this story (great forethought, I know, haha) so bear with me.
Disclaimer: You know the drill. I own nothing but Alice and my characters blah blah blah…
Alice ground her teeth as she pried her second story window open. Swaying dangerously from the towering maple, she felt her body lurch suddenly as her only way into the house finally gave way under her determined fingers. Springing forward, she landed haphazardly into her full sized bed, which conveniently enough was positioned right below the window. Sighing, she calmed her nerves, wracked at the thought of tumbling to the rough earth below from the tree, and collected herself enough to examine her current condition in the mirror.
She was a perfect mess, she thought sullenly, her dress was soiled and torn, her kneecap a bloody massacre. Even her hair, which was a mass of tangled curls atop her head, smelled like sour milk. Wrinkling her nose, she hobbled to her bathroom and cranked on the showerhead, rummaging around the cabinets for a towel.
She found her towel, but what's more, she found an assortment of cleaning supplies, gloves and sanitizers and dusting materials. Smiling, she gathered them all up and threw them in a plastic bag. Shivering, she slipped off her dress and stepped into the beckoning warmth of the shower.
Stepping out, after cleaning and dressing her wound with the first aid kit in the cabinet, she reapplied a touch of mascara and foundation, just enough to brighten her eyes up a bit, before returning to her room. Fishing through her boxes of clothes, which she had yet to unpack, she gazed out at the brilliant sunlight out her window and pulled on a white strapless fitted top that flowed down from the bust line, printed with delicate daffodils tossing in the breeze. Picking out a pair of light skinny jeans, she slipped on clean white ballet flats. She wore her favorite sliver bow shaped dangling earrings and her locket, which she never took off, hung between her breasts, shining in the light.
Alice bit her lip, glancing at her tousled wet hair, resolving to twist it up into an elegant bun, although several stubborn curls framed her fair face. She deemed herself respectably dressed and rushed downstairs with her cleaning supplies in tow.
Throwing her supplies into her backpack, she headed to the kitchen in search of sustenance. Grabbing a banana and an egg salad sandwich from the fridge, she found the spare house key in the cupboard above it. Munching on her brunch while locking the door, she finished her banana and tossed the peel into the soil of her house's meager garden, thinking of how it would help nurture the pitiful looking plants. Unwrapping her sandwich, she satiated her hunger while beginning the perilous trip up the mountain.
"Edward?" She called, reaching the gate, her backpack now heavy upon her shoulders. "Edward? Are you there?"
Sliding the gate shut, she watched, smiling, as he emerged, skipping down some steps along the side of the mansion, clipping stray twigs upon his sculptures in the process. He paused at a safe distance from her, his eyes bright and full of hope, although his countenance did betray that irreparable tinge of apprehension.
"You came back." He said, his lips turned up in the ghost of a smile.
Alice shrugged off her backpack and unzipped it, tossing in her sandwich wrapper. "Of course I did. I promised you, didn't I?"
He seemed bashful at this, and clicked his scissors sheepishly.
"I brought something." Alice opened her bag further to show her bounty of cleaning supplies, although he didn't seem to understand. "I thought I'd clean this place up a bit, just to brighten it up. I… I hope you don't mind…"
"I don't mind." He said rather cheerfully.
They both headed indoors and Alice set her bag upon the conveyer belt of the sugar cookie machine, producing from it a feather duster and a bottle of wood polish. She began at the top of the narrow staircase, dusting the thick netting of cobwebs that spun around the iron banister.
"May I help?" Edward asked shyly, watching her in pensive silence.
"Sure," Alice handed him the duster, making sure he could hold it between the blades of his thumb and index finger. "You finish the dusting and I'll start on the floor. Do you have a mop and broom?"
"In that closet, over there." He pointed, wary not to slice poor Alice's nose clean off, to the corner of the grand entrance, where a lone door stood.
"Okay." She nodded and indeed found a mop and pail as well as a faded straw broom within it.
Sweeping the floor, she watched as Edward concentrated on freeing the banister of each speck of dust and cobweb, stirring the falling debris into piles near the front door. Taking a dusty white cloth covering from one of the few chairs at the front of the room, Alice spread it upon the floor and swept up all the dust and filth from their labors onto it, lifting the corners when she finished, tying them off before disposing of it. To do so, Alice walked out to the edge of the mountain, outside the gate, and shook the contents free.
