REVERIE: Twisted Reality

Day 5: Who To Trust?

Alexandria Lennon

 As soon as I woke up I found a lot of dresses and white chocolates by the door. 

I could already tell it was from Joker.

I changed into one of the dresses and snacked on some chocolates. My morning started out great than usual.

I decided to go and visit Joker. I found him in the living room as usual.

His face immediately lit up as soon as he saw me so I returned him a smile.

"It should be safe for you to walk around the mansion now, but please try to keep a distance from the people you meet." He told me.

He was just starting to get on my good side but I got skeptical because of what he said. The brat said that one of the people in this mansion is my key out of here. 

But Joker wants me to keep a distance from them?!

'Is this his attempt to keep me here?'

I don't know if I should trust him or not. 

But I don't wanna fight with him either.

I took my chances, "The people around here really do hate each other, don't they?" I joked.

'My instincts are telling me that you're not a bad guy. Please don't prove me wrong.'

His face turned dead serious as he said, "Yes. To be honest, if I had the chance, I would gladly kill that bothersome Nightmare creature who calls himself the duke. But he seems to be more troublesome than I thought he would be."

'The Duke... is a NIGHTMARE?!'

I suddenly felt dizzy. My head was spinning as I laid my eyes on Joker. 

I can see his worried face even from my wobbly vision. "Alexandria! What's wrong?! Are you ok?"

He tried to come closer to me but I quickly stood up. "I'm not feeling well. I'm going back to my room."

"Should I accompany you?" His worried voice only made it worse.

"No. I'm fine. I'll go back on my own." I answered and quickly got out of there. 

I went inside my room and sat on the nearest armchair.

I kept racking my brain for answers.

'Was the brat lying to me?'

'No. The most suspicious person in this mansion right now is Joker. He's the one who's keeping me here on the Prince's order.'

'Then is the Duke my key out of here? The Duke is the one Joker is most wary about.'

'But I can't ignore what Joker said. The Duke is a nightmare. Come to think of it, he was the first person I met here. Right after I saw a nightmare. Could that be just a weird coincidence?'

I massaged my temples. My head feels like it's about to explode.

I stood up and made my way to the brat's room.

I found him having dessert and tea as usual. "You have been talking to me an awful lot. Do you have a crush on me? I don't mind, you know. I won't judge you if your type is young boys under the age of 12. But I have to warn you I am a lot older than I look~" He teased.

I ignored what he said and walk towards him. I looked at him with a straight face and asked, "Who are you?"

His face lit up in amusement as he sat comfortably in his armchair. He looked up to me and met my eyes and I felt like I was getting lost in those peculiar lilac eyes.

"Who am I?" He mischievously repeated my questions. 

His eyes were telling me that he knows exactly the answers to my question. 

'And that scared me.'

He exactly knows the answers. And he also knows that I know he knows what I wanna hear. 

I'm the perfect victim. I'm just the right person who'd give him the amusement that he wants. 

He'd say anything and I would have no choice but to believe that. 

'I can't trust him.'

He flashed me an amused smile then he said, "I guess you can say I am a traveler of sorts."

I watched him attentively as I waited for him to say more. 

Moments have passed and we both stood there unmoving. He let out a haughty laugh that broke the silence between us.

"Oh, Alexandria. It's because of minds like you that I love my job more than anything else. Minds of the desperate, demented, and delusioned." He whispered quietly.

'What?!'

He leaned back on his chair and sipped on his tea, "I can hear the havoc in your mind from here, Alexandria. Calm it down or you might lose your sanity before something interesting even happens."

'I really can't trust this kid. Even one bit.'

But he's right. Even if I can't trust him, I'll get information from this brat as much as I can. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath and sat down in my usual spot.

"Your reverie and its inhabitants piqued my interest so I came to check it out. That's all. I'm only here to observe so you don't have to worry about me meddling with your head." He reassured me.

Interest. Interest. INTEREST! That's all this brat ever talks about. I was gushing with aggravation!

'This kid's life must be so boring that he entertains himself like this. It's almost pathetic.'

"Well, then you'll be happy to know that I'll never give up till I get out of this place! How's that for interesting?"