A Song Named Alice Chapter 5

Forseti, the last one to leave the room, walks back to Loki’s apartment, who will be off work soon to head home. In his chilled hands he holds two envelopes of opposite colors, one of white and one of black, but only one of the envelopes have contents inside.

When he drops off the letters in Loki’s room and returns to the frigid air once more, he heads toward an empty part of town: the old suburbs where no takes residence in anymore. Years ago a fire broke out; now most of the homes there lay in ruins, lonely and deserted by the owners. As Forseti approaches, he notices a streetlamp flicker near him, proof of the area’s abandonment.

He finds the nearest mostly intact bench and sits down, the close streetlamp continuing to flicker. He clings his legs close to him, and wraps his arms around. Forseti glances around at his surroundings, checking for Wonderland.

He start to think. Odin, you seem to be catching on to me, at least my tricks. I fear soon I won’t be able to fool you. You’ve always been a tough man to lie to without suspicion. Though, I think your guesses are still wrong. I wonder how long I’ll be able to keep my secrets. Will it last until the goddess takes her last breath?

Forseti shivers and huddles closer.

I cannot let Odin find out what I’m after and who I really am. He wouldn’t be able to handle the truth. From now on, I must tread the water around Odin carefully and make no mistakes around him, lest it cost me the game. I’ve bet too much on this game to lose.

He takes one last glance around him. In the distance he hears the echoes of the clock tower sound, chiming seven times. After it, silence befalls the old suburb again. When the chimes rise again for eight o’clock, Forseti stops watching the sky grow darker and gets up to go home.

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Hmm, it looks like I will have to stop narrating soon; I believe All Father is waking up. I might narrate later if I have to, but I suspect that I won’t.

“Ah, Pleasance, that’s where you are. What have you been up to while I was,” I, All Father, yawn loudly while I carry my heavy feet into the room. “Sleeping? Do you know why I was asleep in my bed?”

She turns from facing her desk to look at me. “I was working while you were sleeping. Don’t worry though; you only fell asleep at your desk, bored of your work as usual, I think. Well, now that you are awake you can go back to work.”

“What? No! I just woke up; I don’t even remember where I was when I fell asleep. Come on Pleasance, not now.” I groan and slump down at my desk. My head lays down on the desk while I feign sleep again.

Pleasance rolls her eyes. “Well, then I guess you could answer a few questions I have.” I raise my head. “While I was doing what you should be working on,” Her voice sounds like a stab to my heart, “I came across an interesting topic. Asgard was speaking about us during the meeting. It was vague, but I became slightly suspicious about how Odin got that information.” She starts to sound curious, but I feel like it’s going to be about a topic I hate. “Then Frey and Freya were speaking about you, maybe me, and a spell—to be more specific, a spell that’s weakening. I’m wondering what they’re talking about, could you tell me?”

My mind starts to panic. W-What? Just how did Odin get hold of that information? I can’t tell Pleasance about the spell, it’s too soon.

I walk over to Pleasance calmly. “Let me see those cards.” I look at them carefully; I can’t believe it though, about Frey and Freya, they… “I have no idea how Odin was able to get that information, but the spell is of no concern. But I will tell you this: the spell’s weakening can be taken care of, and it will be.”

“Okay, then what about Frey and Freya?” Pleasance watches at me with interest. Oh, why did I have to wake up to this? I slump back in my chair and lean back, staring at the ceiling.

“Frey and Freya know about Loki’s ‘condition,’ since I can’t watch over everything he does.” I force my head to look back at Pleasance. “They knew about it before two years ago, but after what happened then… I can’t risk it happening again.” I sigh. “Just remember, his ‘condition’ is extremely harmful to the world when it goes berserk. As long as Alice is fine, we won’t have a problem with him.”

Pleasance studies my words, like she’s deciphering them to find a loophole. I wish she would stop, I can’t get her to get too close to the truth. However, she asks yet another question, “Odin, I may be wrong on this, but it seems like you’re avoiding to tell me something, a certain part of a question I asked. I also wanted to know what Frey and Freya were talking about, which is the spell. What is this spell that they’re talking about and what does it have to do with me?” Her words press hard against me, while the lump in my throat grows. “Be honest. I know you told me that it’s of no concern to me, but could you at least tell me about my connection to it?”

I know that concerned look, but telling her the truth—I can’t do that. I continue my silence. I’m at a loss, it’s quite true, but I can’t avoid this. I have to make a decision soon, otherwise Pleasance will know that it’s bad.

