Waking Up

[Cracked View]

Darkness. It was so thick, it was like pea-soup fog. No start, no middle, no end; it was almost like a continuous free fall with a lost sense of direction, she'd be unable to move either the arms or legs, as if they were restrained by some invisible force.

Next came the voices - or at least, they sounded like voices, but distorted by an echoing effect. The words sounded so much like falling rain, with no distinct pattern to them.

There was only the sensation of falling faster and faster still, until ... "C-n y-- h--r m-? Can y-- hear m-? C-n you h--r me? Can you hear me?" The sounds were becoming more distinct, as were the fuzzy shapes that lingered just beyond the scope of normal vision.

Various colors slowly blended in, spilling into place, filling the gaps left by the inky black darkness. The moving shadows now produced two figures, a male and female, by the sound of them. A room. A bed. A hospital? The lack of limb movement was still evident, though there was feeling in the fingers and toes. Clarity! "Careful miss. The restraints are restricting your movements. Dr. Maxwell, she's waking up now."

The feeling of falling had been the most dominant thing, and in that time, she wasn't sure she'd ever done anything *except* fall. There was no beginning to it, no end, no memories of before, no expectations for something more. It was a frightening sensation, but constant, complete, unable to even flail around -

The echo of voices was indistinct at first, almost lost against the roar of her pulse in her ears, but it became clearer, sharper, more distinct. Soon she could even pick out words, even if they didn't sound fully formed. The shapes and light came next, though the sensation of vertigo remained.

Her eyes stung from the light, and the shapes were indistinct though she'd decided one male, one female. ".. What ... ?" Her voice was hoarse, throat burning and dry. The realization of being strapped down came next, and she raised head too quickly, bringing on another bout of dizziness, and she twisted her left hand, trying to slip loose.

A black gentleman holding a clipboard turned around in response to the nurse's words, a smile of relief on his face. "Welcome back, Jane. We were afraid we were going to lose you again." Dr. Maxwell was 60 years old, completely bald and wore a nearly grey beard. "Easy, Jane, you were in a deep coma of some kind. We had to restrain you when you had some sort of attack. Can you tell me your name?" He peered at her over the top of his bifocals. The room wasn't exactly like one in a hospital, but it was a sort Eve would know all too well.

Eve blinked at the man holding the clipboard, and the understanding that he was talking to *her* sank in quickly. Jane? "... Who's Jane?" Her throat was still dry, hardly more than a croak. A cough and an attempt to swallow, and she dropped her head back briefly. Did she even have to look around the room? She knew it a little *too* well. Clearing her throat, she looked up at him, eyeing him as if *he'd* lost it. "My name is Eve." ... And she waited for it to hit the fan; Eve more than half-expected him to tell her that was wrong, for him to tell her she was sick, blah-blah-blah. Squeezing her eye shut, she struggled to remember anything more. Details. "... Can I have a drink?"

He motioned for the nurse to bring her some water, the woman placed a straw to her lips so she could drink until she was done. "Eve, hmm? Well, 'Jane Doe' is what we call our women that arrive with no identification. There are no records of you in our data base."

Once she'd had enough water, the nurse placed the cup on the table near the bed, and resumed taking her vitals. "You're at the Stonehenge Institute, and you've been here for several weeks now. You were found at the bottom of a hill, right off State Route 75, the result of a car accident. Not too many take those roads any more, and if not for some hikers that found you when they did ... " Dr. Maxwell stopped himself. The girl had just came out from a life or death coma, and he had to let her adjust, get stronger. "Is there any one we can notify?"

She almost choked herself on the water, but she was so thirsty that after the coughing fit, she went right back to drinking and finished the cup. A few seconds to make sure she wasn't going to throw it back up, and she took a deep breath, then sighed. "Eve Lizt. What year is it?" *Stonehenge* Institute? What the ...?

It hit suddenly, an onslaught of images - she was standing over the broken, bloody body of Stacy Hansen. There acrid scent of smoke was in the air, the sound of people screaming, the flicker of flames - then it was gone, as quickly as it came.

