It had been only several days since Raige procured their daughter back to them but the world was still plunged in some sick, twisted version of Hell. Hearing that Charlotte had succumbed to madness was staggering enough as it was, but locking her down in the cellar until they could find a solution to this dilemma left Alice simply aghast. As if she needed any more reason other than carrying twins inside of her to feel so queasy.
It didn't help that blood-curdling screams of madness and frustration seeped through the wood floors every time Lottie awoke.
"There must be something," Raige would say each time after these nerve-wracking cries ended, although as the days went by he more than often mumbled it to himself in irritation.
There was a way, but Alice had been putting off the notion in hopes of finding a better option. Sakura, even Starlight, offered their help in the manner of research and educated guesses but none came close to a substitution to what Alice had in mind. An act she never voiced to the others; the key to the lock of madness.
When the screeches finally dissipated, signaling Lottie's temporary acknowledgement to defeat, Alice shut closed the book in her hands with a loud thud. No one appeared to take notice.
"... There is a way," Alice finally said, her voice low and groggy. It felt like she hadn't spoken in days.
There was a pregnant pause, as all eyes drew collectively to the Soulkeeper, before Starlight broke the silence. "What? Did you find something?"
Alice smiled, though it wasn't enough to reach her eyes. "If only. There is a process that can be done to lock away Lottie's madness... but I'm the only one who can do it."
"Out of the question," piped up Raige, arms crossed and vehemently standing his ground by the cellar door.
"Believe me, I have been wanting to find another way since the day you brought her back, Raige," Alice relented.
"You mean you knew how to end all of this from the start?" sniped Star but she quickly held her tongue after drawing the attention of everyone's glares.
At this point, Sakura decided to speak up. "... Is it dangerous? The process?"
Alice met her friend's eyes, never wavering her gaze as she replied, "Potentially, yes. The connections between Soulkeepers' minds is not designed for this manner. Holding the connection for too long could prove lethal. As it stands, however, we have no other choice."
"Alice-" Raige began to protest.
"We have been looking for an alternative for days, Raige, and have come up with absolutely nothing," Alice cut across, her tone soft yet firm. She couldn't let him fret over it, not if it was Lottie's only chance to return to them. At the same time, Alice could not ignore how weakened she had become with this new pregnancy underway so offering herself as the solution to Lottie's dilemma was understandably objected. She could only hope, then, that Lottie was not completely beyond her reach.
The glint of despair and worry flashed across Raige's eyes, a look Alice had seen more times in her life than she would like to admit. He was losing his daughter to madness and potentially two more children and his mate all at once. Now was not the time to be brave... now was the time to be strong.
"Raige, I would like you to accompany me as I deal with Lottie," Alice proclaimed, earning a slight tilt of the head from her werewolf mate. She glanced away in thought before returning her sights back to Raige. "I need someone to keep me level. I don't know if I have the bravery to face her as she is now alone."
Of course she didn't have the will to do it by herself. Madness was suffocating, madness was terrifying... especially since Alice knew how hard it was to fight and stay afloat in that cynical sea of insanity.
Was she insane? Alice expected him to stand by and watch as she placed her life and those of their unborn children in danger?
ReplyDeleteThere had to be another way, he just needed more time that was all.
He shook his head. "You're not going, Alice. I can't. . ." Anger got the better of Raige. He felt completely helpless, something that he was not used to feeling. He always had a way out. The mercenary in him felt completely out of control. It was enough to have Raige storming out of the room and outside to the gardens. He paced, his mind racing for any other alternative. The wolf within him adamant in not putting Alice's life at risk. No. He wouldn't. How could she ask him to?
Raige found himself torn. His daughters sanity was slipping with every passing moment. Now Alice admits she knows a solution but it would mean risking so much more. Could he be strong enough for this?
"Raige." Alice's soothing voice called to him, but he didn't turn to face her. Gentle hands wrapped around him from behind as she approached. "I know it's hard, Raige. But I know what I am doing. . . and we have to save our Charlotte."
Charlotte. His heart grew heavier as the seconds passed. He had to save her. . .his precious daughter. Gods, no. . .
