The Plain White Room

by Oliver Phisher

  "Oh, okay. I suppose that’s sweet." Lepus wanted to ask more but felt her answers might reveal her to be more and more creepy. The morbid eeriness of this deterred him and if she had wanted to continue he felt confident she would have.

  Silence fell once more. This time, distant indiscernible sounds marked the onset of dawn. Lepus yawned and in his head started to toss up the option of sleeping all day and forgoing the nine or so hours of work. A down day: you need to rest, to relax take care. You’ll be useless without sleep anyways.

  A deep soothing tone resounded from the back of his mind. I ‘you can do it. Get breakfast and work. You’ll be wonderful, full of fire. You don’t need sleep. A response hissed.

  “Hmm,” he said out loud to himself.

  The girl looked up from her book,

  “I’m sorry? Did you say something?”

  “What, oh no. Sorry, I was thinking of something.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Oh nothing important, just trying to decide something,”

  “Perhaps this could help you decide,” she presented the book with an outstretched arm.

  “Oh no,” he chortled, “It's not a philosophical question.”

  “Aren’t all questions?” she said with a matter-of-fact tone.

  “Yes,” he laughed, “I suppose they are. Especially riddles.”

  “Oh I love riddles,” she said putting down the book and sitting up straight.

  “I’ve never much cared for them; most involve some ludicrous suspension of disbelief. Like ‘Oh the murder weapon was an icicle that melted. Charlotte smiled, nodding with eager anticipation.

  “Yeah, I guess they are.” she said still nodding.

  They stayed there for a long minute.

  Her staring at him with an expectant look before he cottoned on. Like a storm, his mind raced with all the riddles he knew.

  “Oh, you want to hear one.”

  “Yes please!”

  “Oh, ahem Okay, all … oh right, here’s one I don’t hate. I’m looking at a framed picture. Brothers and sisters have I none. But that man’s grandfather is my father’s son." he said pointing at an imaginary painting in front of him. The girl furrowed her brow, then leaned back.

  Putting her finger on her lip, she let out a long "hmm".

  The sunrise peaked out from behind the building next to them and beamed through a part of a big clump of clouds. At first one beam, then more. It came up fast; all the while Charlotte was thinking. Lepus sat back where he had been, this neck pressed against the back of the couch. The hands of God cast across his face as he fell asleep.

  Charlotte stared at the floor, watching the sun dance as clouds started passing. She squealed, having finally worked out the riddle, but when seeing him sleeping, did not wake him. She whispered to him "Yourself,” then got up and went to her room.

  Lepus awoke as other patients were rousing and walking past on their way to breakfast. He never saw Charlotte again, if he had believed in them he would have thought her a ghost.

  ***

  Stools of wood and cheese

  Alice opened Lepus’s passenger side door and jumped out with a spring in her step as she bounded up to her house.

  Lepus opened the driver side door. Waiting for Alice to bound up to her front door. She spun around smiling to face him. Standing barefooted on in the driveway, wearing a flowery summer dress. Lepus walked up the path towards the grand old house. The gravel made a loud crunching noise under his feet.

  “You seemed in such a hurry, why did you stop?” he chimed as he got close enough for her to touch.

  She beamed, “Because I wanted to look at you.”

  After a moment, Alice laughed and jumped forward into his arms. Her cotton green summer dress bouncing around him as she did. Brushing her hand through the back of his short blonde hair she kissed his neck.

  Then grabbed his hand and spun around and began skipping up the front stairs.

  They fell onto their bed together, and she buried her face into his chest. “I have to go soon,” he said.

  “I know,” she grumbled.

  “Tell me something sweet” she begged, squeezing him.

  “Molasses” he declared chuckling,

  She kneed him in his side and groaned.

  “Tell me something true” she moaned as she shut her eyes tight.

  “You’re beautiful” he whispered, into her ear.

  “Tell me a lie,” he said, standing up.

