Thump, thump” was all the noise he could make as they dragged his body along the cell blocks floor. Each time they tried to jerk his body it simply went limp and thumped against the floor. It was a bizarre almost soothing rhythm, the scraping and the thumps. It was the last thump that brought him back from the daze, the thump of his body flinging and sliding across blood streaked concrete. “Filthy “ the guard spat before the door slammed closed. He simply lay there for a time, staring at the crack of light under the door watching as the shadows made little patterns. The patterns were what was getting to him. He turned his head to look at them all on the floor. They had shimmered just beneath the surface of the concrete, dancing and mocking him. Colors and impossible shapes flickered in and out. He would watch them for hours trying to understand. As he looked he realized he was not alone in his cell.
He regarded her silently. She was bald like the rest of the inmates, her features were slight and she seemed to have simply flopped into the corner of the cell. Like some rag doll thrown aside. She leaned forward so that her chest rested on the cell floor. “Hello Mr.” she said opening her eyes. The patterns on the floor seemed to spill out of her eyes like oil, bright and wet. The colors spilled from her eyes making patterns of dancing fish and melting faces on sidewalks, soon the whole cell seemed to be consumed in their shimmering embrace, melting and reforming. He blinked. When he opened his eyes the cell was grey once more, and her eyes no longer bled madness. They were blue as the veins that showed through the paper thin skin of the children, the other was as green as long forgotten grass, with silver flecks moving in it. He blinked again.
“Hello” he said staring. She drummed her fingers on the concrete before sliding all the way on her stomach, her orange tunic making a slight sigh as she went. She wiggled her feet in the air as if she were at a girlfriends house sharing secrets, not in hell.
“Are you new?” he croaked, unable to think of anything else to say. Surprised that they seemed to have given him a cell mate in an isolation ward.
“Nope. Not even a tiny weensy little bit.” she said smiling at him. She was smiling. He could not fathom it. It was a true smile, of friendship and kindness, a bit lopsided and silly but a true smile. He gawked at her.
“I’m not new but I’m the youngest in my family” she said rolling onto her back and putting her feet on the wall.
“You remember your family?” he asked jealous, He could not even remember his name anymore.
“Most of the time. Sometimes I get lost and end up places.” she answered.
“My sister came for my brother once, and there was a big funeral, he couldn’t go to it, even though it was his own.” she added frowning. Despite being the first person he had talked to in a way that did not involve torture or experiment results in months he found himself wanting to steer the conversation into less, metaphysical directions.
“How long have you been here?” he asked sitting up. The bruises on his side bit at him as he went
She rolled over once more and sat up facing him.
“Since the beginning.” she answered drawing circles on the floor. They seemed to spiral out like ripples in water, the floor shimmering and bending once more. He blinked furiously.
“Did they move you recently?”
“Nope. I’ve been in here since the beginning and in there and there.” she pointed to the walls indicating the other cells.
“what?” he asked shaking his head.
“The cherry stones said I’m going to be a kangaroo when I grow up!” she said with a satisfied smile, as if that answered all questions.
She frowned, realizing he was not as enthused with this development as he was.
“I’m everywhere in this place…in your floor in next door in that old bore..” she sang
“You should be one of mine, like the man next door who thinks he is a orange. I like him, he is refreshing.” she said her smile returning. “But your noooot..” she added waving a finger at him and tapping his nose.
“You only visit me…and my realm” she said shaking her head and scooting back like a hurt child.
“I..I..” he stammered, the patterns on the floor repapering seeming threatening this time in their frantic dance.
“You made a deal with them, the three who are one.” she said sticking her tongue out at him, the silver flecks in her eye swam .”So I can’t take you. Not unless you want to go…” she added. “Would you like to go with me? We can make snowmen on the beach and taste purple and spin in circles made of meat forever.” she offered.
He knew then who she was. And she was everywhere in Larkhill, She was in every fevered dream, every hellish delusion every man who thought he was a piece of fruit. To go with her now would mean escape from this place, a slow dance into madness where all his pain would be forgot. He wondered if he would be a pair or an apple. Perhaps a penguin. She offered him escape, but not the kind he wanted. He wanted his vengeance, he had already given up so much for it.
“I’m sorry.” he muttered, unable to look at her. “I can’t.”
“That’s ok.” said. Patting his bald sore ridden head like a puppy.
She stood up wobbling and swaying like a reed. She did a little spin and dip.
“Who are you?” he asked finally.
“Me?” she stopped mid twirl pointing at herself, making sure it was not some other spinning girl.
“Yes.”
“You know who I am silly mister bald man head.” she laughed,
“I believe I do but..”
“I’m Delirium. But you can call me Del since you’re my friend now.” she said making a little curtsey with her filthy ripped tunic. She cocked her head to one side like a curious bird. A fish floated out of her ear and through the air until it wiggled beneath the door. “Oh dear, he gotted away …” she said stamping a foot.
“I had better go get him, the others don’t like it when I am leaving my fishies places…” she made for the door,
“Wait!” he shouted
She turned more fish scattering into the air.
“How..how will you get past the guards?” he suddenly felt very silly asking that.
She crouched down on her haunches nose to nose with him. She suddenly seemed ageless, her eyes hiding things that not even Destiny knew. She leaned in close to his ear, cupping her hands over it, like she was sharing a schoolyard secret.
“I’ll get past them because beneath what you see before you, is an idea, and ideas are bullet proof.” she whispered. And she was gone.
Notes:
DisclaimerAll publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.