Elizabeth and Alice in Otherland: Part 8

Alice stood in front of the crumpled wreck that used to be their plane. "So, the landing could have used some work." She said, her hands firmly planed on her hips.

Elizabeth shook her head in a show of amusement mixed with frustration. "At least we made it. It should only be a day's hike if Finder's estimates are correct."

"Well!" Alice said in a cheerful tone, clapping her hands together. "No use crying over spilt planes. As you've said, we have a bit of a hike ahead of us."

Hearing this, Finder sighed and slung his oversized pack over his shoulder. Alice and Elizabeth made similar preparations and soon all three began the hike through the maze of abandoned buildings.

This island, like many of the others they had seen, appeared to have once been a part of a large and more complete metropolis. It had been Finder who noted that the chunks of floating rock all seemed to consist of pieces that could be roughly connected together.

This island was by far the largest they had seen. In fact it appeared to be even larger than the mainland they had departed from. Alice had speculated that in actuality this island was the mainland and that everything they had seen had been separated from it.

Much like the mainland the city appeared to be entirely devoid of inhabitants. Although unlike the mainland many of the buildings here displayed varying degrees of damage. Fire damage, crushed walls, and even buildings that looked like they had been cleaved by oversized claws or blades.

As darkness settled in the group found shelter in a small betting parlor. The roof was collapsed in places, but seemed largely untouched by the ruin afflicted upon the other buildings.

The chill of the night wind began to bite at the group. Alice, taking the initiative, gathered up some loose wood to start a fire. While she did this Elizabeth and Finder scoured around for materials they could use as makeshift beds. To this end they gathered up several heavy coats and laid them in a circle around the fire.

"Well, time for bed." Alice said, more to herself than to the group as she wrapped herself in one of the large coats and closed her eyes.

Elizabeth found herself unable to go to bed just yet and stayed up reading a small book. When she finished her book she looked around, fully expecting to see Finder in bed as well. Instead he seemed lost in thought as he stared into the flames.

"Finder?" Elizabeth ventured.

"I miss him."

Elizabeth frowned. "We all do."

"This really sucks." Finder said after a moment, scooping up a small rock and throwing it into the fire.

"I know, but we're almost there."

"We'll make Atlas pay for what he's done." Finder's tone betrayed a barely controlled anger.

"Yeah." Elizabeth said to herself as she stared into the fire. "Yeah we will."

In the morning the group resumed their journey. Elizabeth had woken early and made an attempt at cooking breakfast using some odds and ends from Finder's pack. The results were mixed.

After several hours of marching through the streets Elizabeth and the others turned down a street and came face to face with a large bridge. On the other side of the bridge one of the twisted towers jutted out from the skyline.

"We're close." Elizabeth observed.

The three were confidently marching across the bridge when suddenly Finder let out a feminine shriek. Elizabeth's eyes widened in terror as the ground beneath Finder's feet gave way.

"Finder!" Elizabeth screamed as Alice reached a hand out to grab him by the scruff of his neck. Finder's scream continued on for several more seconds, even after Alice had lifted him up and placed him on the ground.

He chuckled nervously as he looked around and realized what had happened. "I, uh, thanks for saving me Alice."

Elizabeth sighed and placed a hand on her chest. "I'm just glad you're okay. Now let's get off this bridge."

The three proceeded with caution as they finished crossing the bridge. Taking care to watch for loose stones and sunken patches. "It occurs to me. We haven't seen anyone since we've come here." Alice pondered to herself as she hopped down the walkway and onto the street.

"What do you think that means?" Elizabeth inquired."

"I think it means we could be walking into a trap."

"It's a bit too late to be turning back, if that's what you are thinking."

"I'm just saying." Alice replied with a shrug. "When it turns out to be a trap I told you so."

Alice's observation held true as they approached the towers. Even as they stood overlooking the towers they could see no signs of life, only the bizarre hidden architecture that the towers stemmed from.

Each of the twisting, spiraling towers interconnected at the base with a large metal structure that rested deep inside a large sinkhole. Tumorous growths lined the base of the castle and added to the impression that the structure was the result of some monstrous growth rather than anything made by man or beast. Intermittently across the surface of the castle an extension and an opening much like an open drawbridge reached out from the sinkhole and latched onto the streets above.

Finder tilted his head. "I don't know what I expected, but I didn't expect this."

"Me neither." Elizabeth responded in a quizzical tone.

Alice's voice could be heard from down in the sinkhole near one of the bridge-like protrusions. Alice appeared in no mood to wait around. "You're coming, right?" Elizabeth and Finder exchanged glances before following suit.

"Creepy."

Elizabeth and the others wandered through a poorly-lit passageway. The red, white, and blue carpet combined with the symmetry of the geometric architecture of the interior gave her a distinct feeling of deja vu.

Presently the hallway terminated into a spacious antechamber alit with a strange ambient glow that seemed to come from the walls. Openings coming from nearly every direction suggested that this room not only did this room connect with all of the protrusions they say from outside, but that every single one was treated as "up" for it's respective direction. There was no indication of stairs or a distinct difference between what they perceived to be the floor and what they perceived to be the ceiling. The only thing that centered the room was a sizable staircase leading up to a large round stone pressed against one of the walls.

"Curiouser and curiouser."

With a concerted effort Elizabeth and Alice managed to push aside the stone to reveal a short hallway that terminated in a modest-looking wooden door.

Elizabeth stared in amazement at the tapestries that lined the walls as they made their way through the hall. They were her memories, brought to life with a textile and on display for all to see. Her life in the tower, slaying Daisy, the baptism, her "death" in Rapture.

"This is...me."

Finder perked his head up. "Huh?"

"These tapestries, they're my memories. My life."

"Come to think of it, they do look an awful lot like you." He mused.

Shortly they stood in front of the modest wooden door. It had a vaguely familiar quality to it that Elizabeth couldn't quite place.

Wordlessly she opened the door to reveal a decadent chamber that was equal parts cathedral and throne room. Candles lined the walls, casting odd reflections off of the stained glass windows. Windows that would seem to look out into nothing.

In the center of the room was a large statue. Elizabeth quickly realized that the statue was of herself, the lamb of Columbia. Resting beneath the statue was an throne of opal and gold. Shockingly, a grotesquely large form rested on the throne. It's marble features twisted into a grin of mocking warmth.

"Hey, how's my favorite girl doin'?" The voice of King Atlas boomed. "Figured you'd show up sooner or later."