Through the looking glass...
I see him, standing there. His shark eyes, his flaming hair, his baggy eyes so full of care. He glowers back, and shakes his fist, "USE A CONCEALER, YOU NAFFING TWIT!"
Ok, so maybe that's not what really happened when I stumbled out of bed, and into the bathroom this morning, but it may as well have. Merciful heavens, I was so tired I was seeing things. I was combing my hair, and my reflection was brushing his teeth. When I quirked a brow at him he stopped, and with a mouth full of toothpaste slurred at me: "Wha?!" I shrugged, and just continued about my business, not really wanting to point out that he was doing it with the wrong hand.
I took a long, hot shower, trying to remember what I had done the previous evening. After shopping, I had seen Lara all the way home, being the clingy, overprotective boy friend I am, and then I went to...Damnit! I couldn't remember a think past 7pm...Shock and terror was running through me at that point, and it I wasn't such a priss about going out of the house without at least washing and styling my hair (social anxiety disorder or whatever it's called) I'd have probably jumped out and run stark naked to the phone to ring Lara. Sure, this probably seems like nothing much to most people, but I have an editctive memory. I don't just forget things on a whim. Heck, I know one kid who gets straight A's in class but can't remember what he did yesterday for the life of him, and that's just NOT ME. This was serious! But no, shower first, whimpering rant later.
But no, when I get out of the shower I see the light on my cell flashing, telling me I have a voicemail waiting, and lo and behold it's Lara, driven half mad with worry, asking me what the hell we did! (No doubt from the tone in her voice by 'we' she meant 'I' as in what had 'I' done to 'her'.) I calmly tried to explain that I hadn't done anything, and in fact was having the same problem. Well, no, how could I be having pain in the breasts, my chest was nigh on flat save for my slight pectorals- what?! Damn it Lara! This isn't the time for accusations about who bit who where (not that I'm admitting to anything) there is something seriously wrong! And I was just going to the closet to pick out my clothes for the day, when out from it strides (who else) the Bandersnatch.
"This isn't the best of times Bandersnatch!" I gripe at her, pointing at the phone next to my ear, and reaching around her for the red silk boxers that were hanging there, painstakingly judgling my phone and undies while trying to keep my towel from slipping away from its needed possition wrapped 'round my waist.
"I'm rather Frumious at the moment," She warned, tapping her small foot impatiently, "So I wouldn't exactly try to blow me off." She was wearing a dark, canvasy type green coat and khaki (what was it with all the khaki now a days?!) pants, in addition to her dark pointy snow boots.
"Oh suck my-"
"JAYSON!" Lara roared in my ear.
"Not you Lara hun, I'm talking to the Bandersnatch."
"Banderwhat?!"
"Snach, Bandersnatch- wow, that is a weird name isn't it?!" I quirked yet another brow, this time at Tina, and she merely shrugged in reply.
"Not my fault, blame Lewis."
"Right... Anyhow, Lara, if you want I'll be over in fifteen minutes or so and we can...oy..talk. I mean, really, sit down, heart to heart, meeting eyes; a real heart to heart. Ok babe? Ok. I love you too. Take care hun. Bye." I clicked the phone shut, and glowered at Tina.
I turned around, bending over to pull my socks on, and I heard her muttering "How doth the little Crocodile improve his shiny- and boy do I mean shiny!- taili!"
"Pours the water of the nile over every golden, or in this case red, scale." I answered, straightening and turning 'round to face her. "I see you've done some present day reading. Don't try to fool me, I know you're not just some crazed nutter trying to throw me off the path of him by taking after a would be fictional creature by Lewis Carroll. You were real once, and he knew that."
"Only once?" She asked me, a look of triumph in her eyes. "Can you be so sure about that?"
"Frumious as you were, no doubt they hunted you to extinction, and then some." I answered, slipping on an undershirt and chosing a dark satin one with a blue-and-silver striped tie to go with it. My fingers deftly buttoned it up, as I continued, "But then again, who's to say. My theory could be right, you could just be a side-effect of time being reversed, or you could really be that old, and just have been kicking around since forever."
"Or?" The Bandersnatch asked, as if hinting me to go further.
I paused at my collar for a moment, having just finished buttoning the cuffs, and pondered. "Well...I suppose you could be the epitime of a deranged fan, one who's so into the story she became a part of it." I shrugged. "I dunno, it's not for me to say really. Only you know that, and I truly hope you don't tell me. I really haven't got time." And with that I began playing with my tie. Damndable things ties, never stay the way you want them, and it takes them forever to get right to begin with. Unless of course you cheat, but those zippered ones are normally too tacky to wear.
