I think I may have been negligent for a few days, I shall compensate.


/-^1^-\ Following Day. /-^1^-\

Thomas treaded into the office and glanced at the needles on the floor, taking a sharp breath in. The knife was on the floor too, they must have just rushed her out of the place. He turned to the pictures on the sideboard and picked up one from Alison and Jonathan's wedding.

"You didn't break her heart, you shattered her soul you bastard," he whispered, planting it face down. He was heartbroken. He was devastated beyond belief, Alison meant the world to him. There'd always been something amazing about her, some mystifying grace that required you to follow.

"Pull yourself together, Tom," he whispered, sniffing and drying his eyes, "She wants her teddy bear," he said to himself, leaving and glancing at the bag in the hallway with a few of her possessions in.

He traipsed upstairs and picked the teddy up off the bed. It was oddly heavy, he observed. He looked for an opening, almost momentarily amused to find that it was in the teddies back-side. He put his hand up, almost like pulling on a puppet, and pulled out a bag.

"Fuck!" he cried.

/-^1^-\

Alison woke up slowly and sighed. Thomas was stood at the foot of her bed, looking so angry and displeased. He threw her stuffed bear at her.

"Magic mushrooms!" he spat, "And, could I suppose that you were taking them yesterday too, when 'Jonathan' came in and 'strangled' you."

"It was a bad trip, it wasn't supposed to happen."

"No, what isn't supposed to happen is you taking drugs! Do you not think, sometimes, that you are the sole cause of your madness, Alison?" he hissed.

"Don't do this to me, I can't have someone else walk out on my life-"

"I will never ever walk out on your life. It'll always be you who walks out on me, Ally. But Jonathan... he hasn't walked out on you, has he? He's moved you aside for the time being. If you start to believe he's gone you'll be in turmoil when he returns. And he is going to," said Thomas, holding up a letter.

Alison took it and opened it up.

'Alison,

This is the second letter of apology I have written to you. Right now, it's the only way I can convey my sorrow. I'm where I need to be; where you want me to be. So, you can get to me, you can talk to me. I hope you will. I know at first it might be difficult, because of what I've done. But, please - you have to forgive me. Not just yet, because that would ridiculous if you did because you don't yet have any reason to but I can give you them. But it's something I need to give you to your face.

And I will. I promise you I will. You will get to hear everything if you want to. It's deeper than you may think.

And I need you to know, also, that I do love you. I always did. When I scared you on Halloween, I realised then. I was so upset to think I'd hurt you somehow. You were never, ever, just an illusion of a happy man, you really do make me a happy man. And it's only with that thought that I haven't given up completely. You may think I'm making things worse for myself, but you said it yourself - ever noticed Arkham is like a care home for the insane? Ever noticed hardly anyone gets out - and when they do, they're always back in?

Well I can't risk that. I can't risk that currently inevitable fate and I am trying to change it. I need to play my cards right. I pray they play me back into your heart. It's the only place I ever felt normal.

I love you, so much. I really do.

Love the man you made smile.'

"Do you believe him?"

"Do I have autonomy in my answer?"

"Yes."

"I do."

"Funnily enough, so do I," growled Thomas, sitting back. He didn't want to believe it though. Something just wouldn't let him disbelieve it however.

"We need to get me out of here."

"How? They said a couple of weeks at minimum."

"I'm Alison MacLeod. And that is how we get me out of here."

"Nice to see you again, Alison MacLeod," whispered Thomas. He glanced at her curiously, realising there was something in her that he hadn't seen for a long time. He went to say something but words temporarily failed him.

"What?" she asked.

"Welcome back."


Bad trips, bad stuff. But at least Alison isn't dead.