  “I don’t love you,” she said with a big smile, looking up at him.

  He looked down at her smiling as he put on his jumper, “good night” he said and walked to the door.

  He stood in the threshold, feeling her eyes burning a hole in the back of his head. He couldn’t contain his smile as he looked over his shoulder. “I love you too.”

  ***

  The road stretched out in front of them; they could almost see all the way to the pond, if not for the pine trees right around the area.

  She squinted and jumped a little in pain. She had a spark of dread as she snuck a look at him walking next to her. He hadn’t seemed to notice, and she breathed a sigh of relief.

  He hadn’t noticed the little jump.

  She cringed at what he would say if she started to show her discomfort at walking down the rocky road. He had told her to put shoes on three times, well twice and a look that said ‘put your shoes on before we leave, don’t go barefoot.'

  ***

  Lepus’s carriage ground to a stop in the quaint park in his hometown. It stopped and the steed pulling it stomped his hooves and raised its head. Swaying his mane back and forth he grunted and stamped his foot.

  Lepus descended the carriage his shiny winged shoes splashed into the light mud.

  He leant down. The starch of his outfit restricting him.

  He brushed the light specks of mud from his crisp black trousers. Then stood up straight and surveyed the park once more. It was deep afternoon, and he was late. The park stretched out into a forest. Large stumps of wood and fallen trees were scattered all around the area. With sporadic mushrooms as high as one’s waist.

  Lepus adjusted his bow tie. He took a deep breath in. Trying to calm the anticipation of seeing Alice.

  He walked through the empty park his eyes darting looking for the little tea party. It was Alice’s sister's birthday.

  The trees of the party swayed in the light breeze of the warm summer Sunday. Lepus followed a path which climbed a hill through the park. He heard familiar voices just over a mound and walking towards them the path gave way to fresh cut green grass. His shiny shoes became wet as he strolled through the grass.

  The small party came into view. They were all sat around a large mushroom which had a white table cloth with red polka dots on it thrown over it.

  Alice was sitting in a baby blue dress with white frills around the bottom edges. Her shoes ask were black and stood out from her white long socks out from her white long socks which event up to her knees. Her shoes shone in the sunlight.

  They were all sitting on smaller mushrooms. Surrounding their makeshift table were or stumps of recently cut trees. Each everyone at the table was in their most formal of clothes. Alice's sister Mathilda was at the head of the table. She was wearing a bright red summer dress, which buttoned up by a peter pan collar.

  There were three guests either side of her. Next to her on their left was Major Acana dressed all in his white uniform, with his medals and warm eyes. Cotton, as she spoke, would often place her hand upon his arm.

  To his left sat the town Jester and entertainer. He was not wearing his usual tunic. A bright coloured one with accompanying jester's cap. The cap had bells on each four of the tips and clanged even with the slightest movement. Today he was wearing his formal wear. Still fashioned from fine silks this costume was black and white. It had only one bell on the top of the cap. His brown curls poked out from underneath. As always he was grabbing, his head rocking from side to side as he did. Now
and then jumping out of his chair. Bouncing around in emphasis to whatever story he was telling. Every now and again making strange loud yelping sounds.

  Next to him was his wife. She was leaning back smiling to the side. Listening with her head cocked to the side with pleasure to him rant along with cotton and the Major. Except she had most likely heard the story hundreds of times before.

  On the other side of the table, across all the tea cups china saucers and cakes. Sat Alice lost in another conversation.

  Lepus stood for a moment, pausing without thought. Taken aback by her interest and ceasing focus.

  She was listening to the March Hare; his fury hands placed atop his legs, which dangled off the ground. His ears and nose twitched as he spoke.

  Lepus couldn’t hear anything of course. Before his daze deminishedand he was able to keep moving. The March Hare took a pocket watch out of his waistcoat; this broke Alice's trance, and she noticed Lepus.