"You do realize you're not wearing pants, yes?" The Bandersnatch asked.
"You do realize you've already seen me in less?" I retorted, seeming to recall a witty banter along these lines when first (or perhaps second, I lose track) we'd met. My how time flies when you're being driven out of your mind with fear and / or worry about what was yet to come. And right now I was truly preoccupied with the events (or lack of) from last night.
She sighed, and watched with vague interest as I pulled on a pair of midnight-blue blue jeans. They were rather tight, and prominently displayed some of my finer points, which is why I loved them so. I was just about to grab my jean jacket from off of a nearby chair when I happened to glance in a mirror and noticed the tie. "What the hell am I doing, going to a barmitzfa?"
"I was kind of thinking that myself..."
"Quiet you." I snapped at the Bandersnatch, feeling rather frumious myself as I slid off the piece of fine silk. And then it hit me, much like a brick to the head. My subconcious had given me a clue, and with the slipping of the fabric between my fingers came that same familiar dread.
"Oh no..."
"What?" Tina asked, a note of general concern in her voice, perhaps due to the auspicious terror ringing clear in mine.
"For the love of God not agai-ARGH!" I siezed hard, my back arching so violently I fell over backward, hitting my head on the chair as I went down. The last thing I remember seeing before my world shrunk away from sight was that of the Bandersnatch, diving like a ferocious beast, trying to snag be before it was too late. Damn, if only she'd been a bit quicker...
Blackness consumed me, but only for a moment. The glarring of two headlights flickering to life lit my world. I was standing, in the middle of a two-lane road in the falling winter snows. It reminded me of a lonely stretch somewhere between Sacandaga and Johnstown (or was that Johnstown and Canada Lake?), but in either case I was there. Two vehicles were faced in opposite directions. One was Yon Ill Eclipse, and the other the old Lincon Towncar which belonged to the two suites. What the hell were we doing here?...
"Stand aside." One of the two said. We'll call him Jeckle, seeming as how he's usually second out of the vehicle whenever I see him. (Heckle being the one behind the wheel.)
"No." I couldn't control my mouth, my jaw feeling locked against my will. "I won't let you awaken any others. He doesn't need your help speeding things up."
"Fool! Don't you realize who we are?!" Jeckle sure seemed antsy.
It was then I noticed Lara's presence beside me, her arm restling lightly upon the crook of my elbow, much needed emotional support for a daring thing like this. "No, but even if we did it wouldn't matter! We're young, and could therefore never yeild to the wishes of old people ike you!" I found myself nodding, though in truth I felt more like a man possessed. My visions were normally lucid, and this was anything but!
"We're trying to save your pathetic world, not end it! Now stand aside!"
"Why should we trust you!" I bellowed, far to loud for me when I'm myself. I must have been at least slightly intoxicated, and in truth my mouth felt it. "You've done nothing but act suspicious since you first started showing up."
"All will be explained tomorrow, at the agreed upon time at the agreed upon place." Heckle said, "But for the time being we have a job to do, so stand aside!"
"INVOKE!" I cried, removing what seemed a glass vial from its place tucked within my belt, and sending it smashing to the ground. Across it spread a thin-yet-potent wall of blue flames, extending from one great pine at the side to the other. Perhaps it was a bit of magick I had picked up somewhere along the lines, or something I had dredged up for the occation, but the fact remained that once they formed their line they grew to be some fifteen feet tall and overbearing.
"You won't get through this way tonight. You have no choice but to drive all the way back and around, or continue onward on foot." I said, gesturing for them to leave. "That or you can risk the powers." They grumbled, perhaps swearing a bit, but eventually got into their car, turned around, and drove away into the eeriee darkness of the night, naught but their tail lights marking their passing.
I came round, feeling more than one presence in the room. Two pairs of feet I saw as I lay there on the cold wooden floor, one by my head and the other down around near my midsection. Looking up I saw sadly that it was the Bandersnatch and Lara. It seemed that the Bandersnatch had successfully pulled off the whole "I was just a monster in his closet" excuse, or something alogn those lines, because Lara didn't look too angry when she saw me come round.
"Hey stranger," She said, "You ok?"
In responce, I retched violently and well beyond my control, at her feet, causing her to step back quickly.
"Apparently not!"
"I'll be fine..." I said weakly, and attempted to sit up. My head swam, and dizzy as a jay bird I fell back down, my head thumping loudly on the floor. "It just...takes me a while to get back to normal from those damndable visions." But this was worse than any of my visions before. Perhaps it was the added effect of the concusion from the blow I took to the head, but my hands were tembling, my vision was blurred, and I was having trouble breathing. My chest ached, and I wanted to moan, but I had long since resolved to never do so unless I was either in a state of pure bliss or leading up to a death wail.
