I Think We're Alone Now

Ch. 23: Alioth

There's a lot of Loki's. Like, a lot. Sure, she'd met Loki's before, but not in such quantity as this. They all looked different too, except one. He was about the same, physically. She could still tell them apart, though Her Loki would never run for president. Right? Oh no, he wasn't getting any ideas, was he?

President Loki catches her staring. "She's new!" He grabs her by the arm, and brings her up the front. "Which one of us are you?"

"Oh, I'm not..." Is she even allowed to be here, if she's not a Loki? She tries to shove him off her arm, but she can't seem to escape.

Loki walks over. "Let her go."

"I asked her a question."

She can't stop herself from making eye contact. "... I'm a Loki too, naturally..." She gives Loki an apologetic smile. "But I go by Marilyn."

President Loki releases her. "Really."

"Yes."

His eyes narrow. "You with him?" Loki's still desperately trying to draw her away.

She returns his gaze. "Mind your own–" and turns around in a huff.

*

"We had a deal!" Kid Loki bursts. He's mad, since President Loki went behind his back. Shocker.

He's laser-focused on–whatever's going on. Everyone wants a throne. Everyone has a knife or two. Nobody's looking at her. Except her Loki, who's partially on board with her plan, which is to place this alligator on President Loki's shoulder and run.

"What are you doing?" It would look strange, to see her here, holding an alligator at arm's length, trying to be as discreet as possible. For the record, it felt strange too. "We need to get out of here."

"Okay, just–" Marilyn tosses Alligator Loki in the generally correct direction, which does the trick, sort of.

"Hurry up!"

"Coming!"

*

"What happened?" Marilyn asks, winded.

Loki flicks his hair out of his face. "You fainted."

"What–"

"And we were pruned. Come on."

"Why are we going over there?"

"I need to talk to them."

"Who?"

"Them." He points.

"All I see is an an old man... and a child?"

"They're me."

"Oh, okay... ah!" She inadvertently shrieks.

"Are you okay?"

It's huge. A big, swirling pool of fog. She can almost make out a face in it. There's eyes, and a mouth. Eyes that are watching her, seemingly. Following her, wherever she moves.

"That!" Marilyn points up to the beast, the fog which is clearly alive. Is it... snarling? At her?

"His name is Alioth."

Alioth growls. Like a predator stalking his prey. Marilyn shudders. Somehow, she expects him to swoop closer to her. To dive in for the kill. But he doesn't. Instead, he lowers himself down, grumbling over the land beneath him. Rolling like waves in the ocean.

It's hard to see what's crashed beneath him, but it doesn't stay long. She hears a cry, "help!" Nothing's fast enough though. Within a second Alioth has consumed it. Whatever living presence, whatever material matter was there, is now gone.

"Let's go meet... you." Her voice turns out shrill. "Now."

"Yes. And then we can discuss my plan."

"Your place?"

"If it's alive." Loki gestures across the open plan, Alioth seething as the only thing in sight. The only cloud in the sky. "It means it can die."

"Okay, well... I'm just gonna find a folding chair or something and... sit back."

"A folding chair?"

"Or a nice patch of grass, far away from Alioth."

"You think it's a stupid plan." Yes. Exactly.

"I won't judge it, until I've heard it. From my folding chair."