ALICE: BLOODY WONDERLAND
CHAPTER SEVEN: What the Dormouse Said
I slept where I was, not daring to travel out, alone, in the night. My dreams were at times lurid, sometimes vivid, depictions of fields full of bright orange blooms. A sickly sweet scent, tangible here as in real life, drifted through the air. Suddenly, the grass dropped from beneath me. I didn't know how long I fell. The waking world flitted behind my eyes; yet still I fell down. And down and down and down.
The new ground caught me in shadowy tendrils, lowering me back to a dreamscape's floor. I was in my old room again. There were still no lights. However, the candle had tipped and its flame had spread amongst to floral curtains. It didn't dare go any further than there, and didn't show any signs of disobeying its invisible master.
"Alice." A voice vibrated, crooning in my ears. I gasped in surprise and turned around, looking for the source of the sound. Nobody was there.
"Where are you?!" I screamed, "Who are you?!" My voice was wisped off into the air as echoes; faded and grey.
"I'm out here. I'm Charisma, Alice, your friend!" She hissed. Her voice seemed to be coming from everywhere. It rang in my head, filled me to breaking. The room started to bend in alarming ways, distorting space. I let out a ghastly scream, one that didn't sound like it belonged to me. The room picked it up as well, echoing it back forever.
"No, here! Look, Alice, look over here! Heeheehee! Looky!" The voice came from different places now, making me feel…insane.
Suddenly, a hand grabbed my wrist.
"STOP IIIITT!" I shrieked, sitting up. At least, for that moment, I felt I was. It was just the island, the waves crashing against the shore. The littlun was gone…but something was still tightly wrapped around my wrist. I tugged it away. A hand appeared in a flash and pulled me across the rock by my ankle. It cracked, a side effect of my fall from yesterday. However, I managed to keep my mouth shut. At least until I saw my grabber's face. Why was it that, so far, every nightmare had been pregnant with another one?! Was the waking world that much worse?! It couldn't be! Just this one person…
"Shhhh." Jack smiled, nose to nose with me now. I shrieked and tried kicking him away. In turn, he clamped his hand over my mouth and restrained me with ease; I'd definitely grown weaker since we first dropped in, from lack of food and sleep alike. Terror and panic froze me in place, coursing through me like white water. Hopefully someone had heard me scream! The camp was right there! Someone had to have heard me!
"Stop squirming!" he accused, "You didn't act like this earlier, Alice." He fixed me with an ice blue gaze, just as terrifying as his voice. I started to hyperventilate. This wasn't happening, this wasn't happening, this wasn't happening! I couldn't stop shaking, I couldn't breathe properly. This had to be another nightmare; just a nightmare and nothing more. But, no, as I felt his hands sliding off my dress straps I knew it was real. It felt too scary to be fake.
I tried screaming against his hand, but nothing came through. He grinned at me.
"You know, being on this island isn't so bad." He laughed, "being around Roger so much, you should be used to this sort of thing by now, right, Alice?"
I gasped as his dead weight fell on me, right after the sound of an impact. When I finally calmed down enough to realize that Jack had passed out, I pushed him off of me and struggled to my feet, still trembling with anxiety and cold. I readjusted my dress. When I looked up finally, I saw Simon, a large piece of driftwood gripped between his fingers.
"Alice, are you okay?" He asked worriedly, "I was just coming back from a…a walk, when I saw…this."
"I-I-I'm fine," I stuttered, moving away from Jack's still form. He was still breathing, so thankfully he wasn't dead. I don't think I'd ever be able to live with myself if someone died because of me. "I just…I shouldn't sleep anymore. I don't…don't know what to do…"
"Walk with me for a while, alright?" Simon offered, moving some hair out of his face. Since we got to the island, he'd burned awfully bad. His skin was peeling like crazy. "It's better than staying out here alone, and I promise I won't hurt you." He held out his hand. I hesitated a moment, evaluating my options. It not like I had anything better to do…I took his hand gratefully and he pulled me along, paying mind to my still-injured gait.
The forest at night was a scary place, riddled with insect noises and creature noises I had never even heard before. Things rustled in the undergrowth, sending me jumping. I was still reeling, trying to cope with the fact that Jack Merridew was out for my virginity. The term caught me off guard. Ew.
Simon, meanwhile, didn't seem the least bit bothered by my jumpiness. He just continued on, reassuring me when needed, coaxing me forth. I thought it awfully suspicious at first, but then realized he would never do something like that. He was…different than the rest. I wish I'd had a brother like him, to keep me safe instead of…my sibling and I didn't get along.
He led me to a meadow.
