SOTF Archive/SOTF Classic

((G064: Alice Gilman, start.))

Alice sat on a bench, blankly staring at the world around her. She'd been in a state of complete shock ever since she had woken up from her drug-induced sleep, lying in front of a bench. She had gone through the motions, mechanically occupying herself without thinking too much about what was going on. The first order of business had been examining her surroundings, figuring out where she was.

In stark contrast to the situation she was in, the area around her was beautiful. Flowers, pretty ocean, a view of the rest of what Alice assumed to be an island. Her first instinct had been to start drawing. She found a black duffel bag with "G064" labeled on it. That was her, she guessed. Again, without thinking too much about the greater meaning behind it, she opened it and rummaged through her personal belongings.

It... it isn't in here.

Her sketchbook was gone. Panicked, Alice searched again, emptying out everything that was inside the bag. Still, nothing. After a few more minutes of fruitless searching, Alice was forced to admit that she wasn't going to find it.

But... why would they?

This wasn't good. Alice needed something to do, something to keep her mind occupied, anything to stop her from remembering-

the fear the blood the screaming

Alice stumbled back, feeling as if she had been struck by a physical blow. This was reality, this could not simply be ignored. She was trapped inside a brutal game of life and death. Stunned, she had collapsed onto the bench, where she remained, sitting in silence.

That had been over an hour ago, and Alice still had not moved. Her mind was still a haze, a mix of fear, of anxiety, of hate. She feared death, she feared oblivion, the cessation of all thought. She worried about her family, about her parents, her sister and brothers. She hated Danya, hated the people who had abducted her and her classmates. Above all else, she felt helpless, trapped. Nothing she could do would ever matter, nowhere she could run would ever save her, and the only fate that awaited her was a painful, pitiful death, and though it might happen in one hour or one day, its inevitibility could not be denied.

So Alice sat, a prisoner of her own thoughts.

(Carmina Maliksi continues from Finding Center)

She was tearing herself apart right now.

Where had Lauren gone? She remembered seeing her right behind her just an hour ago. Let's backtrack...

So, they were walking to the shipping center. Carmina was humming some Korean song as usual. She checked on Lauren three times. The first two times, she was just there. She could already see multiple colored crates the last time she saw Lauren. When she checked the third time, she was gone. She looked everywhere for Lauren. She shouted her name so many times she lost count. What happened to her? Did she lose her way? No, the shipping yard was right in front of them. Maybe she went off to take a short bathroom break. Maybe she told Carmina, but she didn't hear since she was so caught up in her own little world. Then, maybe she couldn't find Carmina anymore, so that's why Lauren wasn't with her anymore. Or maybe she abandoned her.

That last thought echoed in Carmina's head. Abandoned? Why? She wasn't a bad person. Sure, she wasn't exactly the strongest person, but she would be a loyal ally. She wouldn't leave Lauren. She needed her. She couldn't comprehend the fact that maybe Lauren had her own friends, that maybe Carmina wasn't what she was looking for. So, she lied to herself, ignored that tiny voice in her head that said Lauren simply snuck away, and started believing the fact that Lauren was lost, no matter how implausible it was. Because Lauren wouldn't leave Carmina. She had no reason too.

So here she was, back near the place where she started. She was surprised at how... beautiful this place was. It was breathtaking. It hung several feet above the harbor, which seemed to have been more affected by time. Luckily, that itch that had bothered her earlier was gone. She took in her surroundings for a minute or so, staring at the sea until she noticed someone. It was a girl with red hair.

She cleared her throat, and then thought of what to say or how to say it. She needed to be careful. For all she knew, this girl was on edge and prepared to shoot her in the face. It didn't seem like it, however. She looked like she was crying. She took a deep breath, cleared her throat again, then spoke. "Hey, have you seen this girl named Lauren? She's tall, dark brown hair, kinda looks like some sporty girl. Sound familiar?"

Carmina's appearance, though unwelcome, proved a convenient distraction from Alice's trance, snapping her back to reality. Alice glanced over her shoulder at the girl, who she recognized from Volunteer's Club. They hadn't been particularly close, however. Alice sighed, turning back to stare at the view. "Haven't seen her. Or anyone, until you."

Christ, this girl was an idiot. Sneaking up right behind someone before making their presence known? People had been shot for less. Selfish, too. Not even a token "What's up, you okay, man?" Just immediately demanded answers.

Everyone's looking for their friends. What makes you so special?

