Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Five Forty-five ❯ Five Forty-five ( Chapter 1 )

Five Forty-Five

 

Disclaimer: This story and their characters belong to me. The names “Alice in Wonderland” and “Snowhite” belongs to its rightful owners, I'm just borrowing them for a little while, for the story's purpose, I'm not making any money out of anything.

 

A/N: I'm reposting it because I've been told there are typos and because I forgot to tell you guys that I seriously need some feedback on this! In my college we have a newspaper, and we have to write something for it (it's only 5%, but that five can help in the end of the semester and it's due in May 3rd.) so I came up with this idea. English is not my mother tongue, that's because I'm studying it at college; so feedback and constructive critique is really appreciated.

 

That's all! Enjoy the story!

 

 

-----o-----

 

 

“You can't be here…go back…”

 

Everything was white, too white; she couldn't see a thing. She heard the voice...she knew that voice...then another one was heard.

 

“Pumpkin, listen to us...you have to go back!”

 

`Dad?' she thought, `only Dad called me pumpkin...then that means the other voice is my mum's...' logic told her.

 

“Sweetheart...he's waiting for you...go to him...”

 

Her mother again...but...him? Him who? She turned around and saw the silhouette of a man then, suddenly, her hand was tingling...and she felt safe and loved.

 

“Lizzie...”

 

She heard the masculine voice whisper her name and it squeezed her heart the pain felt in that voice. Tears threatened to spill out of her eyes and she closed them, still feeling the tingling in her hand...

 

 

When she oppened her eyes again, everything was dark. The tingling in her hand persisted...after a while it stopped and she lifted her eyes to take a look at the clock...5:45 it read...The sun was rising now probably, but the heavy blinds didn't let the rays shine through. She closed her eyes again feeling lost and lonely; with the tingling, the feeling of safeness went along. She sighed heavily. A soft breeze coming through the open window brought her a flowery smell. She looked at the side and there, on top of the other pillow, were a Tulip and a note. She took the note and read, it said:

 

“I had to leave. I was waiting for you to wake up.

Talk to you later.

Love, D.”

 

She smiled lovingly and picked the tulip up to smell it, then she thought how did he find flowers at this ungodly hour?...but then she discarded the thought and prepared herself to go to work.

 

-----o-----

 

She was pouring herself a cup of steaming coffee when Martha, a good friend and work mate, came into the little kitchen the office had. Liz was pouring some milk on her coffee when a shudder ran down her spine; her body was covered in goosebumps.

 

“Are you okay?” asked Martha looking a Liz' chicken skin “Do you have a cold?”

 

“N-no...I don't think so...” Liz said whilst putting sugar on her mug and contemplating asking the next question “Martha...have you felt like...someone is touching you?” she didn't lift her eyes off her mug.

 

“You mean...when you're alone?” at Liz' affirmative response, she continued “Well, no... but I've heard people say that when that happens is because the spirit of a loved one, or your guardian angel, are touching you... but, who knows?”

 

“Right...” Liz sipped her coffee and milk, deep in thought and shivering from time to time.

 

“Are you...feeling that right now?”

 

Liz only nodded and closed her eyes. It felt weird, but it felt nice also...Someone was running their hands through her hair, and the feeling of safeness returned. Then, unexpectedly, she heard a baby cry. Liz jumped out of her chair in shock and fear, spilling her coffee all over the table in the process.

 

“Wha- what happened?! Did you see a spider...a `roach?!” asked Martha worriedly, climbing onto her chair and looking at the floor, expecting to see something.

 

“I...I...Is n-nothing” her breath was coming in short gasps, her heart was beating a-mile-a-minute, her hands were sweaty and she was trembling like a leaf.

 

“Geeze, Beth! You scared the hell out of me!” said Martha stepping off the chair and looking for something to help clean the mess on the table “Next time you freak out over nothing let me know...” she murmured irritably whilst Liz cleaned in silence.

 

What was happening to her? First the dream, the tingling sensation, and now the crying baby... was she getting mad? Was it stress? ...it could be... she remembered she read somewhere the simptoms of stress... yes, it must be that. A hand in front of her face took her out of her reverie.

 

“You're weird today... Remember the meeting with the boss? Is in fifteen minutes, we should hurry up.” And they both finished cleaning and went to pick up their notes to go to the meeting.

 

-----o-----

 

Once back home, she expected to see D... but he wasn't there, though she could smell his cologne in the air. Sighing tiredly she went for the answering machine, and listened to the only message there was.

