Neverending Loops

Chapter 14.

It had been a little difficult at first, removing all of the stitches and keeping the ink from spilling out. But after getting the hang of working with the ink, Alice's features started to return to normal, no more gaping wounds and tear stains. The golden ink also helped, closing any wounds if they opened.

"You doing okay?" Henry guessed this was at least the fourth time he'd asked, but Alice wouldn't tell him otherwise. Buddy had walked in earlier, wearing a worried expression, only to pause in confusion when he saw the impromptu medical procedure. It took Alice frantically explaining that everything was fine to keep him from calling for Norman out if fear.

"I'm fine Henry. You're such a mother hen sometimes, you know that?"

"Like you're one to talk. Norman seems to stick to you like glue from what I've seen." Except for now, it seemed he didn't want to get in the way. That was another thing to think about, if everybody could be freed from the ink. If they even wanted to, he didn't want to force them to do anything. After all, they seemed pretty comfortable with being toons.

"He's always been like that though, you know that. Staying by Sammy's side all the time too." Although the moody musician would never admit it, everyone else could tell he appreciated the company. With a couple more adjustments, Alice looked less like the melted toon caricature and more like the voice actress herself. Tears fell once more, now free of the shadow lie darkness that once clouded them. A grin settled on her mouth, which opened and closed as she stared in the mirror.

"I know it's not exact, but I'm still getting the hang of this stuff-" Henry was cut off as she hugged him, mumbling all sorts of thank you's.

"It's perfect, it's..." She pulled away, looking from the mirror to him and back again, halo shining brighter than before. "It's <i>me.</i> It's Susie Campbell." Susie picked the pair of scissors up, gesturing to her hair.

"Now, I don't think there's anything we cam do bout the colour, but I can cut it now. Hopefully." She ran her hand through experimentally, pleased when it didn't have the plastic like feel of the ink that once encased it. "Can you be a doll, Sunshine, and get Norman for me? He's surprisingly good at haircuts, said it saved him money before..all of this."

Strange coworker trivia aside, Henry nodded before walking to the door and pausing, raising a eyebrow in her direction.

"Sunshine, Firefly, Nightlight. When is it going to end?" She cackled, and outside the room he could hear Joey's loud laughter. "Don't you laugh at that."

. . .

After Henry's departure, Susie stared in the mirror, waiting for Norman's arrival. After all of the terrible things she had done in the other loops, she didn't feel as though she deserved any of this, kindness. Her companions never remembered, and she wasn't about to remind them anytime soon, not wanting to accidentally break them.

It was strange to laugh easily, to catch glimpses through the process and see herself, and not the warped version of Alice staring back and taunting her. It was just as strange that a sense of dread fell over the room when she was alone, the feeling of being watched overwhelming.

Perhaps it was because she was finally free.

Norman walked in just as she nearly cut her palm with the scissors from gripping the metal blades too tight, startling her enough to make her jump. He waved, light flashing on and off with excitement.

'Pretty. You look like you now Susie.' His hands shook, not from nervousness, but with happiness for the Angel. She smiled, forcing it to reach her eyes now, unlike earlier. He took the scissors, already understanding her request. When he actually had hair, not a projector, he let her style it and play around with it when she was stressed. Norman always found it relaxing, and people always teased them about how much they acted like siblings.

Not that it wasn't true, they picked on and supported each other the same. Like now, him already chopped her hair off to chin length, and was trying to sign while still holding the scissors. Her laughing while signing back, things like 'dumb' and 'thank you.'

Susie and Norman calmed down enough for her to look in the mirror properly. For the second time, she saw herself. Not Alice, not a twisted version of her own face. She stood up and hugged him, before patting him on the back. He sensed that she needed a moment, and gave her a head pat in return, mindful of the bright halo.

Going back to the mirror, she stared. Raising a hand to her smooth face, free of stitches and scars. A determined and content slant of her lips, eyes more human though they still contained the pie cut pupils. Running a hand through ink free hair, she picked up an old lipstick from her vanity, and scrawled one thing across the mirror.

I am Susie Campbell.

. . .

Returning to the main living area, she found the others gathered around the table, lists written up with materials that needed retrieved. Buddy and Henry waved, while Joey and Norman furiously wrote back and forth.

"What's going on with them?" She gestured to the two newly aspiring writers, raising an eyebrow.

"Arguing about who should go. They've been going in circles, care to help?" It had clearly been going on for at least a couple minutes before she'd returned, due to Joey's harsh gestures and Norman's furiously clicking noises. That, and the barely contained annoyance spread across Henry's face.

"Well, we do need supplies. But I also need someone to help me with something here.''

That got Joey's attention, who used her talking as a means to throw the pencil, much to Norman's annoyance.

"What? These two haven't helped with it yet?" He earned two dirty looks, and two grins.

"Do either of you know how to fix a gun?"