Chapter 20: Signs of Insanity

The cell Luther had deemed hers appeared to be the most rundown of all of them. Alice was pissed to learn that Claire's was right next to his all the way on the other side of the floor. Oh hell no, that is not happening, the brunette thought. She would get settled then…then something was going down.

She removed all of her guns except one Smith and Wesson, but then started thinking about all the things Luther and Claire could be doing right now…

Torchlight illuminated Claire's cell; her elegant hands were covered in clay as she sat at the potter's wheel and molded a cylinder. She forced it ever higher when Luther came up behind her with the stealth of a ghost. He rested his hands gently onto hers. The wet clay coated his extremities and Claire turned to face him as "Unchained Melody" played in the background, when suddenly he leaned in and…

The brunette picked back up her other revolver.

A large ship sailed across the water, it was the Arcadia. The black man was standing on its bow, brooding as Claire walked over to him. The two shared a tentative smile and he spoke to her. "Give me your hand and close your eyes," the redhead obliged. He walked her to railing of the ship and stopped behind her. "Now, step up." Claire stood on the first rung and Luther's bulk surrounded her, keeping her from falling. The ocean breeze tossed Claire's red hair like it displaced the cresting waves beneath them, and the black man pulled her arms out with his. "Open your eyes." Luther let go of the woman's arms and placed his snuggly around her waist.

Claire did as Luther said and her face lit up with intense bliss, "I'm flying! Luther…"

Alice made sure both of her sawed off shotguns were loaded, and placed them back into their holsters.

Luther and Claire were talking over a cash-register, both dressed as department store cashiers; the redhead was caught up in Luther's adventurous tale. "They offered me a chance to lead them, to teach them, to be king-" suddenly the black man's retelling was interrupted by an infected woman with long, white hair. The fiend was preparing to attack Claire, but Luther broke into a glass case behind him and pulled out a rifle. As he loaded the gun, the undead picked up the heavy cash-register intent on crushing the redhead beneath it. Claire screamed right before Luther shot the heavy machine out of the monster's hands and said, "Lady, I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave the store."

"Who the hell are you?" The grotesque woman questioned him.

"Name's Luther, Housewares," he responded and then blasted her into oblivion.

Claire rushed into Luther's protective embrace, obviously shaken, and the man thought to himself, sure, I could've stayed in the past, could've even been king. But in my own way – I am king.

Luther spun the redhead around and leaned her over into a dip; Claire fit perfectly in his arms and as he moved in to kiss her, he said with suave, "Hail to the king, baby."

Lastly, Alice checked the blade on her short sword while entertaining all the ways she could 'take care of' Luther. When she was satisfied that the edge was sharp enough to split hairs, in a fluid motion and with practiced hand, she spun the sword once and sheathed it.

I wouldn't really – actually…would I? The brunette asked herself.

"Nah," she said out-loud. Luther was a lot of things, 'annoying' and 'inconvenient' seemed to top her list, but she couldn't just kill him for that.

Suddenly, Claire appeared behind her and said, "You know, talking to yourself is the first sign you've gone crazy."

Alice flipped around to see the redhead leaning at the entrance of her cell. An affectionate smile adorned the younger woman's lips. Alice wanted to smile too, but she held back.

"What's the second? Risking both our lives so I can play hero?" The taller woman spoke without being condescending; only self-degrading, worried that the redhead was still upset with her.

"Alice, I-"

The brunette heard Claire's regretful tone and cut her off. "No – I'm sorry. You were right; this world is dangerous enough without me having to go and look for it. I saw them and I just blocked everything else out. I forgot about you – forgot that…I wouldn't have survived that crash."

"Compassion isn't a bad thing."

"It is when it puts your life on the line."

Claire rose from her perch and walked over to the taller woman.

She spoke honestly, "Your life matters too." She looked for confirmation in her companion's eyes. Alice didn't want to give it, but how could she disagree with such a beautiful face? She would forever be at Claire's mercy, and so the brunette nodded and gave her the affirmation she craved.

Alice thought back to their landing and hated to acknowledge it, but needed to. "If it wasn't for Luther", she swallowed tersely, "we'd both be dead right now."

Claire didn't dwell on Alice's apology, it wasn't necessary; the brunette had suffered more than enough. "Ugh, don't even get me started on him. The man is an idiot, all brawn and no brains."

Although Alice was more than pleased to hear it, she thought it odd to find Chris's exact words fall from the redhead's mouth, but she didn't comment on it.

"What happened to," Alice grabbed Claire's shoulder dramatically and fawned like a love-struck teenager, "Luther West! Star point guard for the L.A. Lakers!"

"He's good at playing ball, I got to admit," the redhead shrugged and said with amusement; then changed the subject. "So, any reason you disarmed yourself; then put everything back on? I mean twirling the sword was a nice a touch, but…"

"Ah well," the brunette's cheeks flushed at being watched; then she cleared her throat. "I was going to collect something of mine… that I thought I might have lost… and that I thought might've fallen into the wrong hands."

"And that would be?" Claire raised an eyebrow to accent her question.

"You."

Claire smiled at the brunette's seriousness; it was horribly sweet, even if a little misguided. She took Alice's hands in her own and kissed each one softly, then proceeded to place both of them on her waist.

The brunette could see like a prophet exactly where this was going, and she was now very happy with the location of her cell. They undressed and moved as one. With every piece of fabric that was removed, Claire showed Alice exactly what she hadn't lost, and even though they put out the torches illuminating the room, there was no extinguishing the passionate flames that consumed them both.

When their lovemaking concluded an hour later, the taller woman moved her fingertips back and forth like an ocean current against Claire's bicep as they both drifted into oblivion on the firm prison mattress. It was simple moments like these that made the whole world fade away; where Alice knew she was either completely sane, or completely crazy.