Briarcliff Dolls

[Guest]

I bolt awake as soon as the sun rises, even though I can't see the sun from my room. But I always know when it rises. It's one of the weird things that I can do. I always know where the sun is during the day, and where the moon is at night. But today's different. Today, I'm excited! Because today we get to go outside! Outside days almost never happen around here, unless everyone's really good, but lots of people are never good. Every day besides the few days we get to go outside, we have to spend our free time in the small common room with the same song playing over and over on really old record player. I never really care though, because I always have music in my head. Maati taught me lots of songs, so I always just sing those in my head, or sometimes even hum them quietly enough that the nuns can't hear me.

But today, I don't have to listen to that song! Today I can go outside! And I know it's sunny out, and that it's warm! That's another funny thing I can do. I always know the weather. So I jump out of my bed and I hurry to get dressed, then I pull all the braids in my hair back and make them into one long ponytail that comes out from the center of the back of my head. I giggle as I swing my head back and forth, swinging my ponytailed braids with it. Even with my hair up like this, my hair reaches almost to my tushy. I think someday I'll take all the braids out of my hair just to see how long my hair really is. I bet it'll touch the ground even when I'm standing!

But for now, the door opens, and one of the older nuns -- really old! This one's ancient! -- opens my room's door. I bolt out past her, almost pushing past her, and run! She yells after me, but she's ancient and has no teeth and talks funny anyway, so I don't even understand her. I know she's probably telling me to stop and wait though, but I don't want to. Because I want to go outside. Giggling, I run barefoot down the halls until I reach the front door. It's already open with nuns and other people living here on their way out. I push my way between them all, and burst outside, right onto the top of the steps! I almost lose my balance, but I jump instead! For a second, I feel light as hair, light as the ribbons wrapped or braided into my hair, and I swear I'm just floating there... I hit the ground though, and roll across the cement a few feet. Giggling, I jump to my feet and brush off my clothes, then skip away to where the most flowers grow.

[Lane Celeste Valencia]

10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2...The door opened quickly right on queue. Lane remained curled up on her plank like bed, her eyes. Her eyes opened, Lane listened carefully with each foot step that drew closer. This was typical...drug first...then she could depart the room. But, even Lane knew today wasn't a typical day. Today they could go outside! They could breath the fresh air and not all be confined to a tiny room with the same music playing over and over. Sitting up slowly, Lane was about to jump from bed, but before she could two women dressed from head to two in a black gown had already blocked her way. Nuns. Of course. It shouldn't have been any surprise...it was always the nuns here.. Well except for when it was him. Lane hated when it was him...He poked and pried and tested however he pleased....

The older of the two nuns took Lanes arm to extend it out while the other took a needle and injected the fluid into her arm. One, Two, Three, Four...Lane counted carefully in her head before the needle was removed. The older nun kept Lane's wrist held as she pulled out two different pills and put them in Lane's hand. Lane knew the procedure at this point...and she didn't even need water anymore. Bringing her hand to her mouth, Lane threw her head back to help the pills get swallowed. This had been her routine...She was nine, and she had been here since the age of six.

The nuns were about to speak, but Lane already felt as though she had wasted enough of her day. Swinging her feet around, she jumped down from the bed and began skipping down the hallway. The tile felt cold against her bare feet but she didn't mind. She knew soon her feet would be greeted with a different sensation..The grass...the warmth...she longed for it...she craved it. Picking up her step, Lane was more so running than skipping now. Mingling her body accordingly to get past the groups of individuals who were older...and slower paced. Most were all heading to the same place, but Lane couldn't be patient and wait...she just had to feel the fresh air on her face again, she had to know what it felt to see the world outside of those walls. Pushing past the final two people, Lane paused at the steps outside. She allowed her face to take in the sunshine for several moments, raising her arms out slightly as if she was absorbing all the sun possible.

Skipping down the steps, Lane giggled to herself softly. The grass beneath her feet...The sun against her skin...This is what she was looking forward to. She hadn't had a outburst for an entire week for this one moment...and she didn't plan on missing a thing. Skipping over to the flowers, a less occupied area, Lane stuck her fingers in her own mouth. Carefully pulling out two carefully sealed pills. She wasn't going to let their medications ruin her day.

