Blissfully Unaware
Alice was sitting in the middle of a paking lot, cross legged, with her letter in her lap. She didn't much care about what the other her did at night, so long as she got those beautiful bunches of cotton candy she saw in her memories. She was more than content, especially now that she knew Jonathan was here somewhere. She knew because the other
( Read more... )
Then there had been that hideous little note from the Ringmaster. That had got him going. He didn't know who the Ringmaster was or what he thought he was doing, but Crane already knew he didn't like him. To say that he had been 'recruited' into a circus was bad enough. But to inform him that he was to be 'Master of the Haunted House'?
That was just insulting.
So insulting that it still occupied Crane's mind. Actually, it was almost done occupying Crane's mind, because he was about to dismiss it as annoying and just not worth anymore of his time or thought.
However, the remaining time that it spent occupying his mind was enough for him to not notice Alice as he began to cross the parking lot.
Reply
"Jonathan. How nice of you to come."
There was space for him to move around within the circle of flames, but to get out of it, he'd have to jump through the fire. Not pleasant.
"Isn't it beautiful here? I missed you so much."
Reply
He knew that he had- or rather, the Scarecrow had- been talking to Alice's counterpart, Liliana, at night. Thank everything, talking was all they'd been doing. It wasn't ideal, but it was better than any of the alternatives- besides the alternative, of course, of Scarecrow using Liliana as one of his experiments.
Still. He had hoped to avoid Alice for a little longer than just two weeks.
Reply
There, of course, weren't maggots at Crane's feet, but that is what Alice saw at the moment. She stood slowly and approached the trapped doctor. The memories of the other her and the scarecrow were of no interest to her, she only cared about the here and now.
"The shadows won't be here for ten more hours. We have lots of time to play."
Reply
He paused.
"Let me go. Now."
Reply
She stuck her hand into the fire and let the flames lick at her skin. It was nice and warm. She stepped through the fire to join Crane in the circle.
"The other me is the one that is busy. The other you is the one that is busy. We are free to do whatever we want."
Reply
As she stepped in, Crane stepped back in a futile attempt to distance himself from her. He almost immediately stepped forward again, though, cursing as a small flame caught onto the leg of his pants. He slapped at it with his hand until it went out.
"We're not doing anything together."
Reply
She had effectively ignored most of Crane's questions thus far. She wasn't going to take no for an answer.
"Be careful, Jonathan. It's hot."
Reply
"I don't know what you're trying to accomplish, here, but it is absolutely not going to work. Whatever sick fantasy you have brewing in your mind, forget it, because it's not going to happen. Not now, not ever."
Reply
She smiled sweetly as the flames grew higher. She was getting much better at controlling the fire... too bad she was still batshit-crazy.
"We have to stay together."
Reply
He stopped, sighing heavily and shaking his head. This wasn't getting him anywhere. It wasn't going to get him anywhere.
Reply
As Alice's face fell, the flames grew even higher. She regarded Crane coldy for a moment, her left eye twitching, before stepping backwards out of the circle.
Alice was not happy.
She kept the fire going, despite her breathing becoming a bit shallow from the effort, and climbed on top of a blue car that was parked nearby. She resumed her cross-legged position on teh roof of the car and watched Crane with a neutral expression. Sweat beaded on her brow but she kept the fire bruning at a height of about five feet.
Hopefully, someone would come by to help before poor Jonathan Crane ran out of oxygen. The only other alternative would be a slow-roasted doctor.
Reply
Reply
Her explaination was nothing short of cryptic, yet she expected this familiar face to know exactly what she meant. Her mind was open, he should be able to look right in.
Despite her focus, Alice was starting to lose control of the flames. Her heart rate rivaled that of a humingbird's and she was starting to droop, slumping forward slightly and perspiring more noticeably like she had a fever. Every so often there would be a hole in the ring of fire that lasted for about three seconds. The flames had shrunk considerably back to their former height of about three feet.
Alice had become white as a sheet and looked to be on the verge of passing out but still she fought against the fatigue, determined to roast her beloved Jonathan. She would watch him burn and carry the memory of him with her everywhere she went. At least the memory would love her.
Reply
Patrick didn't bother trying to clear up what the girl had meant and stepped closer to the car. A few confused glances were spared at the man in the fire but the flames seemed to be fading with the girl's health. Since the fire was losing its momentum, he focused more so on her than the man.
"Maybe you should come down from there," he said and tapped the hood of the car, trying to bring her back into the here and now before she could pass out completely. It didn't seem to work. "Hey. Girlie!"
Though he didn't want to grab her, he took hold of her arm in an attempt to steady her or at least keep her from falling off the other side of the car.
Reply
The thought was enough to mildly disturb even him.
"Don't bother talking to her. Trust me. It's easier to just wait until she turns blue and faints. Ideally, she'll then fall off of that car directly onto her head and never wake up again."
Reply
Leave a comment