[open] Sarabande

[Alice Perette-Johnston]

Practice had eluded Alice for a few days. Not only was the school especially busy, for some reason—perhaps she had never noticed the people--- but the weather had not been pleasant. Alice had been disgruntled, left with her visions until the weather cleared. It was days like today, days just after the weather had cleared, that Alice cherished most. Nigh immediately after she got out of bed, she snatched up her cello case and an oversized cardigan and rolled the large instrument out to the student courtyard, where she sat on the nearest stone bench and decided to practice.

She did not dress.

She did not comb her hair.

She just left.

And so there she sat. Her hair wild about her dreamy face, Alice smiled brightly at sun, listening to the gently swaying trees and the snuffling breeze. It wasn’t too early for joggers to already been inside and showering, but it was certainly still breakfast time. Alice didn’t care. Eating wasn’t as important as practicing! She sat on the bench, wiggling slightly with excitement. Her toes stretched and flexed in the cold grass, her single pink striped sock quickly becoming drenched with dew. Alice’s other foot was bare. The blue dotted sock she had worn to bed was probably kicked off as she wiggled under the sheets, awaiting the sleep that she knew would never come.

Alice never slept. Alice never slept voluntarily, at least. She went through the routine for the sake of her fellow students: brush your teeth, comb your hair, wear pajamas, lay down and close your eyes. In Alice’s world, there was another step: get back up and do something productive. Alice would only lay down for a moment, then wander off. She would eventually find her way back into her bed, laying down for a few minutes to await the light of morning. That way, she always got up at the same time as everyone else.

It was a nice trick, but Alice didn’t know why she still did it. As she lovingly raised her cello out of his case, pressing the neck to her shoulder and stroking the strings with adoration, she mused that no one at Hammel was exactly normal, why should she have to sleep like a normal kid? She frowned as she drew her bow from the case, slicking it with rosin before she laid it thoughtfully against the strings.

She pretended to sleep, because at Hammel no one was normal. Because no one was normal, they made up a norm for normal. Alice sighed and shook her head, looking out of the courtyard. Blurry purple mists still hovered over the grass, and pink-orange flies darted from bloom to bloom of large blue flowers. Alice smiled at the sight, wondrous of the beauty of the world. As she drew the first note from the cello, Alice realized that flies were not pink, and mists were not purple.

Frowning, Alice looked out over the courtyard again, and concentrated like she had been taught. Reality was reality; it was not relative. Shortly, the colors faded into their true forms. The pink-orange flies turned to black and yellow bees and dark gnats. The blue flowers faded to the dull yellow of dandelions, and the purple mists grew fainter and fainter until they were the translucent grey of Vermont fog.

The echoing call of Alice’s first note still hung in the air. It was something real to focus on for now. Smiling and leaving her eyes open, in case anyone approached, Alice warmed up with a slow, melancholy Sarabande.

[Delilah Pryce]

Delilah had been in town for a bit now and still hadn't made it back to the school. She was being pulled there by her own sense of self preservation as the school was one of the few places in her youth where she felt safe and accepted. Of course, that didn't mean her problems went away as her school records would testify. She had been an excellent student academically but her social skills had been lacking, just as they were now. The mental damage her father had done to her was almost irreversible and the best anyone could hope for were the days where she didn't hurt some guy for walking by her too closely. Delilah had hurt more than one young man at Hammel in her day, but thankfully none of them had been serious as her list of stolen skills was still small then. Of course, one of the shrinks here had been able to get through to Delilah some and that was a miracle in and of itself. The doctor which helped her so much had been a man, and while Delilah had hated him at first, he never gave up and showed her she could trust him. He was perhaps the only man she trusted now and would ever. It was his face which drew her to the school today on this bright and early morning and Delilah just hoped her dear doctor was still alive and well at the school for she needed someone to listen to her today.

Sitting in her car just down the street from the school, Delilah stared at the front gates of the school, lost in her own memories. The place hadn't changed from the outside. The security was still there but no doubt smarter and better equipped in this age. Delilah didn't even know if she would be allowed admittance in these dangerous days with all the talk of meta hatred and terrorist activities going on. Finally with sigh, Delilah put her 1970 green Plymouth Barracuda into gear and rolled slowly up to the front gates of the school, stopping at the behest of the guard who emerged from his little post house. Her window already down, Delilah took a deep breath and tried to keep herself calm as the man approached her. Intimidation crept in around her and she closed her eyes tightly, trying to find that center which would keep everything cool for the moment. "Ma'am," the guard said with a smile and nod of his head, "Identification and who your here to see," he said with a practiced nature, pushing his thumbs into his belt loops with a casual smile. Putting her car into park, Delilah nodded and leaned over to the passenger side of the car and opened the dark brown knit bag which held her identification. Fumbling around for a second, Delilah handed the man her driver's license with shaking hands. Why did the guard have to be a man? Didn't they have any women who could handle this better?