 

“Hi Lizzie, it's me...” his voice was like a loving caress “Listen, I'm sorry if I cannot see you as regularly as I want to, but... my work... you know?” the was a long pause, she heard him sigh “I miss your eyes, your smile... come back, please” he was pleading now, “Open your eyes, wake up!” the line died apparently. She then felt a terrible headache at those last words.

 

Everything went black; she couldn't breathe and collapsed on the floor clutching at her chest. The pain was unbearable...and then oblivion came.

 

-----o-----

 

Flowers... many flowers... she was lying on a field of them. White Hyacinths, Honeysuckles, Pansies, Violets... all mixed together making a beautiful palette of colours. She looked to her side and took one forget-me-not, and then she stood up and patted the summer dress she was wearing. She started walking idly, stopping from time to time to smell a sunflower, or a lily-of-the-valley, until she came to another field, this time full of her favourite flower...tulips.

 

“Lizzie...” she spun around, but she couldn't see anyone. The voice called again. She started running, looking for the source of the voice, she knew that voice! “Lizzie come back...” she stopped dead dropping the flowers she has picked up. She looked to her side and there it was...the silhouette she saw on the previous dream, calling to her...she took a step and everything went blinding white, it made her close her eyes and then...

 

She was sitting on her bed, drenched in a cold sweat and breathing erratically. She felt like crying... and she did. There was a heavy feeling of longing, desperation, hopelessness and utter loneliness all over her... but it wasn't from her, those feelings came from the figure in her dream, she was sure of that.

 

Wiping the tears away, she looked at the clock; it was 5:45 in the morning. She stood, fixed her white gown on the shoulders and went to her mirrorless bathroom to take a long shower.

 

She took her breakfast, after stepping on some clean clothes, whilst reading an old magazine... a gentle smell of flowers filled the air and she relished on it.

 

“...looks better today...”

 

Liz opened her eyes, not realizing when she closed then in the first place... and second...

 

“Are you okay?” asked Martha with a worried expression on her face “Do you have a cold?”

 

...She was at the office... but how?!... 'I was in my house just now!' she thought, a cold sweat breaking over her skin again.

 

“You're weird today... Remember the meeting with the boss? Is in fifteen minutes, we should hurry up.” And Martha left with her notes, leaving Liz perplexed.

 

-----o-----

 

““All right,” said the Cat; and this time it vanished quite slowly, beginning with the end of the tail, and ending with the grin, which remained some time after the rest of it had gone.

 

“Well! I've often seen a cat without a grin,” thought Alice; “but a grin without a cat! It's the most curious thing I ever saw in my life!””

 

She was five again, and someone was reading Alice in Wonderland to her. It was her favourite book when she was little; she wanted to be just like Alice! She wanted to travel to unknown places and meet wonderful people; just like Alice did in Wonderland... she voiced these thoughts to the person that was reading to her, though she couldn't see their face.

 

“Don't Lizzie...” he said, for the voice was male... that voice... “Don't get lost in there, you have to come back, just like Alice did at the end...” he took her hand, she was lying on a bed “Come back to us... to me Lizzie” he kissed her cheek “before it's too late... we're running out of time... wake up!”

 

“I can't!” she sat on her bed; shaking with sobs, her face between her hands... she couldn't understand what was happening... who was this person she always dreamt with? She had to wake up from what? Was she doing things without noticing? She took a deep breath to calm her nerves and stole a glance at the clock... 5:45 am... She stumbled out of bed and went to take a shower. She took her breakfast whilst reading an old magazine and then took off to work.

 

Whilst riding the bus she was lost in thought, looking out the window; she could faintly hear the news... she looked around trying to see from where the sound was coming from, but no one was listening to the radio or watching a portable TV... she was hearing things again... she closed her eyes and swallowed hard. When she opened them again, she was in the little kitchen at the office. Martha was looking at her worriedly and was asking something. Liz was at the verge of a breakdown.

 

“...we should hurry up.” And Martha went ahead to look for their notes. Liz couldn't move from her spot. After some minutes that felt like ages, Liz stood up and came out of the kitchen in the blink of an eye... then she was back home.

 

Everything was dark, the only light was the blinking `one' on Liz' answering machine. She walked to it and clicked the button... the recorded message played itself.

 

“Hey Lizzie! Do you like your garden?” a pause “though I'll have to take out some of the vases..” another pause, a scrapping noise “Your sister came this morning, she caught me reading to you...” a laugh, then a sigh “...they say the time is coming, that you've been like this for far too long... Lizzie, you need to wake up or they'll-”

 

The pain came back full-force, knocking her down onto the floor. She heard a beeping sound, more scrapping and exited voiced yelling orders, curses... the last thing she heard was “...brain activity...” before unconsciousness took her.