The memory was still burned into her mind, and Eve swallowed, shifting a little on the bed, uncomfortably. She managed to keep her expression still, slip into the empty-eyed guise. "Can you free my arms? This really hurts."

The nurse gave Eve a startled look and almost said something before Dr. Maxwell gave a slight shake of his head. "I'm afraid we cannot free you just yet ... Eve. The scars on your wrists ... The restraints are for your own safety. Is there anyone we can notify?" Asking her a second time, he then turned and gave the nurse instructions. Before he could say anything else, he was paged over the intercom to report to room #777. Code blue, whatever that meant. It had him out of the room like a shot, leaving the nurse alone with Eve. She continued to take her vitals, offering a reassuring smile.


She'd found herself giving Maxwell a blank stare, and spoke before she knew it. "I did that when I was fourteen." Wait ... did she remember that? Her brows drew together, and she opened her mouth to ask about memory loss, when he was paged. 777? That had been *her* room at Stonebridge. Something wasn't right, obviously. Jane? Stonehenge? Found below a hill beside a road? This was getting weirder by the second ...

"Who's in 777?" She looked at the nurse, and hoped she'd do more than give her that 'everything's just peachy' smile.

The nurse glanced up from the clipboard. "Sorry, wish I knew. That's located on the lower floors, for those that need ... special care. And the year is 2008. I heard you asking Dr. Maxwell that."


"So how long have I been out, then?" She wanted to say 'how long have I supposedly been out?' but that didn't seem like a wise choice right now. "And, um ... I don't know about the notification, before anyone asks again."

Looking down at the chart, the nurse flipped a few pages. "You were in a coma went they brought you here, close to a month ago, the result of a car accident. Can I get you some more water? "

Though she couldn't get her hands loose, she was still curling and uncurling her fingers slowly, though she kept her expression still. "What kind of car was it?"

"Mmm, it doesn't say. Sorry. I recall someone saying it was totaled, though." After checking off several things on Eve's chart, the nurse glanced down at Eve's wrists, then back to her face, before turning to leave the room.

Eve watched the woman walk away, and sighed. "Yeah, you've been helpful." More than a touch of sarcasm colored her tone, but she sighed and turned her head to look up at her bound arms. Her shoulders and neck hurt more than anything, but her entire body was uncomfortable from the position. Twisting her hands a little, she thought to get another look at her arms. Should have been old scars, raised and a little paler than the skin surrounding - but *obviously* older.

"Sorry about that ... Eve. " Dr. Maxwell spoke as he stepped back inside her room, pulling up a chair and sitting beside her.

"Are you in some sort of trouble, young lady? You won't give us your real name, nor any one to contact. The State police want to talk to you concerning the car that was destroyed in the crash. You've given us a lot more questions than answers; I told them that you needed several days to recover from the coma you were in, but I'm not sure that will be enough, considering you are a Jane Doe. "

The young woman had still been trying to look at her wrists when the voice interrupted. Not only had she been peering at her arm, but she'd been trying to remember something from before. It was there, in bits and pieces, but she was having a hard time making any sense of it. Maxwell pulled her from her musings, and she took a few seconds to look at him, study him, then drop her head back and stare at the ceiling. She didn't know what was going on, but she definitely didn't remember Maxwell *ever* having looked like that. "Please don't call me young lady - you're not either of my parents, and I can't say I ever cared for that phrase much; it usually meant I was in deep trouble. Eve Lizt *is* my real name, regardless of what you think." Her head was starting to hurt, a dull throb right behind her eyes. "I'm not in trouble, at least, none that I know of." Aside from the usual: being unsure of her Reality, more than half-expecting everything to have gone to hell in a handbasket, wanting to ask to contact Steele or Jara but unsure if either of them existed at all, let alone know of her ...

And what about Evan? "As far as the car - I don't even remember it."

Dr. Maxwell sighed; he had seen this far more than he wanted. He thought it was obvious she was a runaway, with no history or records to speak of. Pushing his glasses back onto his nose, he slowly rose from his chair, but not before offering the young woman some needed advice. "Unless you come clean, there's a good chance you'll be sent away or deported. I can only do so much, but you have to be honest with yourself, first. I'll be here when you're ready to talk."Glancing over her charts once more, Dr. Maxwell made a few notes on it, then left once again, closing the door behind him.

