+ serial
novel - chapter 1 +
A story from Wonderland Overdrive
planning & presented by MadHatter - all rights reserved
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«I aint buying or selling today
I'm just looking around
For some decent conversation
No hidden agenda
No phony pretender
No holding on out for no sweet sixteen
Or peppermint dream
I'll call you please don't call me
Is it 'cos I'm cool?»
Mousse T, “Is it cos I’m cool?”
"You should cover up with something… it's not healthy to go around… naked… like that."
I raise my eyes. "Uh? What's wrong, Danny?"
He snorts. "Kiddo, you know perfectly I don't like to have naked lil' dudes around when I'm working… especially if I-am-not-alone…"
I lower my gaze, briefly considering my condition. Magazines, check. Pillows, check. Ok, I'm shirtless but it's so hot here…
I point at my shorts. "You can't say I'm completely naked, bro…"
He raises an eyebrow, then opens his mouth to start what seems like a long and annoying reply, but a voice - a female voice - stops him before he starts.
"Roger?"
His tone changes all of a sudden. "Yes darling?" He aims a fiery glance at me, which I think should mean "Talk and you're dead." Tzk. The same old things…
"Roger, what's up? Who's speaking?"
"Nothing to worry about," another glare. "I'll be back in a minute, sweetie…"
"I think you should stop calling your girls that," I start, but he doesn't seem to care. He grabs my shirt from the chair's back where I abandoned it and throws it back on me, then hisses "Get out of my way, NOW," with a cold voice… something tells me I shouldn't try to reply, at least not if I want to stay alive, but…
"You had a bad day, Dan?" I say, rising. "Damn, you know, I can't go back home when Reuben is in… last time he kept me locked out all day long, he doesn't like me at all…"
"I can understand him perfectly."
"I thought you were on my side, Danny," I say, vaguely annoyed. "Reuben isn't even your boss… you could show a little more brotherly love towards me, once in a while…"
Dan shakes his head. "I know you too well to be on your side all the time, kiddo."
He takes a look at his watch, raising an eyebrow, then pulls out his wallet and puts a couple bucks on the sofa's cover, in a brisk movement. I can't hide a smile. Oh, this older brother. You can't pretend with me, right Danny?
"So? Take it and move! I have no more time to waste!"
I smile. "I suppose I couldn't come back until… tomorrow late morning or something, right?" He looks at me without replying while I finish dressing. I wonder about taking one of the magazines with me but Dan seems to have lost his patience or something, so I leave them where they are, shrugging my shoulders. "Keep them, Danny. You'll find them useful if the day ends badly," I start to say, but Dan puts a hand on my shoulder and drags me to the nearest door, hissing "OUT!" in the highest tone he can keep, and I'm too busy trying not to break my legs on the door's jamb to finish the sentence.
A blast of wind, and the slam of the door behind me. Here we are, again. The sky of Wonderland is orange as usual. Luckily it isn't as cold as I thought… maybe I could try to see if Reuben's gone. I sit down, my back to the door, waiting for something. There are just a few people and some cars in the street… there should be a bus station near here, or so it was the last time I was here. Since the last time things have changed too quickly for my taste.
And this stupid fire escape is uncomfortable beyond all descriptions.
I stretch my arms and sigh. I don't think I'd like to hear how Danny's night will end, so I stand up and try to go downstairs without breaking my neck or something.
I like the look of the streets when the sun goes down. Ok, the sun's always going down here, almost all day, but sometimes it rains and sometimes the night falls, in some way… so it's not properly the sunset all the time. But if you look carefully, you'll surely notice that the sky and the air keep changing, and people follow this stream as well… I like people, at least until they want to change me too.
I have Dan's money in my pocket but nothing else. My stomach is the better clock and it's grumbling in that way that means "I wanna be fed", so I understand it's around dinnertime… the sad thing is this part of the City seems completely out of any sort of… place where I could eat something. No restaurants - not that I could do much with two bucks, anyway - no diners, nothing. Now, I perfectly know that Reuben will be still at home, but damn… it should be my home too, right? And maybe, if I take the right door… the right one to the kitchen, or the dining room, anywhere but his stupid study, I'll be safe. That damned house is full of rooms, why should I pick just his one?
I keep walking.
My stomach keeps grumbling.
I try to think of the two or three latest girls I met but I don't recall anything about their houses and their cooking skills, so I give up.
It won't take me too much to arrive there. That stupid house is right in the center of the city.
I walk along the streets, whistling a song.
Just a couple of minutes and the grey silhouette of the building stands out the horizon. I turn into Dodgson Road, slip through the door at the number 1832, and pop up to the thirtheen floor before my stomach can say something.
I was frightened to meet some of those damned Spades, but both stairs and floors are empty… one nil for me. No big dudes who want to cut off my head and bring it to their stupid boss. Maybe I'll even be able to eat something in peace and sleep for a while without anyone interfere… ah, sweet dreams.
