Challenge #135
Listen to your favorite song as you view the prompts. (Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata) Although "favorite" is subjective.
Note: I couldn't bring myself to end it in the middle this time, because it was so short. So it's a short piece, and a longer one put together. I'm not sure if there should be a better transition there or not. Although, in comparison, I think overall these things are getting longer.
Peeping Alice pt.6
Vincent! Alice collapses head in hands again, this time in loud sobs. She hears only barely, the door to his apartment across the hall open and close as she cries out to him in her mind. Vincent! I am not done with you. His mind closed to hers now, she receives no reply.
She sits there for time enough that she cannot remember when she sat down with him at the table for coffee. She crosses her arms on the table, and rests her head atop them, breathing deeply and slowly, regaining her composure. After a few minutes, she feels herself drifting to sleep.
In her sleep she is no longer herself; the light complexion and blonde hair traded for olive skin with dark brown hair, yet the same green eyes. She has had this dream before. She knows that Vincent is just around the corner from her, and the dark room she has found herself in. She knows that there is a fight coming. In a flash, the dark clad form of Vincent steps into the room, the light from the hallway behind him streaming into the room. He's the same Vincent she knows, blue eyes with pale blonde hair, but he's different, he's younger. He smiles at her, as she never sees him smile as Alice. He calls her Fianne, and he takes her hand and leads her from the room silently and quickly. She is happy to see him, she speaks with him about a family that she does not know and the guards that are keeping them. Their words are muffled and whispered and although she speaks the words, she does not know them really, does not remember what they mean. She can use her talents in the dream she is always pleased to discover, and when they fight with the guards, as they do everytime she has the dream, she uses them to fight against guards. And when they die, as they always do by Vincent's hands, she blesses their deaths as Alice would.
As is the way with dreams, the vision of Fianne fades away and the deep emotion drained sleep finally clears her mind. She awakes hours later to move to her bed, arms and legs stiff from sleeping so long in the same position.
The following morning, she is started awake by the loud ringing of the phone next to her bed. The ring is mind-numbing and vibrates in her mind - penetrating her sleep-addled brain. Alice finds herself moments later on the silent side of a phone conversation with her sister, Carol (Carolyn, that is). Carol, five years older than Alice is opposite in everyway, aside from the same intense green eyes they inherited from their mother.
"So, what do you think, should I tell Harry?"
"What Carol? I'm sorry, I haven't really been listening; you woke me from a pretty deep sleep." Carol sighs loud and obnoxiously into the phone, displeased with Alice's obvious lack of interest. Alice shrugs and cradles the receiver on her shoulder to better sit up in bed with her back against the headboard.
"Alright I get it...Carol, why don't I wake up a bit, grab something to eat and call you back? Then you can tell me all about Harvey."
"Harry! His name is Harry."
"Right, Harry. You can tell me whatever you want about Harry after I get up and get some food. Alright?"
"Okay, fine. Just hurry and call back please?" Alice drops the receiver back onto the phone cradle and slowly drags herself out of bed. She stretches, mind replaying the night before remembering everything that happened, and why she woke up in the clothes she wore the day before. She remembers her conversation with Vincent, and his abrupt departure from her apartment. Sad, and a bit relieved to have a rare morning without Vincent at her side, she sets about to start her morning more properly.
A half hour later, Alice finds herself once more on the phone with Carol. This time however, she is determined to pay attention to her sister's very stressed-out voice. Half a banana in her mouth, Alice is chewing silently while Carol restates her story.
“Alice, I don’t know what to do. I really like this guy. He didn’t seem all that surprised to see my shoes floating across my apartment. He didn’t really say anything either, he didn’t ask, but I know I’m going to have to tell him something. Can I just tell him the truth?”
"The truth Carol!" Alice half-chokes trying to get bits of her banana swallowed before continuing. "Tell him the truth!? Carol have you suddenly gone insane? You’ve known this guy for what, a month? You cannot just go around telling every new boyfriend you get that you can magically move objects with your mind. What, you want to offer up your empathic Talent as well, and tell him to take you to Vegas? I don’t think so!” Alice rolls her eyes at the wall, displeasure wrinkling her face. She is upset with herself for yelling at her sister, almost as upset at knowing that her older sister cannot seem to control her Talents.
“Well, I don’t know what to do! I can’t just pretend it didn’t happen.”
The front door creaks open, and Vincent stands in the doorway, eyes searching for Alice inside the darkened apartment. His blue eyes are red, and brighter than normal. Alice takes one look at him, and knows that he is not pleased with the volume of her voice.
Alice avoids Vincent's hard stare and takes a long breath to calm her voice before speaking again. “Actually, you already have, haven’t you Carol? You went on with things like nothing happened didn’t you? If he didn’t ask, you don’t have to say anything. It’s as simple as that.”
“But what do I say when he does get around to asking, Alice? What then?”
“Then, Carol, you deny it. If for nothing else, think of his safety. It’s better if he doesn’t know.” She slumps as she says those words, knowing the necessity of them, and the harshness of the reality it presents for both her and her sister. "I'm sorry Carol, you know that's the way it has to be." She can see Vincent nodding his agreement as he stalks across the apartment and disappears into the kitchen, front door clicking shut behind him.
There is a long silence from the other end of the phone.
"We can’t take any chances Carol, you know that. Just be smarter about using them. No more floating your shoes to you, even when you think you’re alone.”
“You’re right. I know you’re right. I just get so tired of not telling anyone. You have Vincent…”
“Listen, Carol. Why don’t you bring this Harry guy over so I can meet him? He sounds like a nice guy. I have tomorrow night off, you two come by, and we’ll go have dinner together or something. What do you think?
“Okay. I’ll ask him. He’s been asking about my family. It’ll be good for you to meet him.”
“Definitely, we’ll be waiting.” The phone clicks and Alice drops the receiver on the couch behind her and finishes eating the last of her banana. Within moments she can hear the quiet thumps of cabinets opening and closing in the kitchen. There is a hiss of water and shortly after Vincent steps out, a mug of steaming coffee in each hand.
"Carol, and her new guy. Here, tomorrow. Six-thirty."
"I heard." He nods, barely, in an understanding that they will shelve their previous conversation. She watches him carefully as she blows softly into her coffee before taking a few quick sips. I'm not giving up that quickly.