by Crane, M. L.
Through
the Shattered
Looking Glass
M. L. Crane
Copyright © 2017 M. L. Crane
Cover design copyright © 2017 M. L. Crane
All rights reserved. No part of this publication can be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without permission in writing from the author except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Copyright © rangizzz / frame in room / Adobe Stock
Copyright © canjoena / woman behind glass / Adobe Stock
Copyright © Sascha Burkard / broken glass / Adobe Stock
For Brian and Emily-
the two who make my life a Wonderland
Everything's got a moral, if only you can find it.
~Lewis Carroll~
CHAPTER ONE
Alice ran.
It was right behind her, getting closer and closer, gaining on her. She could hear its hoof-like feet hitting the pavement. The sound was strangely deep and hollow, creating no echo. Its demonic guttural growls were growing louder as it closed the distance between them. Alice didn’t want to turn around, but she had to. Like a nagging itch that needed to be scratched, her curiosity was too strong for her to ignore. She just needed to take one quick peek. Alice snapped her head around quickly, daring to face the monster only for a moment.
The hellish creature was engulfed in flames. It was flailing its arms wildly about while its razor sharp claws snatched at Alice, trying to grab hold of her. Alice’s eyes grew wide with horror at the sight of it, and her mouth gaped open as she tried to scream. Her throat became raw with the effort, but no sound escaped her lips.
Alice was gripped with fear as she stared at the approaching demonic inferno. She quickly snapped out of her trance when she nearly fell tripping on her own feet, almost serving herself up to the burning monster.
Alice ripped her gaze away from the creature and faced forward, forcing herself to run harder and faster. She ran with such inconceivable speed that she felt as though she had lifted off of the ground, racing across thin air. But yet, to her dismay, she had remained stationary. The perfect suburban homes with white picket fences that surrounded her never moved an inch. They remained still, quiet, and dark. With her screams still silently trapped inside of her throat, no one could hear her frantic pleas for help. No one, except for the burning monster.
Suddenly, one by one the quiet suburban homes began to light up from within. A ray of hope filled Alice when she realized that there were people inside peering out of their windows. She waved her hands frantically above her head in a desperate attempt to gain someone’s attention. With her voice muted, all she could do was hope that someone would see her and somehow rescue her from the burning beast that pursued her.
It wasn’t long before the hope that had filled Alice only moments ago had quickly faded. She stopped waving her arms and let them drop to her sides. She couldn’t understand why no one was coming out to help her. As she stared at the people standing in their windows, a sickening realization struck her. There was something wrong with their faces. They had no eyes. They were watching, but could not see. Alice silently screamed out in despair.
Alice was overcome with a sudden rush of rage and an unwillingness to give up and continued running. She didn’t need anyone’s help. How dare they! Standing there watching, but choosing to remain blind to the truth.
To hell with all of them! I can take care of myself! Alice thought to herself.
Alice pumped her legs as hard and as fast as her body would allow, with the hopes that she would eventually make some progress. In the distance, Alice could barely see the outline of a shadowy figure standing in the middle of the street. At first, she thought that her eyes were merely playing tricks on her. The image was severely warped and fuzzy like a mirage, or like the residue of an old forgotten memory. Just then, the shadowy figure began to move towards her slowly.
“Alice,” it hissed. There was so much icy venom in its voice that Alice stopped dead in her tracks, completely forgetting about the burning monster that was close behind her.
“Alice…”
The air suddenly felt thick and oily, and Alice found it nearly impossible to breathe. She felt as though whatever the shadow was, it was trying to rip out her soul. She somehow knew, that the figure itself, was the very essence of pure hatred. But what was most unsettling to her, was that there was something familiar about its voice.
Alice backed away slowly, too afraid to take her eyes off of the shadowy figure. As it continued to call out Alice’s name, it began inching its way closer to her. The unseeing spectators continued to look on from the safety of their homes.
Alice quickly spun around on her heels and came face to face with the burning monster. Before she could even process what was happening, the monster struck her with tremendous force, sending her into the darkness, falling. As she fell, she could still hear the shadowy figure’s voice echoing in her ears.
“Alice…Alice…Alice…”
~~~~~
“Alice… Alice…Hello, Earth to Alice,” Rose shouted, cupping her hands around her mouth using them as a megaphone to amplify her voice.
Alice’s eyes flew open. Her heart was hammering so fiercely inside of her chest that she could hear the throbbing, swishing sound of her blood rushing through her head. A nauseating sweat prickled across the surface of her skin making her feel hot and cold at the same time. Her eyes darted wildly about, looking for any signs of the burning monster. Or worse, the shadowy figure. To Alice’s relief, they were both gone. It had all just been a dream.
Alice soon realized that she had been holding her breath and allowed a burst of air to rush past her lips. She closed her eyes and listened to the calming, hypnotic sound of the waves lapping the shore. She could hear the seagulls above her calling out to one another as they carried on a private conversation that only they could understand. The warm summer sun enveloped her like a child’s security blanket, making her feel sleepy and comforted. She took a deep breath, inhaling the purifying salty air, and then slowly let it out, exhaling the last remnants of her nightmare. Her heart regained its normal rhythm, and her muscles began to relax. Finally, Alice turned her head towards Rose and opened one eye.