Returning, she found Edward dusting the metal contraption that seemed to make cookies. Smiling, she found the mansion's kitchen in the back behind the staircase and filled the pail from the closet with water from the tap, mixing in some of the wood polish.
It took at least an hour to mop the entire downstairs, even with Edward's help. She found that, once the grime was washed away, the floor was a checkered pattern of dull rosy grey and light grey. Taking a bottle of Windex from her bag, she used some linen cloths from the kitchen cupboards to wipe the windows clean. Hanging over the edge of the banister, she bit her lip as she strained to wipe the last of the highest window spotless. But just as she finished, her foot, still a bit sudsy from mopping, slipped on the stone steps and she felt herself beginning to fall from her great height.
But before she could react, she felt the sting of metal upon her elbow and was set back on her feet once more. Gasping, she turned to find Edward, shaking fearfully, his right hand's blades smeared with thin trickles of scarlet blood. Lifting her arm, she saw the sinewy lines where he had severed her skin, the blood slowly seeping from her wounds.
"I-I'm sorry." He stuttered, over and over again he apologized while she stared in shock.
Finally her lips reanimated themselves. "Don't worry Edward."
She used one of the clean linen's and wiped herself clean. "It was an accident, don't worry. I'm fine, don't be sorry."
She began to wipe her blood off his blades, although he cringed away at first, but her hands were gentle and wary.
"You saved me." She said, ignoring the pain long enough to smile winningly. "I could have broken my neck if I had fallen. But you saved me. Thank you, Edward."
He seemed a trifle bit convinced, although his previously self assured demeanor was thoroughly shattered. Alice felt as if she had committed a foul deed against him, from the way he nervously stammered about now. Finding some sterile band aids in her backpack, for she was indeed a clumsy person anyhow, and applied them generously. After all, she thought whilst patching herself up, her wounds were nothing but superficial.
Meanwhile, Edward gazed with bitter contempt at his metallic contraptions for hands, wishing with all that he knew that he were just a normal boy with normal hands who wouldn't be such a danger to people, especially those whom he cared for. His mind began to ponder about his newfound friend, that is, if she were in fact his friend. She seemed to shrug off his apologies, making her best efforts to keep him happy, the way Peg Boggs had. The way that Kim had.
"Edward?"
Snapping to attention, he glanced at Alice's elbow, which was now covered in strips of things that she had called 'band aids'.
"Yes." He replied, his mind reeling.
She was going to upbraid him, as she should. She would holler at him thoroughly and take her leave, leaving him alone and desolate up here upon his mountain.
"I'm all better," She grinned, flashing him her arm of band aids for him to see, "See?"
Alice was relieved to find him ease a bit at her cheery disposition. How could she not be jubilant, with the way the sunlight now poured into the manor through crystal clean windows, it was enough to bring a smile to even Edward's own lips.
Alice led them both back out into the garden; sitting upon the grass and watching the clouds drift by lazily. Edward sat cross-legged beside her and listened as she spoke. She told him everything she could think of, about Michael and how much Edward would like him, about Portia and how disagreeable she could be, and about moving here. Edward was an excellent listener, only piping up to ask what something like an 'iPod' or an 'airport' was. He once remarked that he often saw airplanes passing over the mountain and he had previously only thought them to be rather large, stiff birds. Alice got quite a kick out of that.
Alice wondered how long Edward had been up there and asked him. He went on to explain his odd past, about how he loved the inventor, his tragic death, and the many lonesome years that followed. He also spoke of a kind Avon lady that had brought him down to the town once, which Alice found quite interesting; about the trouble he had seemed to stir, about people he liked, like Kevin and Mr. Boggs and Kim. He spoke quite a bit about Kim. He also spoke of people that Alice could tell he did not like, such as most of the neighborhood women, and a young man named Jim. Edward almost scowled when he spoke of Jim, which nearly scared Alice.
But the end of his tale was just as forlorn as his visage when he told it. Kim had deceived the town into believing him dead, just to be sure he would live in peace, even if it was without her. Upon hearing this, Alice felt two gorged tears slip down her cheeks, which frightened Edward.
