It was a starless night again. Trees reached up to the sky with black fingers, a ritual to the endless expanse. She laid on her back in the moist dirt and rotting leaves, staring up into the sliver of the moon. It was so bright it stung her eyes, but she made herself endure the pain. A little sting was nothing compared to the burning on her left profile. Scowling -the rips pulled and she cringed- but she forced herself to sit up against the tree trunk behind her. The smell of decay was too overpowering. Breath coming out in little clouds, she glared at the suddenly shimmering air around her face.
'It was all your fault. I know you enjoyed the meat. Hadn't you wanted to taste her sweet wine since-'
She bared her teeth at the droning voice, regretting it immediately at the excruciating tug of skin. "Keep your forked tongues behind your teeth, you roach." The shimmer giggled like hissing bells, but dispersed.
Alice did not understand where she went wrong.
No, scratch that, she did know. She doomed herself to an eternity of pain the moment she touched that egg of a sword.
Whispers brushed her ears. Things like friendstarchildspirit come come come find me feel love know light. And friendstarchildspirit make a wish upon this glow, and friendstarchildspirit remember my hallowed name, and friendstarchildspirit I give so take take TAKE
All the same rainbows as before.
Oh, but how her chest thrummed in the hollow spot between her breasts, feathery sparks dancing over her goosebumps. She snarled, putting clawed fingers to her behind ears, prickling into the skin. She savored the pain. The thrum in her chest faded to a low hum. It wouldn't be long until she couldn't bear it anymore. Until she couldn't stand the gaping chasm. Until she could no longer ignore the itch, the want crawl out of her own skin and wear It's light like the airiest of summer dresses.
Sighing, she dropped her gaze to the dark forest. Abruptly, Alice realized everything was utterly silent. Not a hint of a crickets, not the who? who? of a night owl. A smell bombarded her nose as she scanned the shadows. Something of wet wool, foul breath, and spoiled meat. And there, in the utter black between a pair of oaks, an orange eye. Alice was to her feet in a flash, so fast that everything spun so she kept a steadying hand on the rough bark.
"Who goes there?" Her voice but a raspy whisper.
The eye only blinked lazily. The hairs along Alice's arms stood straight up.
"I asked you a question, beast. You better answer before I-
"Bandersnatch," a low rumble drawled. The orange eye blinked sluggishly again.
Alice struggled to remember that name, thinking back to her old textbook, but nothing came to mind. "What are you then?"
There was a deep sigh, as if exasperated, and then something hunkered out of the shadows, bulky tail dragging behind. The beast was thick and burly like a bear, spotted fur a matted mess. It hobbled slowly towards Alice until it was towering over her, breath hot and sticky and rotten on her face. She brought a hand to her nose, pinching to expel the nausea.
The oculus held ten thousand years of things past.
"Bandersnatch," it rumbled again, as if that should answer all her questions. Licking it's chops, rows of shark-like teeth bugged out of black gums. Alice wanted to be angry, but adrenaline was starting to leave its after taste.
"Bandersnatch," she agreed, hand still pinching her nose. It butted a wiggling wet nose into her shoulder, breathing deeply into her stained dress.
"It is safe," it rumbled. Alice knew everything it did not say. She wanted to be angry, but how tired she was. She bowed her head into it's neck despite it's dirtiness, shivering from the chilly breeze.
"What is he? What did he become?" She mumbled into the filthy fur. The bristly hair stabbed at her wound.
Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The beast -the Bandersnatch- pulled away suddenly, single eye wide and round. It's fur bristled along it's spine, a ridge of spikes, backed into the penumbras, form melting away.
"Even I cannot escape Him," it rumbled.
'Names have power, names have power, names have power. Do not call Him here. Do not think of His countenance. Do not, do not, DO NOT.'
The Bandersnatch's eye remained, a little lamp. "They come." Then blinked out of sight.
There was the pounding of many feet, the barking of many dogs, the yelling of many men. Flashlights shone from the trees far away and Alice found she could not longer stand upward. She felt herself slip to the dirt, barely feeling the impact. Her limbs were lead and as she stared up through a tunnel of darkness, a single star blinked into sight. It seemed to chant the same word over and over again.
The men and their dogs were closer now, louder, they spotted her laying in the winter grass.
Patience patience patience patience patience patience, the star crooned through the tunnel.
The men were asking her questions she couldn't hear, touching her face, her arms, shining their flashlights onto her. The dogs growled and snapped and were yanked away.
Patience patience patience patience patience patience
Someone scooped her up, speaking lowly.
Alice? Alice? Alice? Alice? Alice? Alice?
Her limbs dangled uselessly. Eyes half-lidded, she still looked up into the blinking star.
Patience Alice patience Alice patience Alice patience Alice patience Alice patience Alice
YOU ARE READING
Malice
FantasyThere once was a legend of a boy who wielded the Vorpal sword. "He took his vorpal sword in hand; Long time the manxome foe he sought- So rested he by the Tumtum tree And stood awhile in thought." From out of the Tulgey Wood he came, an...