"I have to admit Jay, this better not be some kind of sick joke. I get here, your tie's off (why you were wearing one at all is suspicious to me), your belt is only half on, and to make matters worse, you've got some cheap floozy-"
"HEY!"
"-here in your bedroom with you."
"I don't appreciate being called a floozy!" the Bandersnatch snarled. "Besides, I called you when he went down, figured you'd know what to do."
"Know Tanya Rockswell sweety?" Lara asked, her voice quite pretentious and somewhat lacking in the nice overtones that it usually held. Tina shook her head no. "If you ever do, ask her how her last chat with Lara went. I'm sure her nose will be back to normal by then and she can tell you without it paining her too much." At first I was appalled by such a remark, but then I realized what it was she was doing. She was securing her place as number one woman in my life, and fighting for it tooth and nail! No one had ever actively tried to do that before, they just wanted to use me for a willing sex toy and once their jollies had been had they left. But Lara, she actually acted like she wanted to be there for the long haul... I wanted to grab her and hold her and never let her go right then...but I couldn't get my dizzy ass up off the floor.
"I've fallen...and I can't get up!" the words flashed through my mind, haunting me as they did so.
Eventually I managed to crawl up and onto my bed, Lara sitting next to me and chattering about how upset she was with the bite mark she found-well, never mind about that I suppose. I suggested I make another one on the other one to match, but she nodded at the Bandersnatch and said something about taking a raincheck what with the curren situation and all, as she mopped my brow with a wet washcloth. I filled her in about what I had seen, and she only gave me a quizzical look.
"Jason...I can't remember last night at all, but if that's what we did then it would explain the mark."
"How's that?" I asked, somewhat confused and curious.
"Pine trees. Ever rub up against one with ganunga-nungas and you'll know what I' m talking about."
I murmured something about making a note of it, and proceeded to turn my attentions toward questioning the Bandersnatch. That I'll have to fill you in on tomorrow I'm afraid, if I do at all. She had just come to warn me about my meeting later in the eve with Heckle and Jeckle, which I'm about to be late to now as it is! Merr... Should have never wasted (well, not wasted, spent perhaps) the day playing DDR Extreme with Lara. Should have prepared for this instead, maybe found out how to conjure up those nifty blue flames once more. Sigh...well...off I go! Wish me luck!
Ok, so maybe that's not what really happened when I stumbled out of bed, and into the bathroom this morning, but it may as well have. Merciful heavens, I was so tired I was seeing things. I was combing my hair, and my reflection was brushing his teeth. When I quirked a brow at him he stopped, and with a mouth full of toothpaste slurred at me: "Wha?!" I shrugged, and just continued about my business, not really wanting to point out that he was doing it with the wrong hand.
I took a long, hot shower, trying to remember what I had done the previous evening. After shopping, I had seen Lara all the way home, being the clingy, overprotective boy friend I am, and then I went to...Damnit! I couldn't remember a think past 7pm...Shock and terror was running through me at that point, and it I wasn't such a priss about going out of the house without at least washing and styling my hair (social anxiety disorder or whatever it's called) I'd have probably jumped out and run stark naked to the phone to ring Lara. Sure, this probably seems like nothing much to most people, but I have an editctive memory. I don't just forget things on a whim. Heck, I know one kid who gets straight A's in class but can't remember what he did yesterday for the life of him, and that's just NOT ME. This was serious! But no, shower first, whimpering rant later.
But no, when I get out of the shower I see the light on my cell flashing, telling me I have a voicemail waiting, and lo and behold it's Lara, driven half mad with worry, asking me what the hell we did! (No doubt from the tone in her voice by 'we' she meant 'I' as in what had 'I' done to 'her'.) I calmly tried to explain that I hadn't done anything, and in fact was having the same problem. Well, no, how could I be having pain in the breasts, my chest was nigh on flat save for my slight pectorals- what?! Damn it Lara! This isn't the time for accusations about who bit who where (not that I'm admitting to anything) there is something seriously wrong! And I was just going to the closet to pick out my clothes for the day, when out from it strides (who else) the Bandersnatch.
"This isn't the best of times Bandersnatch!" I gripe at her, pointing at the phone next to my ear, and reaching around her for the red silk boxers that were hanging there, painstakingly judgling my phone and undies while trying to keep my towel from slipping away from its needed possition wrapped 'round my waist.
"I'm rather Frumious at the moment," She warned, tapping her small foot impatiently, "So I wouldn't exactly try to blow me off." She was wearing a dark, canvasy type green coat and khaki (what was it with all the khaki now a days?!) pants, in addition to her dark pointy snow boots.
