"How did you even think to try something like that? It's really cool, though! Is our little 'Washboard' now a proper pet? Haha, serves her right!" Alice's voice dripped with unsettling amusement before suddenly becoming cold and almost unsettling as her eyes narrowed on the fairy, "Especially since she has forgotten the talk we had last night." her gaze fixed on Greeny, who was secured by chains, a flicker of raw fear betraying her composure.
John, using the very chains that bound him as improvised crutches, managed to pull himself out of the room well making sure the one around Greeny kept her fastened to the floor, trailing to him by a much thinner one but without dragging her with. A pang of unease suggested leaving her alone with Alice might be a mistake, but after Greeny's earlier venomous words and that Alice had seemingly already had a talk with her John felt little sympathy for her, as cold as that might seem.
Only a few minutes later, he returned to a scene that both confirmed his fears and surprised him. Alice was playfully prodding Greeny, a small knife glinting in her hand as she meticulously tried to slice through the fairy's clothes. It looked like a macabre game of cat and mouse as the little fairy tried to dodge well held tight in chains. John felt a grim satisfaction as he added extra a little extra slack to Greeny's chain; otherwise, he suspected Alice would have done more than merely trim the edges of Greeny's garments by now.
"What is going on here?" John asked, his voice thick with exasperation. Taking note of Greeny in half-shredded clothes, Alice circling her like a predator toying with its prey, acting as if he hadn't been watching for a bit.
"Just playing with our new toy, or is it a pet? Either way, I decided to have some fun and remind her of her place relative to us 'lowly' humans," Alice explained, a mischievous but malicious grin stretching across her lips. "I wasn't going to hurt her, too much."
Bouncing over to him he leaned in conspiratorially. "And besides, aren't you curious if the carpets match the drapes? Or if their figures are like ours, just… smaller? Where's your sense of curiosity?" Her bubbly, over-excited tone drew a weary sigh from John.
"And that's why you're methodically destroying her clothes bit by bit?" John massaged his temples. "Look, just stop for now. Honestly, I don't have the strength or energy for this right now. I might not be showing it, but these chains, while helping me move through my sore and stiff state are practically forcing my body to move, my muscles are screaming for rest, throbbing with a peculiar numbing pain. Frankly, if I hadn't needed the bathroom earlier or had to scrounge up some food for us, I'd be more than content to just put on a movie, some anime and spend the day letting everything rest well trying to recover."
He exhaled slowly, trying to re-centre himself and keep calm. " Yes, I chained her up, but it wasn't for your amusement. She could be a valuable source of information – like why the injuries I sustained in the dream are manifesting physically in such an extreme manner. And don't you dare say you don't know Greeny; it's clear from how you spoke earlier that you know about this stuff." He refocused on the fairy, his frustration palpable, the physical pain morphing into a sharp edge of anger. The recent past events still replayed in his mind, fuelling his irritation. "Alternatively, she could be traded later on. A fairy would no doubt be worth something to the right trader if she doesn't listen or give us valuable infomation. So honestly, I think you should start talking, Greeny."
"You... you're lying!" Greeny retaliated, attempting to sound confident and resolute, but a faint tremor in her voice betrayed her fear. "You wouldn't do something like that! I can see it in your eyes and past actions; you're a big softie and you wouldn't trade or sell me, not knowing the fate I'd meet could be worse than death!"
"Do you really want to test me?" John leaned forward slightly, his gaze unwavering as he locked eyes with her. "Heck, I could even let Alice have her way with you; I'm sure she has plenty of ideas on how to 'play.' Honestly, you lost any sympathy from us when you showed your true colours. Had you been a half-decent person or fairy or whatever you are, the chains wouldn't have been necessary. So, start talking or else. Don't tempt us okay?" He slowly lowered himself onto the edge of the bed, feeling utterly unlike himself but attributing it to the throbbing pain and the persistent headache forming behind his eyes.
"Okay," Greeny hurried, her bravado crumbling. "As I said you trained your soul but it seems to be the far heavier kind of soul strain, something that shouldn't be possible like I said. You should be dead or completely paralyzed from it. When I said the soul can be like a muscle what I didn't say was that such a fact is up for debate among other races but that's how fairies view the matter. It can be trained and grow stronger but if pushed too hard it can cause extreme damage to a person dependant on the amount of strain. Given time though it can heal, though normally it takes a lot of time and is quite painful. Your arm is the most damaged, though; it looks like that part of your soul is almost non-existent. Some spiritual herbs and remedies can accelerate the healing rate, but I doubt you humans would even understand them or how to find them or even handle them with how 'dirty' your souls tend to be. But I could try to find some if you let me go though."
John shook his head immediately. "Like hell I'd trust you. Honestly, I know you'd flee the first chance you get. Even if you tried the cliche swearing on your name or whatever trope and claim you're bound by your word, it wouldn't be good enough for me, I flat out don't trust you."
A look of what seemed like betrayal, mixed with barely concealed anger briefly flashed across Greeny's face. "But you trust this psychotic girl over there! At least I would be willing to prove you can trust me and I could maybe be more useful without this chain holding me in many ways." She tried a different approach, a desperate one at that only to be met with a flat stare from John and an angry glare from Alice, before she could speak her mind and no doubt cut into the fairy John spoke up again.
"You really think I'm stupid? You made how you feel about humans perfectly clear when you were comfortable and in anger told us plainly how you planned to use us and many times now how you see me. And now, suddenly, you're talking about gaining my trust and all that? Hell no! I trust Alice the way I do because she saved my life once and because she makes It clear what she's after. And yes, I know she's completely batshit crazy but that means I know what to expect from her most of the time. You though are a wild card who, if I let loose could cause me serious problems later. So no, I'm not going to let you go or trust you if I can help it. End of story." His tone was flat and stern, his anger still present but slightly tempered by weariness. Alice nodded along to John's words, her smile widening with a mad glint in her eyes when he spoke of her.
"So, what's for breakfast today?" Alice asked, her voice light once more.
John gestured with his head for them to follow him to the kitchen where he methodically placed three bowls on the counter, along with a jug of milk and a box of cocoa pops.
"Just cereal today," he told them, already pouring his own bowl. "I have no strength to make anything more substantial right now. I also need to check my garden; it's something I've neglected and forgotten to do with everything going on. No doubt my precious green babies need to be given some water, after all that I will be going straight back to my room to try and rest, maybe put something on my PC and just lie on my bed watching it on the TV screen until I start feeling better and recover." His left arm, useless without the chains and even then could only be barely moved, was a constant reminder of his injury, a particular nuisance for a left-handed person.
They ate in relative silence. Greeny picked at her cereal with a look of distaste, as if forcing herself to eat it solely to fill her stomach. Alice however, seemed to enjoy hers thoroughly, even getting a second bowl and licking it clean.
Once everyone was finished, John slowly, forced himself to his feet, biting back a groan of agony but managed to suppress any outward sounds of pain. Heading outside to the back, his gaze involuntarily fell upon the small, hallowed ground where he had laid his parents to rest. The pain in his heart stung far more acutely than any physical ache before forcing himself to look away lest he break down, instead he turned towards the small greenhouse tucked away in the back corner of the yard.