Post by Kira & Lee Norris on Nov 30, 2007 18:03:04 GMT
Was he convinced?
Absolutement.
It was funny how quickly a person could change their mind. Impulse was a major factor in most snap-second decisions- and sometimes, it was just instinct. He heard her talking to him all the time now. Sometimes he hated her. Sometimes he tolerated her. Sometimes, he really, really felt like he cared about her. That he loved her. With all his friggin' heart.
Absolutement.
It was like... she was his sister, he supposed. Like she was Bethany, or Kira. She must be Bethany's age, but she reminded him more of Kira in that she could so easily open up his eyes to the possibilities. Finally, he could familiarise himself with that strange, foreign concept- that he was wrong. Totally wrong.
Absolutement.
"Hi, Lee."
He was used to her jumping out at him now; just as though she was dodging an obstacle in his mind. Sometimes, it was like she was crossing an assault course to get to him. She always looked angry when that happened. She didn't like to be blocked off.
"Hi, Libba," he smiled warmly, feeling a rush of sisterly affection.
Yes, she was beautiful. There was no denying that. But he couldn't feel anything but sisterly affection. That was one thing she could never change. His heart was completely, and totally Maddie's.
Absolutement.
"How are you?"
"Good," she replied smoothly. "We've talked a lot recently... so today, I've got a field trip prepared."
Lee stared at her. "Must we?"
"Those doubts are still there," she replied, placing the pad of her index finger firmly in the middle of his forehead. "Oh, Lee. You're all chewed up inside. Far too passionate. You need to take a tip from your friend Jude. He keeps his emotions in tack far better."
Lee waited for a couple of seconds, as her brown eyes blazed into his. She was taller than him- only slightly, and only because she wore heels- but it still served the purpose of reminding him that she was older than him, and so, wiser. Any remarks she made, he had to put up with, especially if he wanted to learn anymore.
"You think I've blessed you?" Libba enquired with apparent delight. "How sweet! Absolutement! It's like I'm taking over, non?"
"Sort of."
He always struggled to answer her properly when she touched him. Immediately, the thick scent of strawberries rolled towards him; its sweet, succulent tendrils uncurling around his nostrils. He inhaled deeply, though whether by instinct or impulse, he could not tell. Lee couldn't really understand a lot of things when she was near him. Except that she was right. And that he had to listen.
"Oui."
"Ok."
She laughed softly. "I'm taking you to the Hospital Wing," she said, withdrawing her finger to reach out instead and touch an invisible wall. Her fingers all spread out now, her palm pressing against it.
"Why are you taking me there?" he asked warily, the comatose visions of Kira and Maddie flashing past with a furious rush of pain.
"Because that's where he belongs."
Lee stared at her. "Where who belongs?"
"You'll see, pet, you'll see..."
All of a sudden, those chocolate eyes of her's glazed blue, and she seemed to fizzle as an electric energy began to spread from her fingertips. As it spread, it snaked across the black wall, criss-crossing in chessboard patterns as it threaded itself together. The colour glazed white, and the walls weaved into shape around them. The electricity now moved across the room, the floor now spreading beneath them, and the floor seemed to retch as the beds burst from its surface. Everything jittered awkwardly into place, and finally, when the curtains swung open, a weak sunlight spilled into the empty Orchid Hospital Wing.
Libba hit her heel experimently on the floor, and there was a surrounding clack that reverberated about the room.
"Love these things," she told Lee happily. "They make me look so good..."
"They do?"
"They do," she confirmed, twirling for his benefit. "I always look good, don't I?"
"Okay."
She seemed disappointed with his answer, but ignored it. Libba turned, hips swaying and walked slowly on up the aisles. Lee followed her quietly, more than a little anxious about what she had to show him. She never showed him anything good. It was just... one hell, after another, after another...
Did he hate it?
Absolutement.
It was Steve.
Lee stopped, his head tilted curiously as he surveyed him. Lee didn't know Steve very well- other than he was Macy's... possibly her boyfriend, he wasn't sure. But there were certain things that everyone knew...
"Hey, Lee," Steve said, sliding off the hospital bed and coming over to shake his hand. "I'm Bonkers. Could you tell?"
Lee stared at him blankly. "I... Steve."
"That's me!"
"Your hair..."
Steve's hair wasn't changing colour. It wasn't the usual vibrant green he'd come to associate with a cheerful Steve... nor was it that strange inky black colour. It was... well, normal. It was a light, natural brown, and there were no trademark feathers of leaves woven throughout it. Although Steve was dressed in hospital robes, he looked otherwise quite... again, all Lee could think of was 'normal', except it wasn't. Steve's so-called normality was unnerving. He didn't like it.