  She bounded up to greet him and wrapped her arms around his waist, burying her face in his neck. Her sweet auburn hair, dancing around her shoulders. “I’ve missed you,” she whispered.

  Lepus squeezed her. Believing her, but doubting that she hadn’t just been lost in March Hare's eyes.

  The moment was gone in an instant, and she was leading him to the table by his hand.

  The afternoon slipped into a cool summer’s evening. The Major helped Mathilda to pack the china into her large wicker basket.

  Alice lead Lepus along with the others to swings they had made from swing vines from the grand oak trees.

  Alice sat on the small wooden plank, fitted between two vines. Lepus hooked down to her big green eyes. The others milled around them chatting amongst themselves.

  ***

  Medicine

  Lepus’s eyes opened, memory seemed to hit him like a bus. He was running from metal biting evil. But as his eyes focused was no red dust. Not pain and no giant teeth snapping at him.

  He was lying face up, the crow looking down at him.

  Lepus blinked, the sun blinding him.

  “try not to move” the crow whispered.

  Lepus groaned and felt his side, wrapped in tight bandages. What the crow had done register to him. He rolled over and put his hands on the ground trying to raise himself up.

  “No little one,” she said, resting her giant talons on his arm and pushing him back out his back.

  Lepus slumped back down, his eyes adjusted and he looked around. The storm of dust was just yards away, but they were amongst luscious, beautiful bright green grass. There was a trickle of blood leading back to the cloud where the crow had drugged him.

  A broken leather bag was behind his head, soft and warm, propping up his head so he could see.

  “You, you bandaged me,” he said still muddled from the ordeal. His head throbbed.

  “Of course, hardly going to let you bleed to death now was I?”

  “Right… I, um. I suppose. I’m surprised a bird knows how to do that.”

  “I’m a soldier laddie, always have my field kit on the ready. You did quite well considering.

  Wasn’t expecting to be so many I have to say, otherwise, would have taken us around. “

  “There was an around!” Lepus yelled trying to sit up. Pain exploded from his side, and he fell on his back groaning.

  “You don’t quite know how to not move do you? Around would have taken days, days we don’t have. Scorpius will find a way to double back, or send some of his force for this sword,” she held it aloft in her talon with ease, “and we wouldn’t stand a chance.” she rested it on his chest, and he clutched the hilt tight. “Close your eyes; soon we move again. If we aren’t there by nightfall, I don’t like our chances.” She bowed low and pecked at her leg; there was a small golden cuff attached to her leg. With her beak, she removed the cap from it and pecked inside. Once she raised her head, Lepus saw between her beak was a single black sphere. It looked like a huge peppercorn. She placed it next to his head.

  “Eat this quick smart. Swallow it whole.” she barked, “then go to sleep.”

  “What is it?”

  “It doesn’t matter, hurry!”

  “No, I’m not eating that, it looks awful.”

  “It’s a compound chip, standard issue nutrients. Will help you heal, get you moving. Don’t bite it, just swallow it or you’ll know what awful truly is.” she glared at him, and leaned in looming over him until he placed it in his mouth and swallowed hard. It was the most bitter thing he had ever tasted, and he spat at least five times once it had gone down.

  “Good! I’ll be keeping a close eye.” with that she bowed low again, but this time only for a moment. In an instant, she launched herself with her powerful legs and was high above. Lepus could not even see a speck of her this time. He lay back down and looked at the trees swaying around him. The sun was warm on his face, and the pain eased. Soon he saw swirling patterns in the few clouds in the sky. His stomach felt strange, almost queasy but not quite ill. Then its body felt far away as he realised the pellet had drugged him. He tried to move in a panic, but his body was distant from his mind. He dreamed of a plane flying overhead; that th was the pilot.

  For some reason, it didn’t seem strange to him to have that be the case. As dreams have a habit of doing. He dreamed of many fun things which little boys dream and for a time forgot all about that silly bird and its scary world. Only for a time, though.