He sighed, and going against every single instinct in his body, every single cell that told him to find anther way. . . he nodded.
"Alright." He conceded. He felt so raw. Thoughts of everything that could go possibly wrong emerged in his mind. It had him turning to his mate and brining her into his arms. "If there is even a small sign of trouble, we leave and find another way. Do you understand, Alice?"
Her embrace brought little calm to the raging ocean of despair that found its way into Raige's heart. "Of course, my love." Though she agreed Raige knew better. Alice would not stop until she has done everything to save their daughter. If anything did go wrong, it would be up to him to get her out of there safely. He just hoped it wouldn't come to that decision.
Alice breathed deeply, attempting to clam her heart already beating with the rhythm of a thousand pounding drums. She had to remain focused and the thundering in her head wasn't helping. Taking in a deep breath, Alice reached out her hand for Raige's, who, although disgruntled, took it eagerly in his grasp. She gave it a tight squeeze, perhaps tighter than she realized, as Raige's eyes almost flickered between her's worriedly. A small smile from her didn't seem to reassure him, but the worry in eyes hid back behind that veil a mercenary such as him held.
ReplyDeleteIt was the best either of them could do and, fighting against the anxiety roiling away in her stomach, Alice turned to walk toward the side of the house where the basement entrance lied. The world became a mixture of contortion between feeling too big and altogether too small the closer they approached the doors and it didn't even immediately dawn on Alice that she stood there frozen staring at the entrance once they reached it. Before a small gesture from Raige could help wake her from her trance, Alice reached forward for the handle and almost flinched at the gruesome groaning it emitted in its protest of being opened. The dark depths it revealed could give the impression of voyaging into a rigorous cave as a single ominous light glowed with a deep, sinister orange. With Raige tailing close behind, Alice walked down the creaky wooden steps into the dungeon-like basement, the musty stench that saturated the air hitting Alice's senses full force yet still she pressed on. Further down they journeyed, the luminosity of the only source of light growing in intensity the closer to the bottom they went.
When it seemed their descent would lead them to the very pits of Hell, the foot of the stairs at last came into view as it sat upon the floor of a spacious room completely enclosed in stone. The chill of the basement's depth set rigorously in Alice's bones but it was not what caused the shivers to run along her spine.
ReplyDeleteBound to a lone beam situated near the corner of the bleak room, a sleeping Charlotte breathed peacefully; her head tilting forward and hiding her face beneath a curtain of stringy brown hair. The sight turned out to be more than what Alice could bear and the instinct to either run away back up the accursed steps or hold her daughter in a desperate embrace struggled vigorously with one another.
"You need to learn to walk more quietly," giggled a small, twisted voice. It was enough to wipe Alice's mind clean of any thoughts she might have had at that moment as her eyes remained trained on the source of that ghastly whisper. Eventually, the giggling grew louder and louder, turning into outright laughter so cynical, so wrong, that it nearly had Alice choke on a sob.
"Well, well!! Look who decided to stop by and say hello!" shrieked Charlotte, her eyes wild and her smile twisted. "Come by for a nice chat?? Oh, how I have many a thing to say!! You know I've been thinking about how I'm going to kill each and every one of you once I get free?? I considered dismemberment or carving out your eyes but I figured that was too routine. So! I've actually decided-" the smile warped dementedly as a malicious glint shone in Charlotte's eyes- "to see how loud I can make little, baby brother Vincent SCREAM."
It was too quick for Alice to process. At once she found herself crouched in front of Charlotte as Raige already held her still with perhaps much more force than necessary. The look in Charlotte's eyes portrayed much amusement as well as a hint of fear but otherwise she met Alice's glare without reserve. To see her daughter's eyes so malevolent, so unlike her sweet and beautiful Charlotte, only added to the resolve building inside Alice. Glancing away only to signal Raige to ready himself, Alice moved her hands on either side of Charlotte's head as the fear became ever more prevalent in her daughter's eyes. There would be no more cowering, no more waiting for another solution that would surely never arise. Alice was going to bring Charlotte back... no matter what.