Sitting down by some flowers, Lane began playing with dirt, seemingly harmless until you saw her burying her pills within the dirt. Like she had decided before, nothing would ruin this day.

[Guest]

I’m creeping around in the flowers, crawling through the tallest ones, scouring the dirt at their base, looking for fairies. Not all fairies are small, but I know that a lot are. And a lot can change their size, can make themselves as big as normal people, or as small as a…ladybug! I pounce, clapping my hands over the dirt where the ladybug is crawling. My hands are waay in front of me though, my arms stretched out almost as far as I can reach. So I scoot the rest of me closer, then slowly lift my hands, ready to catch the ladybug out of the air as it tries to fly away. The dirt under my hands is clear though. My eyes widen for a minute. How did I miss it! It was right there! I huff in annoyance, and then, as if teasing me, the ladybug flies in front of my face, just an inch away from my nose. I squeal and clap my hands around it, throwing my body backwards so I don’t end up hitting myself. I miss ladybug again though, and end up falling onto my butt, and then back, in the dirt, watching the ladybug fly away.

I scowl up at the ladybug. “This is so on!” I declare. “Challenge accepted!” I gather my feet under me, straightening up but staying low. I stay perfectly still for a minute, watching the ladybug crawl around on a flower petal, its wings fluttering slightly, but not flying away. I wait…wait for it…wait for it…pounce! I miss the ladybug again! So I jump again, this time determined! I will catch that ladybug if it’s the last thing I do!

[Lane Celeste Valencia]

After covering the pills up with dirt and packing it down tight. Lane leaned back, allowing herself to rest against the flowers. There was so much life in a place so cold...at least when patients were allowed outside. And Lane used patients lightly. Lane had been so focused of eliminating herself of their mind control devices that she had hardly noticed another girl darting around the flower bed. Looking over while still sitting in the dirt, Lane couldn't help but giggle. Clapping her hands together she then jumped up and skipped over.

Tipping her head slightly, with a smile upon her face, Lane giggled. "The lady bug can sense your energy so he flies off!" Lane hopped over to the other girl. She had seen her a few times around, but ever really had taken the chance to get to know her. So often Lane was either too drugged up to do anything or was on lock down for her behavior. Watching the lady bug take off in flight again, he only mingled in the air for seconds before landing on another flower. "He wants to make sure you won't squish him!" Lane giggled softly as she watched the lady bug. He must have been enjoying the sun just as much as they were, the chance to feel youth. This was their chance to be a child. Looking back at the girl, Lane tipped her head. "I like your ribbons"

[Guest]

I stop when I hear another girl talking to me, sitting up on my knees with my hands, knotted into fists, on my hips. “Oh, he knows I won’t squish him! He just likes torturing me like this!” I look at the other girl and giggle. She’s much younger than me, probably about half my age. She’s probably much shorter than me. She has to be, since we’re about the same height right now, and I’m on my knees in the dirt. “Thank you!” I smile when she compliments my ribbons. “I’ve had ribbons in my braids for as long as I can remember. I just got them new, just before I came here a few months ago! My old ribbons, the color was starting to fade a little bit, and I like bright rainbow colors. My name’s Ribbon Fae O’Riley,” I nod once, proud. I like my name, and I know I come from a really important family, even though the O’Riley name of it isn’t really very well known, in any world.

[Lane Celeste Valencia]

Smiling softly, Lane giggled and clapped her hands together. "He is scared!" Watching the lady bug land on the girls shoulder, Lane leaned back to lie in the dirt laughing. "Silly Lady Bug." She laid back in the dirt for several moments before she started to feel the injection effects. It was calming her...making her feel a little more tired than before. Quickly jumping up so she was on her feet again, Lane wiggled trying to shake the feeling. "Oh! Ribbon! I love the name!!"

