Chapter 2:
Alice slowly blinks away the haziness in her eyes, the cloudy vision is disappearing. She examines the room she's in, the plain white room held no significance other that some medical tools against the wall and closets.
"W-where am I?" her voice cracking, a sore throat. A nurse comes in with chestnut hair in a bun, thick glasses and big blue eyes. She adjusts her white dress and the gold watch on her wrist.
"Hey, I am your nurse, Trina. I'll be watching you till you get out safely. You're in the hospital, it was a very fortunate favor that your friend took you to us. Everybody is in the waiting room, do you need anything to drink. Water perhaps?" she asks smiling warmly.
Alice nods slowly while peering down at her heavily bandaged arm. "W-w-water" her voice croaks.
"Okay, hold on sweety"she left the room to retrieve water.
Alice cringes as she thinks about her mommy will be mad that she gets hurt and have here. Her mother loves money and she will do anything to get it.
The nurse comes in with a tray that holds a pitcher, cup, and some snacks that will settle the little child's stomach. The nurse Maria pours the water in the cup and smiles at the child. "Here you go sweety"
Alice froze in shock, unable to comprehend the true smile of the nurse, her mother never smiled at her like that. It frightened her yet it made her want more happiness. "T-Thank you"
She continues to smile. "You're welcome. You've been out for a few days. The doctors had to remove the nasty wound from your arm"
"Do you want any visitors?" the sweet nurse asks the young child, her own motherly instinct coming out.
"Yes, p-please" Alice begs, her eyes turning the nurse to mush with the puppy dog eyes. The nurse leaves the room, leaving Alice briefly to her own silence.
She pokes her bandaged arm, wincing at the pain. The door opens welcoming Alice with welcomed faces and a single unwelcome face, that one was her mother.
"Alice are you better?"
Alice's eyes perk up to hear her best friend's question. She smiled at her Citrine, before a frown cross her face at the unfamiliar three faces. The three boys all had unusual hair, one is bright red, white and black. Well the ginger and dark hair wasn't that common, but it looked really bright and so unnatural, it was unnerving.
"Who are they?" she stares at Citrine. Her friend smiles, introducing them as her brothers, Rubedo, Albedo and Nigredo.
The one called Rubedo wanders over to Alice, staring at her arm silently. "How the hell did this happen?"
Alice grimaces, before replying in a low whisper. "I fell on glass at the playground" She looks out the window noticing the pouring rain.
"Oh, my baby. Are you okay?" Alice's blood went cold, her eyes rose in horror as her mother enters the room, her short skirt and low v-neck shirt demanding for attention. "I'm fine, mommy" she says lowly, hiding the fear.
Nigredo narrows his eyes slightly as he watches Alice and her mother. The older woman runs to her daughter and embraces her hardly. She whispers in the young girl's ear lowly. "You have your punishment after you get home. I told you that you can't have friends" ANother hard squeeze before letting go and standing up.
"Hello, I am Trishanna, dear Alice's mother. It's nice that she made friends" Alice tries to stop herself from shaking, hoping her mother or anybody will notice her uneasiness.
Her mother left later on with an urgent appointment made, for her hair.
"She was mean, I don't like her" Citrine states, ignoring the astonished looks from her brothers and her father's blank stare. She still wonders why he is standing here and taking his time here, he didn't have to go. Maybe there is something about Alice that he knows?
The nurse comes in apologetically telling everybody, "I'm sorry everyone, it's time for you all to go. Visiting hours are now over" Alice frowns at the news, her own stomach growl loudly gaining everybody attention.
"Oh, gosh. Sorry, miss Alice. I didn't know you're still hungry. I'll get you dinner!" She scuffles out of the room with everybody behind her. Citrine says one last thing before shutting the door, "I'll see you tomorrow!"
Alice waves with her good hand, feeling an empty spot in her little heart. The feeling foreign to her young mind and body. She wonders why she feels so sad about her friend's disappearance. "see you, I'll be here"