Eve would be left alone, save for the hourly checks made by the nurses. She'd even be able catch part of a conversation between two of the nurses that looked on her, believing she was asleep, each speaking softly. "I swear, this is a shame. Janice said this one is even calling herself Lizt. That's all we need, another one."

The conversation would continue outside her room, leaving Eve alone once more until it was time to eat. A young intern made his way into her room. "Hey. Chow time. We got jello, pb& j, and chicken salad - or that's what they claim." He had to have been a little younger than her, and by the looks of his hair, he was in the first stages of growing dreadlocks. His name tag read 'A. Conner.'

"See, that's what you're not hearing, Doc: I don't have anything to come clean about. You might have another Lizt around here, but there *can* be more than one of us." Yeeeeah .... like that made sense, especially to someone like him. But what had he said? Deported? She wanted to ask, but ... not now.

Eve turned her head away from the doorway, so it could have been taken that she was sleeping; in fact, she was studying her arm restraint, trying to figure out how to get out of it. There *had* to be a way -

The bits and pieces of the nurse's conversation drifted to her ears, and she frowned a little. More than one? What was this, another collision in Reality? A displacement? More Shifting? She did well not to given any reaction, though she jumped a little when the person entered the room.

A blink or two as she looked at him, and the familiar face clicked. "... Alexander?" Her voice was a little uncertain.

"Booyah! I have a fan! In that case, I'll give you the jello and pb&j. Both were made by moi, so it's all good!" With a sincere chuckle and grin, Alexander set the food on the table next to her, and then worked on freeing her from the restraints, whistling a merry tune while he did. "Sorry about the lack of eating props, but ..." He gestured to her arms and wrists. "So, word has it that you're Eve Lizt?" He was looking at her with a most curious expression.

She blinked at him again, then sighed once she realized her restraints were being undone. "Oh, bless you." There was more than one twinge in her back when she sat up, and she had to take a moment to twist and stretch, even rub her wrists for a moment. She eyed him at the mention of her arms, and shrugged slightly. "I was a kid when I did it. Young and stupid, and seriously fed up - not that it improved things much." Looking at the food, she decided that she wasn't terribly hungry (stress had that effect on her, generally) but she figured she'd need her strength. There was no telling *how* complicated this was going to get. Taking a bite of the pb&j, she chewed slowly. "Yeah. I am. Why? What ... what am I missing? I heard the nurses referring to me as *another one* calling herself Lizt."

"Don't thank me. Dr. Maxwell said to call it an act of faith. Water? 7up? Diet Pepsi?" Checking the time on his watch, Alex leaned close, but only enough to talk
confidentially. "Peep this tho': Down in Tri-7, there's a rez there that's all about the Sixth Sense type vibe, you feelin' me? Be seein' dead people! Strapped down becuz of the battle scars. Like yours. Keep this shyte lo-lo, you feel me? What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. Speak mo' at dinnah time, cool?" Tilting his head at Eve, Alex rolled his cart to the door, before swiping his card key, letting himself out.

7up in hand, she downed a fair amount of it, and eyed him. "... I figure most of us Lizts are like that." There was just a hint of sarcasm in her voice, but she shrugged lightly. "You See things, Feel things ... trippy, really. And scary as hell." She went on with eating, though it was mechanical. Too much on her mind to really enjoy it, now.

But she did smile a little. "Yeah. Vegas. Gotcha."

[Argus Steele]

Dean was awestruck. He couldn't take his eyes of her. He'd never seen anything like her before, and he was itching to get his hands on her.

That is if Eve would let him.

"Oh for crying out loud Dean, close your mouth before you start drooling on the floor, geez!!" Sam would respond in a very dry tone, while rolling her eyes at her older brother. "Eve, if you don't say yes, he's going to explode."

Dean had been staring at Eve's .... Car, every since they had arrived at the hotel. And finding out that it belonged to her?? He had to get under the hood, see what's was under there, and if he was really lucky? Take it out for a drive.
"C'mon Sammie, you just don't understand. I've never seen a ride like that before, I mean look at her, she's custom made and built for speed."

