ALiCE in WoNDeRLaND
-33-
I looked at the people situated around me in Adèle's vast chamber, and suddenly wanted to cry... and kill something, all at the same time.
"ALiCE?" Miyka'el asked once more.
"I don't want to talk about it," I told him, turning and heading for the door.
"You did see something, then?" Zione asked, coming to stand in front of me.
"Maybe," I said, looking from him to the ground. How was I supposed to lie to these guys?
Adèle smirked.
'I could lie to her,' I thought. 'Ungrateful, little...'
"I told you," she said.
I leaned my head back and rolled my eyes at her. "You had a vision that I had a vision? Wow. You're good."
"Guys," Zale began.
I stared at him. "Yeah."
"Why are you so angry all of a sudden?" Zione asked me, trying to keep the mood light.
"Why don't you ask the psychic one?" I replied.
"I don't like what you're hiding, ALiCE," Adèle growled.
"You're hiding something?" Zione asked.
"I'm not hiding anything – I have amnesia, remember?" I lied.
"How much have you remembered?" Adèle asked.
I turned and glared up her pyramid. "That's really none of your freaking business."
"That's not making you look any saner," she pointed out.
"You lied," I reminded her. "You told them you saw something."
Miyka'el's head spun ninety full degrees to look at me. "What?"
"You told Fiore you a vision. He stopped by to see you before he took off, didn't he?"
"You're making this up," Adèle swore.
"Does it matter, as long as I'm right?" I looked around the room. "Where's your little lap dog?"
Adèle stared in disgust.
"I mean, if you dump your long-term boyfriend for the guy, the least he can do is stick around, right?" I smirked this time. "So where's your little Angelos?"
"That's none of your..."
"You don't know where he is."
"Stop it!" Adèle shouted.
"I'm right, aren't I?" I yelled back.
It was like there was no one else there but me and Adèle, but at the same time, I knew they were watching, and I was performing, acting my ass off, trying to convince them that Adèle was the enemy... not me.
"Guys," Zale repeated. "Please."
I swung my head to the side to look at him. "What?"
"ALiCE..." Miyka'el began.
"What? Did she tell you she was dying or something? Is that why her visions stopped?"
No reply.
I groaned. "You're kidding me. Dying? You think she's dying?"
"ALiCE," Miyka'el tried once more.
"Will you stop trying to talk to me for a minute here? I'm thinking!"
I looked around the room. "We need to talk," Zale announced.
I looked at Adèle. "What did you tell them?"
"You're blocking something," she replied.
"That's my amnesia doing the blocking, genius."
Adèle shook her head. "No."
"Oh, so you're suddenly the authority on my memory?"
The guys had surrounded me.
"Okay," I began, gesturing widely with my hands. "Personal space violation here. Three feet, minimum."
They came closer.
"Guys, come on. It's me." I was beginning to get a little scared, I had to admit. "You can't... You need me. Adèle's visions are gone."
They paused a moment, hesitating.
"I'm the only one who can see what's going to happen," I whispered.
"And it's driving you mad," Adèle explained.
And they closed in on me.
* * *
-33-
I looked at the people situated around me in Adèle's vast chamber, and suddenly wanted to cry... and kill something, all at the same time.
"ALiCE?" Miyka'el asked once more.
"I don't want to talk about it," I told him, turning and heading for the door.
"You did see something, then?" Zione asked, coming to stand in front of me.
"Maybe," I said, looking from him to the ground. How was I supposed to lie to these guys?
Adèle smirked.
'I could lie to her,' I thought. 'Ungrateful, little...'
"I told you," she said.
I leaned my head back and rolled my eyes at her. "You had a vision that I had a vision? Wow. You're good."
"Guys," Zale began.
I stared at him. "Yeah."
"Why are you so angry all of a sudden?" Zione asked me, trying to keep the mood light.
"Why don't you ask the psychic one?" I replied.
"I don't like what you're hiding, ALiCE," Adèle growled.
"You're hiding something?" Zione asked.
"I'm not hiding anything – I have amnesia, remember?" I lied.
"How much have you remembered?" Adèle asked.
I turned and glared up her pyramid. "That's really none of your freaking business."
"That's not making you look any saner," she pointed out.
"You lied," I reminded her. "You told them you saw something."
Miyka'el's head spun ninety full degrees to look at me. "What?"
"You told Fiore you a vision. He stopped by to see you before he took off, didn't he?"
"You're making this up," Adèle swore.
"Does it matter, as long as I'm right?" I looked around the room. "Where's your little lap dog?"
Adèle stared in disgust.
"I mean, if you dump your long-term boyfriend for the guy, the least he can do is stick around, right?" I smirked this time. "So where's your little Angelos?"
"That's none of your..."
"You don't know where he is."
"Stop it!" Adèle shouted.
"I'm right, aren't I?" I yelled back.
It was like there was no one else there but me and Adèle, but at the same time, I knew they were watching, and I was performing, acting my ass off, trying to convince them that Adèle was the enemy... not me.
"Guys," Zale repeated. "Please."
I swung my head to the side to look at him. "What?"
"ALiCE..." Miyka'el began.
"What? Did she tell you she was dying or something? Is that why her visions stopped?"
No reply.
I groaned. "You're kidding me. Dying? You think she's dying?"
"ALiCE," Miyka'el tried once more.
"Will you stop trying to talk to me for a minute here? I'm thinking!"
I looked around the room. "We need to talk," Zale announced.
I looked at Adèle. "What did you tell them?"
"You're blocking something," she replied.
"That's my amnesia doing the blocking, genius."
Adèle shook her head. "No."
"Oh, so you're suddenly the authority on my memory?"
The guys had surrounded me.
"Okay," I began, gesturing widely with my hands. "Personal space violation here. Three feet, minimum."
They came closer.
"Guys, come on. It's me." I was beginning to get a little scared, I had to admit. "You can't... You need me. Adèle's visions are gone."
They paused a moment, hesitating.
"I'm the only one who can see what's going to happen," I whispered.
"And it's driving you mad," Adèle explained.
And they closed in on me.
* * *