"Oh suck my-"
"JAYSON!" Lara roared in my ear.
"Not you Lara hun, I'm talking to the Bandersnatch."
"Banderwhat?!"
"Snach, Bandersnatch- wow, that is a weird name isn't it?!" I quirked yet another brow, this time at Tina, and she merely shrugged in reply.
"Not my fault, blame Lewis."
"Right... Anyhow, Lara, if you want I'll be over in fifteen minutes or so and we can...oy..talk. I mean, really, sit down, heart to heart, meeting eyes; a real heart to heart. Ok babe? Ok. I love you too. Take care hun. Bye." I clicked the phone shut, and glowered at Tina.
I turned around, bending over to pull my socks on, and I heard her muttering "How doth the little Crocodile improve his shiny- and boy do I mean shiny!- taili!"
"Pours the water of the nile over every golden, or in this case red, scale." I answered, straightening and turning 'round to face her. "I see you've done some present day reading. Don't try to fool me, I know you're not just some crazed nutter trying to throw me off the path of him by taking after a would be fictional creature by Lewis Carroll. You were real once, and he knew that."
"Only once?" She asked me, a look of triumph in her eyes. "Can you be so sure about that?"
"Frumious as you were, no doubt they hunted you to extinction, and then some." I answered, slipping on an undershirt and chosing a dark satin one with a blue-and-silver striped tie to go with it. My fingers deftly buttoned it up, as I continued, "But then again, who's to say. My theory could be right, you could just be a side-effect of time being reversed, or you could really be that old, and just have been kicking around since forever."
"Or?" The Bandersnatch asked, as if hinting me to go further.
I paused at my collar for a moment, having just finished buttoning the cuffs, and pondered. "Well...I suppose you could be the epitime of a deranged fan, one who's so into the story she became a part of it." I shrugged. "I dunno, it's not for me to say really. Only you know that, and I truly hope you don't tell me. I really haven't got time." And with that I began playing with my tie. Damndable things ties, never stay the way you want them, and it takes them forever to get right to begin with. Unless of course you cheat, but those zippered ones are normally too tacky to wear.
"You do realize you're not wearing pants, yes?" The Bandersnatch asked.
"You do realize you've already seen me in less?" I retorted, seeming to recall a witty banter along these lines when first (or perhaps second, I lose track) we'd met. My how time flies when you're being driven out of your mind with fear and / or worry about what was yet to come. And right now I was truly preoccupied with the events (or lack of) from last night.
She sighed, and watched with vague interest as I pulled on a pair of midnight-blue blue jeans. They were rather tight, and prominently displayed some of my finer points, which is why I loved them so. I was just about to grab my jean jacket from off of a nearby chair when I happened to glance in a mirror and noticed the tie. "What the hell am I doing, going to a barmitzfa?"
"I was kind of thinking that myself..."
"Quiet you." I snapped at the Bandersnatch, feeling rather frumious myself as I slid off the piece of fine silk. And then it hit me, much like a brick to the head. My subconcious had given me a clue, and with the slipping of the fabric between my fingers came that same familiar dread.
"Oh no..."
"What?" Tina asked, a note of general concern in her voice, perhaps due to the auspicious terror ringing clear in mine.
"For the love of God not agai-ARGH!" I siezed hard, my back arching so violently I fell over backward, hitting my head on the chair as I went down. The last thing I remember seeing before my world shrunk away from sight was that of the Bandersnatch, diving like a ferocious beast, trying to snag be before it was too late. Damn, if only she'd been a bit quicker...
Blackness consumed me, but only for a moment. The glarring of two headlights flickering to life lit my world. I was standing, in the middle of a two-lane road in the falling winter snows. It reminded me of a lonely stretch somewhere between Sacandaga and Johnstown (or was that Johnstown and Canada Lake?), but in either case I was there. Two vehicles were faced in opposite directions. One was Yon Ill Eclipse, and the other the old Lincon Towncar which belonged to the two suites. What the hell were we doing here?...
"Stand aside." One of the two said. We'll call him Jeckle, seeming as how he's usually second out of the vehicle whenever I see him. (Heckle being the one behind the wheel.)
"No." I couldn't control my mouth, my jaw feeling locked against my will. "I won't let you awaken any others. He doesn't need your help speeding things up."
"Fool! Don't you realize who we are?!" Jeckle sure seemed antsy.
