The Shrink Program

Chapter 142

I nodded in grim agreement.

"Phantember, I remember it well."

Hands clenching in the white material of Vain shirt, I sent Alan a nervous look. "Please tell me this is just your attempt at friendly conversation, and not you confessing your soon to be fulfilled dream of re-enacting the Chandelier meets screaming crowd scene."

Alan just smiled innocently, and all the colour drained from my face.

When normal people see big elaborate chandelier, they think; Wow, that's pretty. Must be a bitch to clean though.

But when Alan and Alexander Floid see a Chandelier...

'Are you thinking what I'm thinking A1?'

'I think I am A2.'

'It's wrecking ball time!'

"Abscond Vain!" I cried, scrambling to climb up to his shoulder, like a cat who had just spotted the bathtub and was saying hell to the no am I getting in that thing alive. "Abscond!"

"I hate to be the one to break this to you Maddison, but we're thirty feet off the ground." He muttered back tersely, hands coming up to support me as I managed to reach his shoulder and sat clinging to the high collar of his straight jacket.

"No, It's okay," I explained, staring down at the white fingers where they pressed against my side. That's not distracting at all. "Even if we fall from this height, your body will break my fall. "

Vain stiffened, grumbling out an offended noise before sighing in defeat.

Ignoring my panic, he took a moment to contemplate, probably trying to come up with a plan that didn't involve him dying heroically for my sake... Cause yeah, God forbid we do things my way for a change...

As he thought, one of his fingers brushed against my back in an unconscious movement.

Okay, maybe that's starting to get a little bit distracting...

"There are unconscious people down there." Vain pointed out, voice deceptively neutral as he turned his gaze to Alan.

Yes. GOOD. A logical reason not to burn down the building. Knew there was a reason why I kept this guy around...!

"Hmm, I imagine getting them to safety will be more than enough to keep the supervisors occupied while we make our escape." Alan smiled happily, and my rising hope plummeted to the ground in a flaming ball of doom.

Oh yea, logic doesn't work so much on crazy people...

"It's too risky. " Vain insisted stubbornly, causing Alan to tilt his head questioningly.

"Don't tell me you don't want to see this place blown to Kingdom come?"

Yea! Wait... Which side am I supposed to be arguing...

"No. I'm just saying I would prefer it if you set fire to the building when there are less people inside of it."

Including us. Don't forget to mention us.

"Ninety percent of these people probably deserve it, though."Alan mused, in the same bantering tone as before.

But this time, the words struck a darker cord.

I flinched, temper starting to spark and Vain hesitated.

"Perhaps they do... But... I don't think that... anyone has the right to decide such a thing. Especially not you Floid." He said softly. "There are few lines you have left to cross. Don't overstep your ideals for something so pointless."