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‘Alice! Stop running away far! I wanna hold you close. Just come to me and I’ll love you!’ The voice which was too familiar to her echoes down the halls. Alice frantically tried to find an exit. Clutching on to the flannel that Deb had draped over her mere minutes before she started singing. She dove down another unfamiliar hallway to be met with her dad’s colleague’s brother with suspenders and a fucking bowtie on. He also had that strange blue hue in his eyes like Deb. The way he stood seemed like his body was trying to crumple but something inside was keeping him up. His skin was ashy and grey. He looked dead; it was unnerving. A bellow escaped his lips before he began to speak.
‘Come on, Alice. Join us. Just run in the other direction back to your girlfriend. We all do love a till death do us part trope.’
Swiftly, he came towards her forcing her to turn back around. A pain jolted through her calf as she collapsed onto the floor. Turning around, she saw a girl with headgear smiling sinisterly at her holding a sharp rusty shovel.
‘This is what you want, Alice. Deb is right there. Are you going to write your own ending?’
Without being able to question how these people seemed to know her name, Alice clambered up limping away from the girl trying to figure out where to go. Her calf was injured and bleeding leaving a crimson trail right to her. She needed to think fast. Her chest felt tighter. Trying to open different doors, she came across one that was unlocked. She threw herself in and locked the door. She ended up in a choir room. Sitting on the floor trying to think about what to do, she couldn’t help but yearn to be held by Deb; it was the whole reason she had got off the bus in the first place. Not the Deb that was actively hunting her down but the Deb who stopped hanging out with her smoke club friends because they tried to force Alice to join. The Deb who would drive them to see the stars by the cliffs. The Deb who would stay with her when their friends went on the rollercoasters, but that Deb was gone, replaced with a singing siren attempting to kill her. Tears rolled down her face as she clung to the flannel even more. Pulling out her phone, she called her dad. He would know what to do, right? As the phone rang. She remembered how her father had told her to stay away from Deb. She was sure this wasn’t the context he meant but it did seem ironic.
‘Alice? Alice. Oh thank God! I’ve never been more happy in my life, your mother left me and moved you to Clivesdale.’ A voice filled with hope beamed through when the call connected. Alice felt something in her throat as she realised, she wouldn’t be here injured on the floor of a school she didn’t even attend whilst her girlfriend is trying to suffocate her with melodies if she had just listened to her dad and now, she was going to be the one who has to shatter his hopes.
‘I’m sorry dad. I’m still here.’ Alice replied her voice barely above a whisper. Her tears began to drip on the floor; she brought up her uninjured knee to her chest to comfort herself.
‘What? No, no Alice. I saw you get on the bus to Clivesdale this morning.’ There was a glimmer of hope that she was joking with him.
‘I got off, dad. I needed to see Deb.’ Her voice began to break. It seemed insignificant in retrospect.
‘What? You got off? Got off! To go see Deb? God dammit it, Alice! If Deb jumped off, would you?!’ Bill shouted. The sharpness of his voice made her flinch and took her back to when her parents were together. He tried so hard to be the gentle fun parent so that when he shouted, if felt like a dagger across her chest.
‘I’m sorry, dad. I didn’t mean for this to happen but now I’m trapped a-and I don’t know what to do-’ Alice kept rambling as Bill began to speak.
‘Okay. Okay. I’m sorry. I know you’re scared.’
‘And I just wanted to see Deb but now sh-she’s singing a-and-‘
‘What’s wrong with Deb? She’s doing what? Alice, okay. Listen to me. You get away from her, you understand? You get far away.’ He instructed.
‘This got anything with you not liking her?’ She attempted a joke to lighten the mood but it failed drastically.
‘No! This has nothing to do with me not liking Deb. Right now, you need to run and hide. Okay? Where are you?’
‘In a choir room in Hatchetfield high.’ She sniffed. ‘Should I come to you?’ She doesn’t know why she offered since the pool of blood keeps increasing. She carries on talking to him scared it might be her last time.
‘I’m so sorry, dad. I should’ve gone but I just need to say I love-.’ He cut her off.
‘No. No, you stay there. I’m coming to you. No, no don’t. Don’t you say-’ His soft voice tried to calm her like it did when she thought there was monsters under her bed or when she had a panic attack before her writing competition. It felt so cold in there.
