Page 30 of Tormented
“Shh,” I whisper. “You’ll scare him away.”
How can she not be excited about seeing the March fucking Hare? I loved that story as a kid, the crazy world Alice fell into that made complete and utter sense to all those who lived there. I wanted to live there.
“In a nutshell, you had a big dose of ketamine, and you’ll feel a little out of it for a while yet.”
“Ketamine?” I’ve never wanted to do that shit. Why try a drug that fucks with your psyche when your own is bad enough to begin with?
“Yeah.” She huffs, looking around. “Stay there.”
I eye her long legs as she rises and walks away, her tan skin begging to be stroked right where the frayed edge of her cut-offs rides her ass.
My pulse pounds thick in my temple as I lie back and stare up at the vaulted ceiling above me. The Cheshire Cat appears in a cloud of magical blue mist, hovering a few feet above my head. I reach out to touch him, but he vanishes, only to reappear on my goddamn toes.
You’ve really lost it now. My devil collapses over his desk, head in his arms.
“You’re so cool,” I whisper to the cat, unable to contain my excitement.
His trademark smile spreads, and his body fades away.
I clap my hands rapidly, laughing at the fucking mystery of it all. How does he do it?
“He’s a show-off,” a clipped voice to my right announces. “Never did like the fellow.”
I turn my head slowly, huge fucking smile on my face, and laugh in disbelief when I find the Mad Hatter leaning over the back of the sofa. “You’ve got to be fuckin’ kidding.”
“I’ve lost something,” he announces, adjusting his oversized hat. “It’s small, furry, and very noisy. Never shuts up.” His eyes go wide, the pupils stretching and shrinking. “Have you seen it?”
“No,” I say. “Nowhere.”
“Nowhere, what?” Abbey asks.
Poof. They’re all gone.
“Great,” I moan. “You scared them away.”
“Who?” she asks with one eyebrow cocked.
Hooch stands behind her, arms folded.
“Doesn’t matter.”
“How much did they give him?” Hooch asks.
“Who’s they?” I ask at the same time Abbey says, “Too much.”
“I’ll take over from here.” Hooch stands tall as he sighs, resting both hands on his head. “You go give Fingers a hand with that mess he’s got to sort out, yeah?’”
Abbey nods, giving me one last look before she leaves . . . and smiles. Yep, I’m definitely high if I think that crazed woman would want to smile at me. She steps back, and crosses behind Hooch to head for the garage.
No. Don’t go . . . .
“Right then, big boy,” Hooch says, moving into my line of sight so I can’t see her anymore. “Let’s detox.”
***
Knock a man out for a while, and the whole world goes to the dogs. The rage from last night returns tenfold when Hooch recounts what the hell happened to send me so far off the rails they thought it would be best to sedate me.
Only this time I have the clarity to realize that going in without a plan and without support is assisted suicide.