There were a thousand pieces of identification Delilah could have given the guard, all of them fake with their own made up histories, but instead, Delilah actually used her real one. She knew if she wanted to sneak into Hammel, it would take weeks of planning and study and to be honest, it really wasn't necessary. Hammel didn't really answer to Uncle Sam and as such, she was more than safe here. Delilah had made a few wrong choices in her life and as such, she wasn't exactly on the side of Johnny Law. The guard looked the license over and then back to Delilah, "What's your business here miss Pryce?," he asked her with a more serious look this time around. "I thought I might be able to visit a few old memories," she said quietly and nervously, her eyes darting from the guard to the steering wheel of her car. "One moment please," he said, disappearing back into the guard shack with her license. Letting out a heavy sigh as the man walked away, Delilah reached back over into her knit bag and pulled out a small brown bottle of pills and shakily removed the top, dumping two or three medium sized pills into her hand. Popping the pills in her mouth, Delilah chewed them with practiced skill and screwed the lid back on the bottle, putting it away as the guard returned. "Don't bother the students and stay out of the research areas please," he said surprisingly, handing Delilah her license back.

The gate in front of Delilah opened slowly and Delilah nodded to the guard, putting her car into gear and continuing on up the small drive to the parking lot off to the side. As she put the car into park, Delilah gave the beast a small push on the accelerator and then killed the engine. "Memories and ghosts," Delilah whispered to herself as she grabbed her knit bag and opened the car door, stepping out into cool early morning. Delilah had dressed in a pair of faded blue jeans, a black tight fitting tee shirt with a light grey cotton jacket and gray knit hat which she had knitted herself. She draped her knit pocket book across her body diagonally and then proceeded across the school grounds. The courtyard had been one of her favorite places when she attended school here and so it was the first place she headed now. The grounds had been landscaped a bit differently now, but still resembled the old days and as Delilah stopped to look at a few delicate flowers, she heard faint music in the distance. Hammel always had an abundance of talent to go around and so, Delilah decided to see just what talent brought this music to her and to see if she could steal it.

Crossing the grounds, Delilah navigated through the fine fog and finally found the source of the song which called to her. It was a cello being played by a rather odd looking young girl. Stopping not too far from the girl, Delilah watched her play the instrument, her finger movements now a part of Delilah's ever growing skill set. Delilah remained silent and watched the girl with a soft smile, enjoying the calm of both the music and the pills which were slowly working into her system.

[Alice Perette-Johnston]

The gentle music was plenty to keep Alice calm as well, and as the song wore on, she became more and more melded with her instrument. Her body swayed in the direction of the bow and her head bobbed in time with the music. A smile graced her features, but her unkempt appearance only served to make it lend to an image of other-worldliness. She was relaxed and focused, which was nice for once. When her mind wandered, as it tended to do, she found it difficult to keep her reality in check against the one that everyone else perceived.

When the song reached a breaking point, Alice was glad. She felt the presence of other eyes on her. She prayed that it was only another student, as she had found recently that the campus mailbox occasionally followed her around. The blue object was rather disconcerting when it would greet her outside of her dorm building, regarding her with stern, toad-like eyes set far apart from its gaping drawer-mouth. Alice’s roommates remained convinced that the mailbox was not watching them because it was an inanimate object, but Alice had other ideas. She knew its sneaky ways, and generally avoided it at all costs.

When she finally had the courage to look over her shoulder, she broke into a friendly, welcoming smile. “Hi!” She chirped, waving over her shoulder. It was just a lady standing not too far off. Nothing to worry about. There were lots of Ladies on campus at Hammel, and Alice had yet to encounter one that she did not like. Perhaps it was because Alice didn’t have the capacity to dislike anyone, or perhaps it was because she was just too spaced out to really care, but either way, Alice was a generally amicable girl no matter how corrosive someone’s personality was.

