Status: HIATUS WARNING: (9.19.09) This is taking a bit longer to process than I thought. I may not have a new chapter up until maybe even the winter. Sorry for the inconvienience (as usual!)
Smiling Oak's Academy for the Insane.
Luck, Chance and Reason.
"These, my dear, are playing cards." Innocence said, pulling a deck of cards out of the small chest and dismissed the fact that Skull was bawling her eyes out. "Playing cards." She paused. "'Playing cards?'" She shuffled them. "Yes, playing cards." She tossed them around from hand to hand and caught them flawlessly. "But not just any playing cards..." She put the small chest back on her shelf and sat in her chair. "These cards influence real-life actions." She began to shuffle the deck some more, then set them in six stacks. "Basher? Spit in your hands."
Basher spat in her hands and rubbed it in, as I watched in mild disgust.
Innocence took out a small, but sharp razor blade from her back pocket, flipped it around like she was a desperado with her pistol, and slit Basher's wrist. "You know the drill." She slid her hand into her pocket, and pulled out her fist. Then she dropped a pair of odd-looking, almost circular dice into Basher's hands.
Basher rolled the dice and threw them across the table, sending blood droplets around the table.
There were no numbers on these dice; there were pictures engraved in them; almost stick-figures, only more elaborate.
"Looks like you draw from 'luck'." Innocence said, getting up and reaching into a closet and pulling out a Tupperware bin the size of a garbage can.
"How can you tell? I squeaked in fear.
"It takes a while to learn." She grabbed a clear shot glass and a bottle that looked like it was of gin from the tub. "I've taken the time to memorize these things." She poured the stuff into the shot glass, and it turned purple. The air around it condensed, and the smell was strong. It smelled of the taste of gin and batteries (I've tasted both.). She set the glass in the middle of the table, and put the bottle in the tub. "I've had the time." She corrected herself. "My Nana taught me this." She smiled, went back to the bin and pulled out four dripping, red candles. "There's luck, reason, heart, choice, chance and random. It takes a lot of practice. Richard still doesn't get it right. Loser." She swiped her thumbnail across her sideburns. Her nail caught flame, and she lit the candles, setting them around the center of the table. "I'm an expert." She sat. "Draw. Basher, did you forget?" She said, as though there was a secret between the two.
Basher drew from the two different piles with corresponding symbols.
"Do not read the cards aloud."
Basher looked at the two cards, and seemed to have gotten a sense of satisfaction.
Innocence scooped the dice into the concoction, which began to sizzle. Then the picked the dice out and gave them to Harlequin.
Harlequin spit in her hands, then Innocence did that thing with the razor blade and slit Harlequin's wrist. Then she rolled.
"Chance." Innocence giggled like a little girl.
Harlequin drew, and smiled, as though she'd died and gone to heaven.
The cycle continued with Skull, who was still tearful. Apparently, she rolled "reason."
Innocence next rolled "random", and Richard rolled "heart".
"Your turn, Eyelid." She said, offering up the dice.
"I can't." I said, totally freaked out by everyone's sense of satisfaction.
"You will." She pointed the razor blade at my throat, and gritted her teeth. "Because I guarantee you, you won't see the light of day if you don't." She grinned, and she had me over.
I took the dice, which I realized were human metacarpals (I was a very hands-on learner in fifth-grade science) and I tossed them.
"Ooh. Choice." She drew for me.
Ironic.
I closely read the two cards, that were printed in an old English script:
"Hacksaw" and "Enemy".
"Let's seal this." From the tub, the pulled out a human girl, who was in shock, and looked so familiar. However, her eyes were gouged out, and her ears and her mouth were bleeding. "Hello, Squirrelly." Innocence said, mischievously. She slit Squirrelly's throat pouring the blood into a silver grail with an 'X', 'Z', 'O' and a skull and cross-bones, and mixing the other foggy concoction into it. "Oh Lord of the sub-wreckage," she shouted, "we drink, in hopes of you release us of our humanity!"
The candles went out.
Basher spat in her hands and rubbed it in, as I watched in mild disgust.
Innocence took out a small, but sharp razor blade from her back pocket, flipped it around like she was a desperado with her pistol, and slit Basher's wrist. "You know the drill." She slid her hand into her pocket, and pulled out her fist. Then she dropped a pair of odd-looking, almost circular dice into Basher's hands.
Basher rolled the dice and threw them across the table, sending blood droplets around the table.
There were no numbers on these dice; there were pictures engraved in them; almost stick-figures, only more elaborate.
"Looks like you draw from 'luck'." Innocence said, getting up and reaching into a closet and pulling out a Tupperware bin the size of a garbage can.
"How can you tell? I squeaked in fear.
"It takes a while to learn." She grabbed a clear shot glass and a bottle that looked like it was of gin from the tub. "I've taken the time to memorize these things." She poured the stuff into the shot glass, and it turned purple. The air around it condensed, and the smell was strong. It smelled of the taste of gin and batteries (I've tasted both.). She set the glass in the middle of the table, and put the bottle in the tub. "I've had the time." She corrected herself. "My Nana taught me this." She smiled, went back to the bin and pulled out four dripping, red candles. "There's luck, reason, heart, choice, chance and random. It takes a lot of practice. Richard still doesn't get it right. Loser." She swiped her thumbnail across her sideburns. Her nail caught flame, and she lit the candles, setting them around the center of the table. "I'm an expert." She sat. "Draw. Basher, did you forget?" She said, as though there was a secret between the two.
Basher drew from the two different piles with corresponding symbols.
"Do not read the cards aloud."
Basher looked at the two cards, and seemed to have gotten a sense of satisfaction.
Innocence scooped the dice into the concoction, which began to sizzle. Then the picked the dice out and gave them to Harlequin.
Harlequin spit in her hands, then Innocence did that thing with the razor blade and slit Harlequin's wrist. Then she rolled.
"Chance." Innocence giggled like a little girl.
Harlequin drew, and smiled, as though she'd died and gone to heaven.
The cycle continued with Skull, who was still tearful. Apparently, she rolled "reason."
Innocence next rolled "random", and Richard rolled "heart".
"Your turn, Eyelid." She said, offering up the dice.
"I can't." I said, totally freaked out by everyone's sense of satisfaction.
"You will." She pointed the razor blade at my throat, and gritted her teeth. "Because I guarantee you, you won't see the light of day if you don't." She grinned, and she had me over.
I took the dice, which I realized were human metacarpals (I was a very hands-on learner in fifth-grade science) and I tossed them.
"Ooh. Choice." She drew for me.
Ironic.
I closely read the two cards, that were printed in an old English script:
"Hacksaw" and "Enemy".
"Let's seal this." From the tub, the pulled out a human girl, who was in shock, and looked so familiar. However, her eyes were gouged out, and her ears and her mouth were bleeding. "Hello, Squirrelly." Innocence said, mischievously. She slit Squirrelly's throat pouring the blood into a silver grail with an 'X', 'Z', 'O' and a skull and cross-bones, and mixing the other foggy concoction into it. "Oh Lord of the sub-wreckage," she shouted, "we drink, in hopes of you release us of our humanity!"
The candles went out.
♠ ♠ ♠
I just wrote this last night. It's kind of sketchy.Oh well!