Wonderlust

5:30

     Once again, I found myself confined.  Despite the door being unlocked, I was forbidden to get out of bed. Ciel seemed determined to make sure I stayed there, because he came every thirty minutes to check that I was were I was suppose to be.  

By the time the doctor came again, my legs were aching from lying around all day. Dr. Mako came in with his worn out doctor's bag and got to work immediately.  He pulled out a paint brush and a jar or black solution without saying a word. 

"I see that you are starting immediately , Doctor." Ciel walked into the room with no reservations. "You did not even come to greet me.  Should I be hurt?"

Mako laughed deeply, but continued preparing his tools. "I thought that the sooner that this was done, the better."

"Um,"  I threw my legs over the edge of the bed to touch the carpet for the first time that day. "What exactly is going to happen?"

Both men paused. Mako looked up at Ciel with a clear displeasure. "You haven't explained to her."

Ciel rubbed the side of his face. "Well, this is more of your expertise.  I would just confuse her."

The doctor's lips twisted into a grimace. He looked back at me with searching eyes. "You are an outsider, correct?"

I nodded silently.  I feared that I would not like what this conversation held in store for me. 

"Then what do you know about imagination?"

How could answer that?  Imagination is just imagination. It is most likely what led me to this insane place.

"It is a abstract think that is-"

"Not abstract." The doctor cut me off. 

"What does that even mean?"  I grumbled under my breath. "How does one touch imagination?"

"Simply put, imagination is an energy that is made in the heart.  How much you have and how well you use it depends on the amount of creativity one has." Dr. Mako takes a seat beside me on the bed. The mattress creaks under his weight.

"And what does all of this have to do with me?"  I was aware of how rude I sounded, but I was losing my patience.

"You have way to much imagination. Especially for someone from Reality.  Your body cannot keep functioning on it's own with that much energy flowing through it. It is rather bizarre."

"Wait, if it is not common for outsiders to have 'imagination' then why do I have it?  I have never had problems before. My body is perfectly healthy." 

The doctor continued to take out a prepare strange things from his bag. "You have never had problems before because of the mark on your wrist. "

I look over at Hatter, who had been leaning against the wall listening tentatively . "Then why does he have the same mark as me?"

"Because you are connected to him." 

It was a simple explanation but not satisfactory. 

"And what does that mean?"

"That is not for me to explain. "  He took my wrist into his hand and turned it over so that the mark was visible. "I am about to begin. I suggest that you bite down on your pillow."

I did not know what was happening but I suddenly felt scared. I began to pull away but his grip was stronger than I expected. I watched as he dipped his paint brush into the black substance that he had taken out a few moments before. Then, he pressed the brush to my arm. 

Instantly I felt a hot, angry pain in my hand that rushed up my arm with a quick jolt. I screamed, but I could not hear it. Tears stung my eyes, forcing me to close them.  All that I could focus on was the pain.

 I could vaguely since myself fighting. clawing at the hand that held me in place. I knew I could feel someone holding me down as I thrashed. Beyond all of the chaos I could feel a surprisingly gentle touch, caress my face.  Something seemed familiar about this. Had this happened before? When? Why? 

My mind would not let me focus on one thing. It was all to much.  The darkness seemed to be pulling me down. When would this end? 

My eye lids were so heavy. 

From beyond the dark, I could hear a voice. 

"It is okay to sleep. I will stay with you until you wake up."

And so I did.

                               ____________________________________________________

 Beyond the sound of  an organ I could hear them talking. 

"Can you believe those Riddle's?!" 

"I heard  that Victoria will be put away?"

"Put away? You mean in THERE."

I looked over at my brother, who was silently sitting next to me on the pew. Tear were collecting in his eyes. He heard them. They were talking about us. They were always talking about us. 

The ladies who came were all dressed in their fashionable black dresses and veils. Their hats were overly large.  None of them looked at us. REALLY looked at us. They gave us their condolences but...They even came over to our house to give us food that, no doubt, their servants had spent all day preparing. 

It did not matter. They just wanted to know what would happen to us, or to know what really happened on that stormy night. We would not tell them. They would never know.  We were not apart of a play that they could watch from their balcony seats. 

I heard a snicker from the far back of the church. I am sure someone found our pain funny. Of course it was, if you were not the one being dealt the misfortune. Leo squeezed my hand. 

"Don't worry, Allis." He whispered. "We will leave this town as soon as possible."

Of course we would. we needed to escape for the hungry wolves that were chasing us.  It made me feel a bit like Little Red Riding Hood as I escaped from the people who wanted to devour us. Or rather, instead of us, they would devour our money and jewels. They would take everything. 

I felt him tug on my arm as he led the way to the casket waiting for us at the front. Everyone watched as we peered down at the pale figure inside. 

It looked like he was sleeping. Like he was taking one of his afternoon naps. His mustache had been combed and his suit was free of wrinkles. My father did not look dead. He would get up at any moment and begin playing his violin, I was certain of it. 

But he WAS dead. He would never leave that box again. 

Leo gently places the white rose into the casket, and I did the same. I followed him out of the church without another word.  Just as I followed him out of that town in the same manner.