Alice had people she had to find, too. Theo. Casey. Hell, even Mirabella. It might not make a difference, in the end, but Alice still wanted to say farewell to the few people she cared about in her class. Her family, too. She'd need to find a camera, and soon. Speak one last time while she was still the sister, the daughter they remembered. Alice didn't trust herself enough to leave it for the future. Anything could change in the course of a single day. Everything already had.

For now, though, there was still an irritating girl to deal with. Alice adjusted her glasses, still staring off into the distance. "Can't say I particularly care. Consider yourself lucky. Won't have to watch her die."

Carmina was about to break. Although there was a brief moment of joy when she saw it was Alice, someone she knew from Volunteering Club, those last words...

It was exactly what she had been wanting to avoid. What she said was both true and false. She didn't want to see anyone die, really. But at the same time, she wanted to be there at their last moments. She couldn't imagine anyone, not just Lauren, but Kate, Dad, Mom, Yukiko, her other friends from the Anime Club, heck, even Brandon, dying by themselves. It seemed like such a horrible way to go.

These thoughts were too much for her. She tried to keep herself from crying, but only partially succeeded. A few tears slid down her cheeks. She didn't want to have some mental breakdown in front of this girl who she barely met. After a few minutes of silence, she finally tried to speak again. Her voice was noticeably shaky and she had to clear her throat a few times. She tried to watch her words.

"Oh, OK. Sorry if I bothered you, Alice. So, are you OK? As OK as you can be on this island, I mean."

She failed.

"Perfectly fine, yes. I'm trapped on an island with no way to defend myself, no idea where my few friends are, and I can't even draw to take my mind off of this for a few minutes. Never felt better." Alice happened to glance back at Carmina, causing her to feel a bit guilty as she noticed the tears. The girl was irritating, but she was still human.

Sighing, Alice paused for a few moments, trying to collect her thoughts. If Carmina hadn't have come along, Alice would have likely remained shell shocked on the bench until someone with far more dangerous intentions stumbled upon her. She owed the girl that much, at least.

"Look. I don't have anything against you, and I, uh, hope you find your friend and all that, but I don't know you very well, can't trust you. Nothing personal, but I think it'd be best if we just left each other alone. Safest." Once Carmina left, Alice could throw her things back into her bag and start searching.

Alice replied exactly how Carmina expected she would reply. She was starting to feel unwanted. That tiny fear that maybe she had been abandoned by her first ally started gnawing at her. Speaking to Alice wasn't exactly helping her. It had become very clear that Alice needed some space, and to be honest, so did Carmina. She was just about to walk away when Alice spoke again. It only made her feel slightly better. At least she bothered to apologize. What Alice said only reaffirmed her thoughts. She merely nodded, then left the overlook to look for... someone. Anyone, really. Yukiko, Lauren, just someone who'd be willing to become her ally.

(Carmina Maliksi continues in The Visionary)

Carmina left without another word, which suited Alice fine. After a few more minutes spent gazing at the view (Alice wanted to remember this sight, it might be one of the last truly beautiful things she ever saw) she stood up, then leaned over and gathered up the various supplies she had dislocated in her frenzied search for her sketchbook. A couple of items gave her pause, however.

First, the... thing. The thing that was apparently called a "Rotato". From its name it could be implied that it was involved with potatoes in some fashion. Whatever it was, Alice certainly hadn't packed it, so she was forced to assume that it was her weapon. Wonderful. Eyeing it with disgust, Alice was half-tempted to toss it over the railing, but instead placed it back inside her bag. Never knew when a "Rotato" could somehow come in handy.

The second was the map, which Alice spent several minutes examining, trying to work out her location. According to her compass, the ocean was to the north, and as she could see a shipyard, she assumed that she was in the area marked the "Eastern Inlet". The hospital, which Alice could see from where she was, was about a mile away, with what appeared to be a small town several miles beyond it.

Going to the town wouldn't be terribly smart. Many ambush points, people would likely flock to it. The Hospital, however, could be useful. It was on the outskirts of town, and there may still be valuable medical supplies left in it. Alice decided that it would be her next location. She spent another minute reviewing the map, raising an eyebrow at the nuclear power plant. Seemed the island was more than the touristy vacation spot it first appeared to be. Alice'd have to pay it a visit, eventually. She likely wouldn't ever get another opportunity to tour the inside of a power plant, a nuclear one at that.

Folding up her map and placing it safely away, Alice picked up her bag and set off towards the hospital.

((Alice Gilman: Continued in Where the Fuck is Here?))