Cloverfield Magic

Chapter 14 - Ghost

"Alice! Where did you get that?" Issac exclaims, ripping the playboy magazine from Alice's hands.

"Give it back! The girls have rabbit ears! They're just like me! They're just like me for real!"

"No! They're not!"

"Give it back! I didn't steal it this time. I bought it with my own money! The clerk gave me a discount!"

"That's not the problem here!"

Alice had shown up a couple of nights ago on his doorstep, shivering against the winter cold in a sleeveless threadbare dress. Feet blue, cracked, and bleeding from the cold, Issac rushed her inside and immediately to the bathroom where he helped her wash the dirt off her exposed arms and legs with warm water. He practically depleted the remaining supplies in his personal first aid kit treating and wrapping Alice's cuts. Ironically, he hadn't needed a reason to restock lately.

Alice refused to tell him what was wrong or what happened, only that she couldn't go back to the shop.

Issac guesses that something might have happened between Circe and Alice, but Alice adamantly refused to say anything. So instead, Issac carved out a little space for her in his walk-in closet. Together, they laid down some extra blankets on the floor, and Issac was able to dig up an old nightlight packed away in the garage that he threaded under the closet door to reach the outlet just outside the door.

During the day, Alice would steal his coat and boots and run off somewhere, drifting out and about like a lost ghost. Sometimes, during the quiet of the night, the soft glow that seeped through the cracks of the door was only proof that Alice was even there.

Issac told Rowen about the strange development, but when Rowen visited the tea shop, Circe was never there. Rowen also seemed strangely withdrawn himself lately, rejecting offers to hang out or study together after school.

Issac looks at the calendar and realizes the new year is coming soon. He reflects on everything that has happened since his family moved from the big city to Cloverfield. So much had changed, and Issac was finally starting to genuinely feel alright again.

Shivering a little, Issac tugs the sleeves of his oversized hoodie lower and goes to turn on the heater. The winter holiday season was drawing closer, so Issac decided to try to cheer everyone up with a little casual get-together. With the last of his summer savings, Issac's bought some snacks and new console games for the trio to play.

Issac manages to confiscate the magazine and goes downstairs to answer the doorbell. Rowen raises a questioning eyebrow when Issac slips past him to toss the magazine in the trash bins outside, but Issac chooses to ignore it.

Issac leads Rowen to the living room, where Alice was already angrily munching on snacks. "You owe me three dollars," Alice grumbles.  

Issac rolls his eyes. 

Rowen is already pretty familiar with the game's controls already, but Alice still found herself struggling. Issac swapped out the fighting game for a racing one instead, and Alice found the game mechanics for that one easier to pick up. But eventually, Alice gets bored and leaves for a nap in her closet.

Issac takes the opportunity to finally catch up one-on-one with Rowen. "How did you do on finals?" he asks.

Rowen shrugs. "I failed most of them."

Issac laughs, "I feel you. I just barely passed mine. With everything that happened this semester, I had a hard time finding time to study. Maybe if we get put into some of the same classes next year, we can study together."

Rowen chuckles, "Not sure if that's a good idea or not. I'd probably get distracted and start talking about spellcasting halfway through."

They chat about school a bit more as they play a couple more rounds, the two of them fairly evenly matched.

"Best of seven games wins?" Issac suggests.

"Sure. Loser has to pay for the next movie night."

"Deal."

Then, the two hear a cascade of thumps from upstairs.

"What was that?" Rowen asks.

"Alice? Are you alright?" Issac calls out, but his question was only met with silence. The two of them pause their game to investigate, but they don't find Alice in Issac's room.

"Where is she?" Rowen asks.

Suddenly Issac's face pales. "No..."

He rushes across the hall to where the door to the spare bedroom stood slightly ajar.

Rowen follows and sees Alice standing amidst a wreckage of toppled boxes. She was hunched over guiltily, holding a large rabbit squishmellow against her chest.

"Sorry..." she whispered quietly. "I just wanted to hold the squishy."

"What did you do?" Issac uncharacteristically explodes. "Put it back! Don't touch anything else!"

Frightened, Alice drops squishmellow as if it were scalding hot, looking to be on the edge of tears.

Rowen stands awkwardly by the door. Issac frantically rushes to pack everything back in the overturned boxes, only stopping when he comes across the scattered picture frames. One of the frames had cracked down the middle, glass falling out of the frame like loose puzzle pieces.

Over Issac's shoulder, Rowen catches a glance at the photograph and sees that it is a picture of a young boy - likely Issac - and a slightly older girl in a tight hug, laughing into the camera. 

"Alice," Issac chokes out, "Why did you do this?" Rowen watches as his friend's expression morphs into anger. "Get out! You shouldn't have come in here!"

Alice kicks the squishmellow across the room. "Fine!" she shouts back and turns sharply on her heel, throwing open the sliding window.

Realizing what she was about to do, Rowen shouts, "Wait! Alice! That's dangerous!"

Alice jumps out the second-story window.

Rowen runs across the room, wincing when he accidentally steps on some of the shattered glass. But when he reaches the window sill, Alice is nowhere to be found.

Footsteps on approach as Issac's parents are alerted by the noise.

Upon seeing the mess in the bedroom, Issac's mom starts freaking out. "Issac what is this? What happened? Is anything broken?"

"Everything's fine, Mom! Alice just knocked some boxes over. I'm putting it back now!"

"Oh my God! Your sister's pictures! They're ruined!"

"It's fine, Mom! We can get a new frame!"

"Why didn't you tell your friends to be more careful? Issac, do you even use your brain?"

"Mom, it's not my fault!"

"Come on, honey," Issac's dad tries to interject. Let's not do this right now. Why don't you go take a seat downstairs? Issac, calm down and go to your room. Don't do anything rash, and I can clean up here."

"Dad, tell her it's not my fault!"

"Son, no one's saying it's your fault, okay? Not any of it."

"Mr. Anderson, - " Rowen starts.

"Sorry Rowen," Issac's dad interjects. "Please don't take this the wrong way, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave. I'm afraid this is a private family matter."

Effectively shut down and shut out, Rowen takes one last worried look at his distressed friend and takes his leave. He tries not to limp too noticeably on his way out. That night, for the first time in a long while since moving to Cloverfield, Issac restocks his secret first aid kit in the back of his medicine cabinet.