A small clearing opened up, filled with beautiful flowers of all colors and little sleepy insects of many hues. Yes, even orange ones, just like from my dream before. My mouth dropped open in awe. I forgot quickly about my fears. It was gorgeous here, absolutely lovely.
"How's it look?" Simon asked, sitting down in the middle. A shaft of moon light filtered in through the leaves above, sparkling him with silver. I smiled and sat down also.
"It's good." I answered. He turned his head to the side.
"You know," He started, "I just realized something."
"Hm?"
"You hang out sometimes around us, Alice. And we're even trying to protect you…" Simon puzzled himself over something for a minute before continuing, "But, we don't really know a lot about each other."
"So, what do you want to know?" I offered. I didn't mind talking to Simon. He was like the kind older brother I never had, someone I could trust.
"What was your family like, Alice?" He asked, "You said you had to move away from your mum and da. Why?"
I thought for a moment. That was a question I really didn't like to answer. But, I suppose I could make an exception this time around. After all, holding secrets wasn't going to help my case at all.
"I…I had a sister." I began uneasily, glancing at the surrounding foliage for a moment, "She was…unstable around me. She was jealous, I guess. At least, that's what my aunt said. Jealous because I was more beautiful than she was…"
Simon laughed lightly. "What was so bad about her that you had to move away?"
"She tried to murder me."
"…"
"What was her name?" He quietly questioned. I smiled weakly.
"It doesn't really matter. That's not mine to give away." I breathily replied. "So, what's your family like, Simon?"
"My father died in the war a long time ago…and my mother is fighting cancer." He admitted, "But she was in remission when I first left on the plane, so I've got my hopes up. She escaped London on one of the first transports with my little sister. She's only five."
"I wish I was her." I wistfully sighed, "She's pretty lucky to have you as a brother."
"Not really." Simon chuckled, "But, I tell you what, if it means anything to you, I can be your brother while we're on this island. Or, at least act like I am. You know, keep those rascally punks away!" He jabbed at the air with his fists and almost fell backwards. I laughed and he laughed with me.
"I'd really like that." I responded truthfully. I needed someone like him to talk to…I might explode if I didn't have that connection.
As the sun started to rise on the horizon, and the fire on the mountain faded in with similar hues, Simon and I headed back to the camp. I was worried that Jack might recognize him…but he had insisted that Jack hadn't seen him, so I was set at ease for the moment. We emerged back onto the sand, and a crowd that had developed around the beach turned our way.
"Alice!" Maurice broke away, "We were all so worried!" He pulled me into a hug, which I duly resisted. When he let go, I saw Simon give me a strange look before bounding off once again. "Guess what, Alice." Maurice joked coolly, "I was so tired this morning that I fell out of the fruit trees! Look," He revealed a bruise on his elbow and laughed, "Now we both have bruises!"
"Yeah, I guess we do." I said curiously.
As the group dissipated, most to do the regular chores like collecting water and hunting, I was left to my own devices. Simon had fire guard, Maurice and Roger were out with Jack hunting, Ralph was doing whatever Ralphs did. I had nothing better to do than sit on the beach and stare at my own feet, keeping busy the countless littluns that ran about. One, the littlest that had been crying the night before, sat on my lap and laced little necklaces out of grass and shells. I tried my best to soak up the weak rays of the sun; clouds hovered precariously above head, putting into check the warmth we usually had. I shivered.
Something was coming.
…
HEYEA.
Finished it. Finally. Now off too download the instrumental version of The Only Exception by Paramore for a project I'm doing in Bible Class.
CURSE YOU STUPID PROJECT! ARGH!
Anyway, REVIEW RESPONSE TIME!
COCOLADA~~
Agh! Get rid of your writer blocks! THOSE SUCK ASDGIHRWIHAET!
And Christmas break is coming soon! I completely forgot…uhh…yeah. That's not saying much considering that I'm a person who legitly thought CHESNUTS were roasted over a fire with STICKS. Dafuq man. I always thought that was right! Y?!
And yes, I will try to update soon. :D
Alice/Roger? I PREPARED FOR THIS VERY MOMENT! I ALWAYS ASSUMED THAT YOU WOULD ASSUME THAT I PAIR EVERY SINGLE OC WITH HIM. HE IS AWESOME, HOWEVER THIS FIC MIGHT NOT GO THAT WAY. I'M NOT GIVING AWAY ANY INFO YET.
That's top secret…XD
Oh, and yes. Maurice may be acting slightly different than usual because HE'S IN LUVS. Or at least the thinks so XD
ANYWAY, THX FOR READING! PLEASE REVIEW!