"It's not messy, is it?" Steve said calmly, running a hand through it. "Hmm. Oh, well. Hi! I'm Bonkers," he called to Libba who beamed at him.
"Hullo Bonkers."
"Hello," he laughed. "You must be Libba."
She twirled for his benefit. "That's my name."
They both laughed in unison, their eyes sparkling at each other. Lee felt another nervous spasm in his stomach. There was something funny going on here...
"Steve, why are you in hospital?"
"I told you," he replied. "I'm Bonkers."
"Bonkers," repeated Libba, looking at Lee strangely. "He's completely bonkers. Absolutement."
Where had that word come from anyway?!
"No, but... you're fine," Lee said dumbly. "You take meds. You have Macy. You're... fine."
"It's forced on me," Steve told him. "Fine is forced. No way, Lee. I'm mad."
"No, you're not!"
"Lee, don't be awkward," Libba said pleadingly, stepping up behind him, and slipping the crook of her arm around his. "Just listen to him."
"But..." Lee bit his tongue, and sighed. "Sorry, Steve."
"It's fine," Steve smiled widely, but somehow, without his green hair, it didn't suit him. "It's like I said, though. I am crazy. It's a wonder they let me into the school at all, with a record like mine."
"You have a record?"
"Possibly. You don't know me very well. But I bet you'd be surprised by my past. It's what made me mad."
Lee stared at him. "I... I'm sorry."
"Why?" Libba laughed at him. "You didn't do anything!"
Steve laughed too. "Now who's mad?"
Lee didn't answer.
"Imagine if we were all mad, Lee," Steve pressed on. "You and me both. And Libba. And Kira. And Madeleine. And Macy, Will, Jude, Ellie, Brian, Ailith, Jack... Gosh, there's just so many that can go mad!"
"Why would we go mad?" Lee wasn't sure why he'd asked it, but he'd a feeling Libba had something to do with it.
"Because if you had a past like mine, wouldn't you mad?"
Libba tilted her head. "Or even... if our future was like your's."
"War makes people mad, Lee."
"War makes people bad, Lee."
"War does this to you, Lee," Steve said softly...
He trailed off, his mouth still hanging open, when all of a sudden, a great scream suddenly leapt forth from it- strangled by pain and hatred and insanity. Steve was screaming and screaming, his head in his hands now as his hair began to flash through a kaliedascope of colours.
Lee and Libba ducked out of the way- but they were too late.
The whole dream exploded, and then... there was nothing.
Absolutement.
It was funny how quickly a person could change their mind. Impulse was a major factor in most snap-second decisions- and sometimes, it was just instinct. He heard her talking to him all the time now. Sometimes he hated her. Sometimes he tolerated her. Sometimes, he really, really felt like he cared about her. That he loved her. With all his friggin' heart.
Absolutement.
It was like... she was his sister, he supposed. Like she was Bethany, or Kira. She must be Bethany's age, but she reminded him more of Kira in that she could so easily open up his eyes to the possibilities. Finally, he could familiarise himself with that strange, foreign concept- that he was wrong. Totally wrong.
Absolutement.
"Hi, Lee."
He was used to her jumping out at him now; just as though she was dodging an obstacle in his mind. Sometimes, it was like she was crossing an assault course to get to him. She always looked angry when that happened. She didn't like to be blocked off.
"Hi, Libba," he smiled warmly, feeling a rush of sisterly affection.
Yes, she was beautiful. There was no denying that. But he couldn't feel anything but sisterly affection. That was one thing she could never change. His heart was completely, and totally Maddie's.
Absolutement.
"How are you?"
"Good," she replied smoothly. "We've talked a lot recently... so today, I've got a field trip prepared."
Lee stared at her. "Must we?"
"Those doubts are still there," she replied, placing the pad of her index finger firmly in the middle of his forehead. "Oh, Lee. You're all chewed up inside. Far too passionate. You need to take a tip from your friend Jude. He keeps his emotions in tack far better."
Lee waited for a couple of seconds, as her brown eyes blazed into his. She was taller than him- only slightly, and only because she wore heels- but it still served the purpose of reminding him that she was older than him, and so, wiser. Any remarks she made, he had to put up with, especially if he wanted to learn anymore.
"You think I've blessed you?" Libba enquired with apparent delight. "How sweet! Absolutement! It's like I'm taking over, non?"
"Sort of."
He always struggled to answer her properly when she touched him. Immediately, the thick scent of strawberries rolled towards him; its sweet, succulent tendrils uncurling around his nostrils. He inhaled deeply, though whether by instinct or impulse, he could not tell. Lee couldn't really understand a lot of things when she was near him. Except that she was right. And that he had to listen.
"Oui."
"Ok."