Okay, maybe she was from an alternate reality, because that car, she was too ... Perfect. Jara was impressed for the simple fact that the lunk head knew it was a she. Once Eve gave the okay, Dean shouted an emphatic YES!! before popping the hood, and letting out a low whistle.

"Damn!! Last time I saw something this fine was in that Transformer movie ... " Sam would mutter something under her breath before returning to the task at hand, comparing notes with Thomas and Stacy to see if there's any connection with the recent breakout of paranormal activity and Eve Lizt's sudden appearance.

Stacy - "Y'know, I saw something like this on BTVS a few times, where there were alternate versions, and they found ways to cross over ... Or like the one where Buffy was in a coma of some kind, and her parents were still together, and ...."

Sam - "Oh yeah, and in the end, she went *back* to the reality she lived, which caused her to slip back into that coma for good? That was wicked!!"

Thomas - "Um, does that hold any bearing to what we are trying to figure out here, people? A little more focus please?"

Sam - "Sure thing ... Giles."

Thomas - " ........"

Dean - "Damndamndamndamn!!! Paint this baby black and I would CONSIDER upgrading ..."

Jara had been keeping a close watch on Eve, ever since the hotel incident. She would glance about every now and then, as if looking for something, or someone. Evan. She hadn't made mention of her Casper associate since all that went down.

" Hey Eve, why don't you ..... .................................................. ... <Blink>

It was night time, as Eve found herself curled up inside her bed at the Stonehenge Mental Institute. It had been the first recalled memory she had experienced since the restraints had been removed. The bigger question would be what caused her to forget, or block them out, and how she ended here???

There was a muted tone coming from her door, which meant someone was entering. Alexander strolled inside, pushing his cart, before closing the door behind him. "Hey. I switched around my route, so you'd be last on the list. Give us time to chat more. " Reaching underneath the cart, he'd pull out a Pepsi, tossing one to her, while winking.

"I cashed in a few favs, and dug up some Intel, all covert ops and shit. Even got a sneak peek at the rez down below ... " His usual playful expression, becoming serious ....

"Call me crazy, but you don't belong here. "

[Cracked View]

She might have been more amused by Dean's reaction to her car if not for the incident in the hotel room. What *was* that? It had left her on edge, and it was all she could do to keep from twitching, flexing her hands, anything to relieve a little of the tension. The young woman succeeded in keeping mostly still, thumbs hooked in the belt loops of her jeans, watching everything else. Well, mostly.

Eve had kept looking for Evan. She couldn't help it; he was the one thing that had been helping her hold it together, the only thing she was *relatively* sure of in this Reality. Now he'd pulled a disappearing act, and she was afraid of what could have happened to him....

With a faint smile, she'd finally given her approval to let Dean check under the hood, though she'd taken up a lean against the passenger side door. She was more than a little sure that at least one of them had noticed her quieter behavior, and more than half-expected that they'd come to blame her for the events; it didn't really matter to her, at this point.

Simply put, Eve was homesick.

Jara's voice had interrupted her thoughts, and she'd looked up -


The young woman awoke with a start, finding herself curled up in the narrow bed. Bland walls, bland floor, stagnant air; it was a mental facility, alright. Her neck hurt from the odd position, and with a faint groan, she pushed herself up into a semblance of a sitting position. At least she wasn't restrained anymore.

Squeezing her eyes shut, she pressed the heel of her palm against her forehead. Eve could feel the thud of her pulse in her skull, dull and grating, and the air felt thick. That was a headache coming on, alright. She understood the significance, though: She'd remembered something. Not much of anything, but she was sure it led up to whatever had happened. What *had* happened? Did she really want to recall that much of it? It had been bad enough, the flash of standing over a (murdered?) Stacy Hansen; what more was there?

And even more to the point, how had she gotten *here?*

The soft tone of the door made her look up, momentarily forgetting her headache, and she relaxed a little at seeing Alexander come through. Eve even caught the Pepsi, and quickly popped it open for a sip. She seemed to run on sugar and/or caffiene these days.

