(Play: Alice Madness Returns Official Theme soundtrack)
You slip unnoticed through the door and carefully lift the knife from the counter. You make your way to the pair and the soft creaking from the floor underneath you seems deafening. The man is to drunk and the girl to scared to notice you standing motionless behind them. Raising your knife everything seems to slow down. You impale the drunkard in the throat and he falls down, gurgling on his own blood. He is dead within moments and you swallow hard. You don't seem to know if you should be happy or horror-struck at the act you just committed. Hearing frantic scrapping noises you look up to see the girl you just saved scrambling away from you with all hast.
"It is alright," you say soothingly. "Please do calm d-"
The girl suddenly screams and your eyes widen in surprise. "You monster!" she yells at the top of her lungs before running out the door crying.
"Monster…" you say softly as you look at the bloodied knife in your hand. You knuckles turn white as you squeeze the handle and you look up sharply. "Nonsense," you say. "I just saved the girls life. She is being quite idiotic."
"And I quite agree." You turn around quickly to see a woman steeping into the kitchen from another door. She a tall, slim woman, with flowing blonde hair and crystal blue eyes that almost seemed to glow.
"Who… I have no business with you, and I only did this to save a life, so leave me be."
She shacks her head with grim amusement. "I am not condemning you, far from it really."
You left up the hand free of the knife to your head. It strangely hurts and you just feel like lying down. "Just who are you?"
"Me? Why I am Angelica. The manager of this fine establishment, the Pegasus. And, I have a problem."
"We all have problems." You say quietly, eyes darkening. "Some more than others." Your message is clear. Get to the point, or get away.
She laughs. "I was right, I do like you. Time to get down to it though. As you have seen, my employees might be pretty, but most, no all, are completely timid. They continue to give out free drinks and such when bullied, and this has been quite bad for business." She looks at you, head slightly tilted to the side to see if you are listening. This is quite quire, you think, for her to be talking like you are an old friend after the act you just committed. In fact, the body was still on the floor between you two, but that didn't seem to affect either of you in the least.
"What is your name?"
"Ash."
"Well Ash, I'll tell you what. If you work for me and keep the other girls in check, then I will give you pay and a place to stay."
You are now painfully aware of not only your appearance, but every pain and ache. Mind as well take this offer. Where else might you go? "I accept your offer with thanks," you finally answer with a curt nod.
"Excellent!" Angelica says with a clap. "Let us make it official then," she extends a hand, a playful grin in place. "Ash, won't you come and play with me?"
That's it. Something is triggered in the back of your mind and you fall to your knees, clutching your head in utter agony.
(Turn to Page 24.)