The Adventures of Alice and Max

Chapter 5: Alice Isn't Afraid Anymore

The Great Light a long time ago. Image created by Leonardo.Ai

Alice felt her bruised neck. It hurt. She sat down on the deck and continued to rub it, but the pain remained. Max, saw it on her trembling grimace.

“Mr. R,” Max said, “Is there any ointment or bandages on this ship? You said you’re delivering medicine, right?” Disturbed at the whole incident back at the diner that had happened, Mr. R did not hear him. Max asked again louder.

“Yes, sorry Max. Let me put this on cruise control.” He did what he said. Mr. R always did what he said he was going to do. He was a reliable man. The children knew they could trust him. He got up from his chair and headed into the cabin below the deck.

Max asked, “Are you OK, sis?” Alice didn’t say a word. She had nothing to say. She was in great agony and remained quiet. Max looked into her eyes with great care and concern.

“Everything is going to be alright.” He put his arm around her and sat next to her on the floor. She knew he was lying. He didn’t know that, no one knew.

Matilda was right. It’s all a damn dream. We all gotta wake up.

“I found some, my dear,” Mr. R. Said smiling brightly as he applied some cream to her bruises. It soothed the pain. She felt slightly at ease. Her muscles relaxed a bit and her shoulders slumped down. “There we are. Should be feeling better soon, Alice.”

Her face fell as she fell asleep from exhaustion hitting her head against the wooden flying ship.

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The trees were being destroyed right in front of her, trees being broken in half by some mysterious force. The whole forest came tumbling down. She saw her father. Terror on his face, he turned his glance away from her and a beam of light consumed them both.

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Alice woke. She sat upright but then realized how tired she was. She slammed her head back onto the pillow. She was relieved that she was only sleeping and no one could disrupt her. She thought maybe it was all a dream. That she was back at the orphanage and everything was as it was before. But she never had her own room at the orphanage.

She heard men’s voices. Mr. R and Max.

Oh, this again.

Groaning, she hopped out of bed, changed her clothes from her pack, and opened the door bumping into Mr. R.

“Hello, my dear,” he said with a big smile.

“Hello,” Alice said with a smile.

“How are you healing up? You feel better and well rested?”

“Yes, definitely! I needed that.” Alice looked around. "So, when are we going to the City?”

“Oh, soon, my dear Alice. But first, we have to make a delivery at the border.”

“The border? What border?”

“The border between the Platforms and the City itself.”

“Who’s at the border?”

“Coworkers. My acquaintances. But both you and Max need to stay below during the shipment. Under no circumstances are you allowed to come up. I was just explaining to Maxwell that you both are to stay put while my ship is being offloaded. I’ll talk with Jiggs, my boss, briefly, and then I’m gone. Then we head for the City. Is that alright?”

“Sounds like a plan, Stan!”