She walks around me, going to the door. I turn about to see if she is preparing to leave. Instead, she closes the door and leans against it, to prevent me from leaving the room. I see, so that’s what she’s doing. She’s not going to let me out until she has an answer. “Sir, why won’t you give me an answer? Is it that I’m untrustworthy or do you just think I’m incapable?”

“It’s not like that Pleasance; you’re perfectly trustworthy and the matter is not of capability. I just have a reason, that’s all.” I turn away in my chair. I’m really afraid that I’ll end up telling her. Goosebumps line my arms and I feel a cold sweat spread within them.

Still, she persists further. “Then what are these reasons? Why won’t you let me help? Keeping it to yourself will only hurt you more. Look at what happened recently, you collapsed from stress or something and never even told me you weren’t feeling well.” I could hear the desperation in her voice trying to get me to tell her, but that won’t work.

“Is that what happened to me? I collapsed? Is there a reason why you kept this from me?” I stand up and nearly slam the note cards on my desk. Pleasance panics at the door, feeling for a handle. All she does is slide her finger behind her on the wooden surface. I take a step forward. In desperation, Pleasance spits her words out.

“Ah, well Sir, you see, I didn’t think of it as anything important at the time, until I started to connect some things by what you were saying. I’m sorry Sir, I didn’t mean to keep it from you.” She moves her eyes nervously from me, but her hands stop feeling for the handle.

Maybe I could use this to escape her question. “No, no, it’s fine.” I walk over to Pleasance’s desk, to see if there is anything I could use to my advantage. There isn’t, so I sit down at my own desk.

I need a plan, and I need one fast.

“Sir, if I may, since I told you my reason why I didn’t tell you, won’t you tell me yours? I also told you what I didn’t tell you, though mine may not compare to yours. You keep so many secrets from me, and it makes me think that you don’t trust me, despite what you say.”

Ah, that expression she has, I do not like it. I’m sorry Pleasance, I really, truly am, but I can’t tell you yet. There are things I have to do before I can tell you. “I do trust you, please don’t doubt me. However, it’s nothing to worry about.”

“Why shouldn’t I worry about it?”

I will not turn around, I will not look at her, and I will not change my mind for any reason she may give. “I’m telling you, it’s not anything much.” However, I can tell I’m doubting myself already.

“Do not tell me it’s ‘not anything much’ because it is. If it was nothing, then you would have told me what it was by now. If the matter is indeed nothing, then why can’t you tell me? You’re scaring me, Sir.” Pleasance leans toward me more, but keeps near the door. I take a few more steps forward.

“It doesn’t need your concern, Pleasance. I can do this on my own.” I take another step.

“Sir, you collapsed from it. That needs my concern. Listen to me Sir, and let me help you.” I take another step.

“I’ve told you over and over that I don’t need your help, listen to me.” I’m just two steps from her now. I won’t take any more.

“All Father…”

“Pleasance please shut up!”

Pleasance startles at my shout, her hands trying to grab the flat surface of the door while a bitter, cold fear slips completely down her. No, didn’t I want to do this. I didn’t want to fight with her or holler; I just want to avoid the question. How could I do this to her? She’s only trying to help, yet I…I’m sorry.

I hold out my hand to her, but it trembles. My legs want to shake more, but I won’t let them. “I’m sorry Pleasance, I didn’t mean to say that. I just got lost in thought because I don’t know how much you value Asgard. I’m worried about things I shouldn’t be. I don’t know if you ever want to leave.” I gulp down the thick knot in my throat. “Have you?”

Pleasance’s eyes widen. However, she keeps her gaze far from mine, her head turned away from me, and her breaths are quick while her words are soft and quivering. “Well, I guess it would be nice to see what Midgard looks like, but Thor is always the one who goes there.”

I try to speak as softly as I can to avoid hurting her further. “No, no, not like that as a vacation, but sometime I could take you there if you’d like. What I mean is if you want to go back home to your world,” My hand falls. I can’t hold the weight of it. The most I can manage is to keep my legs from shaking. “I want to know if you want to go to your home there.”

Yet, her voice still shakes. “Oh, it’s like that. I don’t know, I’ve never thought about it. I can’t remember what it was like there anymore, I’ve been here too long to remember. It doesn’t matter though, right?” Pleasance suppresses her fear, but she can only hide a small fraction. Her lips quiver, her legs want to shake, her hands tremble against the door, and her eyes line with tears. I’ve scared her so much, and it hurts.

Pleasance lets out one last whisper, trying so hard to speak louder. “Well if that was all it was, then I won’t worry about it… like you told me. Sorry Sir.”