"I am Lane Celeste Valencia!" She announced in excitement, reaching her hands out to her side. Giggling softly, Lane hopped in a circle around a flower bush where she had spotted another lady bug. "The nuns call me the trouble child, they just have no fun." Giggling softly, Lane plopped back down on the dirt next to the flowers. "Silly nuns." Reaching her hand out, a lady bug crawled onto her hand. Not all her abilities were blocked off, at least not her ability to connected with other life. This came with being a Cheshire. Lane kept her hand up, allowing the Lady Bug to rest from his busy day as she smiled widely. "Oh! What was it like out there!!" Allowing the lady bug to fly off once more, Lane jumped back up and spun in a circle. "Do the ladies where beautiful dresses??" Lifting her hands up as high as she could she giggled. "Are the building super duper tall!?" Lanes eyes lt of up as she awaited Ribbons response...she wanted to know...no, she had to know.

[Guest]

I smile, touching my shoulder with my fingers. The ladybug, unsurprisingly, crawls off my shoulder and onto my finger. Tilting my head slightly, I lower myself down so that I’m sitting on my heels, holding my finger up in front of my eyes so that I can look closely at the ladybug. “You’re from home, aren’t you?” I whisper quietly to him. “I know you are. I know it. I can hear you.” I frown slightly, tilting my head a bit more. I can’t really hear the ladybug saying real works in my head, but it’s still like I can hear his thoughts. Or rather, like I already know them, like I already know what he’s thinking. It’s strange and unfamiliar to me…and I have that feeling like just before that church set fire. I blink, finally returning my attention to Lane, as I lower my hand a little bit so that the ladybug isn’t right in front of my face anymore.

“The nuns don’t like me either,” I smile. “I heard one of them call me the devil’s rainbow before! I’m making that my call sign when I get home! All shall fear and know Devil’s Rainbow!” I shout, raising my hands to the sky and throwing back my head. I earn several looks – disapproving ones from nuns, and curious ones from other people who live here. I stick my tongue out at the nuns, smile at the patients, and turn back to Lane. “Not where I was, no,” I shake my head, answering Lane’s questions about where I was before I came here. “Well, sort of.” The ladybug flew off when I raised my arms, so now I slide my feet out from under me, letting my tushy drop to the dirt, and sit that way, leaning back on my hands. “I was away from home when they brought me here. The place I was, New York, the buildings are really tall and there’s a lots of people. But the girls there don’t really wear dresses. They mostly wear pants, or really short skirts sometimes, with really tall boots. But at home, and on the island, it’s a lot different. The buildings aren’t very tall there, but they’re really pretty. And at home, women and girls wear loads of pretty dresses.”

[Lane Celeste Valencia]

Island...Tipping her head, Lane plopped to the ground, laying on her belly this time with her elbows digging into the dirt. Her chin was carefully supported by her hands and her bright eyes focused on Ribbon. It was like a story, the stories that the man with the mask used to tell her...The stories...

"The island? You lived on an island?" Rolling onto her back so she could stare at the sky, Lane giggled and reached her hands up as if she tried hard enough she might be able to grab the clouds. "Home...What was home like?" Lane didn't even realize she was practically rolling in the dirt, but even if she had noticed she probably wouldn't have cared. She knew later tonight she would be in trouble once more. An outburst was typical, and the nuns expected such behavior from her after her time here. "I've been here since I was six. I was taken away from my make believe home." Looking over at Ribbon, Lanes face was serious for several moments before she began giggling again. Clapping her hands together, Lane smiled brightly. "I dream about home, sometimes the lady bugs tell me about it."

[Guest]

“Well, right now I live on Promise Island, I mean, before I came here I did. But, I grew up somewhere else. It’s really different at home than it is here, or even on the island,” I look up at the sky. The air smells funny here, because it’s poisoned with bad stuff. The water feels funny for the same reason. Mama always told me that even the best of this world’s filters can’t get all the poison out of the air and water, because there’s just too much of it. Crystals from home are the only things that can completely purify air and water, and but even then it takes a lot of them. That’s why there are so many in the water and in the air at the island. Those crystals purify the air and water to make sure everyone stays healthy and so that the air and water doesn’t feel so strange for my family.