She waved Delilah in her direction, beckoning her to come closer. “I don’t want to keep yelling! You should come sit with me!” She suggested innocently, patting the stone bench. Unless that lady was busy, Alice couldn’t see any reason she couldn’t come closer to listen.

[Delilah Pryce]

The young girl must have felt Delilah's stare upon her as she quit playing for she turned her gaze upon Delilah and greeted her. Her face was rather common and her appearance just seemed to fit her. The girl seemed to be rather detached from the world she lived in and in an odd way, Delilah respected that. Too many strove to prove themselves these days, Delilah included. She felt she always had to prove her worth to the eyes which looked upon her, especially those who knew her past. Delilah would show them all that nothing would keep her down and that she was stronger than anything else around her. This girl before her though, seemed to not really care and instead just lived her life to suit her. How odd that seemed to Delilah but she wondered for just a moment what that sort of calm would be like. She could try to live that way, but her own paranoia wouldn't allow it for long. Delilah was a broken creature which just couldn't be put back together again.

Offering a small smile in return, Delilah took careful steps toward Alice. No one else seemed to be out this early, but from her memories of the school, there would be someone out running this morning. The grounds were perfect for a morning run as it was somewhat flat and very open with a beautiful view. Runners or not, it didn't matter for Delilah would join this girl for a bit of conversation and hopefully some more of that soothing music. "Yeah, I'm sure the others would appreciate it if we weren't yelling so early in the morning," Delilah said with a laugh now, stopping beside Alice and the bench she sat on. Pulling her purse around to her front, Delilah sat down and clasped her hands. She looked the cello over and then smiled to Alice yet again. "I hope I wasn't bothering you. Its just not everyday you see someone playing a cello," she said, rubbing her thumbs together slowly. Manners weren't a stranger to Delilah and while she used them sparingly, she did know when and how to use them. With women, it was easier to be relaxed and more herself, it always had been.

"I'm Delilah by the way," she said, offering her name up for some small talk. Alice seemed even more easy going up close and Delilah enjoyed that. Small talk was a rarity for her, mostly because she avoided it, but seeing how the morning was just so perfect and the music had soothed her, it just felt right. "When I went to school here, we had a boy who had a skill with sound. He could pick out any note and had perfect pitch when it came to singing. Its nice to see that musical talent still lives here now," she added before taking a deep breath.

[Alice Perette-Johnston]

Alice tilted her head, watching the careful moves Delilah executed before sitting. Pulling her purse to her front to keep it protected. Clasping her hands to keep them in her lap. Looking over her cello, then smiling graciously at Alice. Delilah did everything in a discreet and planned way, while Alice sort of floated and flopped into things. To Alice, it was a tell that Delilah wasn’t the best in social situations. There was no problem in that. Alice beamed brightly at her in an attempt to ease her stress. “Nope. You were fine. I was afraid you were the mailbox.” She explained nonchalantly.

Thought she couldn’t be described as rude, Alice didn’t find any use in adhering so strictly to manners. By Alice’s standards, simply not being rude made someone polite. There was no reason to overdo having manners. It was a laid back, dreamy approach to life like that that had kept Alice sane (sane being a relative term) through her short time at Hammel.

“Delilah. Alice.” Alice repeated, offering her name in return as she tapped the rigid wooden side of her bow against the edge of the stone bench a few times in quiet thought. “That’s a pretty name. Musical.” Alice added the last word on randomly. Delilah was a nice musical name. The first syllable was strong, like an arresting hiss, the second like a lilting song, and the final was a quiet sigh. It rose and fell, ending sweetly. Alice giggled a bit and nodded. “Yes. Very pretty.” She asserted again.

Tilting her head and regarding Delilah with new curiosity, Alice blinked. “You went to school here? That’s fun.” She remarked, nodded slowly. “I play cello to focus. My trainer says I need to focus more to keep my brain doing what its supposed to be doing.”

[Delilah Pryce]

This Alice seemed to be a lone resident in the world of her own making. Her slowly drifting words and relaxed movements indicated a person with whom tragedy and bad luck had never visited. She seemed happy in general and easy to interact with, even if her appearance and manner of speaking was rather odd. She thought Delilah had at first been a mailbox and while this was either a reference to a very private joke or whether Alice was truly insane and had gone off the deep end some time ago was up for debate. However, odd statements or not, Delilah smiled and enjoyed the odd yet jovial nature which Alice brought to the world, even if for only a moment. What a memory this meeting would make later on down the road when Delilah would need something to cheer her up and she needed a lot of that.

