Play Your Cards

They Grow Up So Quickly

Ace rests in her room. Her hair falls around her head in a matted mess. Her mouth hangs open a small bit and her face is smushed against the pillow.

"Mrs. Ace?" The guard calls

Ace doesn't even flinch. She keeps dreaming soundly.

"Mrs. Ace?" He says louder

Ace starts to churn in her sleep but falls back asleep. Her mouth closes and opens again. A small mumble escapes her lips.

"Mrs. Ace!" He shouts

Ace's eyes flutter open and then shut again. She tucks her face into her pillow.

"It's 3 in the afternoon." The guard says

"So?" She mumbles

The guard gives up and leaves the room. Ace falls back asleep and lets out a comfortable sigh.

-

'Thud' 'Thud' 'Thud'

The sound continues and gets faster as it goes. Ace stirs and eventually opens her eyes.

"Shut up." She mumbles

The sound doesn't stop. Ace lifts her head off of the pillow.

"Can you shut it?" She almost yells

Ace mumbles to herself and throws the black cover aside. Ace rubs her eyes and pulls on her boots. She tugs at her knotted hair with a wide tooth comb.

Once her hair is sort of smooth, she yawns and stands in the room, forgetting why she got up.

The thudding continues and she remembers why she got up again.

She stomps over into Murphy's mapping room. Her boots stomp down the hallway as she finally reaches the room.

There sits 10k playing the knife game in front of Murphy. He stares deeply into his eyes. Tears fill his eyes as the knife skims the inside of his fingers. Ace's eyes widen and start to tear up.

"Enough!" She almost shouts

The knife stops moving. He takes it away from his hand and places it on the table without moving his eyes off of Murphy.

"What the hell is going on?" Ace asks Murphy

Ace takes the new red bandana off of her arm and shakes it out so it unfolds.

"Allison go back to your room." Murphy orders

She doesn't listen to him. She moves around the table and walks over to 10k as the tears fall from his eyes. Ace gently takes his hand off of the table and begins wiping the blood off.

"At least it wasn't his trigger hand," Murphy mumbles to himself

Ace looks over at Murphy with a shocked expression.

"That's what you're worried about?!" She shouts

Murphy flinches at the loudness of her voice but 10k sits perfectly still.

Ace wraps the bandana around his hand and covers the cuts.

"Why the hell are you doing this?" Ace says as she calms down.

"He hurt you. I'm just following the Ace's Curse." Murphy says sounding almost angered

"You can't turn him into your mindless bitch!" She yells back

"Don't speak to me like that!" Murphy yells getting up out of his chair

Ace quiets down.

"You are my daughter and you obey me! Don't speak to me like that! Don't treat me like I'm your prisoner still! Go to your room!"