"So...what's wrong with her?" Did she really want to ask that question?

"Um...*here* as in Stonebridge, or *here* as in....here?" Her tone implied that they were both quite different things.

[Argus Steele]

"Stonebridge? Mmmm, you mean StoneHENGE. This is StoneHENGE. As in Knights of the Round Table. Excalibur, and all that fun goodness." Alexander seemed to be watching her closely now, as if looking for something, even though that smile never left his face. "And the rez below is a he, not a she. Evan I think his name was." Taking another sip of Pepsi, the young man sat on the corner of the bed.

"Yeah, Stonehenge. Sorry, slip of the tongue." Her expression was a little sardonic when she said it, but her voice was sincere enough. The slight rise of that left brow, and Eve was watching the young man closely. "A he?" There was a moment of quiet, in which she returned his close look, studying him. "Evan...does he say his last name is Lizt?" Her heart was somewhere in the vicinity of her throat, and she carefully took a sip of her drink. "Um...Does...does he kind of look a lot like me?" There was just no way for her to phrase that without it sounding weird.

Slowly nodding as he took another sip. " Yeah, that's the name. Couldn't tell you what he looks like though. Padded room division for him. I reckon that plays into the *Other one* comment, huh?" Frowning for a bit, Alexander glanced down at his watch; "Crap, they'll be doing last call here in a bit. Don't take the meds, but take the meds, k?" And in his best Arnold voice ... "Ah'll be bahk."

Taking her Pepsi can and stashing it under his cart, Alexander gave her a reassuring smile, before letting himself out. Nine o'clock sharp, the nurse had arrived with the meds. Since Eve had not cause them any trouble, she was actually a little more friendly towards the young woman. "Time for your pills, Ms. Doe ... Er, Lizt. You keep this positive behavior going, and you'll have some outside time by weeks end. "

Handing her a small cup of water, the nurse waited until eve had taken her pills, checking her mouth, before writing something on her chart. "Sweet dreams." And the way the nurse smiled when she said that, well, it was just ... Creepy. Then in that same instant, reality appeared to glitch, as the nurse looked... Not human.

She'd wanted to ask Alexander more, but the little meeting being cut short didn't help. She'd have to bite her tongue and bide her time until she could talk to him again - or get out on her own. Eve had mostly just looked at the nurse, keeping her expression carefully neutral all the while. "Oh gee, you mean it?" Referring to the outside time, but in a deadpan tone. As if going outside impressed her much.

After staring at the cup for a moment in dread, the young woman took it, and downed them, then gave a long-suffering sigh as the woman examined her mouth to make sure she hadn't hidden them. Did it show that she was an old hand at this? Somehow, she managed to smile in return to the woman rather than scream - though she really, *really* wanted to - and nod. The smile never touched her eyes.

"Mhm. Now get out." Still with that smile. This all reminded her way, *way* too much of her Stonebridge days. She waited until the nurse left, carefully, slowly counting to one
hundred before forcing the meds back up. The purging was something she *definitely* didn't miss, but it seemed to be the only way to keep her head straight. Mostly.

Like clockwork, to the very second, the lights went out right at 9:30. The quiet that followed was an uneasy one, which made for falling asleep much easier to do, especially with the help of the meds. Time seemed to almost come to a complete stop within the darkness, the surrounding shadows almost appearing having a life of their
own ....

-FLASH!!-

"EVE??!!? You still with us, kiddo? You sorta spaced out there for a minute. Not good when you're the one driving. Want me to take over?" Jara said with a half smile, as she was holding onto the steering wheel. The pair were half off the road, much the anger of those that were behind them. Dean and Sam were following shot gun, so they were already pulled over, heading over to the car. Jara reached up to where her blutooth was, tapping it twice ...