I just walk along the corridor, trying to remember where was the kitchen door, last time. Doors doesn't look the same, they slightly change to reflect the content of the room they belong to, I could bet. Reuben's office door is a big thing of solid wood and metal that should reflect his owner… everytime I see that door I think it could fall and mash me in a second, just for the sake of it.
Just like its owner, I said.
But anyway. The third last on the right is a white little door with thin curls on the edge, and a ancient looking metal handle. It could lead me right into a nice and warm kitchen, I guess. "At least it doesn't look dangerous," I think. C'mon, there could be anything bad behind a door that looks like a giant meringue… it would be wicked!
So I stretch out the hand towards the handle and lower it and when I peep into the room - bingo! - it's empty like I wished. There's a window in the corner and everything is in semi-darkness. I don't remember this room at ALL but this is not a problem, I'm in the stupid house at least. I push the door wide open and I enter.
Bad move.
Something vaguely lifeless hits my head, wringing a deep cry from me and knocking me to the floor, while the door closes with a deep bang. "Damn, what's up?" I roar, turning my head right and left, trying to see who or what is trying to kill me but I only see shadows on shadows.
"Ouch." I moan, trying to rise and sit, massaging my head. Silence. A sudden thought comes across my mind, but it's too weird to be taken into consideration… come on, the house can't be alive! I couldn't be hit by something inside this stupid room only because I said it's a stupid place to live…
I'm still trying to shake off the disbelief when I see a darker shadow just in front of my feet.
"Hit," says the shadow, with a grin.
I should have imagined.
I should have expected this! Damn, of all the rooms I picked the one of that… freak of nature!
"You don't seem so contrite, do you?" he says, arching his eyebrows. "You were hit by a rabid hare, and without his agreement!" and, in a muffled voice, "a hard head, right Lewish? Strange, since it's full of nothing…"
I raise my eyes and meet those yellow ones, sparkling in the darkness. "You," I hiss. "You damned freak…"
Joel smiles. "Yes, my undear friend?" he replies, perfectly calm. He keeps swinging his stupid puppet two inches above my head, but he pulls it back before I can grab it.
I stand up, and he takes a couple steps backwards without moving his eyes from me.
"I suppose this is one of your genial jokes, right? How sweet…" I say, coldly.
"Wrooong. I was only teaching Lewish how a dart feels when it's thrown somewhere. You shouldn't have opened the door so quickly."
You, stupid…
"…but anyway, I heard your stomach talking before you entered, so maybe it wasn't totally a lesson, at least. Not for Lewish, I meant, of course."
"Go away from me, freak. Do not cross my path once again or I'll kill you."
"I doubt you could."
I take a deep breath. Be quiet, Cody. There's no need to fight with a poor, stupid freak like him, right now. Hunger comes first. You just have to find your way out all of this. Breathe, Cody, breathe. Think about all the delicious things that wait for you in the kitchen…
I move some steps backwards aiming him a last, angry look, and I see his lips curl in a vicious smile. That stupid jerk! You're trying to make a fool of me, huh?
"Yes," I hiss, in the coldest voice I have, "I'm going out. I'm happy to see that you don't like my company as much as I don't like yours,
bastard."
His smile becomes bigger.
"And please don't put yourself out for telling me what's the way out, I know it perfectly."
He tilts the head a bit on the side, without moving his gaze from me. God, how's annoying!
I start turning back toward the door but he stops me with a gentle cough.
"I don't think you would really open that door, would you?"
"Oh, so you think I should spend some time with you? And why?"
He tosses the head, gently. "You should start to pay attention to what you say and do and
think, you know?"
"Is this the beginning of one of your smart conversation, my dear?"
"Not at all."
"Damn, why I'm keeping this debate alive, I have something more interesting to-" I say, turning to the door.
Oh, darn.
"I did tell yoo-ou."
Where I've already seen this huge, wooden door? This damned huge wooden door, that spreads evilness all around? No plates, everyone knows perfectly who's working behind that door, right?
Oh, shit.
"Is this another joke of yours? Why this side of the door has changed? WHY?"
Joel shrugs. "Changed? A door is a door. Did you expect to find the fridge's?"
"Why this damned door leads to Reuben's office and not the damned corridor I was in before?"
"Ooh, you meant this."
"Where's the DAMNED EXIT?"
Joel laughs. "Right in front of you. Maybe you'll find the kitchen door inside Reuben's office, who knows. Or maybe the door's just joking. You should try to open it and see what's on the other side…"
"It was you… YOU!" I cry, running back to him and catching his collar with a hand, pushing him carelessly on the wall. "You freak! This is your damned room, you did it! It's all your fault!"
He laughs, choking a bit when I thighten the hold. "And you treat your girls like that every times? Oooh, do you expect me to shiver in pleasure, now?" he says, with a subtle voice.
"Where's the exit, bastard?"
"Was my speech too cultured for you? The exit is behind there. And now please put your hands off or I'll start to think you're trying to rape me."
I push him away, turning back to the door.
"hmm, exciting." laughs his voice, but I pretend not to hear it.
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