“Are you all right, baby? I’ve been trying to get your attention for like, forever! I was about ready to check your pulse or something,” Rose said, studying Alice with concern.
Alice smiled. Rose always had a way of overdramatizing situations.
“Yeah, I’m fine. I’m sorry, I must have dozed off,” Alice said.
“Babe, you didn’t just dose off, you were knocked out. Are you sure you’re all right?”
“Yeah, of course. Why wouldn’t I be? Don’t worry. I’m fine,” Alice lied. The truth was, Alice knew that she wasn’t all right, and she hadn’t been for a very long time.
For several weeks, Alice had been having strange nightmares. There were times when she would dream of the burning monster, relentlessly chasing after her. Occasionally she would dream of being lost in the woods, unable to find her way home. And sometimes she would dream of falling into a black abyss, headed straight down towards an unknown fate that awaited her. But no matter what sort of horrors her morbid mind concocted, the shadowy figure was always there, waiting for her. It was the one constant thing that appeared in all of her nightmares. It was always calling out to her, and Alice was te
rrified of it. Who was it? What did it want? And why was she so frightened of it?
Rose studied Alice with suspicion, uncertain as to whether she should or shouldn’t believe her. “Hm. You better not be lying to me. If something is bothering you, you need to tell me about it. You know I can’t stand seeing you upset.”
“I know, and I’m fine,” Alice said, smiling tenderly at Rose, and wondering to herself how she ever got so lucky to have someone like her to hold in her arms at night. Rose was the only person in her life who had ever truly loved her.
“All right,” Rose sighed, waving it off and dropping the conversation, trusting that Alice was telling her the truth. “So anyway, what I’ve been trying to tell you is that your cell phone keeps ringing,” she said, pointing at Alice’s cell phone that was laying on the sand next to her.
Alice leaned over slightly in her beach chair to glance down at her phone. She looked back at Rose and shrugged. “Hm, oh well. I guess if it’s important, they’ll call back.” She winked at Rose and gave her a sheepish grin.
“Oh, I’m sure they will. They’ve already called you three times. Seriously, I don’t know how you didn’t hear it.”
“I think I’m just tired.” Alice couldn’t bring herself to tell Rose about the nightmares she’d been having.
“Honestly, I think you’ve been working way too damn hard, baby. But, lucky for you, I have an entire day of pure laziness planned for us. First, I think we should start off with staring up at the clouds and try to make shapes out of nothing. Then, we can stare out at the ocean until we fall asleep and nap the afternoon away. Later, we can…” Rose’s voice trailed off as Alice’s mind became lost in a daydream.
Alice had been given an internship at the Lutwidge Mental Health Institute by Dr. Lewis C. Pelletier. Dr. Pelletier was a rather charming man and a fantastic psychiatrist. He was tall and slender and walked with an air of confidence. Every day he wore a perfectly tailored suit and was never without a blue bow tie. Alice thought that it made him look a bit nerdy, but also rather adorable.
Dr. Pelletier was well into his fifties, but his face glowed with youthfulness. His curly brown hair had begun turning white at the temples. The wisps of silver locks were the only physical proof that he was older than he looked. His blue-grey eyes were kind and gentle, and Alice often caught herself staring at them. There was something about him that made her feel safe.
Dr. Pelletier always smelled strongly of cigars, but Alice never minded. She found the smell comforting and often fantasized about climbing into his lap the way a child would climb into their grandfather’s lap, just to be able to nuzzle against his chest and inhale the rich, musky aroma that was embedded in his clothes.
Alice was so lost in her thoughts, that she jumped when her cell phone rang. She reached down and picked it up, fumbling with it in her hands.
“Hello?…Oh, hello Dr. Pelletier!” Alice bolted upright in her beach chair, and her face burned with embarrassment, as though her thoughts had just been exposed. “I’m fine, and you?…I’m sorry, I’ve been very busy,” Alice lied, grinning at Rose. “No, why?…Alright, when?…Today?…No, no problem. I just need to finish up a few things, and then I’ll be right over…You’re welcome…Okay, I’ll see you in a little while. Bye.” Alice hung up. She fell back into her beach chair and let out a sigh, letting the phone slip from her hand and back into the sand.
“So, am I safe to assume that you have to go work?” Rose asked, sounding slightly annoyed.
“Yeah, I’m sorry,” Alice said as she got out of her beach chair and stretched.
“But it’s your day off, Alice! You and I were supposed to be a couple of lazy daisies today. We were going to overindulge on this beautiful sunshine and drink too many adult beverages, like two shameless gluttons!” Rose grumbled.
“I know, and I’m sorry. But Dr. Pelletier has new patients, and he wants me to talk to them. Can you believe it? I wasn’t sure if this internship was going to amount to anything. I was seriously starting to wonder if I was just wasting my time. And now, he is finally letting me work alongside him. This is what I have been working so hard for!” Alice beamed with excitement.