"Yeah, we're okay. She's tired from the looks of it. Go on ahead, we'll meet you guys there. "

After choking the pills back up, Eve had settled back on the narrow bed. Back against the wall, one leg drawn up, arm resting on the knee. She wasn't surprised when things went dark; the quiet surprised her more. In a place like this, she'd gotten more used to hearing screaming all night -

A jolt as she came back to herself, gasping and blinking, and realizing...she wasn't holding the wheel of the car. Eve grabbed it quickly and guided the care to the shoulder of the road, then hit the brakes and put the car in park. "...The hell was that?" Her pulse was quick, and she felt off balance, unsure of what was going on. What...where...? She looked at Jara for a second, then glanced at the other car, and shook her head. "N-no...switch. You drive." She didn't really like anyone else driving her car, but she was willing to make an allowance in this situation, and was quick to make the change.

"You guys okay? Not a good move to be doing that in the middle of the road, though. Folks these days are prone to the rage of the road, an' all." Dean would say matter of factly as he stuck his head in the passenger side window. Jara would give him a face palm for his troubles, before urging him out of the way by opening the door. Sam was already checking on Eve ..."Hey, you alright? You don't look too hot."

Jara once again came to Eve's aid, offering a explanation that she was simply exhausted, and rightfully so, considering what she had been through since they found her. That was good enough for the Winchester siblings, as they went back to Dean's car, and soon were following Jara and Eve.

"Wow. This car is so ... Cool. We def don't have anything like this here in America, that's for sure. Well, you get some sleep. It's a long drive, and I promise not to get a tiny scratch on her."

Her hands were shaking a little. She'd done well to tuck them into her lap once the car was stopped, and gladly exchanged places with Jara. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm...I'm just tired." She even managed to look it. Once she settled into the passenger seat (unfamiliar territory in *her* car) and buckled in, she glanced at the rear view mirror; habits were hard to break. Eve jumped, and reached over to touch Jara's arm, to get her attention.

"Jara? Do you see anything odd in the mirror?" Her eyes were fastened there, and she was doing well to keep her expression still. Not freaking out, and not even shaking much anymore. "Outside of Dean making faces? No." Looking up at the rvm, before over at Eve. "Okay. What's going on? You've been ... Weird since the hotel. Which I can understand, because that would have freaked me out on so many levels too, if not being freaked out was in my line of work."

Then her hand went back up to her ear again ... "Yeah, we're good. Huh?" Glancing over
at Eve. "Um, sure. I'll tell her. Bye." Blinking a few times, while gripping the steering wheel. "Um ... You know we were doing a search on you, right? But you're not our Eve. That's what you said. Guess what? We found you, and ..."

- FLASH!!!-

"Hey. You okay? The sleeping with the eyes open? Freaky. Even for a place like this. Alexander had shook her, snapping her out of whatever trance she had been in. "You didn't take the meds, did you?"

"I don't...I don't know." And it was the truth. Eve had been looking at *her* in the mirror, and certain she was being stared down in turn; it could be difficult to tell given the female's seeming lack of eyes, but that was the sense she had. "I mean, I was just....I *feel* like I was somewhere else. And then I was here, driving and -" Eve sighed, and closed her eyes for a second.

"It's like everything is running together and blurring up. I'm not sure if I'm remembering things or dashing between Realities." It was all that real, that solid. She'd been looking at Jara, trying to ignore the spectre in the mirror -

- And suddenly found herself shaken. A gasp, and she was back in the bland little room, eyes burning. "What?" She jerked up and looked around, wide-eyed, then relaxed just a little. Alexander. Stonehenge. Evan. Letting a long breath slip out, she settled back on the bed, folding her legs.
"No, I wasn't sleeping. I took them, but I know how to get them back up, too." A shrug, hoping that was explanation enough for that.

"That witch of a nurse wouldn't let me get away without it." And how could she tell him she thought the nurse might be something other than human?

"You *don't * belong here. Not just Stonehenge, but *here.* It's starting to make sense now. The rez below ... Ah, Evan had been pretty docile until right around the time you showed up. I overheard Maxwell saying they might have to go inside and do some brain fixin' tinkering. Hey ... What I'm about to say to you next? Don't freak out, okay? Ever notice how I'm able to slip in and out, but no one else seems to mention me?"

He'd hope she'd catch on, because this was where it got a little ... Strange, depending on one's point of view.

