The Bird and the Garden 3: The Final Adventure

Chapter 35: Grimmore, the Twilight City, Part Four

She dropped it on the steel table, picking up her mirror and returning to Alice. Her one grey eye flickered with laughter, her smile stretching. "... It was my first time using clippers. I hope you are satisfied with the results..."

When she held up the mirror, Alice could only stare at her reflection. Her bald head shone in the moonlight, tears falling down her vomit and bloodstained chin. She had never felt so humiliated in her life, so embarrassed. Cutting her hair wasn't the worst that Mono had done, but it was effective.

She felt something warm pooling in her chair, the steady drip, drip of a liquid tapping against the floor reaching her ears. Mono frowned, staring down. "Oh, dear... That is just plain gross..."

Alice had wet herself. She didn't want to be there anymore. She didn't want to breathe. She wanted it to stop. Mono's smile returned, the mirror disappearing from her hands and returning to the table. Again, Mono had never moved. The sadistic nonhuman leaned down, cupping a hand against Alice's cheek.

"... Perhaps you will tell me what I want to know now? Or shall we continue? I could always strip you down and invite the Cultists to laugh at you. You wouldn't want to be seen without clothes, would you?" She chuckled quietly. "Tell me... Is there a plan to take Summer back? How much do they know of Milord? Who is keeping the illusions that they hide behind?"

Alice was almost ready to break. If she told Mono, maybe she'd finally kill her. They didn't know much of the First Vao, only how he came to be the evil man he was. They had no plan to take Summer back because they didn't even know where she was being kept. But she knew who was keeping up the illusion.

"M... M-Mi..."

She bit down on her tongue, trying to keep her mouth shut. If she spoke, she'd be putting her seven-year-old cousin in danger. She bit hard until she broke skin, her mouth filling with the coppery taste. Mono leaned closer, her eye flickering with an intense desire to hear more.

"Go on... Continue..."

Alice had never felt this level of fear before. The only other person she felt this way towards was the First Vao. She had learned quickly that Mono was just as bad. Just like many of the other Cultists, Mono was very mentally ill. She knew full well that what she was doing was horrible, horrifying. But she didn't care. She enjoyed it. And with her unhealthy obsession with the First Vao, it had grown even worse. It was the fact that Mono didn't care, that she had the power to win, that scared Alice. She didn't even know what the Cult leader's ability was, and she was still fearful. She couldn't take it anymore. The name left her lips.

"M... M-Midori B-Branwen..."

Mono raised an eyebrow, moving back to her table. "... 'Branwen'... Very interesting..."

Alice bit down on her lips. In her head she kept apologizing. She had put her cousin in danger, straight into Mono's radar. But at this point, the only thing Alice could think about was saving herself. "Y-y... Y-you'll... L-let me g-go now...?"

Mono chuckled, a scalpel gleaming in the moonlight. "Goodness, when did I ever say such a thing? There are still so many things I want to do."

Alice felt her heart sink, the color draining from her face. She felt dizzy, sick. Mono set the scalpel down, picking up a rag instead. The Cult leader turned back, her footsteps drawing closer, her smile widening into it was like a thin sickle stretching ear-to-ear.

"Besides... Nasty little traitors should be punished, shouldn't they?"

A sudden force struck Alice in the chest, driving the wind from the bald girl's chest. The bolts holding down the front legs of the chair shattered to pieces, the back legs bending until her head slammed against the floor. Mono held up the rag and draped it over Alice's face, planting her foot on her forehead to keep it steady. Alice struggled. She didn't know what Mono was going to do next.