Peter

She's a very curious girl, in every sense of the word. She's unlike any other girl I can recall meeting before. Aurora's nice and mysterious and all, but she made it clear early on that she's not interested in conversation or any of the hijinks me and the guys get into. Alice, however, is more boisterous and adventurous. She has questions about everything; there isn't a topic that doesn't intrigue her, as far as I can tell. She doesn't seem deranged at all. Just exuberant.

I can't say she's taken as much notice of me as I have of her. I think I rub her the wrong way. I can't help it! I'm used to behaving any way I want and getting away with it. There have only been a few times when I couldn't avoid the scorn of the doctors or a painful visit to Hornsby's office. Usually the guys and Aurora will put up with whatever I have to say or whatever pranks I have in mind. Alice, however, seems vexed by my mere presence.

So, of course, I go to great lengths to bother her when I can.

She hasn't been herself lately. Something's happened to make her complacent and downcast. Because of this, I initially thought it would be for the best to treat her gently. But I also knew that it would be a considerable effort on my part because, as I said earlier, I just can't help being a pest.

I was sitting at lunch with the usual group when I spotted her grabbing her own lunch. She hadn't been eating with us recently, feeling antisocial in her melancholic state. She ate with the tutor, Belle, for a few days. But Belle's in a meeting with Ms. Porter now, so Alice went to sit by herself. She looked so tired and sad, I couldn't help feeling pity for her. I bet if I had made that clear, she would have resented me for it.

I excused myself from my friends and went to sit next to her. At first, she ignored my presence. Either that, or she didn't care at all that I was there. She seemed unmotivated to greet me with the usual quip or witty insult. I waited politely for a moment for her to speak or at least look at me. She made no move to do either, so I leaned in closer to her and stared intensely at the side of her face. This trick has always helped me get attention when I want it. I felt a small victory when she rolled her eyes in irritation, but she still wouldn't turn to me. She held out for another moment, but soon found she couldn't ignore me any more. She sighed and turned to me with an expression full of annoyance.

"What is it you want?" She demanded.

"I'm just wondering why you're sitting all by yourself." I replied with as much innocence as I could muster.

"Obviously it's because I want to be alone." She responded with a heated glare.

"It's not good to isolate yourself in this place." I said sincerely after a moment. "If you insist on facing your demons alone, no one else will know when you need saving."

"Oh, so you want to help me?" She asked with a bitter edge in her tone.

I have to admit, this was not the direction I was expecting this conversation to take. I still don't know why I was so honest with her right then, or why I was making the effort to help her. I hadn't cared that much about anyone before. I usually left other patients to their own devices, gave them their privacy so they could handle their troubles in their own way. And they'd always granted me the same courtesy. I've always kept up appearances, let everyone think that I'm a simple boy who means no harm aside from the occasional practical joke. But, for some reason, I don't want Alice to think I'm an idiot. And I do want her to see me as an asset rather than a burden. I want her to know I can be helpful...

Perhaps I don't want her to feel alone, as I have.

But I also can't allow my carefully constructed mask to slip.

I leaned back in my chair and placed one foot up on the table. "I think you'll find me very useful... If you decide to trust me."

Alice scoffed. "Unless you can-" She cut herself off and shook her head. "No, that's silly..."

I was immediately intrigued. She didn't want to give it away, but she had a mischievous idea brewing in her blond head.

"I think you underestimate me. I can do many things, if I put my mind to it." I told her in a hush, not wanting one of the security guards to overhear.

Alice looked at me doubtfully for a moment, then glanced around to make sure no one was nearby. She leaned closer to me and hesitantly began to whisper, "Well... I've been wondering about the, um... The patients...upstairs."

My eyebrows popped up as I nodded in understanding. "Ah... The real crazies. The dangerous patients."

She nodded. "Yes. I... I would like to see them. Maybe even talk to them, if it's possible."

"Why would you possibly want to do that?"

She shrugged. "Curiosity."

I frowned at her for a moment, studying her expression for any hint of dishonesty or mania. There was none. She gazed back at me with the virtue of a child.

Alice still hasn't ceased to surprise me.

"If you can take me to see them, then I suppose I can trust you with anything. Hm?" She crossed her arms now, seeming pleased with herself. "That's the deal. Take it or leave it."

"If we get caught..."

"The punishment will be terrible, I assume."

"You're asking me to risk a lot here." Despite my infamy among the patients, I've always been able to keep a low profile around the staff. One mistake here and everything could be ruined...

I wasn't just going to risk my neck for nothing. Alice was going to have to give me something in return.

I leaned forward again to ensure that only she could hear me. "I heard that you finally found out what this place really is."

Her face fell immediately and she tried to withdraw from me. I instinctively reached out and gently grabbed her hand. She stared down at our entwined hands while I continued.

"The doctors told us that now that you know the truth, we can speak freely about why we're all here. That it might help you cope, knowing there are folks with similar...conditions that you can talk to."

"I do not have a condition." She hissed.

"We all know how it feels, you know. We've all felt the same way a hundred times over."

"Felt what? "

"Being abandoned in this place. We've all been thrown away by the people who were supposed to love us."