‘I love you, dad.’
‘Everything’s going to be fine. I love you too.’
She was full on sobbing when the line went dead. Her dad will come and save her. She knows it. Alice could feel the sweat pour down her back. Her chest felt even tighter, and she couldn’t seem to get any oxygen in. She feels like she has to get out of there, but she can’t; those kids are stuck outside. It felt so cold in there. No, no. No It can’t be happening. Not now. All the singing outside seemed to stop when all she could hear was her heartbeat and ragged breaths. Alice tried to slow her breathing but nothing was working. She thought she was going to faint until she heard four knocks on the door. Two long, two short. That was their knock. Maybe Deb was still there?
‘Hey, Alice.’ She called out. There was a slight rhythm to her voice but Alice couldn’t hear it or she chose to ignore it. She doesn’t know. ‘Can you breathe for me, Darling?’ Deb began to count to a beat that Alice attempted to breathe to.
‘Alice. Open the, open the door please? Alice, open the door?’ She called out. It was a melody that Alice seemed to recognised but it seemed to have a sombre tone to it almost like Deb was pleading.
‘I-I can’t Deb. You know I can’t.’ Alice replied still leaning against the wall feeling light-headed. She could finally breathe but her throat felt raw and her hands couldn’t stop shaking. All she wanted was to be held by her girlfriend as she twirled her hair around her finger. Alice shook her head. She couldn’t move away from the door. Away from Deb.
‘Alice, can we not fight anymore please? Can we not fight anymore?’ She begged. It sounded like Deb was sat on the other side of the door.
‘Alice, I know you’re scared. I’ve been there. I can set you free.’ Alice felt an urge to see Deb. Well, she had to go outside to see her dad and to see Deb. Her shaky hands slowly moved to the bronze doorknob. Maybe Deb was okay. Maybe Deb can help Alice her leg. Her head felt light, and her leg ached. The door creaked open and Alice saw Deb kneeling with their soft smile on her face that would comfort Alice more than words ever could. Her beanie was a bit lop-sided, and she was still had that blue twinge to her eyes, but Alice didn’t care. As soon as she saw Deb, she broke down even more and dove into her arms sobbing. Deb’s arms engulfed round her stroking her back.
‘Just breathe for me, Darling. Everything will be okay.’ She stroked her hair and curled it round her finger. In the crook of Deb’s neck, Alice could feel the vibrations of Deb humming. Her hand slid down Alice’s back to her injured calf.
‘Alice? Alice! Sweetie, where are you?’ A male voice called out. A flutter of hope filled Alice. Maybe they were saved. Deb kissed her head and hair. Alice began to attempt to pull herself up to find her dad when Deb gently held her where she was. Her hand found the Alice’s cheek and jaw turning her towards her. Pulling her close, Deb kissed her nose resulting in a giggle from Alice. It made her stomach flip. It felt majestic and what Alice wanted. Her head began to pound. One of Deb’s hands rested above Alice’s wound while the other stayed on her jaw. Without any warning, Deb drove her thumb into the slash. Alice screamed out in pain when Deb sprung forward and connected their lips in a kiss. Pain is all Alice could feel until love slowly took over. She was confused and all wanted was her girlfriend back. She felt something slimy enter her mouth and proceed down her throat. With haste, she tore away from Deb’s soft lips and saw a trail of blue goo.
‘What the fu-.’ Was all Alice could cry out before she doubled over in Deb’s arm in more pain she had ever felt before. It felt as if some poured acid into stomach and it was burning her inside out. She coughed over Deb’s shoulder and splatters of blue and red came out. Deb was rubbing her back, but the smile never left her face. Her head was spinning. She couldn’t breathe because some goo entered her lung expanding until there was no more room more oxygen. She was being suffocated. In her ears, it sounded as if a train playing every single melody ever created was coming towards her increasing with speed until it was going to ram into her. The blue overtook her eyes, and something began to sing directly to her. All she could feel was the beat and pain. She had to warn her dad to run and safe himself. Maybe before what happens to her happens, she could help her dad one last time. It was her fault after all. Turning to try and see where her dad was, she saw Deb looking down at her. The music was getting louder and louder. The acid creeping up to her throat then her head.
‘Welcome to the Apotheosis, my lover’ Was the last she whispered in her ear before their lips connected once more until Alice blacked out.