Rose sighed and said, “All right, fine. But you’re going to owe me a day. Plus interest!”
Alice smiled impishly, knowing that Rose could never stay mad at her. “It’s a deal.”
“Hey baby, do you at least have time to come for a quick swim with me before you leave?” Rose asked as she got up from her beach chair and readjusted her bikini.
Alice examined Rose, admiring her lover’s breath-taking beauty.
Rose’s scarlet red hair was a mass of thick curls that framed her heart-shaped face perfectly. Her emerald green eyes were flirtatious and twinkled with signs of mischief. She had an incredible hourglass figure that most women would have envied, and some would have desired. Her bikini was tight against her flawless dark skin, barely covering her voluptuous curves. Alice found her irresistible.
Alice was also beautiful but in a more subtle, the-girl-next-door, sort of way. Her hair hung down to the middle of her back in a stunning cascade of waves and curls. It grew in several different shades of blonde as though each curl had developed its own hue. As a child, Alice’s mother had always made her pull her hair back in an attempt to keep it under control. But Alice had always loved her wild, untamable hair.
Alice had incredible midnight-blue eyes that were always full of curiosity and were often lost sailing through daydreams. Her petite frame lacked any womanly curves which gave her a rather youthful physique. The one-piece baby blue swimsuit she wore only accentuated her child-like body type. She had golden-honey skin that was lightly dusted with freckles which only added to the adorableness of her appearance. It often irritated Alice, that even at her age, people continued to refer to her as being cute.
“I’m sorry Rose, but I can’t. I really should get going.”
Rose placed the back of one hand on her forehead and closed her eyes, tossing her head back dramatically, and pressed the other hand to her chest. “Fine, go. Leave me. No no, don’t worry about me. I’ll be okay. I will just sit here, alone, with no one to care if I wither away. Please, just go.” She slumped to the ground and pretended to faint.
Alice laughed rolling her eyes and shook her head. “Oh my God Rose, you are so weird.”
Rose propped herself up on her elbows and flashed Alice an exaggerated grin. “But that’s why you love me,” she said as she winked at Alice.
“Well, it is the only thing you’ve got going for yourself. I mean, have you seen what you look like? You’re hideous! Ugh!” Alice teased.
“Hey!”
Alice laughed. “I love you, weirdo.”
“I love you too, baby. Good luck today!”
Alice blew Rose a kiss and waved goodbye. As she walked up the beach towards her house, she marveled at the path her life had taken. She was on the road to a promising new career, she had a beautiful home by the ocean, and she had an amazing woman by her side. This was the happiest Alice had ever been, and she was ready. Ready to put her past far behind her.
CHAPTER TWO
The Lutwidge Mental Health Institute was a two-story building. Time had turned its once vibrant red bricks, brown and dull. Several of the bricks had cracked and crumbled with age and years of elemental abuse. Moss grew within those cracks as though Mother Nature tried to mend the damage that she, herself, had caused.
Brilliant green ivy had crawled up the sides of the building like a network of small leafy hands, clutching protectively at the brickwork. It created a curtain against the outside world, preventing sunlight from entering many of its windows, encasing the inhabitants within.
The roof was in dire need of repair. Many of the shingles had rotted and fallen away long ago. An elegant Gothic style clock tower jutted up from the center. The clock was broken, making time stand still for an eternity, at 6:00. Alice had amusingly thought to herself how lovely it was that it would always remain tea t
ime here.
It was evident that the property had also been neglected for quite some time. The grass was overgrown and riddled with weeds, making it look more like a field rather than a proper lawn. The parking lot was in desperate need of repair as well. Cracks ran through like veins over the surface of the asphalt. The yellow painted lines that were supposed to indicate each parking spot had almost completely faded away, leaving visitors to guesstimate their vehicles allotted space.
The inside of the building didn’t fare any better than the outside. The dusty, pale blue paint on the walls had begun to chip and peel away, revealing a putrid peach color that had been there decades earlier. Several of the black and white tiles on the floor were broken, and some were missing altogether. The fluorescent light bulbs overhead, which flickered occasionally and gave off an annoying buzzing sound, lit up the hallways and rooms in a sickly, yellow glow.
The building was clearly in a decrepit state, looking as though it belonged in a low budget horror film. Of course, the appearance of the institute often made Alice feel uneasy. She almost felt as though she could hear the walls whispering secrets in a language that was beyond her comprehension. Sometimes, she even thought that she could sense the shadows of souls forgotten, lurking around every corner. But no matter how much she tried to reason with herself that it was all just her imagination, deep in the pit of her stomach Alice knew that there was something not quite right about the Institute.
Alice walked silently down the hallway with Nurse Allen leading the way. She was excited to have been given this incredible opportunity to work so closely with Dr. Pelletier, but she also began to have doubts. Negative thoughts filled her head, buzzing around her like annoying mosquitos determined to suck the life out of her. She worried about whether or not she would meet his expectations. She worried that she wasn’t good enough and would fail, causing Dr. Pelletier to regret his decision in choosing her for the internship.