“The island’s really different from most other places. People ride horses or bikes there to get around, instead of driving cars. Cars aren’t allowed at all, actually. And there are parties there a lot. Well, mostly at the arena. It’s a huge building with benches that can seat probably a thousand, and a huge circle in the middle. On fight nights, that’s where everyone fights. But usually, during parties, all the benches are flattened to make one big, clear, flat room, with a circle stage in the middle. And there are loads of animals. They mostly stay in the forest, which takes up almost half of the island, I think, but sometimes they’ll wander out to town square or the ranch. There’s even a goat who likes to wander around everywhere, begging for food! His favorite are pretzels, but he’ll eat almost anything. We call him Merlin, because he’s white and has really long fur. He’s funny, because if you tease him with a pretzel, he’ll jump up on benches or the edge of the fountain or something. He’ll even jump up on you like a dog!” I can’t help but giggle. Merlin’s probably my favorite of all the animals on the island. He’s like everyone’s pet, and he’s funny. I tilt my head, thinking of what else I could tell Lane about the island.

“There’s lots of people there,” I say after a minute. “People who can do really cool stuff, I mean. Like, a lot of my brothers and sisters, they have wings. So does my mom. My dad doesn’t, he’s just an ordinary human. But some of my brothers and sisters, and my mom, they can do lots of really cool stuff. And my mom’s a really good baker. She makes the best chocolate chip muffins! But the people on the island, they can do all kinds of stuff. Like my brother Stitch, he can control people with strings that shoot out of his hands! And my brother Camey can talk to animals! And there are fairies, and vampires, and my mom’s Master of a pack of werewolves, but they don’t come to the island very much, so I guess they don’t count. There are probably other werewolves somewhere else on the island though. The island has lots of creatures, but not as many as home. But that might because home’s a lot bigger than just an island.”

“Home is amazing and beautiful,” I say a little wistfully. I used to always think Wonderland was normal, until I started living on the island. Mama says things on the island are still pretty old fashioned, but it still doesn’t come even close to Wonderland. “Mama says it’s better than a fairy tale from this world. Girls wear the most beautiful dresses, and there’s every creature imaginable. And there are trees and flowers everywhere. And gypsies come to Clockwork City a lot, and they have acrobats and fire breathers and dancers. That’s where I usually get my ribbons, from one of the gypsy ladies there. But the gypsies weren’t in town before, and Mama had to go to New York for something anyway, so I decided to go with her to look for new ribbons.” I shake my head, letting my braids and ribbons fly. “They’re not as light as the ones I get from home, but they’re still pretty and fun.”

[Lane Celeste Valencia]

Lane listened carefully as Ribbon spoke of all these special people, and she couldn't  help but smile. There was so much she wanted to tell her about her race, but sadly so little she could actually remember. "Have you ever read Alice in Wonderland?"Half smiling now, Lane tipped her head and then rolled in the dirt as if she had changed the subject once more. "Your brothers seem to have incredible abilities! So everyone is like that?? Even you?..Is that why you are here?" Lane giggled before plopping back off the ground to wipe her clothing off.

With how many times she was jumping up and down from the dirt, Lane was beginning to look like a Jack in the Box. "I am here because of them. Then they give me medicine and enough tranquilizer to take out a elephant!" Lane giggled softly as skipped around a flower bush again. "They know it won't knock me out, just makes my brain work different..." Her voice trailed off as she looked at the nuns who were watching. If she was too active they certainly would know she didn't take her capsule. Sighing softly, she sat back down on the dirt. Though she didn't think they would expect too much trouble yet due to the injection, she knew they would check in later.

Fidgeting with the dirt between her fingers, Lane looked back at Ribbon. "What can you do Ribbon? Why are you stuck here?" Lane was curious. This girl obviously had a home, family...so she had to have people who cared. Why was she stuck here? Did anyone knows she was stuck here?

[Guest]

I nod when she asks me if I’ve read Alice in Wonderland. “I grew up with that story. But it’s not very accurate, really. That book’s just written for a children’s story. The real story’s completely different.” Then I smile. “My brothers and sisters are all amazing. So are my parents. My cousin Fifi’s pretty normal, but she’s going to become a doctor someday, I bet, since Collin’s a doctor and he’s the second best on the island.”

