Challenge #179
Option #1: Truth & Falsehood
Note: I do sort of hope that despite my skipping back and forth between characters and timelines that everything continues to make some sort of sense.
Peeping Alice pt.16
Vincent drives, as is their common arrangement, and within just a few short minutes on the road Alice begins to theorize about their destination.
"Meadow Lane?" she questions as they turn into the neighborhood she knows contains the street in question.
She turns to look at him, noticing his jaw clench as he decides not to respond. She returns to watching out the window at the houses as they pass. She watches eagerly for the sign indicating the mysterious street, and the even more mysterious house.
As she predicted, Vincent slows the van to a stop outside the house that she ran from not so long ago. To Alice, in her mind it seems like weeks since that day when time seemed to stop for her, and that she learned a precious piece of her own history. Stepping from the dark van into the brisk wind she knows it was only a matter of two days.
"I thought it might help you remember some things," Vincent says as he steps around the back of the van to stand at her side.
She nods in agreement and pulls her jacket tighter to block the wind.
"You'd think that so much sun would make it warmer out here," she remarks as they make their way up the driveway.
Vincent takes the lead as they reach the front door and he gives the doorbell button a push. Somewhere inside a high pitched chime sounds and the sound of shuffling and clicking follows. As the door opens in the space reveals a young man with dishelved brown hair wearing wrinkled khakis and polo shirt, no shoes. He gives a quick nod to Vincent as he looks through the glass storm door.
"Right on time," he says as he opens the door and motions for them both to enter. A smile plays on his lips as he watches Alice enter.
The young man, despite the dark circles under his eyes and dishelved appearance is chipper and invites them further into the house, turning his back to them as he wanders down the hall.
"I'm Alice," she says to his back by way of introduction.
"Rex," he responds over his shoulder. "Guy here says you used to live here?" he asks turning back around thumb out pointing to Vincent.
They stop in the living room a small room divided into two sections by a large sofa and table to create what looks like one one side a small office or study area and on the other side a game room. A dartboard hangs crookedly on one wall, and video game boxes litter the floor near an average sized television. In contrast the study area is pristine and organized with only a computer and notepad sitting visible on the desk.
"I think so," Alice answers looking uncertainly at Vincent.
"When she was young," he says for her, "her parents owned the house".
"Cool. Becca and I are just renting the place," he states, "ya know, while we finish school".
Alice nods, unsure how to respond. Without having to think of what to say next, she stands uncomfortably at Vincent's side and steals glances around her.
"You want a tour? Or you can just look around if you want..."
"We will just look around if that is alright. We will not keep you too long," Vincent says as he lightly grips Alice's arm.
Rex shrugs and wonders further into the room and flops down on a worn sofa. He doesn't seem to pay any attention to them as they walk away and Vincent leads Alice into the Kitchen, hand still on her arm.
"Was that the voice you heard?" he asks quietly once out of earshot of Rex.
Alice shrugs. "Maybe."
"I need you to take your time, look around...remember what you can." He looks at her nervously, still speaking in hushed tones. "I think it will help you."
"Help with what?"
"Everything."
She gives him an incredulous look and shakes her arm out of his grasp, turning to give the Kitchen a more thorough once-over. Everything looks clean, but old. The appliances are a distorted shade of cream, that reminds Alice of melted ice-cream. She glances out of the window over the sink into the bushes below that hid her just days before.
"How old is Rex, you think?" she asks as she wanders through the open door and into the adjacent dining area.
"I did not think to ask. I do know he is a student at the University. The girl he mentioned is also at that school."
"And are they together?"
"Probably," he responds lifting an eyebrow in question as he follows.
"So do you think they were the two I heard fighting?"
"Most likely, Alice."
"Huh."
"Are you remembering anything?"
"No. I mean, the house seems familiar, I know what to expect in the next room, but nothing else."
"Perhaps we should go upstairs? View the bedrooms?"
She nods and they both wend through the front hall once more, but taking the stairs instead of back into the living room. At the top of the stairs Alice stops and looks back at Vincent.
"It smells a little," she whispers.
"What do you smell?"
"I don't know. It's just...different."
"Keep going Alice."
Taking his instruction, Alice steps further into the hallway. Before she can make it to the first doorway, she stops short, letting Vincent come up behind her. He grabs her arms from behind, supporting her and she relaxes into his hold.
"Something isn't right Vincent.
"Do you want to leave?"
"No."
With his help, she takes a step forward. And then another. There is a darkness at the end of the short hallway that nearly obscures the door from view. Slowly, she steps forward once more, until she feels that she could almost reach out and touch it. For it is something...not just a shadow or trick of the light, and she feels a deep foreboding in her heart.
"What is it?" she whispers.
"Darkness. Other than that, I do not know," his voice wavers slightly and he pulls her backwards a step.
Before either of them can make a decision, the deep grey swirl that obscures the door coalesces into a more dense shape. It pulls into itself, slowly turning and twisting making Alice's stomach flip-flop as she watches it pull together. As the the dark form looks like it's going to solidify, it instead stretches outward, forward and springs away from the door way, and through Alice.
It's cold and warm at the same time, making every part of her tingle. Her chest feels like it's tightening as the darkness fills her up. Vincent drops his hold on her arms and swings her around to face him, looking into the fear-filled eyes of his charge. Her skin grows darker for a moment, shadow peering out of her pores from the inside. He pushes her back against the wall.
"What's happening?" she asks, her voice cracking with fear.
"Hold on," he whispers.
He places a hand against her chest, right below her neck and his hand glows with a deep golden light as he presses against her. She feels like a shockwave hit her system, and where there was a darkness, it's chased away by the light Vincent injects into her. Within moments, it's gone or absorbed or been broken and she feels as though she can breath again. She slumps down against the wall and slides to the floor.
From downstairs Rex yells up at them, "Everything alright up there?"
Alice looks up at Vincent who backs away to lean against the opposite wall. "Oh, we're going to talk later," she says to Vincent as she reaches out a hand so he can help her stand.
Once she feels balanced on her own feet again, she takes the last few steps forward and pushes open the last door of the hallway, just as Vincent opens his mouth to protest. She peeks her head in for a moment before popping back out again. She turns and looks at Vincent, a question in her eyes.
"It's just a room," she shrugs.