 

-----o-----

 

Running water woke her up. She sat and felt the grass on her hands. Giving a look at the place she was in, she felt she was in a Disney's movie. There was a waterfall; birds were chirping merrily and flying from tree to tree; squirrels were collecting nuts on the ground; rabbits were looking for food; a deer was drinking water from the pond at the base of the waterfall... was she Snowhite or something? She felt more than heard the footsteps and she glanced to her side... wide eyes and mouth agape.

 

“Nice place you got here... not as beautiful as the field of flowers, but breathtaking nonetheless, pumpkin!” he had an easy smile on his face.

 

“Dad?” her vision was blurring from the tears. He just nodded and sat down beside her. He looked young and strong, not at all the old, worn man she last saw before he died so many years back. He looked happy, though his eyes were sad.

 

“Pumpkin... as beautiful as these places are, you can't stay here long, is not your time” he looked tired all of a sudden “You still have so many things to live. There are people waiting for you... your sister, your niece... D...”

 

Her heart and head were hurting, she was crying. The beeping returned... someone took her hand, and everything was okay again, she could smell flowers... tulips. She opened her eyes... she was at the waterfall with her father still.

 

“Elizabeth, don't run from the feelings, grab them! Fight the light, you shouldn't be here!” he was dead serious “Next time you feel the pain, don't fight it, go for it... it'll save you...” he was vanishing “follow the flowers, the smell... his touch, his voice...” and he was gone.

 

She woke up with a start. The room was dark. She looked to the side; it was 5:45 am... again? She sat up, shook her head and climbed out of bed for a short, cold shower... she needed to clear her mind.

 

She came out of the shower, wrapped her body in a fluffy white towel and went for the sink; the mirror was fogged up... wait a minute... fog? Mirror?! She wiped the fog and looked at her reflection... she stared at it several minutes, it was like she was looking at herself for the first time and a feeling of dread gripped her heart... something was going to happen today...

 

She shook her head once again and started to fix herself up for a day at the office. Once dressed, she ate her breakfast whilst reading an old magazine... she suddenly had the feeling of déjà vu.

 

She took her suitcase, her keys and walked out of her apartment; she then took her daily bus to the office and when she got there, Martha welcomed her with a hug, like she did everyday.

 

Liz worked on a project they had to present to their boss for the rest of the morning. At lunch she ate at the nearby restaurant. Midafternoon she went to the little kitchen the office had for her daily dose of caffeine... and then she started feeling anxious and a little bit desperate... she was pale, her hands were sweaty and her heart was running wild.

 

“Are you okay?” asked Martha when she came in and gave Liz a look “Do you have a cold?”

 

“N-no...I'm fine” she sat at the table and took a sip of her beverage, whilst Martha was fluttering about the kitchen and blabbering about mundane things. The smell of tulips was in the air and her lips were tingling... as if someone just kissed her... “Duncan...”

 

Martha stopped talking and turned around to look at Liz, and saw how her friend was touching her lips with a trembling hand and how tears were cascading down her flushed cheeks.

 

“You're weird today...” Martha looked at her wristwatch “Remember the meeting with the boss? Is in fifteen minutes, we shoul-“

 

“Hurry up...I know...” Liz said, downed her beverage and stood up to go look for her notes.

 

 

The meeting was excellent. The project was approved and their boss promised a promotion. Liz and Martha were so happy for their success that they decided to go someplace to celebrate.

 

They drank, they danced and they had a great time. Around midnight, Martha was driving Liz home, they were singing songs from the radio... when Liz saw everything, as if on a movie. She saw how the cat strode on their path, how Martha swerved and how they collided with a tree on the sidewalk... she was going to warn Martha when everything happened.

 

“...this is how I...” was the last thing Liz thought when the searing pain returned.

 

She remembered her father's advice and accepted the pain... and then there it was... the smell of tulips and Duncan's cologne mixed together... he was holding her hand, caressing her cheek... he was saying something and he was crying.

 

“Lizzie please, if you don't wake up they're going to disconnect you... you have to wake up...” he squeezed her hand.

 

“...don't run from the feelings, grab them!”

 

And she did. She took her chance when she felt Duncan squeezing her hand... and she held it tightly! She felt as if she was being lifted off the car and opened her eyes whilst gasping for air. For several seconds all that could be heard were Liz' gasps and the beeping of the machines, then...

 

“Lizzie...” he whispered her name and she looked at him.

 

His beautiful eyes were puffy and red from crying, his naturally dishevelled hair was pointing everywhere, and he looked worn, thin and tired. She lifted a hand to touch his handsome face and he held it there, leaning in the touch.

 

“Duncan...” she said faintly... and he kissed her.

 

 

The End.