I don’t answer right away when she asks me what I can do, why I’m here. “While Mama and I were in New York, I went into the Catholic church and told them that the devil’s going to come and burn the church down.” I smile, “My family does that kind of stuff all the time, when we’re off the island. We like to mess with the Catholics. They’re evil.” I glance pointedly at the nuns, because one hour spent with any of them and it’s painfully obvious that they’re evil. Then I look back at Lane and shrug, “And then, the candles around the big cross all fell off the alter and the alter cloth and curtains and stuff all caught fire, and soon the whole place was burning.” I shrug, “They say the devil’s in me or something.”

[Lane Celeste Valencia]

Laughing softly, Lane had plenty she could bring up about the Alice in Wonderland book but she didn't want to scare of this girl like she had her parents. "There's also more than what the eyes meet on the page on each story." Lane giggled softly and she threw the dirt in the air as if it was confetti. Letting it land  where it pleased, some of which in her hair. "The devils lies in us all," Lane scooped up more dirt into her palms and stood up before throwing it in the air again. She then spun in a circle as if she was dancing under the dirt like it was confetti. "The devil did always have better tea parties.." She paused making a careful thoughtful face before shrugging once more and spinning again.  "The man with a mask, He's my personal devil" Lane paused faintly as the words slipped from her limits like word vomit.

Slowing down on her actions, she carefully looked around the yard. He wasn't here. She had to be certain though that he wouldn't hear her. Spinning a few more times, Lane reached her hands out and closed her eyes before kneeling to the dirt once more. "He said I could be in his collection." She spoke carefully before turning back to the nuns who were speaking amongst themselves. "So your family is special? I didn't know entire families could be special" Lane seemed to change the conversation quickly as she smiled brightly once more.

[Guest]

I nod, “It’s actually usually a genetic thing, being special. But sometimes magic in the blood doesn’t come out for a few generations, so it goes unnoticed and unknown. That’s usually what happens with magic people born into families.” I look around at all the people, the other patients here, wondering how many of them are really magic and come from dormant families, and how many of them genuinely have something wrong with them and need help. In a place like this, I bet almost everyone here has magic in their blood. “The island and home has lots of families, and everyone there is special, even if it’s just that they have the Sight.”

I pause for a few minutes, still looking around at the other patients. The nuns are watching me, I know. Probably wondering if I’ll do something. Set someone on fire. But if I could or would do anything like that, it wouldn’t be the other patients. It would be the nuns, or the doctor. Definitely the doctor.

After a few minutes, I look back at Lane, finally coming back to her comment about the Alice in Wonderland book. She doesn’t know, of course, just how well I know that story. I know every truth, every hidden meaning, every secret. I grew up on that story, but I didn’t grow up having it read to me as a bedtime story. “My mom is Alice of Wonderland.”

[Lane Celeste Valencia]

Tipping her head, Lane knows she doesn't know as much as she wish she did about where she came from. Where her true family was from and what they did. Playing with the dirt, Lane starred at the flowers, no longer looking at Ribbon. She didn't like feeling like she was missing out on something..like she didn't like feeling lost about herself. She brought here at the age of two...Adopted...Killed her first time at age five, admitted here at age six...and was now the splendid age of nine...There was so much she hadn't seen...so much she still didn't know. There seemed to be confusion covering her appearance...was this truly confusion or was it just a side effect of the drugs entering her blood stream. A tickled twitched through her entire body as she broke out into a laugh. Leaning her head back she couldn't seem to control herself any longer.

Finally when she could regain her composure. Her eyes seemed to shift...the drugs weren't strong enough without the capsule. Her eyes shifted blue and cat like for several moments as she stood up and curtsied playfully. "From the Cheshire Family." She lowered her face and when she lifted it back up her eyes had returned to normal though they seemed strained. She spun herself agains9 as if she had been wearing a beautiful dress. One day, she would know who she was, one days she would escape this place, and one day, she would kill again. Giggling softly Lane ran her finger through her hair in order to brush out the small chunks of dirt.

