Snakes and Ladders - Falice

The Story Never Ends

 Stick to your stones, 'cause that's all you know.

 жжж  

"That's ridiculous, Hal." Alice had stated, as she and her husband sat in their Register office, burning the midnight oil. Now that the Black Hood had been caught, it was up to the two of them to break the story – something made much easier thanks to Betty's ties to the case. Hal had just confessed that he wondered if her words at the mayor's jubilee really had made all the difference for Riverdale. Maybe the Black Hood really had fell off of Betty's call for justice.

"I'm serious, Alice." Hal continued, evoking a roll of his wife's eyes. "Maybe she and that psychopath have more in common than we think."

Alice widened her eyes, shocked that her husband would say such a thing about his own daughter.

"You're delusional, Hal. Her speech said nothing of the sort about murdering the sinners of this town." She spoke with a scoff, how she despised Hal Cooper.

"Oh," he began, with the kind of chuckle that told Alice that he was about to use something against her. "I'm delusional?" Alice raised an eyebrow, wondering what exactly he was about to throw at her. "I'm not the one at home making Polly's favourite Christmas cookies as if she's just going to come running back and everything will go back to normal."

Alice finally stood from her seat to glare at her husband. "I am allowed to hope that my daughter is coming home to us, Hal. I won't have you take that away from me, too."

Hal sneered, "She was right, Alice. She is a sinner. She had the smarts to run for the hills and, you know what? She's not looking back." It disgusted Alice how much power Hal thought he had over their family.

"She is not a sinner. God, Hal, you're starting to sound like that Black Hood maniac." Hal clenched his jaw but narrowed his green eyes. "You're the reason my daughter is gone, plain and simple. It wasn't the town, it wasn't the Black Hood, it was you." Alice continuously rolled her eyes as Hal stood his ground. "You know what, I can't work as long as you're here." He understood that she was asking him to give her some space, but Hal was sick of her threats.

"I don't care, Alice. We have a job to do, and I'm not leaving – not this time."

After her husbands sharp and painful words about Polly, Alice was left exhausted and with a sick feeling in her stomach. She didn't have the energy to convince Hal to leave her alone for the evening.

"Fine, Hal." Alice grabbed her jacket and shoved her laptop into her tote bag. "But, I can't stay."

I was caught in the middle.

Alice left the Register with her head held high. Hal was right about one thing, they did have a job to do. The story needed telling, preferably as soon as tomorrow morning before anyone else could get their hands on it. But, Alice wasn't quite ready to drag herself home and work silently in an empty house that was once filled with the laughter of her two daughters.

Not five minutes later, she found herself at the one place that was open twenty-four hours a day. She wasn't quite feeling as strong and untouchable as she usually was, tonight. Hal's words rang violently true. Polly was gone, she had packed her things and left her family behind in the dust. And it truly all came down to Hal. He was the reason behind her misery and Polly's. How many wrong turns had Alice Cooper taken that lead her to such a miserable present?