As Alice spoke and seemed to drift in and out of her own moment, Delilah took the opportunity to study her conversation mate. Alice was no doubt young, perhaps just reaching that odd gap between adolescents and adulthood. Her facial features indicated an older youth, but the way Alice was acting was as if she were a young child. Innocence some would call it, while others would call it being silly. Delilah didn't care which one Alice was classified as, for she was beginning to like the girl, even if only a small bit. Building bonds wasn't something Delilah was good at nor did she like. She felt that tragedy was the only ending which came with close friends, or even lovers for that matter. However, forming small quick moments with a select few here and there did happen often and it appeared Alice was going to be bestowed with this honor today.

The mention of the cello brought Delilah's attention to the instrument once again and she nodded her head in understanding. Focus was a major point of study when trainers taught their pupils on controlling their powers here at Hammel. Some required little to no training on controlling their powers as some were entirely involuntary and just happened. Others, such as Delilah had need to focus on keeping their bodies in good enough shape to deal with the strain their abilities put on them. Their wasn't much to understand about muscle mimicry but keeping one's body limber and healthy enough to handle the copied movements of others was top priority. Just because Delilah could perform any seen movement, did not mean her body automatically became fit enough to safely mimic said movements. Seeing a gymnast vault into the air and flip about several times before landing a perfect landing was an easy act to mimic for Delilah but seeing how her bones and muscles were not used to the strain meant the danger of pulled ligaments and broken bones upon her own landing. The students who usually required the most training where the ones who held extraordinary powers, such as those of the mind and elemental kind. Just which one Alice was, was a hard guess.

Narrowing her eyes, Delilah fell into a more curious state. She wondered just what Alice could do, seeing how the girl had thrown a tempting piece of information out there. "Well then Alice, what is it that such a talented girl like you can do?," she asked, tilting her head to one side. Surely such an odd girl as this would possess a fascinating ability.

[Alice Perette-Johnston]

“Oh I’m not particularly talented.” Alice said offhandedly as she plucked at the strings on her cello, watching as the deep purples sounds vibrated off of it (then she remembered that sounds didn’t have colors in the real world, and she continued tuning with that in mind). “But Doctor Neville says I live in a world that is very special, and that most people only see when they are sleeping.” She explained, looking out on the grounds which flickered and warped in her eyes alone. It settled eventually and she nodded to herself. “I don’t sleep.” Alice added suddenly, her speech lurching and disjointed, much like her thoughts.

“In the world that I see, there is a menagerie of color at every turn.” She described, remembering her favorite kind of flower pink fluffy flower that look more like cotton candy than a plant (most people classified dandelions as seeds…and saw that they were truly white, not pink). “And things that don’t move for other people dance and sing.” She giggled, but was suddenly serious, her turn of moods like the turn of a page. “Oh but sometimes they chase me. Like the mailbox. He’s been following me for a few days, I think. Sometimes I look twice and he’s not really there, but he’s very sneaky, so he could be there.” She shrugged and pulled at the string of the cello again, the thick sound one step up the bar staff from the previous.

“If I concentrate very hard, I can show it to other people. And sometimes when I accidentally fall asleep people see big dreams that I’m having. Like monsters and elephants and giant-sized puppies with drooly lips.” She added excitedly, though she seemed apprehensive about her body in sleep. “I don’t ever remember going to sleep, but I remember seeing a giant-sized puppy once.” Alice murmured, bringing up her hand to chew at her thumb.

“And once, I saw tiny kittens the size of cockroaches marching around in Pilot Ridge.” She leaned in to Deliliah and whispered, as if telling a secret. “Its infested with tiny green and yellow kittens, Pilot Ridge is. Be careful. They have super-sonic mewls that can hurt your ears, but they make the old things in the antique shops dance so I don’t really mind.” Truly Alice had a very active imagination, or she was absolutely bonkers. “I can show you the fireflies I usually see over the lake, if you’d like.” Alice offered the demonstration of her powers like it was nothing, because to her it was nothing. Alice was a perfectly normal girl in her world.