[Guest]

“Did you know that means we’re cousins?” I ask, smiling. Then I tilt my head and purse my lips thoughtfully. “Well, maybe not cousins exactly. But related in some way, at least. Cheshire was my mom’s twin brother, before he died. He was only ten when they died, so his magic passed to someone else so it could continue.” I look around the yard, at the nuns. “If you’re not careful, you know, the nuns will figure you out and drug you up some more. Or worse, they might put you in a boiling bath or shock treat you.” I finally look back at Lane. I watch her for a few minutes, as the ladybug comes back and flies between us, before landing on another flower. Then, my favorite friend comes around. A monarch butterfly, of sorts. But one that’s definitely from Wonderland. It’s all different colors, a little rainbow itself. I smile, holding out my hand, loose, palm down, slightly towards the insect. The butterfly continues to float around for a few minutes, before coming to rest on the back of my hand. I giggle, holding it up close to my face, and turning my hand so that I’m nose to nose with the butterfly.

[Lane Celeste Valencia]

Tipping her head slightly, Lane listened to the woman. She knew about her family, and she knew about the various different connections that could be found in Wonderland. Though she had some blank spots, she knew enough to get through her day to day life. Rocking back on her heals faintly, Lane clapped her hands together. "The nuns will find out soon anyway." Running her fingers over her shirt, Lane looked down at her feet for several moments before shrugging. "They know there will be a fight tonight" looking over her shoulder, Lane smirked faintly. "They are already talking about it."


Turning around in a circle, Lane quickly shifted her body in order to turn around and observe the caterpillar climbing up the tree. Nodding slowly at the caterpillar, Lane gave a almost fake like smile. "Some things just must happen for progress." Giggling softly, Lane winked over towards the Nuns before skipping around the tree and picking a caterpillar in the palms of her hands. Lifting her hands up, he spun in a careful circle before placing him carefully back on a flower. "They have done worst." Lane nodded with a small smile. "The electricity submerged in the water has been their favorite thus far."

[Guest]

I flinch slightly. “Electricity in water? Gods, I haven’t faced that one yet.” I briefly consider causing trouble just to get that punishment. I want to know. I want to know how much I can take. And I want to know everything, ever piece of information, every punishment the nuns give. The more you know about your enemy, the better to take them apart. That’s what mama always used to say. But these are a bigger enemy than mama ever faced with any of us around. When she said that, she was always talking about pranking someone. Usually one of the Hell Raiser’s or Kaliq. But it still applies in this, I think. Probably more than it does in a prank war.

After a few minutes, the butterfly flies off my hand. It stays nearby though, as I stand up, brushing off my plain grey dress that I have to wear every day here – I was honestly surprised they let me keep my ribbons when I got here, but part of me thinks it’s just because nobody wanted to bother with the hassell of removing them. I twist slightly to look at my tushy, making sure it’s not too covered with dirt. “What fight is going to happen tonight?” I ask Lane. “And how do the nuns know about it already?”

[Lane Celeste Valencia]

Twisting her body slightly, she swung herself from side to side. "Electricity in water" Lane nodded faintly, almost starring off into the distance. There were many punishments that Lane had gone through, but none of which were proven successful in maintaining her behavior, and abilities. Her eyes seemed almost distant as she continued starring out, completely unaware of the situations going on around her. After several seconds, she bounced back out of it and looked over at Ribbon once more. '"See you truly know you are crazy when they attempt the Lobatomy and it fails.."

Lane allowed herself to space off for several more minutes before she brushed her hands against the legs and giggled again. "They know it is later in the day that I usually have my temper tantrum." Starring down at the ground for several moments, Lane pictured how it would all play out in her head.

She would be playing around, get in trouble, turn on the nuns, lose her marbles, they would inject her with enough anesthesia to take out an entire city..she would wake up in a private cell...chained down..they would try some new test or form of punishment on her...she would lose control and laugh at all of the pain...take pleasure in it...and the they would leave her there till they could come to a conclusion. Smiling softly at Ribbon, Lane nodded. "I find myself in isolation frequently."

[Guest]

As Lane talks, I look around at all the nuns, watching them. I still haven’t decided my final act here at the asylum, how exactly I’m going to bring the place down. But I’ve already started turning at least one of the nuns against the others. It’s one of the youngest ones, though I don’t know her name. Well, I know it, but I’ve forgotten it. It’s Sister Mary or Margaret or something along those lines. Either way though, she’s the only one that doesn’t look at me with fear, apprehension, anger or suspicion anymore. She looks at me with plain curiosity. Her and I have talked a few times, when I’d been one of the ones on kitchen duty and she’d been in there too. I’ve found out that she doesn’t necessarily believe in the devil. Not in the way that all the other sisters do, at least. She knows there’s a devil, she just doesn’t think that I’m in here because the devil’s inside of me. I told her flat out what had happened in the church, that it was in fact my abilities, my abilities that I didn’t even know I had, that knocked the candles from the alter and set fire to the place.