"Oh," She waved him away, wiping her face dry, and her heart twisting with pain. "I'm fine. It's just so sad, that's all."
When the sun had made its highest arc in the sky and was slowly coming to rest, nestling into the horizon, Alice found herself itching to get home before Michael and Portia. The shadowing haze cast around Edward's garden was enchanting to say the least, and Alice found it rather hard to say her goodbyes.
"Edward," She caught his attention, "I have to go home now-" She caught his downtrodden look and hastily went on. "But I'll come back tomorrow after school, I promise."
He seemed to brighten at this and followed her silently as she went back indoors to retrieve her backpack, walking her to the gate as well.
"Bye Edward!" She called, glancing over her shoulder as she made her way back down the hillside.
"Goodbye." He waved, his scissors flashing in the fading light.
Just as Alice was setting her dirty dishes into the dishwasher, the front door came bursting in.
"We're HO-OME!"
"Michael!" Alice hollered and leaped into her uncle's arms like a child, barely giving him enough time to carefully set aside a rather large plastic box of sorts.
He ruffled her hair, his bright laughing blue eyes glistening. "Miss me?"
Portia slinked in, setting her suitcase aside and sauntering up the stairs almost instantly.
"Portia?" Michael called. "Aren't you going to say hello?"
"Oh, dear," Portia's simpering voice mewled. "It's been such a long flight, and I'm so tired! Can't I get a moment's rest?"
Her footsteps clicked up the staircase and she vanished around the corner at the top. Michael turned to Alice and they erupted in a fit of laughter, although quiet enough not to draw her attention. Portia may have been a little high maintenance, but she had the senses of a hawk.
"So…" Alice poked Michael in the stomach accusingly. "What'cha get me?"
"Oh," Michael turned away in mock indignation, "That's what this is all about, is it? Well, missy, I must say I've had enough of your shenanigans!"
His voice was deathly serious, but his countenance betrayed his humor when he turned back around while holding the plastic box, which was in actuality an average sized kennel.
"I puppy!" Alice squealed, reaching inside once Michael opened the side and gently pulling out a slinky soft mess of golden fur.
"Yup." Michael nodded, rather pleased with himself. "I bought it at the pet shop in town today after we landed. Portia is… well… you know how she is with animals. So I expect you to take good care of him."
"Him?" Alice pondered, holding the golden yellow lab in her arms as a mother would cradle her newborn baby. "He's so adorable."
Indeed he was. He was of a small stature, but made up for it with a lovably button black nose and paws that would take him weeks to grow into. He stared up at Alice with coal black eyes, tail flapping against her side, and his bright eyes turned her thoughts to Edward.
"Well," Michael prodded her, "What're you gonna name him?"
"Hmm…" Alice thought pensively as she stared down at her golden present. "I like the name Jack."
"Jack?" Michael repeated, saying it over and over under his breath as he stalked the kitchen for food, as if to remember it. Michael was terrible at remembering names, unfortunately.
Alice carried little Jack up to her room, along with some puppy supplies that Michael had bought, and set up his little bed in the corner of her room, knowing that he would be sleeping in her bed regardless. She snapped on his tiny red collar and watched his little rabies vaccination and other tags clink against one another, resolving to buy him a name tag later that week.
She watched him gallop around her room from her seat the bed, laughing as he would sidle up to one of her boxes of unpacked clothing and suddenly pounce upon it, tail wagging and tongue lolled out comically. When his eyes shone with exhaustion, she called him over and scooped him up to her breast where he lay fast asleep. Laying back so her shoulders rested upon her headboard, she gazed out at the moon rising up over the mansion on the hill out her window. Jack's hind leg twitched in his sleep and Alice wondered if Edward slept.
He didn't seem entirely human, although he was certainly more humane than anyone around here. Did he eat or sleep like anyone else? Would he like Jack? Was he afraid of animals? Her thoughts followed her even as her mind slipped into dreams, her body lax against her headboard. Her last thought, however, regarded the fact that her legs would certainly be stronger after so many trips up the impossibly high mountain.
A/N: Thank you to Emcaro and Paiva, your comments are lovely and I appreciate the enthusiasm. I'll try to write this as fast as I can, although I am still a little off (by around ten hours time difference to be exact). God I need sleep… :P