"I haven't been thrown away!" She snapped, pulling her hand out of mine. "My sister will realize her mistake and she will come for me. You'll see. Come visiting day, she'll see how normal I am compared to you lot and she'll take me away from this hell hole!"

Seeing the looks she was getting from the others, Alice settled down and sank back in her seat, seething. I watched her for a moment, stunned. And, a little sad for her. It was early on enough in her time here that she still lived with the delusion that she would soon be rescued. I kind of admire that fiery hope in her. I myself haven't felt that way in a long time. I've been in this place for years; since I was just a child. And I have no memory of my life prior to coming here. This asylum is all I have ever known of life. I've seen nothing of the world past what can be surveyed from the fence. I've never had a real family... Not one that I could remember. But whoever I may have belonged to before dumped me in this place and never came back. I suppose once I'm eighteen they'll just release me, as long as I don't prove to be dangerous. But what am I supposed to do then?

In the meantime, I suppose I can keep an eye out for another lost soul.

"You and I both have to trust each other if this plan is going to work." I whispered to her.

Alice turned to me warily.

"Why don't we start by telling each other why we're here?" I added. "You go first."

Alice bit her lip for a moment, seeming to be fighting a battle in her own head. It was if having to admit the words aloud was so repulsive it physically pained her. Eventually she rolled her eyes and said, "They believe that I'm suffering from delusions of grandeur. That I live in some fairytale land and it could turn me into a dangerous schizophrenic." She hung her head in shame.

I stared at her for a moment in wonder. "Huh."

She looked up at me. "What?"

"It seems you and I really are kindred spirits." I told her. "Apparently, I'm sick with the same thing."

? ? ?

Mortals are the most peculiar beings I think I've ever encountered. And I have created many monsters in my time, which has far surpassed the time of man. I have given life to creatures beyond the human imagination. And yet the behaviors of these simple beings never ceases to intrigue me. There are times when their actions are quite aggravating, though. Like the actions of Jane Porter on this night. Like sitting up in her office in her home and scribbling away on parchment. I am naturally curious about anything a human chooses to do in the dark, when they think they're alone.

She's writing in earnest and I can't help but hover behind her and peek over her shoulder at her tidy scrawling. In my head I say the words as she's writing them:

Daddy-

I cannot possibly keep up this charade with Alice. If we don't act now, I fear what may become of the poor girl. I think it's time to put the issues with Ms. Hornsby to rest once and for all. This simply cannot go on. Please say you'll help. It would be terribly difficult to get this done without you.

If I don't hear from you by the end of the day tomorrow, I'll assume I'm on my own. And I won't blame you for your reticence.

With love,

Jane.

Ah... So this is what it's come to. I admire the woman's pluck, but I must say these efforts are misguided. I cannot stop her directly, but "Helena" will surely be interested in this conspiracy.

I wait patiently and follow Ms. Porter like a spectre to the post depot. There are no other coaches out at this time of night, but she had one on call beforehand. It is easy enough to track her through the foggy streets. She turns the carefully sealed envelope over to an official and heads home in the same coach, but I remain and follow the man to the mailing room. He tiredly sets the letter in an outgoing post box and leaves, blowing out every candle and locking the place up. He was obviously only here this late because he was waiting for Ms. Porter.

I can't help the thrill that surges through me as I pluck up the pristine envelope with the intricate seal and look it over. I take such pride in my work, you should know. Underneath the neatly written address, I trace one long fingernail over the blank paper and words begin to flow onto the envelope as if ink were running from my fingertip. With my message in place, I evaporate from the depot with the letter in tow.

I materialize in Helena's office at the asylum and set the letter on her desk. It appears harmless enough, and I trust that she will be the only one who sees it. Of course, I'll check in to make sure later on. But for now, I can return home.

It is hours later that the sun rises again and I can watch Helena enter her office. She's having a conversation with a few of her brutish security guards, who follow her in. She walks behind her desk as they continue to talk, seeming adamant to start the day's business. She spots the envelope on her desk and immediately picks it up, reading the address with furrowed brows. It seems now that the guards' words are falling on deaf ears as Helena runs one perfect black fingernail over the message I left:

You are running out of time. Handle this.

Helena lifts her letter opener from the desk and slices the envelope open, responding to a question from one guard that she only half-listened to as she opened the letter and quickly read it. After a moment, she folded the letter and put it back in the envelope, then turned to lock it in one of her desk drawers. She finished her talk with the guards with a polite but curt flourish and they left her to sit alone in her office. She sat behind the desk and leaned forward, folding her hands under her chin in deep thought.

I do not doubt that she will bring Jane's mischief to a hasty end. If there is a person to trust to do whatever it takes to achieve our ultimate goal, it's Helena. No matter how gruesome the task, she always pulls through.

I almost pity Ms. Porter for starting this fight. How could she possibly know what she was getting into?

Nonetheless, nothing and no one can stand in our way. I'm afraid Ms. Porter will have to go. However Helena manages it is none of my business, but at this point she can guess how I'd prefer it be done. If it were up to me, the woman would be killed, quick and easy. But Helena is of a much more malicious sort than myself.

Poor little Jane.