Deep as the sky and Alice's azure eyes, I fall deeper into the well.
Cinder blocks heavy on my noggin as colors start to blend like sand, waves of salt pouring onto my ginger hair with the hint of gold reflecting off the lemon-colored sun.
My head pounds like a drum, and the smell of ash fills my ears; burnt charcoal steams my eyes with carmine. Pearly drips of water falling like a waterfall, my fingernails become brittle like an unsalted candy, teeth hard like nails as I bite onto them.
The ground is getting closer; I can feel the hairs rising on my skin, and I brace myself. The impact will be hard and terrible, even, but I'll survive.
I always do when I fall, whether from a high place or low, or when my cranium caves in from below.
I get back up, even though at times I wish I didn't, wished I stayed down because it's harder getting back up. Taking the punch and trying to suck it up, wiping the blood off the wound even though it burns underneath the stinger.
Yet I raise my head despite the curveballs and prepare for whatever it is next that I have to endure, because that is what I was trained to do.
I take a deep inhale, letting the salt water wash over me; it's not the ocean, but it's the closest thing I'm going to get to it.
"Fabricated Ocean," I mumbled, and Bertram blinked back, "False Ocean? Are you talking about the pool?"
"Yeah, it's not exactly the real thing, but we got jets at the bottom to simulate waves; it's the closest thing we have to the ocean."
I pulled a few ginger strands back to my ear, "We used to have sand as well, but that turned out to be a handful, so we just opted for the water effect. It's nice, but still feels like it's lacking something, and not because of the sand."
"It lacks a real energy source like the sun, that's probably what you're thinking of, or well, I'm assuming." Lady. Bellum added, and my brows rose in response.
She was right for once, without the malicious intent; it was missing real character, like the sun, something to give it some perspective. That's why it just felt so lackluster in comparison to the real thing, well, that of course, and the size. It would never be deep enough to compare to the real sea, but I know that wasn't the intention when creating this simulation.
"Do you swim a lot? In your fabricated Ocean?" Bertram questioned with a laugh, and I couldn't help but smile a little. "Not very much, ironically, it's probably my least visited place, sometimes I even forget it's here."
I bite down on my lip and breathe in hard. This place makes me feel like I'm falling again, endlessly, never reaching the end. It reminds me of the freedom that I lack. The internal solitude that caves into my brain and makes me hollow, and I would rather pretend that it doesn't hurt than embrace it.
"That's sad because I think I would rather enjoy this, our pool is large, but nothing like this. I mean, you could even put a mini boat on the water and practice sailing if you ever wanted to or read a book with a cup of coffee."
"That's really creative, Bertram."
He shrugged, "I try, Magnolia. At times, people think of us as having no personality, but we are humans as well, with interests and dislikes. I mean, being a public figure is nice, but I feel as if the people with cameras forget we have a good side as well."
His words surprised me, soft but true, and I couldn't help but reach out as if we were the only two people there. Did he also feel the loneliness of the world pour down on him, too?
Did I really misjudge him like I think I did, or are all the words he's saying some fairytale illusion?
He glanced at me with a sort of curiosity and took my hand in his, a big smile on his face as he looked down shyly, "Is this okay?"
Before I could speak, Charles and a few of his assistants barged in, and I quickly pulled my hand away. Lady. Bellum's brow rose, and she turned to the incoming company with a light nod, "Greetings."
She stated that as I repeated her action, accidentally locking eyes with Charles, who gave each one of us a glance. "Pardon me for the interruption, but Lady. Acres said it was okay if I came to ask you a question."
I put my hands together, "Of course, what-"
It was a familiar scarlet, colored dress with puff sleeves and stripes on the bottom, almost like it was mimicking an Alice in Wonderland scene.
"Is this for dinner?"
"Yes, there were other options for the color, but I opted for something a little bold." his eyes darted to Bertram, and I swallowed hard as he cleared his throat. "By suggestion of the Lady of the House, herself, of course. But, if there was something else you had in mind, just let me-"
"Pardon me." Lady. Bellum bowed her head yet again, putting up a finger, "I know you decided to go with red, but why not match what we are wearing? Did you not go for that look last time? To blend in, why change that now?"
Charles stood still for a moment, seeming stumped, his eyebrows shifting on his forehead as two of the assistants raised their hands.
Lady. Bellum awkwardly pointed to them, and they both smiled, "Pardon us, Miss. Bellum, but if you knew our every move, then we wouldn't be doing our job correctly. We work for the number one wine company in the world. If we were so predictable, then we wouldn't be in the right place, don't you think, Miss. Bellum?"