Her unsteady legs wobble her back to her seat at her desk, whisking right passed me, but she leaves the door closed. Then Pleasance rubs the back of her neck. I think nothing of it until I look closer and see black markings on the back of her neck where she had been rubbing. They are the same Black magic signs I saw on her before, except now it’s worded differently. ‘No one, no time, no exception; 10-5.’ Slowly, the sediments fade on their own.

I know I’ve been running out of time, but I didn’t expect it to go by this quickly. The numbers explain it perfectly to me, too bluntly in fact. I have no more time anymore. If I have to get what I need to done, then I need to do it fast. I could go to Time and see if he would lengthen the spell for me, but most likely he won’t. If I have to, and Pleasance allows, I’ll use Ragnarok, but it’ll only be a last resort.

I break out of my stare of the Black magic and blink a few times to get myself to work. However, I find myself looking back at her in mere moments. She picks her pen up and it wobbles in her hand. Quickly, she drops it and winces. How much did I frighten her? She’s still shaken up.

Pleasance stands up rapidly, “I’m sorry, but I think I’m going to take a break. Please don’t slack off while I’m gone.” She leaves the room to who knows where faster than I can say a word.

I know I terrified her so badly that she can’t stand to be around me. I push the note cards to the top of my desk, and bury my head in my arms. Why does it have to be so hard to make a real friend? Maybe I shouldn’t have done this. Maybe I shouldn’t have tried so hard for a friend. Maybe it’s not meant to be because all I am is a supreme god. I’m part of the long line of All Fathers. But it hurts to feel alone.

No, I don’t want to be alone. Pleasance, please forgive me.

I pick up a blank note card and scribble the best apology I could on it, then I grab the note cards I’ll need for a while. I set my apology on her desk and leave for my room. In case that Pleasance is still scared of me by the time she comes back, I want to be somewhere else so that she won’t have to be afraid. I feel so pathetically pitiful right now.

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Loki returns home by himself to his apartment on the second floor. The sun’s setting still and no clouds are in sight, which only means that it’s going to be a colder night. Loki enters his room, shutting the door behind him as he does. Then he takes his jacket off while shivering from the cold, and hangs it back up in the closet. He picks up his music player from the closet and turns it on. Once he hears Alice playing, he slides it under his bed so that Alice wouldn’t find it if she came.

Loki glances up with an eyebrow raised to see two envelopes on his bed. On the white envelope are six neatly printed, black letters, but there is nothing on the black envelope. The envelopes are not bent or damaged in any way, and are precisely sealed tight on the flaps. Loki picks up the white envelope with curiosity and flips it onto its back, but finds nothing other than a sealed flap. He lets it drop to his bed.

Then he does the same with the black envelope, and the result are the same. He opens the envelope, to see what’s inside. Loki is surprised to see the envelope’s contents—nothing. It’s only a black envelope.

He starts to mumble to himself, unconscious that he’s actually speaking. “When did this get here? No, how did it get here? Who is this from?” Loki looks at the letters on the envelope again. “It must be from the—well, it must be from this Asgard.” Loki opens the envelope, to see if it’s like the previous envelope, but it isn’t. There are two sheets a paper inside. Both are handwritten letters.

He only reads the first letter, the shorter of the two. Dear owner of the pocket watch, whom we call Loki, we have been interested in this pocket watch you own for quite some time and would like to get it from you. If you do not let us have it we will send the Fate Sisters after you to retrieve the pocket watch and they may eliminate you in the process. We do not wish to kill you, so please kindly hand over the pocket watch. We will be waiting; from, Odin.

Loki reads through it several times over, but he’s too perplexed by the contents of it and so ignores the warning it gives, as well as the demanding. He slides the letter back in its envelope and sets it down on the floor next to his bed, forgetting about the other letter inside. The black envelope falls to the floor on its own accord.

Then, remembering that he’ll need clothes for tomorrow, he goes to his drawers and grabs all of his shirts and pants. With the big load in his hands, he sidesteps over to the washer in the room next to the bathroom. Once he starts the washer and after looking at the time, he goes into the kitchen to grab a bite to eat. Within two hours, the washer is done and he puts the clothes into the dryer.

Having finished eating and not willing to wait another hour for the dryer end, Loki curls up in his thick blankets in bed. He wakes up the same way as the day before, with Alice knocking on the door, waking him up, and having to rush to get dressed.

When he spots the two envelopes on the floor, he remembers what the one letter said from last night and becomes curious about what Alice would think about the letter. Loki reads it out to her. However, he leaves out the part about the letter being from Odin and replaces it with Asgard.

Alice’s jaw drops open by what she hears, she couldn’t believe it. She stares blankly at Loki, though he didn’t care nearly as much as Alice about what the letter said. During her surprise, she yells out her bewilderment.