Alice Awakened

~A Report: Part 1 of 2

A/N: Heeeyy there fellas. Long time no see (read?)... Hehe *wipes brow sweat* Anyway, apologies for those deadlines I posted but never met. I've been a busy woman *tried to say it in a convincing tone* *failed*

But seriously, here we go. This one's a bit shorter since I chopped it up in half. I hope you like it. *bows*

One more thing... I named Mr. Buble, Jack. Jack Buble. Ha! You can't get any lazier than that, can you? :D

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Owen's POV

"...no other choice. It is their duty."

What are these boys doing in here? I swear if it were the Taylor brothers arguing, this early in the morning, I-

"Wait." A harsh whisper sounded from somewhere in the room. Then there was a long pause.

There was dead silence, before another voice echoed from behind me. I could hear the person speak in hushed tones, asking, "Are they still asleep?" I recognized the voice to be Mr. Duncan's. Only then did I notice the distinct, familiar blend of citrus and cleaning products inside the room - Sean. I didn't dare move. The only reason to have stayed the night in his room would have been if one of us was injured, or under observation.

"I... believe so." That was Mr. Buble's voice. And he'd lied. I could hear it clearly it in his hesitancy. He knew I was already awake. Why lie, Mr. Buble? "Anyway, are we willing to leave her in their care? Again?"

And they're talking about... Sang? Miss Sorenson.

Taking steady breaths, I mustered the courage to open my eyes and observe my surroundings. It was pitch black. I tried hard to concentrate on both the sound of their voices and what was in front of me, but my sight had yet to adjust to the dark and the conversation had melted into murmurs. Blinking a couple more times, I noticed a figure lying alongside me. At first, I thought I was in the bed next to Luke's, but noticed that he was out of reach. It wasn't Luke. It was Sang. The blanket covered half of her face and her long hair was spilling over the edge of her own bed. She was fast asleep.

"You said it yourself - she's different. Unlike any of those set-ups and fakes we've dealt with the past few years, she could be the one they're looking for."

The one we're looking for?! I masked a gasp with a yawn. It was the only way for them to not notice I had already woken up. As much as I wanted to keep up the sleeping facade, the discussion had made my heart skip a beat at the same time, wanting it to stop. That can't be! She's-

"I think we should take this conversation somewhere private."

"Agreed." Both of them exited the room and closed the door, leaving me in tatters.

I stared hard at the only other living soul in this room -dead. She can't be that girl. That girl is long gone.

I was ready to leap out of bed and talk to Sean about what I'd heard. Craning my stiff neck towards where the door would be, I took note of the overly familiar pole near the bed. This old thing had kept my alice regulated when times got rough. What the heck had happened to me? Add the confusing talk I'd just heard to my hazy memories and it was highly possible that I might ponder these thoughts all night. Well, except for that recurring dream I'd just had. It, again, had felt so real.

Before I could lift my back from the bed, I heard a noise on the other side of the door. Footsteps returned and someone moved into the room, stopping near the foot of my bed.

"Blackbourne."

Gritting my teeth, I cast the sheets away from my torso and sat up. Feeling the strain on my arms and back, I tried hard not to groan while getting off the bed. My mentor and I both managed to slip out the room, before quietly closing the door.