She laughed softly. "I'm taking you to the Hospital Wing," she said, withdrawing her finger to reach out instead and touch an invisible wall. Her fingers all spread out now, her palm pressing against it.
"Why are you taking me there?" he asked warily, the comatose visions of Kira and Maddie flashing past with a furious rush of pain.
"Because that's where he belongs."
Lee stared at her. "Where who belongs?"
"You'll see, pet, you'll see..."
All of a sudden, those chocolate eyes of her's glazed blue, and she seemed to fizzle as an electric energy began to spread from her fingertips. As it spread, it snaked across the black wall, criss-crossing in chessboard patterns as it threaded itself together. The colour glazed white, and the walls weaved into shape around them. The electricity now moved across the room, the floor now spreading beneath them, and the floor seemed to retch as the beds burst from its surface. Everything jittered awkwardly into place, and finally, when the curtains swung open, a weak sunlight spilled into the empty Orchid Hospital Wing.
Libba hit her heel experimently on the floor, and there was a surrounding clack that reverberated about the room.
"Love these things," she told Lee happily. "They make me look so good..."
"They do?"
"They do," she confirmed, twirling for his benefit. "I always look good, don't I?"
"Okay."
She seemed disappointed with his answer, but ignored it. Libba turned, hips swaying and walked slowly on up the aisles. Lee followed her quietly, more than a little anxious about what she had to show him. She never showed him anything good. It was just... one hell, after another, after another...
Did he hate it?
Absolutement.
It was Steve.
Lee stopped, his head tilted curiously as he surveyed him. Lee didn't know Steve very well- other than he was Macy's... possibly her boyfriend, he wasn't sure. But there were certain things that everyone knew...
"Hey, Lee," Steve said, sliding off the hospital bed and coming over to shake his hand. "I'm Bonkers. Could you tell?"
Lee stared at him blankly. "I... Steve."
"That's me!"
"Your hair..."
Steve's hair wasn't changing colour. It wasn't the usual vibrant green he'd come to associate with a cheerful Steve... nor was it that strange inky black colour. It was... well, normal. It was a light, natural brown, and there were no trademark feathers of leaves woven throughout it. Although Steve was dressed in hospital robes, he looked otherwise quite... again, all Lee could think of was 'normal', except it wasn't. Steve's so-called normality was unnerving. He didn't like it.
"It's not messy, is it?" Steve said calmly, running a hand through it. "Hmm. Oh, well. Hi! I'm Bonkers," he called to Libba who beamed at him.
"Hullo Bonkers."
"Hello," he laughed. "You must be Libba."
She twirled for his benefit. "That's my name."
They both laughed in unison, their eyes sparkling at each other. Lee felt another nervous spasm in his stomach. There was something funny going on here...
"Steve, why are you in hospital?"
"I told you," he replied. "I'm Bonkers."
"Bonkers," repeated Libba, looking at Lee strangely. "He's completely bonkers. Absolutement."
Where had that word come from anyway?!
"No, but... you're fine," Lee said dumbly. "You take meds. You have Macy. You're... fine."
"It's forced on me," Steve told him. "Fine is forced. No way, Lee. I'm mad."
"No, you're not!"
"Lee, don't be awkward," Libba said pleadingly, stepping up behind him, and slipping the crook of her arm around his. "Just listen to him."
"But..." Lee bit his tongue, and sighed. "Sorry, Steve."
"It's fine," Steve smiled widely, but somehow, without his green hair, it didn't suit him. "It's like I said, though. I am crazy. It's a wonder they let me into the school at all, with a record like mine."
"You have a record?"
"Possibly. You don't know me very well. But I bet you'd be surprised by my past. It's what made me mad."
Lee stared at him. "I... I'm sorry."
"Why?" Libba laughed at him. "You didn't do anything!"
Steve laughed too. "Now who's mad?"
Lee didn't answer.
"Imagine if we were all mad, Lee," Steve pressed on. "You and me both. And Libba. And Kira. And Madeleine. And Macy, Will, Jude, Ellie, Brian, Ailith, Jack... Gosh, there's just so many that can go mad!"
"Why would we go mad?" Lee wasn't sure why he'd asked it, but he'd a feeling Libba had something to do with it.
"Because if you had a past like mine, wouldn't you mad?"
Libba tilted her head. "Or even... if our future was like your's."
"War makes people mad, Lee."
"War makes people bad, Lee."
"War does this to you, Lee," Steve said softly...
He trailed off, his mouth still hanging open, when all of a sudden, a great scream suddenly leapt forth from it- strangled by pain and hatred and insanity. Steve was screaming and screaming, his head in his hands now as his hair began to flash through a kaliedascope of colours.
Lee and Libba ducked out of the way- but they were too late.
The whole dream exploded, and then... there was nothing.
