Welcome to Gaia! ::

Emerwyn smiled. "Never. Not while there's still Julian. An insightful, kind young man, who I enjoy talking to. In fact-" Emerwyn hesitated. "-I think we should get together more often. Like... like a weekly thing. We could have a drink, and just... talk. About anything at all, or nothing in particular."
And though this was a good way to get Julian to become more intact, it was not Emerwyn's sole intention. Truly, she did find an affinity with the young man, and wanted to get to know him. She wanted, purely and simply, to be his friend.


((by the by, if Julian accepts her invitation, we don't have to play weekly. Nor would we have to play out each meeting they share wink ))

"I'd like that, Julian. I'd like that a lot." Emerwyn was relieved. She wasn't sure if he'd want to.
"I'm very interested to see what you've written. We could share, in fact. I don't have much of my own material here, but, I'm sure I'll become... inspired again. Especially being able to talk to a fellow writer."

"Of course. I still find - well, found - myself being drawn back to my childhood books. Books that some people call children's books, but are really so much more. The Chronicles of Narnia, for one. And Alice, of course. Once you return to them as you grow older, their meanings grow deeper. So, no, I don't mind at all. In fact, I'm glad for it. We all need to be reminded of what it was like to be a child."

"Yes. Adults seem to be so attracted to death and tragedy. There is no rising above..." Emerwyn was glad to see such a spark grow within him. "That's why all we see on the news is murder, and death... Nothing about a sweet old couple who just reached their 60th anniversary, or a child who just got through an ordeal without being harmed..." She was rambling again. It was an old habit that Emerwyn could not stop when she got passionate about something.

Emerwyn laughed. "It would even be beyond the censoring in Orwell's 1984."

Emerwyn caught the yawn. "Well, I'd best leave you then..." Emerwyn slowly stood up.

She turned to face him completely, and grasped his uninjured hand.

Emerwyn smiled in response.

She turned and headed for the door, the door she'd been afraid to close, but now didn't entirely want to open.

Before she left, she turned to say, "Stay strong, Julian."

The door closed softly behind her.

'Lock the door, Julian. And turn off the lights.'

Julian had been reading on his bed - but the sudden speech of Cheshire stirred him from his reverie.

"...Why...?" His tone was nervous.

'...Did I not say that I wanted to talk to you about the way you have been acting?'

Julian's face went very pale, but he thought it best not to argue. Silently, he turned out the light, making sure the door was shut and locked all the way.

'Good. Now, into the bathroom.'

Not sure what to expect, he slowly proceeded as directed, shutting that door behind him as well.

'Look at me, Julian.'

Gingerly...very gingerly...he turned to face the mirror - and was very startled by the clarity with which the image of the Cheshire Cat himself stood before him. He wobbled, and leaned on the sink.

"JULIAN."

The boy was frightened, now. Not only did the Cat seem furious, but he could hear him...out loud.

Mind you, he didn't notice his own lips moving.

"Julian, I'm VERY disappointed in you. Fighting me? After I've helped protect you?"

"...I...I'm not sure...if what you're doing is...is...right."

"RIGHT?" Julian recoiled against the wall as the Cat roared. "Julian, this is WONDERLAND. Right is wrong, up is down, left is right! But you have simply been foolish."

There was a scream as the Cat's image in the mirror disappeared slowly, leaving nothing but darkness that swallowed Julian's consciousness in searing pain.

"I have to teach you a lesson."

_______________

...He woke again, awkwardly sprawled under the running shower. He was dimly aware he was in pain - but it was a vague notice.

"...What happened?"

'THEY did this, Julian. The ones I've been trying to protect you from. You stopped trusting me...and they got to you.'

Slowly, his emerald gaze slid down to the water running off of him....

And a terrified scream escaped his throat as he noticed the red stains billowing in the pool around him.

'...I won't let this happen again, Julian...if you trust me.'

"Anything," Julian sobbed. "...Anything, as long as you protect me...."