[Delilah Pryce]

Sitting side by side like this made for an odd comparison between Delilah and Alice. Not just in the age difference, but also in several other areas as well. The style of dress and overall appearance might have been the first thing some would have noticed. Delilah wasn't dressed exceptionally, but her outfit was put together and suited her on this day. As for Alice, her rather rushed and otherwise uncaring apparel made the girl stand out even more than her speech. There wasn't too much of a difference in their frames, but it was the way each girl held herself which set the main difference in them. Alice was relaxed, her body resting naturally on the bench she sat on. She gripped her cello just enough to support the instrument's weight and smiled playfully. Delilah on the other hand, was more rigid and tense, her body poised as if ready to strike out an the nearest perceived threat. She held her hands in front of her defensively and her eyes barely made contact with Alice's. Delilah was like a timid and wild cat who had been abused one too many times by the neighborhood kids. By all means, people like this were not very social, but once in a while, something or someone was able to tame them enough to distract them from their fears. Alice's innocent charm appeared to be enough to hold Delilah's interest for the time being.

Listening to Alice ramble on about several odd and strange things at once made Delilah sort of smile weakly. Talk about stalking mailboxes and tiny kittens parading around the town sounded like something from a child's story book, but the look in Alice's eyes said what she described was very real for her. The world in which Alice lived and saw sounded wonderful to Delilah and a pang of jealousy struck her heart for just a moment. To have had a carefree and beautiful life as Alice lived day to day was a fading dream Delilah longed for since she was young. Her monstrous father had taken all hope of normality from her at a very young age and destroyed any sense of a normal life further down the road. It was hard enough being a meta-human and Delilah did not need or want the emotional and mental trauma she carried with her helping making things worse.

What small smile Delilah had, faded slowly and her hurt began to show through. The longing to see such beauty which Alice described tugged at her heart and soul, bringing about the desire to be a normal little girl. If only Delilah could go back in time and kill her father long before he turned on her, what would her life be like. Maybe she might have turned out like innocent little Alice here? Instead of filling herself with violent skills, she could have filled herself with all sorts of artistic talents? Those dreams would have to just remain dreams though as Delilah had yet to find a meta-human who could bend time enough for any of her wants to happen.

Out of nowhere, Delilah was given an offer and one which caught her off guard. Alice was offering Delilah a glimpse of the things she could see and make with her mind. The smile which had faded moments earlier, now returned and with it a bit of happiness. It could have been the pills she took when she first arrived taking hold, but Delilah liked to think this feeling of euphoria was due to Alice and not the drugs. "I'd love to see this world of yours Alice," she said simply, biting at her lower lip in anticipation of the great things Alice would bring.

[Alice Perette-Johnston]

Beaming happily Alice reached out and touched Delilah’s arm shyly. They didn’t really need to be touching for Alice to show off, but it sometimes helped people. Some people became very scared when they saw things the way Alice did, and having a hand to hold often kept them calm. It also kept them rooted in the reality they perceived day to day, instead of getting lost somewhere in Alice’s dreamland. Gingerly she took Delilah’s hand loosely enough for the woman to pull it away if she wanted to.

That was something Alice had noticed about Delilah. She didn’t really look like she wanted to hold hands. Or be touched. Or really look at you directly. Delilah liked her space, to have her own personal bubble. Alice could respect that. It explained why her movements were so gentle and why she started the projection simply.

“I’m not very good at…” She wrinkled her nose, groping for the words her trainer used to describe her powers. “Projecting. Just yet.” Alice disclaimed as what Delilah could see began to mimic Alice’s sight. The colors of the world deepened and seemed more vibrant. Flowers began to burst forth where there had been none, in shades that flowers didn’t usually come in: violet fleck with silver, velvety blue and shining gold. “See?” She asked, looking up at Delilah.

“The grounds are so beautiful. And sometimes the flowers talk to each other…but I can’t understand them. They speak flower language.” She said, nodding softly. “And sometimes you can’t really hear them, but you can see them moving like they’re talking.” Alice explained, gesturing to two flowers that had begun to sway lightly towards and away from each other, like they were either dancing or talking animatedly to one another.

“And sometimes,” Alice began, as a warm light began to glow over the glass, separating into more lights of every imaginable color and some that were unimaginable. “I see these over the lake. They’re fireflies.” Alice smiled distantly and tilted her head to one side. “They’re not usually on campus…they like the lake. I think its because the water is clearer and they can see their reflections.” She murmured, her voice trailing off as she sighed and gazed out over the grounds.

Yes, to Alice the world was wonderful.

