Just The Way You Like It - Under Construction

Chapter Three

Chapter Three

As this new man in white reached down to touch her wrist, a jolt of electricity shot through Alice's core. She had done this before and she knew it. That grasp on her wrist, it was so warm and gentle. Although Alice thought he was trouble from the start, this man somehow seemed completely oblivious to the danger he was putting her in, and he almost seemed kind. 'Where do I know this from? Come on Alice. Think.'

Snapshots of her former life began filtering through her mind's eye. A horse, roan colored. 'What was its name? Jinny' Jinny was her horse. More images came to her. Sitting in a hospital, she was so young. 'Seven, Alice, you were seven and you broke your arm. That’s right!' Her horse Jinny had gotten spooked on one of her morning lessons, bucked, and threw her. The nice doctor at the hospital had put his hand on Alice's wrist, the same way this man was now. It wasn't the same doctor, the other one was much older, and pudgy. But, Alice remembered the old doctor from her childhood had the same kindness as this one did.

The images started to fade. 'No, come on Alice, hold on! Don't forget!' Her heart started to race, and Alice almost panicked. She could feel her own breathing quicken, remembering her past was almost impossible lately. She had been trained to forget it, and was easier that way as going to the darkness with nothing was simple. With nothing to live for, its easier to let the darkness in. Accept it, and keep going.

Almost as quickly as the doctor touched her, he let go. Alice couldn't understand why he was now seemingly agitated, and she hoped she hadn’t done anything to displease him. Even though he had been trying to get her into trouble, Alice still had a job to do. Pleasing him was going to be her main goal, that was always the goal. Whatever they wanted, it was her job to give it to them. Without question, pride, or hesitation. Alice had already failed once and survived. She couldn't let it happen again.

She began clearing her mind of Jinny and the kind old doctor from the past, and refocused on this new man in white. He was backing away, talking much to quickly for her to understand a word of it. Something about a button? Help? He said, “Get some rest, it's going to be a busy day tomorrow.” 'Rest? He wants me to go back to sleep? Oh God, I have failed!' Alice didn't even get a chance to find out what he wanted, and she had already failed. She turned her head away, not wanting to look at him. She knew surely he would be angry with her.

He had left as quickly as he had come. Leaving Alice in her dark room, alone. It was time to focus. 'Don't panic this time Alice. Concentrate.' Once he had left, she began to truly take in her new surroundings for the first time. She was in a bed, not her usual box. Low bars had been attached to the bed at both sides of her. Each had buttons on them she could not decipher. Alice was still hooked up to wires and tubes, which she now noticed were linked to machines beside her bed. Dim lights blinked off and on periodically on each of the machines. There was a cushy looking chair in the corner of the room along with a small rectanuglar table. A clock on the wall, which she couldn't read, and below it was a bank of windows. The curtains were pulled shut tight, thankfully. Alice didn't know if it was day or night, nor did she really care. She had lost the ability to tell day from night a long time ago, and was not concerned with the time. Her only real concern was the light that she knew would be on the other side of those curtains during the day.

After looking around the room, Alice began to look at herself as best as she could. Her arms were still tethered to the bedsides, so she had little ability to move. She kicked off the sheets that were covering her legs. Looking down, she saw a pair of legs that she thought could not have been her own. They were frail looking, almost shriveled. Alice began to breathe heavier. She knew they had been broken numerous times, but she hadn't realized that they looked like that. She looked over my arms, which seemed to be in the same condition, but only a little less shriveled than her legs. They too had been broken too many times to count.  Alice sighed, thinking, 'No wonder they are punishing you. You look old.'