Alice. Wake up, Alice.
The words came to me in a dream, or so I thought. It was Dave's voice telling me to wake up, his words sounding sweet like honey, and smooth like silk. I awoke to an empty bed, only myself and Stella occupying the creme colored sheets, Stella's ears twitching once every few seconds although sound asleep.
Must have been dreaming.
I rolled over with a small yawn, my honey blonde hair falling into my eyes and over Stella's nose, making her sneeze before her foot began to twitch. I smiled softly while watching the small movements before beginning to sit up, finger playing at the hoop in my nose, yawning as I made my way towards the bathroom. On the mirror was an envelope, sealed with 'Alice' signed across it in Dave's handwriting. I had shared a place with him ever since we began dating, and he had joined Crown. Joining the band meant he lost money, and the loss of money meant the loss of nearly everything for Dave, although he would never admit it unless you witnessed it first hand. Although our relationship was young at the time, five years later we were still together in the small townhouse in Gapevine, Texas.
Alice:
Within these notes are clues to where I am. Find me.
Xoxox,
Dave.
Behind the first note was a second, a hand written poem on the page.
Before that Day, I saw no light
Only darkness surrounded me
One eventful December evening
Kindest of all living creatures
Set in her ways like the mighty lion
Taunting with the curve of her lips
Only God himself could craft such
Resembling heaven with her smile
Eternity is what I wish to spend
Only darkness had I known
Now, I have kissed an Angel's lips on that Day of December
5th
I read the poem with a cocked brow and my lip between my teeth.
There's a clue in here?
I read the poem another ten times before placing it down on the counter, looking around for another clue if possible. Left the not on the counter before I began walking away, grabbing clothes for the day and getting dressed, brushing our my hair before picking up the note again.
"December fifth. Yes. Day we met, and also the first time we kissed, both true." I muttered to myself before throwing the paper down in defeat, nearly screaming as it fell in the wet sink, smudging almost all ink to the right of the page.
There goes that.
The black ink made the note almost impossible to read, defeat beginning to sink in. I glanced at the paper once more with widened eyes and a laugh of pure joy.
BOOK STORE ON 5TH
The clue was hidden in plain sight, the first letter of each line in the poem. The place I first met him.
After feeding Stella and myself, I grabbed for the keys to my car, nearly skipping as I walked out front to my vehicle. The easy part was finding the store; the hard part was finding the next clue. With no hint to as where it was, I asked for help from the elderly woman who owned the shop, only receiving a shrug in return. I closed my eyes as I sat in one of the oversized chairs in the store, thinking back to that crisp day in December.
The bell of the shop had chimed as my foot crossed the threshold of he door, the scent of old and new books alike filling the air. I was only 19 at the time, and new to Grapevine, the only thing keeping me from going home being the lease I had signed onto without reading the fine print. As I stood in the small shop, jacket being pulled closer to my body as a chill ran up my spine, I noticed him. He stood amongst a group of boys who all seemed younger than him, although it didn't make him seem old. He had an economics book in hand, clearly skimming for bordoms sake rather than learning. His friends began to whisper loudly as my eyes met his and he cracked a smile. I quickly looked down and made my way into the rows of shelves, ignoring the small snickers and fits of laughter coming from the group although I questioned going back to speak to him. I stumbled across an old leather book on the shelf that caught my eye: Dracula.
My eyes shot open as I remembered the book. Moments after I picked it up, he had commented on how it took him nearly a year to finish because how the old English didn't flow. I laughed but brushed off the statement as I put the book back. As I made my way back to the same creaky shelf, I found it. Sitting in nearly the same spot, all other surrounding books having been bought or moved, yet there it was. Inside was an envelope, smaller than the last, but my name on it once more.
Alice:
Like the words of this book, I stutter and skip, like an old broken record.
With even less information in this clue, I began to pace from one book shelf to the next. It was easy to guess that stutter would be something with Brandon, but he wouldn't be so vague for that same reason. Record. I began to zero in on the word like my.life depended on it, although nothing came to mind.
We visited record stores. That wasn't special. Dracula wasn't the clue either.
I snapped my gum before it hit me. The next clue was at his parent's old house.
Our first few dates were makeshift and unconventional. Things like going on late night walks or sneaking into movies without buying the tickets, because neither of us had the money to waste. The stuttering broken record was in reference to the first time I went to his house with intentions of having sex. I was 21, him 22. We drank cheap wine from his parent's liquor cabinet while listening to his sister's vinyl copy of Youth by Citizen, the album being one of the only ones that didn't skip, although it wasn't any use, the way his family came in and out of the room, you would've thought I was skipping. From that night on, we decided to stay at my place or somewhere without family to intervene.
His parents had recently decided to sell the house until Dave's sister, Danielle, was ready to take on the responsibility of owning it. The house sat for ages, the realtor sign still hanging in the yard, creaking softly as the wind hit it. I made my way inside the home, the door unlocked almost all the time. I padded my way up the stairs, looking around his old bedroom before I found it. In the closet of Dave's old bedroom was the envelope, the sight of it making me grin. The nostalgia of the bedroom alone was almost overwhelming.
Alice:
You're nearly done, and luckily, you've found these letters with hopefully ease. The album was Youth, although we both felt ours was taken too soon.
I furrowed my brows with this clue, walking down the stairs slowly as I pondered the secret meaning behind the words. As I sat in my car, I clicked a pen sitting in my purse, the same one I had gotten the day I finished my last exam, earning my degree in economic sciences, the studying for each exam sucking nearly all life from me.
"Alice, babe, c'mon. Take a break." Dave had pleaded with me, although it felt like the weight of the world was balancing on my shoulders.
"David, I have to know this whole semester in a night. No." I retorted and he took the book, placing it on top of the refrigerator where I wouldn't reach. I pinched his nipple and he made a noise before he threw me over his shoulder and began walking out of the house, not stopping until we reached Andy's. It was another night spent drinking low quality alcohol, but I felt human again. The next day, I nearly missed my exam, but managed to pass it with flying colors. Dave took me to the Galveston, Texas the next day.
The beach made me feel like a kid.
Once again I was understanding the clues, but the drive to Galveston didn't sound pleasant in the slightest. I traveled back home and found Danny Suede in my living room, rubbing Stella's belly as she yapped at him, tail wagging quickly.
"Pleasant surpise." I grinned and he gave a small nod. He handed me the last envelope before winking.
Alice:
There was no clue this time. Only a small shell from the first time we went to Galveston. I was going the right direction. I packed a bag, and grabbed Stella before inviting Danny to join for the ride.
With four and a half hours of driving under our belt, we neared the town. I fixed my sloppy shirt as I pulled into a parking spot near the beach, looking around for another clue, Stella hopping out and running to the water without hesitation.
"Stella!" I called quickly, Danny running after her into the water. As I neared the water, my eyes widened, Dave sitting in the sand, wearing a black button up and jeans, looking too dressy for a comfortable time at the beach.
"Look at you. Sherlock herself." He joked as he looked up to me, standing and hugging me tightly. Before I could piece together what was happening, he was on one knee, a black velvet box in hand while family and friends stood around. My voice caught in my throat, unable to hear, much less speak as I looked over the sight before me.
"So, what do you say?" He asked, my jaw still dropped.
"I loved you when you were poor, I'll love you on your death bed. Like I told you when you asked if I would be you girlfriend, my answer will always be yes."