[Delilah Pryce]

Delilah's personal space was very limited and strictly off limits to almost all around her. She was very cautious of everyone, especially men, and very seldom allowed herself to lower her boundaries. Sure, picking up that random girl from a bar to take back to a hotel for a night of immoral behavior happened from time to time, but from step one it was always nothing more than a one night stand with no names exchanging place. Sometimes though, a person did manage to break down Delilah's carefully built walls and today, that person was Alice. With her carefree smiles and odd almost childlike attitude in general, Alice came across as no possible threat at all, hence why Delilah did not tense or try to jerk away from her when she grabbed her hand. Alice's touch was easy and soft, almost as if she knew Delilah was afraid. Alice spoke to Delilah in a manner one might speak to a stray animal when trying to pet it or see if it is hurt. That might have been insulting to some, but that thought never occured to Delilah and she just sat there, letting Alice do what she needed to share her ability.

As Alice began to project her ability, colors of all sorts began to filter through the mundane world. The transition was almost immediate and Delilah took a deep breath, taken back by the beauty before her. Flowers began to grow rapidly all around them but their colors were off. The colors these flowers came in were colors Delilah could never have imagined existed in any mind. A small sense of euphoria began to fill Delilah and instantly, almost all her stress and tension began to lift. Calm was taking hold and for the first time in a long time, Delilah was feeling like her old self long before her father destroyed her.

Alice continued to talk, describing that this scene was common for her and then pointed out how the flowers seemed to talk to one another and dance. Looking harder, Delilah did notice that the flowers appeared to socialize with each other. Their sway and stance mimicked the way people moved when socializing. It was quite funny to see such a thing and while Delilah was a grown adult, she couldn't help but feel a child. This gift which Alice possessed was the most amazing ability Delilah had ever seen or experienced. To be able to rewrite the world around you, even if only in a dream, was one to be envied with all your heart. All those hardships which plagued Delilah could be turned off like a light switch and the need for pills or the drink would be extinguished forever. Normality would be one step closer with every thought.

The sky before Delilah began to slip into more flashing colors as Alice described what was happening. The brilliant colors and lights were what she called "fireflies". The scene was beautiful and no doubt the lake would reflect all these colors so wonderfully. A small tear formed in Delilah's eye and then ran down her cheek, followed by another one. The gruff exterior which others saw when faced with Delilah was stripped away and the frightened little girl underneath now remained. Many had tried for years to find this person underneath all that hate and fear which Delilah wore as her mask and all had failed. However, a young girl, whom was a total stranger, had accomplished more in a few minutes than the finest doctors at Hammel had never been able to do.

[Alice Perette-Johnston]

Sighing, Alice began to let go of the projection. She released Delilah’s hands and the colors began to fade, like putting the dimmer on in a bright room. The flowers remained, but became foggy, losing their color until they were whisked away like smoke in a breeze. The sky settled back to its early morning hill, the cloud chugging lazily through the drab grey-blue sky. Finally, the fireflies dissipated, flaring a few times like a heartbeat before they extinguished completely. At least, that’s what it would have looked like to Delilah. For Alice, the world rarely changed and she could only see the world outside of her mind if she concentrated very hard. Besides, what was the fun in a world that wasn’t her own?

She looked over at Delilah, a dreamy look still on her face. “Did you like---oh!” she gasped, reaching out without thinking and placing her hands on either side of Delilah’s face, her thumbs gently flicking away the tears. In her distress she’d forgotten what she’d learned about Delilah. Delilah didn’t like people in her space, but Alice didn’t care. The poor creature was crying! Alice couldn’t stand to see her new friend cry, even if Delilah was a dream like her new friends sometimes turned out to be. “Oh please don’t cry.” She implored softly.

Alice hated to see other people cry, because it generally made her cry. She was certain now that she had made Delilah cry on accident. Maybe the colors hurt her eyes? Or maybe she was afraid of fireflies or maybe even the talking flowers scared her? Alice wouldn’t forgive herself if she’d accidentally made Delilah cry. “Did I scare you? I didn’t mean to. Oh gosh, I’m so sorry.” She fussed, releasing Delilah’s face and stuffing her hands in her lap awkwardly. She felt terrible and it wrote all over her face.

“Is there anything I can do to make it better?” She asked shyly after a few moments of silence. Her fingers twisted in her pajamas, knotting together in fretful tangles. She reached down and picked up her by, pulling her cello back into playing position from its resting spot against the bench. “Maybe a lullaby?”

