Nursery Rhymes for the Mentally Ill

Remember Remember

Remember, remember the fifth of November.

Gunpowder, treason and plot.

I see no reason why gunpowder, treason

Should be forgot.

"Prince Johnathan is back! Oh, he's back!" a chourus of voices rang out as on old lady came and shoved us two apart.

She was wearing old, brown wrinlked rags that hung around her too skinny body. Her face was like crinkled leather, with lines and creases running through like rivers.

"Treason! Guns! The fifth of November!"

She was obviously crazy, and three guards grabbed her and hauled her off while Johnathan still held me tight.

"Are you ready to see the castle?" he asked over the yelling of the crowd. We strutted through them, some touching my hair, others asking my name and where I came from. I wasn't used to all of the attention, so I blushed as we finally reached the giant doors of the castle.

BAM!

I felt something in my back--sharp, blood--

"Johnathan?" was all I managed before I collapsed in his arms, gasping for air but not getting anything. Chaos had broken out, with people screaming and running. But I could barely hear anything over the pulsing of blood in my ears. Suddenly I was in the castle, with Johnathan, the doors locking behind us as someone banged against them...

"Don't leave, stay awake, Alice. Alice. Listen to me..."

The first thing I heard was coughing, a loud, gruff type that belonged to a large man. Something was off. I opened my eyes to see a wooden ceiling engraved with dark carvings on it. Then I tried to sit up.

A splitting pain went through me, like a knife being twisted. I screamed out, calling attention to myself.

"She's awake. Get the boy, it'll calm her so she doesn't black out."

A face suddenly loomed over me--Johnathan. He was bloody and bruised, with salty sweat and tears dripping down his face.

"Alice! Oh, God--" he was cut off by getting slapped.

"Where'd you come from, girl? We know you ain't from around here," a man said, pressing something sharp and cold into my face.

"From a faraway land," I rasped, coughing up blood. The headache in my head was slowly throbbing away, and I started to realize Johnathan and I had been taken hostage, like the old lady had warned. "Sit me up and I'll tell you more," I demanded. Johnathan helped me up, the shooting pain still in my backside.

I coulld finally see the man. He had a thick black beard, with wild dreaklocks curling around his face.

"Tell me more," he growled, grabbing my face and pulling me closer.

Then I punched him.