Her skin prickled a little, and she regarded him quietly. "Yeah. You're right - I don't. This place isn't mine. There are other influence at work here, and I think the nurse might be one of theirs." She had a feeling of where he might be going with it, but preferred to be clear rather than assume. "Mmm...I have. I See things, Alexander; weird is my life. So just say it. Um...you don't happen to have the rest of my drink around, do you?" Afterthought!

He'd motion over to where the cart was. "I even found you some ice, with a fresh can to boot. Flat Pepsi? That's filed under case number marked Euw" Alexander would give her time to grab a few swallows. "Some of us call this place the dead zone. At least us that still have most our wits about us. You're the first ... Undead brought inside here. I think. You're like a freakin' celeb. Yeah btw? I'm not really Alexander."

With that being said, the young boy's body began to shift, morphing into a faceless entity, nearly pure white in color. "You see me as Alexander. To everyone else? I'm just another spirit wandering. The nurses? Bad news. The Doctor? Stuck in a loop. He doesn't even know he's dead. C'mon, we don't have too much time before *they* come back. Gotta get you down below to see the rez. "

She'd suddenly gotten very thirsty, and downed about half the can before she knew it. She figured she'd need it! Eve stared at the figure, and blinked once, twice...three times.
"...Creepy. So do I still call you Alexander, or do you have another name?" She put the rest of the can aside; she suddenly didn't want it anymore. Dead zone. "I think I Saw one of the nurses for what it really is, but it was quick. So...how did I get here?" And more to the point... "I need to see him. Now."

"....... I don't remember my real name. After I let go of *Alexander*, I'll just float around until something else snags me. Bright side? I never remember. But you. Something about you just super charged me. " With that, he led her out into the halls, where either direction seemed endless. No one was around, and the quiet was almost too quiet. Except for one voice, which echoed through the halls ...

It sounded like Evan, and yet it didn't. Alexander pointed towards the dim lights that were overhead. " What ever you do, don't let your shadow get caught by them. Not sure why, but I think something bad happens." As they continued down the hall, if Eve bothered to glance into any of the rooms, she would see ....

Best way to describe it? Where dreams come to die??? A final resting place for imaginary friends? A place where Freddy Kreuger would feel at home? No nurses. No guards. Nothing. It was like right out of one of those B-rated horror movies, where you just knew something would be lurking around the corner, sans the music that only heightened that effect.

Soon enough, they found themselves down below where all the rooms were empty, abandoned, save for one ... Alexander would stop, before slowly nodding at Eve.

It was all a bit chilling, really; her skin prickled and tingled, all over her arms and the back of her neck and spine. She let a breath slip out, quietly, rubbing at her arms. "You're sure he's not just...just like you are?" Dead? Just something pulled from memory? She'd glanced up at the indicated lights, and just managed not to shudder. Stopping in front of the indicated room, Eve stepped up to the door, peering in through the little window.

" Dead like me? Why does that sound ... Familiar? They keep him away from everyone else." He'd assume the guise of Alexander once again, enjoying it while he was still able. He'd watch Eve go to the door, peering through the small opening, where ... It *was* Evan!!! What was left of him ...

His eyes were sunken in, the inner light missing from those gray eyes. Unruly shoulder length hair, with some missing in patches. His skin was dry and cracked, even more pale than usual. He was nearly skin and bones, as the straight jacket hung from his shallow frame. He sat in the middle of the room, muttering random things, until suddenly stopping, right at the same time Eve looked through the window.

"No-tricks-no-tricks-no-tricks-you-can't-see-me...." Rocking back and forth, his voice a raspy haunting whisper ...

"It was a TV series." As if that explained much. The words were distant as she stood still, peering through the window at Evan. Her heart had fallen as she stared at him, and she felt vaguely nauseated. What had *happened* to him? "Evan." Softly, but clearly, as she watched him.

Sudden clarity. His head snapping up in the direction of the spoken voice, like someone stepping on a twig in a forest in the quiet of night. His rambling had stopped, as Evan appeared transfixed on the eyes that were staring at him from the other side. Alexander would peer from over her shoulder, whispering ... " The nurses said something about
...mirrors."

Evan had not moved a muscle since those eyes fell upon him ... (w) " Who are you ... That you would wear her face? "