赤裸裸的滑稽故事

Axel and Caleb rushed into the room. The children that had been sleeping were awake and huddled together in the corner, crying as they watched Alice's body shaking on the bed. Stefan stood over her, calling her name and telling her to wake up, still shouting for help.

Caleb ran to the wall and hit the emergency call button. Axel rushed to her side and held her shoulders down.

“Alice!” he called to her, “Alice, please wake up!”

“I think it's a seizure!” Caleb shouted, pulling Stefan back gently and taking his place on Alice's other side. “You have to let her go! You'll cause more harm than good by holding her down.”

Axel hesitated but removed his hands from her shoulders. Her body continued to stutter and spasm.

“You're ok, Alice,” Axel whispered. “You're going to be fine.”

The medical team rushed into the room and quickly moved into action. The two men and the children were removed from the room, and the door was shut.

Axel felt his heart pounding wildly as she wished he could still see her, speak to her.

He already regretted his hesitation.

Caleb returned to Ashleigh while Axel and the children sat on the hallway floor, waiting to hear about Alice.

Stefan sat down beside Axel.

“Do you know Alice?” he asked.

Axel turned to look at the boy.

His hands were dark. At first glance, he thought it was dirt. But then he realized it was dried blood. He couldn't help but wonder which of the two people he loved it belonged to.

“Come with me,” Axel said, standing from his spot on the floor.

Stefan looked back at Alice's door.

“It will take them some time to get her stable and decide their next course of action,” Axel said. “We will be back in time to hear the results.”

Stefan hesitated but nodded, and he stood up and told the others he would return shortly before turning to follow Axel.

Axel led him to the bathroom. He turned on the water, waiting for it to warm up.

“Soak your hands,” Axel said.

Stefan did as he was told. It took some time, but eventually, the dark stain began to pull away from his skin.

Axel took a few drops of soap and gently cleaned Stefan's hands and fingers. Scrubbing until there were no more traces of the dried blood.

After Axel dried them, Stefan stared down at his hands.

“Is there something wrong?” Axel asked.

Stefan shook his head.

“It's just been a while since they were this clean,” he whispered.

“It seems you grew up in a hard part of Autumn,” Axel said gently.

Stefan shook his head.

“I'm not from Autumn,” he said.

“I'm sorry,” Axel said with confusion. “Alpha Caleb said you were brought here from Autumn.”

Stefan nodded sadly.

“We were,” he said. “That's where Alice found us, but all of us are from Blue Reef.”

Axel's eyes widened.

“Blue Reef…” he whispered.

“Yea…” Stefan replied sadly.

“I'm very sorry for your loss,” Axel whispered, placing his hand on Stefan's shoulder.

Stefan nodded and looked away.

Axel swallowed.

“Do you know what happened in Autumn?” he asked. “To you, the others… to Alice… and my father.”

“Your father…?” Stefan began to ask, but his eyes went wide. “Are you Axel?”

“Do you know me?” Axel asked.

Stefan shook his head.

“I don't know you,” he replied. “But I heard them talking about you.”

“Them… you mean, Alice and my father?” Axel asked with a sudden pit in his stomach. He wasn't sure if it was excitement or dread.

Stefan nodded.

“What did they say?” Axel asked, his voice shaking slightly.

Stefan took a moment to think about it.

“Is she your sister?” Stefan asked.

Axel was confused by the question.

“Why would you think that?” Axel asked.

“Alice called him ‘Pops',” Stefan said. “Doesn't that mean father?”

Axel took a quick breath, pushing it back with a slight chuckle. He felt a cooling sense of relief was over him.

She referred to him as a father figure. It had to mean that she was her. She was the real Alice, and she remembered him. Remembered who they were to each other.

“She's not my sister,” Axel smiled. “She is my mate, so my father would be a father to her as well.”

Stefan lowered his head.

“That's why she was so sad,” he whispered. “When he stopped answering her.”

Axel closed his eyes. The pain of the loss was building in him again.

“He saved us too,” Stefan added quickly, touching Axel's hand.

Axel opened his eyes and looked at the boy.

Stefan smiled.

“Without him, I don't think Alice would have been able to save us,” Stefan said. “Especially not after the creepy man hurt her.”

“What creepy man?” Axel asked, clenching his jaw but keeping his tone even.

Stefan described him, and Axel recognized Holden immediately.

Roman and Holden were working together. Again.

The scar on his face ached.

How long would they be allowed to continue to wreak havoc on him and the people he loved. Bell, Alice… his father.

Axel felt the rage inside of him building up and growing faster and faster with each breath he took.

“We should go back,” Stefan said, grabbing Axel's hand and squeezing it gently.

Axel took a breath and nodded.

When they returned to the room, the doctor told Axel that from what they could see, Alice still wasn't healing on her own. But the cause of her seizure was unknown.

After running a few tests, they discovered strange brain activity. Her mind was running a mile a minute. The cause of her seizure was her brain running on overdrive without being able to slow itself down.

They had already administered sedatives, but they seemed to have no effect. The doctor was at a loss for how to help her.

“Stefan,” Axel said. “Was there anything strange about Alice before the accident besides the wound?”

“She was saying strange things for a while before falling asleep.”

“What kinds of things?” Axel asked.

“Like she was trying to tell a story, lots of them at once.”

Axel looked back at Alice. He hoped he understood and that this was what she had meant. He sat down in the chair beside her. His hand shakily reached for hers. Feeling the warmth of her skin against his sent a comforting feeling through him.

He breathed in her chocolatey scent as he leaned close to her ear. He pushed aside her hair and whispered.

“A hazel storm will bring you warmth.”

***

Like the character she had been named after, Alice tumbled down a hole. A never-ending hole, surrounded by every thought and memory the doll had ever experienced.

If she reached out, the tips of her fingers could touch them. Feel them, experience them. But she couldn't stay. She couldn't wake. All she could do was fall forever until her body finally gave out, and the darkness truly swallowed her.

Her only regrets were not being able to save Wyatt and not being able to see Axel again. She could only hope that the children had found their way to safety after she had fallen into this well of memories.

She hugged herself. It was cold here. She wondered if it was an indicator of the condition of her body. Maybe her time was almost over.

“I'm sorry, Axel,” she whispered.

The memories around her changed. She saw him everywhere she looked.

As a child.

As a man that she didn't quite recognize, walking through the trees.

As the young Alpha of Winter.

As the man she loved.

Alice smiled.

“Not a bad view to go out on,” she smiled, passing the memories of their days together.

There was a soft, warm breeze that danced over her skin. She looked around her but saw nothing strange. At least, not until she looked up.

Storm clouds, dark and thick. But above them, a golden sky was breaking through.

Alice gasped as the sound reached her ears. The whisper on the breeze.

“A hazel storm will bring you warmth.”

***

Axel closed his eyes, giving a silent prayer to the Goddess. He wasn't sure what to expect or if this would even work.

“Hey, Sweet Boy.”

Axel's eyes shot open.

Her smile was weak, and her eyes were dazed. But they were hers, and she was here before him.

Axel grabbed her and pulled her to his chest. As all the emotions he had been holding so tightly to poured out of him at once.