Lisa ran for as long as she could, but her legs finally gave out, and she
fell in a heap on the side of the road.
"God, no matter what, let her be safe," she whispered. Exhausted, she fell asleep, oblivious to even the mosquitoes stinging her.
Finally, she was jolted awake by strong fingers digging into her shoulders and shaking her. "Lisa. Lisa!"
Lisa opened her eyes and saw Dr. Kaufmann and Dahlia standing over her.
"Where is my daughter, you meddling bitch?" Dahlia screeched.
Incredibly, Lisa found herself smiling. "I don't know what you're talking about. Have you gone senile? Alessa is in the hospital, where she's always been."
"You know I mean the other one!" Dahlia's hand dealt Lisa a stinging slap.
"I don't know of another one," Lisa said.
"If you know what's good for you, you'll stop screwing around," Dr. Kaufmann growled. "Or don't you ever want another taste of this sweet stuff again?" He dangled a packet of White Claudia in front of Lisa's eyes, but she batted it away.
"Fuck…you," she spat.
Dr. Kaufmann sighed. "Do whatever you have to do, Dahlia," he said, turning his back.
"Don't you touch me," Lisa rasped, trying to drag herself away on her elbows.
"Oh, I don't need to touch you to hurt you," Dahlia said.
"Wh..." Lisa began, then howled as excruciating pain shot through every inch of her body. Wetness began flowing down her face, and she touched her cheeks, staring in shock as her hands came away drenched in blood. It dripped into her eyes, filled her mouth with the taste of copper, dyed her once-white uniform red. She curled in on herself, clutching her sides in agony. The pain seared through her body, causing every nerve and muscle to spasm. Lisa thrashed about like a beached fish, finally curling in on herself. Her blue eyes filmed over, and one last crimson tear trickled down her cheek.
"She's gone," Dr. Kaufmann's voice said, seeming to come from a distance. She felt his cool fingers close her lids.
//No...I'm still alive...//
A gentle voice said, "Lisa...wake up."
Lisa opened her eyes and blinked hard. She sat up and waved her hands in front of her face.
//They're clean...and nothing hurts anymore...//
A strange movie seemed to be playing out in front of her. She saw her ravaged body lying on the ground, and Dahlia and Dr. Kaufmann crouched over it. "Leave me alone!" she shouted, but they didn't seem to hear her. The lips of the corpse did not move.
"Lisa?"
Lisa turned her head and saw a beautiful black-haired woman, bathed in radiant white light, standing behind her. "It's over, Lisa," the woman said, reaching out her hand and helping Lisa to her feet. "They can't hurt either one of us anymore."
"A-Alessa?" Lisa whispered hoarsely.
The woman smiled, but didn't answer. "I liked your poem," she said, tucking a sprig of violets behind Lisa's ear. They watched silently as Dr. Kaufmann and Dahlia heaved Lisa's body into the trunk of a car.
"They'll pay for what they've done," the woman said, clasping Lisa's hand in hers.
Lisa took the violets from behind her ear and breathed in their sweet fragrance. "Promise?"
"I promise," the woman said. "The you that isn't you and the me that isn't me will punish them all."
"I don't understand," Lisa said.
"You don't have to," Alessa replied, pressing her cool lips to Lisa's cheek. "I will take care of everything from now on."
Lisa threw her arms around Alessa. "I was so scared!" she cried, burying her face in Alessa's shoulder. "And I'm so tired."
"You've earned your peace...you may sleep now. I'll bring you back when it's time."
Lisa closed her eyes and let the darkness embrace her.
//It feels...like flying...//
THE END
"God, no matter what, let her be safe," she whispered. Exhausted, she fell asleep, oblivious to even the mosquitoes stinging her.
Finally, she was jolted awake by strong fingers digging into her shoulders and shaking her. "Lisa. Lisa!"
Lisa opened her eyes and saw Dr. Kaufmann and Dahlia standing over her.
"Where is my daughter, you meddling bitch?" Dahlia screeched.
Incredibly, Lisa found herself smiling. "I don't know what you're talking about. Have you gone senile? Alessa is in the hospital, where she's always been."
"You know I mean the other one!" Dahlia's hand dealt Lisa a stinging slap.
"I don't know of another one," Lisa said.
"If you know what's good for you, you'll stop screwing around," Dr. Kaufmann growled. "Or don't you ever want another taste of this sweet stuff again?" He dangled a packet of White Claudia in front of Lisa's eyes, but she batted it away.
"Fuck…you," she spat.
Dr. Kaufmann sighed. "Do whatever you have to do, Dahlia," he said, turning his back.
"Don't you touch me," Lisa rasped, trying to drag herself away on her elbows.
"Oh, I don't need to touch you to hurt you," Dahlia said.
"Wh..." Lisa began, then howled as excruciating pain shot through every inch of her body. Wetness began flowing down her face, and she touched her cheeks, staring in shock as her hands came away drenched in blood. It dripped into her eyes, filled her mouth with the taste of copper, dyed her once-white uniform red. She curled in on herself, clutching her sides in agony. The pain seared through her body, causing every nerve and muscle to spasm. Lisa thrashed about like a beached fish, finally curling in on herself. Her blue eyes filmed over, and one last crimson tear trickled down her cheek.
"She's gone," Dr. Kaufmann's voice said, seeming to come from a distance. She felt his cool fingers close her lids.
//No...I'm still alive...//
A gentle voice said, "Lisa...wake up."
Lisa opened her eyes and blinked hard. She sat up and waved her hands in front of her face.
//They're clean...and nothing hurts anymore...//
A strange movie seemed to be playing out in front of her. She saw her ravaged body lying on the ground, and Dahlia and Dr. Kaufmann crouched over it. "Leave me alone!" she shouted, but they didn't seem to hear her. The lips of the corpse did not move.
"Lisa?"
Lisa turned her head and saw a beautiful black-haired woman, bathed in radiant white light, standing behind her. "It's over, Lisa," the woman said, reaching out her hand and helping Lisa to her feet. "They can't hurt either one of us anymore."
"A-Alessa?" Lisa whispered hoarsely.
The woman smiled, but didn't answer. "I liked your poem," she said, tucking a sprig of violets behind Lisa's ear. They watched silently as Dr. Kaufmann and Dahlia heaved Lisa's body into the trunk of a car.
"They'll pay for what they've done," the woman said, clasping Lisa's hand in hers.
Lisa took the violets from behind her ear and breathed in their sweet fragrance. "Promise?"
"I promise," the woman said. "The you that isn't you and the me that isn't me will punish them all."
"I don't understand," Lisa said.
"You don't have to," Alessa replied, pressing her cool lips to Lisa's cheek. "I will take care of everything from now on."
Lisa threw her arms around Alessa. "I was so scared!" she cried, burying her face in Alessa's shoulder. "And I'm so tired."
"You've earned your peace...you may sleep now. I'll bring you back when it's time."
Lisa closed her eyes and let the darkness embrace her.
//It feels...like flying...//
THE END