  Lepus woke with a start. He sat up, the wet grass beneath him, cold against his hands. High above him was a giant dog. It growled and barked, luckily not at Lepus, but the sound was thunderous. Its front paw was only metres away, and to Lepus it was tall as a house.

  Had it been yesterday Lepus would have screamed in terror. But as it was, he focused on evening his breath and calmed his nerves. He moved to his feet quick but without a sound, and sat crouching. Not taking his eyes off the Great Dane. The sword he held lowered in his right hand.

  He made no sound in case he caught the pup’s attention and ended up its play thing.

  He felt under him for the bag which the crow had placed under his head. It had a single strap which was far too long for Lepus. He let down the sword and tied a loop in it to fit his size. Then slung it over his shoulder. His gaze unbroken, he started moving back slowly. Holding the sword low. He moved without hesitation or sound. The dog continued to look up and away from Lepus, every so often barking.

  Once he was far enough back, Lepus’s eyes darted back and forth, searching for safety. There wasn’t anything else around, only distant trees and a cement wall which ended in a row of buses. Luckily, at least, the dust was well behind the dog. So he knew this was the direction the crow had wanted him to go in. Without a rock or close bush to hide behind and only moments to think he races to the wall. Leaning against it and out of breath he turned to face the dog. It had not moved. Lepus ran along the wall, trying to stay low, once he reached the corner, he clucked down behind it and peeked out only his head to watch. The Dog stood still, growling and barking. From here Lepus could see up to a tree behind where he hand been lying. A cat had stretched itself out and was clutching a branch tight. Hissing down at the cat. Lepus gulped breaths. Then started chuckling to himself for being so scared by such a trivial thing.

  “Shh!” an angered whisper came from behind him. He spun around and aimed his blade at the sound. From the dark of the bush, a claw stepped forward. Then just as she had before the crow immersed, left eye first.

  “Do you want to call forth your death, with your guffaw!” she barked in a whisper.

  “What happened to protection, and, first of all, you drugged me!”

  The bird stepped forward, towering over him. “Excuse me,” she said with the inflection of a question but the tone of a resolute fact.

  “Why do you think that cat is up there? I almost got my wing taken off luring them up there. Next time I’ll remember to leave you to bleed and not force medicine upon you. You poor, precious child.”


  Lepus looked down at his bandages and realised the pain was gone. The bandages were bloodied but dry.

  “Oh,” he mumbled.

  “Oh indeed,” she said stepping to one side. “What a way, go” she commanded, motioning her head to behind her from where she had come.

  Lepus looked down into the dark

  ***

  Chapter 7

  Carter, Keck & Chong

  Lepus stood in line for breakfast, a beige coloured tray in his hands.

  Beige was a colour that he had never liked. He felt that it was a colour that didn’t know what it wanted to be. And that it ought to.

  The thought had often crossed his mind, that it was either just a weak and feeble brown, or a yellow that was trying to be special.

  His mind wandered from colour combinations to the structure of the tray. The lattices of particles requiring it to be held together. All of those atoms going to all that trouble just for him.

  “Darlin’?” a voice cut through his thoughts.

  “What, I’m sorry?” he said, looking up confused.

  “I said good mornin’, do you want some toast?” The orderly said holding two pieces of toast with tongs.

  “Oh yes please,” he said. “Jam and toast are my favourites.” He beamed, picking up packets of jam and butter as she placed two pieces of toast on a plastic plate and placed it on his tray.

  “Do you find it strange that Latin and Spanish are almost the same languages? One of them a dead language? Such an emotive word. How strange is that?” He said as he stepped to his right moving with the line. “Hon,' I never really thought about it,” she said smiling.

  “Oh of course,” he said smiling and sitting down at a long table with plastic chairs. He sat by himself, but there was a short old Asian manat the end of the table. Lepus started buttering the toast humming to himself.