[Delilah Pryce]

Unfortunately Alice would have to break the contact she had made with Delilah, a thought which Delilah tried to push to the back of her mind and just enjoy the moment she was being given. It would have been easy to get lost in such a world, either as the dreamer or the dream walker. Alice faced such a dangerous threat each waking moment but seeing the dream world in person like this, Delilah wondered if getting lost in this realm would really be that bad. There was still feelings and from the feeling of her empty stomach, Delilah discovered hunger still existed as well. Maybe Alice could just project these visions and not hypnotize with them? It mattered little if she could for Delilah was about half ready to just surrender completely to this dream. However, as first realized, the connection was broken and Alice brought the real world back to Delilah in a quick single stroke.

Gone was the vibrant colors of Alice's imagination and replaced with what now seemed like mundane average colors. It was like watching a bluray movie on a high definition television and then going off to watch an old VHS tape on a black and white television. What an addiction Alice's world could become, it was no wonder the girl looked half out of reality. If Delilah lived in the dream world like that, she would be happy and carefree all the time as well. Blinking her eyes, fading back into the real world, Delilah felt the morning air cooling her face where the tears had rolled down her cheeks just moments earlier. Funny how she had not really known she was crying, yet she remembered feeling it at the same time. Her hand was about to wipe the tears from her cheeks but Alice's hands had beat her to the punch.

Alice's hands were firm and full of assurance, a side effect of her cello playing no doubt. Small rough callouses could be detected on Alice's fingertips, but they weren't too rigid or rough just yet. Alice was still young and whatever toll working the frets of the instrument had on her fingers, healed rather quickly. For strong hands though, Alice still had a soft and delicateness about her. She seemed to detect Delilah's want for personal space, but it seemed her worry for Delilah's well being won out over all else. Delilah flinched just lightly, trying not to seem rude to Alice, after all, the girl had just shared something wonderful with her. Alice stammered and fell over her words, seemingly worried that she had upset Delilah in a negative fashion. Several questions rolled forth and Delilah sat still, waiting for the proper moment to finally answer.

A smile tugged at the corners of Delilah's mouth as she watched Alice tug and knot up the corners of her pajamas. Such worry and concern for someone who was still a total stranger. Alice was an odd creature and one Delilah could not understand. How could she be so trusting and caring for just anyone? Didn't this silly little girl know that letting others close only brought disappointment and suffering in the end? Delilah tilted her head to the side and smiled again as Alice picked up her bow and cello once again, offering a softer song this time around. "I've got plenty of free time today Alice. I'll be your audience all day if you'd like?," she asked, trying to let Alice see she was happy and not sad like Alice had previously thought.

[Alice Perette-Johnston]

Alice smiled sheepishly over at Delilah, who seemed to be making a point of smiling for her. Tilting her head and drawing her bow across the strings jauntily, Alice smiled wistfully in return. “I know you probably cry more than just then. Your eyes have tears behind them.” She said wisely, putting her bow back to the strings and letting the sleepy, cheery music pour forth. “I was just afraid that you wouldn’t know what to do if they came out.” She explained, the throaty notes of the cello almost overpowering her serene tone. “Some people get surprised when the tears fall.” She added with a giggle, humming softly and creating a counter-melody to the one she was already playing.

Truth be told, Alice didn’t know any of the hurt or pain that Delilah did. The only reason she didn’t was because she refused to. Alice refused to live in darkness, so she created her own light, even if it meant belonging to a world others could not see. Unfortunately, it had its down sides. For instance, Alice had already passed Delilah off as a dream. A sweet dream, but she doubted the woman with the sad eyes would be visiting her again. Something just told Alice she would wake up.

“When I wake up I hope I can remember you.” Alice said softly the music continued her humming cutting off in favor of her distant comments. She was more lost in the music than she was in anything else, so her words were difficult to discern. “I like you Delilah, I hope someday you can be really happy and you won’t be too scared when someone tries to hold your hand.” Alice added, the voice of the cello finally overpowering her words completely. She leaned slightly forward, pushing and pulling the bow across the strings with all of the might she could muster in her thin arms.

It was much later into the morning now than it had been, and other people were starting to leak out of Hammel’s buildings. Some were teachers, others were runners, some were simply extemporaneous students. Alice didn’t notice them, instead focusing on her music and on Delilah. Eventually her music because so central that even Delilah faded away and Alice’s eyes slipped closed, a remote smile lingering on her face. Before the jaunty tune was over, Alice had all but forgotten the time, place, and circumstance of her practicing.