Alana started to wander, looking around and calling out. "Set a man to watch all nigh, watch all night, watch all night, set a man to watch all night, my fair Lady."

Martin reluctantly sighed, "Okay - just get us out of here." He said as he placed a hand on Arland's shoulder and let him teleport them out of the city and into the desert.

Alana's face turned sad and she sighed, heading back to the cave. "Suppose the man should fall asleep, fall asleep, fall asleep. Suppose the man should fall asleep, my fair lady."

Arland seated himself on a chair in the small, sandstone structure he considered home and sighed with relief. He placed his gun by his side as Martin trudged off to his mattress which lay in the corner, sitting on the end of it. Martin placed his head in his hand, so many questions swirling through his mind as he recollected the moments of Alana destroying the woman's bones... splitting the ground... exploding the city... killing twenty clones instantly.

(I'm not sure where to go from now... Any suggestions?)

Alana moved into her cave and went to sleep slowly. "Give him a pipe to smoke all night, smoke all night, smoke all night... Give him a pipe to smoke all night... My... fair... lady..."

(You could have Martin decide that he is determined to help Alana and either have him convince Arland to send him back or have him sneak off in the night.)

Martin, still undecided about seeing her again looked at Arland, "Why don't you want us to help her?" He asked, curious of his sudden decisions.

"You saw what she's capable of doing - all she does now is play games and toys with people." He sighed, standing up as he scraped the chair against the wooden floor, "I said we would forget about Alana." He said as he moved over to his bedroom door.

Martin hesitated, wanting to ask another question until he arose his final statement, "...Goodnight Arland." He said as his accomplice went into his bedroom and closed the door behind him, the room suddenly going dark.

Alana's dreams were the only sane thing left about her, she dreamed of Martin and Arland, of Felix and Mark, of her past and the present and how she resented what she had become.

Martin stared at the roof for a moment, before scrambling to his feet, being as quiet as he could. He slung a backpack around his shoulder as he crawled through a window which had been left open and began running through the parched lands. He had to find her, no matter what it took.

The next morning Alana began 'painting' again, this time Arland.

Martin moved slowly through the desert, the outline of the destroyed city breaking through the horizon which broke through the red land. "Have to find her... Have to find her..." He repeated the words from his dry lips as he staggered. The heat, lack of water and lack of food made him want to curl up on the floor and do nothing but lay - yet he knew he had to find Alana. He was determined to help her come back, to her usual self.

~

Arland awoke, moaning as he tossed over in his small mattress and his dark grey blanket which was half over his body. He rubbed his face, sleep still subsiding in his mind, "Hey, Martin - you awake?" He called out as he flung his legs over the side of the bed and slipped on his boots before walking toward the door of his room.

Alana hummed softly as she painted and she went out, deciding to do some... 'hunting.'

After a few hours, Martin finally reached the border of the forest where Alana had been residing yesterday. "Alana!" He called out, placing his hand around his mouth to create an extra amount of volume. His voice echoed throughout the forest, making birds retreat from branches and rabbits to scurry off.

~

Arland opened the door and looked around the room, "Hey Martin, you there?" He said, yawning casually as he stepped over to his blanket and paused, looking around from side to side. He then rushed to the window to only see the red desert. "Martin!" He yelled out, rushing over to the front door which he yanked open.

Arland stared out at the rising sunset, "Where have you gone..." He muttered.

Alana looked around curiously as she heard her name being called and tipped her head to the side, trying to remember where she'd heard that voice before. She perked up and teleported to the voice and smiled happily as she saw it was in fact the boy who looked like her painting. She looked up at the sky and saw the clouds coming, she grabbed his hand and began dragging him back to the cave. "It's raining, it's pouring, the old man is snoring."

Martin smiled as he let her hand close around his, giving his warmth amidst the coldness which hung in the air. He trudged after her, entering the threshold of the cave and entering the darkness, an unerving feel sweeping over him as he did so.

Quote :

She perked up and teleported to the voice and smiled happily as she saw it was in fact the boy who looked like her painting. She looked up at the sky and saw the clouds coming, she grabbed his hand and began dragging him back to the cave. "It's raining, it's pouring, the old man is snoring."

Um...

katisacat wrote:

Quote :

She perked up and teleported to the voice and smiled happily as she saw it was in fact the boy who looked like her painting. She looked up at the sky and saw the clouds coming, she grabbed his hand and began dragging him back to the cave. "It's raining, it's pouring, the old man is snoring."

Um...

Anorak wrote:

Martin smiled as he let her hand close around his, giving his warmth amidst the coldness which hung in the air. He trudged after her, entering the threshold of the cave and entering the darkness, an unerving feel sweeping over him as he did so.

(Sorry!)

Alana was obviously thrilled that he was here and she pulled him towards a fire which she had started and held out a stick which had the tiny brain of a squirrel on it which she had cooked and she smiled at him, holding it out to him, humming the song.

He grabbed it dryly, smiling slightly, "Thank you... Alana." Her name was somewhat foreign to him now, not used to saying it after months of no contact with her. "Why do you live like... this? You could come back with us."

Alana tipped her head to the side as she tried to remember, then began to sing again as she stoked the fire with her mind. "Don't let them in, don't let them see, be the good girl you always have to be, conceal don't feel, must let them go..."

"Why do you sing?" He asked as he slowly ate the food, staring at the fire which sparkled amidst the darkness, throwing off a beautiful, orange light.

She switched her tune. Singing. "When I was young I'd listen to the radio, waiting for my favorite song, when they played I'd sing along, it made me smile..."

He moved closer to her, trying to avoid the bloody paintings on her wall, "Do you... even remember us?"

Alana tipped her head to the side in thought then sang. "I've got dreams, dreams to remember, I've got dreams dreams to remember, honey I saw you there last night ."

He looked away, "I really don't understand what you're trying to say." Martin asked, leaning against one of the rock walls, exhaling loudly.

Alana smiled and went back to humming as she ate some squirrel guts.