Clockwork Dream

xiv Ghosts Not Laid to Rest

Lunch was an interesting affair, if by interesting one meant awkward and uncomfortable. Alice sat near Matthew surrounded by a good portion of the crew. They had passed through the mist the day before so everyone's spirits had lifted at the thought of a daring escape from four armed gunships. Jaunty tunes littered with words that wouldn't be repeated in polite company filled the air. Someone had even cracked open a barrel of brandy- a precious commodity ten thousand feet up.

Captain Riker had allowed Leo to move about the ship as he pleased, but the boy had vanished the moment he caught sight of the rowdy crowd. Matthew was wrapped up in a story about old times, meaning that Alice was left alone with her thoughts. She had learned a long time ago that that was never a good thing.

She could no more stop thinking about it than she could command her heart to stop beating. The constant noise provided the perfect backdrop for the rest of the world to fade away.

The first thing she heard was laughter, sweet and light like that of careless children untouched by reality.

Vivid images flashed through her mind; Light glistening across the dew tipped grass; the blush of a crimson sky as far as the eye could see; warm gusts of wind pushing away the chill or morning; two innocent little girls surrounded by the wafting drowsy scent of foxglove.

"Ring around the Rosie"

"Pocket full of posies"

"Ashes, Ashes we all fall down!"

That's right, she knew those voices. One of them belonged to her.

"Hey, do you want to play a game?"

"I thought we weren't supposed to?"

"How would anyone find out?"

The cool steady drip of water down walls of stone; blind fish splashing silently in a crystalline pool; an incomplete darkness; the chill of goosebumps creeping over smooth skin.

"Isn't this fun!"

"You're so weird, you know that?"

"Ha, you're just jealous."

A strange steel door amid the natural beauty; blond locks spread out in a halo; crimson rubies glistening in a dim half-light, far more precious than any gem; the pungent scent of iron filling the air.

"Wasn't that fun, Emily?"

"Emily? Don't you want to play again?"

"Why won't you say anything?"

Shadows looming out from the darkness; large rough hands enveloping trembling shoulders; cold that seeps from within; a baritone voice ringing out in the silence.

"What do we have here?"

"How.... Disappointing."

"You really should have learned by now."

And then-

A hand on her shoulder. A real one. When her eyes came into focus she saw Matthew shaking her, a look of concern etched onto his features.

"You alright there?"

She tried to smile. "Fine"

Matthew frowned and drew closer, distancing both of them from the crowd. "I'm pretty sure I know what you're thinking about."

She didn't have a response for that.

"Listen, I'm sorry for what happened."

"You're sorry?" she stammered, "I'm the one who nearly ruined everything and tried to throw myself off the ship. And now everyone's acting like I'm some kind of hero. They have no idea what really happened."