“Well that doesn’t sound like your fault though,” she’d said, surprising me. And I knew I had her. My plan’s just beinning.

Finally, I pull my attention back to Lane with a shrug, still watching the nuns. “They’ve tried almost everything on me. Well, except the electricity in water. Nothing’s worked so far. When they fry my brain it sometimes gives me short term memory for a day or two, but that’s about it. It’s annoying more than anything, really.”

[Lane Celeste Valencia]

Watching the nuns carefully, Lane smiled faintly as she listened to Ribbon. But for now she remained quiet. She was focused on listening to the nuns, what they were discussing...All her abilities were slowly returning, which more than likely meant soon she would lose her mind. Slowly smiling, Lane stood up and brushed off her clothing. "They have come up with some new tactics, and I am eager to find out." Smiling even wider, Lane looked over at Ribbon. "We will have to talk again soon." Nodding faintly towards the girl, Lane then allowed her eyes to change slightly into a blue shade. Her pupils shrinking and stretching in size in order to better fit the feline complexion. Taking a careful step forward, Lane then seemed to phase into the air, reappearing beside a nun.

That seemed to be when all chaos broke out in the nuns. Vitals spiking, conversations turning hostile...and all Lane could do was laugh. Teleporting from place to place to toy with the nuns, Lane's nails then grew out in a sharp feline like manner. Reaching up she scratched a nun clear across the face. Her skin showing deep and clear claw marks into the skin. A loud giggle slipped from Lane's lips as her entire body went invisible. Another nun let out a scream in terror as a claw mark appeared on her cheek. Seeing that their effort were useless, two nuns came outside with a particularly over grown needles. Lane reappeared beside one of the nun turning the needle so it penetrated into the nuns arm. The nun quickly collapsed as Lane re disappeared into the air, but not soon enough...A nun had gotten her off guard and stabbed Lane in the back with a sedative. Giggling softly, Lane then collapsed to the ground...From there they took her in restraint and took her inside...That wasn't even a quarter of Lanes ability...And the Nuns knew that.

[Guest]

Standing perfectly still, I watch Lane and the nuns. I watch the chaos of it all. I see how the nuns fear and hate Lane. They think the devil’s inside her too. They think she’s a monster, because she’s different. I watch it all, and I hate the nuns, and I hate the doctor, and for a moment I even hate the rest of the people stuck in this place. Because they don’t know. None of them do. The nuns don’t know because they refuse to accept anything outside their mandate. They call us unnatural and unholy, monsters and devils, simply because they don’t understand and they’re too great of cowards to learn. They put all their faith and trust in a being they can’t see and have no proof of, and yet when they’re shown true magic right before their eyes, they turn their backs on it. Pass if off as a miracle from God, or a sign of the devil.

I look away from the nuns and from Lane, away from all the patients, away from all of it. I look at the sky. That’s the only thing I can look at. The sky, the blue, the clouds, show no sign of what’s going on down here on the ground. The birds fly freely, the wind blows without care, the planes fly obliviously. Down here, so much is so wrong, and up there, they aren’t touched by any of it.

Why did I leave the island? I wonder. Why did I leave my family?

It was a ridiculous idea. I’m only twelve. I’m not even old enough to take missions. And I miss it all. Not even just my family, but the life there. I miss Wonderland more though. In Wonderland, there is none of this. There’s no killing, there’s no torture, there’s no judging.

I sit back down among the flowers, closing my eyes and hugging my knees to my chest, my chin resting on one knee. I block it all out. I block out the nuns, and the patients, and the doctor when he comes out and pretends to be the caring and curious doctor, pretending he’s only interested in seeing what everyone’s up to. I block it all out, and I imagine Wonderland around me, and relive the memories of growing up there.

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