Cloverfield Magic

Chapter 12 - Black Out Days

Rowen hasn't come to school for a while, and Issac feels inexplicably anxious at his friend's absence. Whenever Issac calls his family's landline, Rowen's mother just says that Rowen is sick. Issac almost stops by after school with some get-well soup but eventually decides against it. He didn't want to overstep. Eventually, Rowen started coming to school again, and Issac feels incredibly relieved.

On Saturday, Issac borrows the family car to drop off the second-place check from the charity show at the Downtown Metropolitan Animal Shelter. When Alice heard about his trip downtown, she asked to tag along to see what the city was like, so the three of them decided to make a trip out of it.

Since Rowen figured that it was Alice's first time in a car, he brought along some barf bags for her just in case and sat in the back with her to make sure her curious hands and face stays inside the vehicle at all times. Despite Rowen's supervision, Alice managed to unlock the child safety lock and push open the passenger door while they were speeding down the highway, and Issac was pretty sure that incident shaved a few years off his life. The three of them somehow got to the animal shelter in one piece, and Alice nearly kisses the ground with relief when they finally got out of the car.

"Do you regret pitching a tantrum about seeing downtown now?" Rowen needles with a smirk.

"Die!" Alice hisses back.

"Rowen, quit antagonizing Alice, will you? It would be nice to finally get some peace after that car ride," Issac comments off-handedly, not catching the moment Rowen's expression goes blank.

"We just need a picture with the manager to prove that we handed off the check. I think the principal wants a copy for the school to submit to the local paper," Issac reminds the group as he threads his hand through the loop of a borrowed polaroid.

When they arrive, the receptionist directs them to the kennel room.

"The shelter is short-staffed, so even the manager has to help with the day-to-day tasks," she explains. "I think he's walking the dogs right now, so feel free to just have a seat while you wait. Of course, if any animal catches your eyes, we're always looking for good foster and forever homes."

"Thanks, ma'am," Issac responds.

Issac takes a seat in one of the waiting chairs and can't help but notice that the shelter was more dirty and crowded than the last time he was here with his sister. Rowen also takes a seat a couple of chairs down, but Alice chooses to walk around the room, assessing the animals penned in their kennels with unreadable eyes.

Dogs bark at her frustratedly while cats meow cruelly. In the chaotic whirlwind of noise, Alice eventually stops in front of the kennel where two brown-spotted rabbits were cuddled together in fear. Like stepping into the eye of a storm. Alice could no longer hear the clamoring noise around her. All she could see was the two small animals trembling in front of her and how they futilely sought comfort in each other. She could smell their fear - sharp, metallic, and sour.

"Would you like to adopt them?" A voice asks. Too close.

Alice jumps a little.

The speaker was an androgynous-looking person with tan skin and long, white hair tied back loosely in a low ponytail. Sporting loose jeans and a black windbreaker zipped up to the collar, the store manager expertly herded three large dogs into their respective pens despite them drooling and staring at Alice the entire time.

"Nice to meet you. I'm the manager. My name's Lovett. Love, if you prefer. The rabbits came as a bonded pair, so if you want to adopt, you'll have to adopt them both."

"Why are they here?" Alice asks him abruptly.

"Ah, most people don't know that rabbits are high-maintenance pets. Their previous owner didn't have the time for them, so she surrendered them to us. If you're interested, maybe we could look to start an application. I'm happy to waive the adoption fee. Bonded pairs are harder to find homes for, and L&L have been here a while."

She looked back at the two prey animals trapped behind the clear plastic. One of the rabbits was grooming the other, almost like soft, gentle kisses. Their tender weakness made Alice sick to her stomach. Two weak, defenseless rabbits, completely ignorant of their pitiful predestination as bottom of the food chain.

"They're both named Elle?" Alice asks.

"Ah, no. Their names are Lana and Lenny. I think the previous owner named them after that notorious gangster couple from the 1930s. Very romantic, don't you think? Ride or die, together until the end."

"They died?" Alice exclaims in shock.

"Yes?" Love confirms with a hint of confusion. "Don't you know the story? Lana and Lenny were high-ranking gangsters that served under the Ghost herself. When their leader disappeared, Lana and Lenny took her place and ran the gang until they were eventually killed in a shootout with law enforcement. When they pulled those two out of the rubble, they were hugging so tightly that they had to be buried together."

Alice felt like someone had just torn her chest open and ripped out her heart. How could this have happened? When did this even happen? She could have sworn she was only missing for a couple of months at most. "No. I'm not interested in adopting." If the fake Lana and Lenny before her were destined to be saved, it wouldn't be by her hand.

"Ah," Love sighs disappointedly. "That's fine. But let me know if you ever change your mind."

Once the picture was secured, the trio embarked on the itinerary that Issac had planned. First, they had lunch at a quaint little bistro, saw some limited-time exhibits at the downtown aquarium, and rounded out the night with a walk through the downtown shopping center. Rowen and Alice seemed less excited than he expected, but Issac didn't know what had caused the sudden gloom to settle over his two friends. As they were driving home, Alice asked a strange question. "Issac, what year is it?"

Issac is confused but answers her honestly. "It's 1999. Why do you ask?"

Alice doesn't respond. The rest of the car ride home is quiet and uneventful.