It was then I noticed Lara's presence beside me, her arm restling lightly upon the crook of my elbow, much needed emotional support for a daring thing like this. "No, but even if we did it wouldn't matter! We're young, and could therefore never yeild to the wishes of old people ike you!" I found myself nodding, though in truth I felt more like a man possessed. My visions were normally lucid, and this was anything but!
"We're trying to save your pathetic world, not end it! Now stand aside!"
"Why should we trust you!" I bellowed, far to loud for me when I'm myself. I must have been at least slightly intoxicated, and in truth my mouth felt it. "You've done nothing but act suspicious since you first started showing up."
"All will be explained tomorrow, at the agreed upon time at the agreed upon place." Heckle said, "But for the time being we have a job to do, so stand aside!"
"INVOKE!" I cried, removing what seemed a glass vial from its place tucked within my belt, and sending it smashing to the ground. Across it spread a thin-yet-potent wall of blue flames, extending from one great pine at the side to the other. Perhaps it was a bit of magick I had picked up somewhere along the lines, or something I had dredged up for the occation, but the fact remained that once they formed their line they grew to be some fifteen feet tall and overbearing.
"You won't get through this way tonight. You have no choice but to drive all the way back and around, or continue onward on foot." I said, gesturing for them to leave. "That or you can risk the powers." They grumbled, perhaps swearing a bit, but eventually got into their car, turned around, and drove away into the eeriee darkness of the night, naught but their tail lights marking their passing.
I came round, feeling more than one presence in the room. Two pairs of feet I saw as I lay there on the cold wooden floor, one by my head and the other down around near my midsection. Looking up I saw sadly that it was the Bandersnatch and Lara. It seemed that the Bandersnatch had successfully pulled off the whole "I was just a monster in his closet" excuse, or something alogn those lines, because Lara didn't look too angry when she saw me come round.
"Hey stranger," She said, "You ok?"
In responce, I retched violently and well beyond my control, at her feet, causing her to step back quickly.
"Apparently not!"
"I'll be fine..." I said weakly, and attempted to sit up. My head swam, and dizzy as a jay bird I fell back down, my head thumping loudly on the floor. "It just...takes me a while to get back to normal from those damndable visions." But this was worse than any of my visions before. Perhaps it was the added effect of the concusion from the blow I took to the head, but my hands were tembling, my vision was blurred, and I was having trouble breathing. My chest ached, and I wanted to moan, but I had long since resolved to never do so unless I was either in a state of pure bliss or leading up to a death wail.
"I have to admit Jay, this better not be some kind of sick joke. I get here, your tie's off (why you were wearing one at all is suspicious to me), your belt is only half on, and to make matters worse, you've got some cheap floozy-"
"HEY!"
"-here in your bedroom with you."
"I don't appreciate being called a floozy!" the Bandersnatch snarled. "Besides, I called you when he went down, figured you'd know what to do."
"Know Tanya Rockswell sweety?" Lara asked, her voice quite pretentious and somewhat lacking in the nice overtones that it usually held. Tina shook her head no. "If you ever do, ask her how her last chat with Lara went. I'm sure her nose will be back to normal by then and she can tell you without it paining her too much." At first I was appalled by such a remark, but then I realized what it was she was doing. She was securing her place as number one woman in my life, and fighting for it tooth and nail! No one had ever actively tried to do that before, they just wanted to use me for a willing sex toy and once their jollies had been had they left. But Lara, she actually acted like she wanted to be there for the long haul... I wanted to grab her and hold her and never let her go right then...but I couldn't get my dizzy ass up off the floor.
"I've fallen...and I can't get up!" the words flashed through my mind, haunting me as they did so.
Eventually I managed to crawl up and onto my bed, Lara sitting next to me and chattering about how upset she was with the bite mark she found-well, never mind about that I suppose. I suggested I make another one on the other one to match, but she nodded at the Bandersnatch and said something about taking a raincheck what with the curren situation and all, as she mopped my brow with a wet washcloth. I filled her in about what I had seen, and she only gave me a quizzical look.
"Jason...I can't remember last night at all, but if that's what we did then it would explain the mark."
"How's that?" I asked, somewhat confused and curious.
"Pine trees. Ever rub up against one with ganunga-nungas and you'll know what I' m talking about."
I murmured something about making a note of it, and proceeded to turn my attentions toward questioning the Bandersnatch. That I'll have to fill you in on tomorrow I'm afraid, if I do at all. She had just come to warn me about my meeting later in the eve with Heckle and Jeckle, which I'm about to be late to now as it is! Merr... Should have never wasted (well, not wasted, spent perhaps) the day playing DDR Extreme with Lara. Should have prepared for this instead, maybe found out how to conjure up those nifty blue flames once more. Sigh...well...off I go! Wish me luck!