The Manor Within, Part 1

Alyssa visits an old friend.

Welcome to the inaugural installment of Terrific, a series of original superhero prose stories.

This three-parter, however, is barely a superhero story.

Part 1

Alyssa peeled herself off the hardwood floor. She hadn’t expected it to feel so solid. Hadn’t expected any floor, for that matter.

Standing up, she found herself in a vast, Gothic living room—so vast that the ceiling hung somewhere above dark stratus clouds. Two high-back lounge chairs sat angled toward the fireplace, where a fire raged in the most literal sense. A human face silently screamed within the flames, and kept screaming.

A pair of slippers peeked out the bottom of one chair, which Alyssa approached.

“Skyler?”

The lounge chair swiveled toward her. Skyler sat there, wrapped within a plush bathrobe and smoking a pipe. A lazy smile spread across his boyish face.

“Alyssa. This is a surprise.”

The pipe emitted no smoke nor any tobacco odor. Instead, an occasional butterfly emerged and flew toward the clouds. Each one smelled of cotton candy.

“Hey, Sky. It’s, um, really nice to see you.”

He looked exactly like Alyssa remembered, which shouldn’t have been too surprising. College was only a couple of years ago, if that even mattered here.

“Can I get you anything?” Skyler asked.

“No thanks.” Alyssa scanned the room, not quite sure what she was looking for. “Uh, nice mansion.”

“Yeah, always wanted one of these.”

A life-size marionette clopped to his side, an unbreathing wooden butler with strings stretching all the way up into the clouds. The marionette presented a tray, upon which sat a twin pair of ornate goblets. Red wine swished within. Skyler took a goblet and thanked him.

“You’re looking great,” he said, with a casual gesture at Alyssa. “You haven’t changed a bit.”

Alyssa did indeed look precisely like herself. She ran a hand over her head as she confirmed. Narrow face, tousled auburn hair, slender frame—it all translated here. Clothing too, thankfully. It was all on the nondescript side. Plain black shirt, pants, and shoes, like a stagehand. Fine with her. Other matters required her energy and focus.

“Sure I can’t get you anything?” Skyler pressed.

The marionette shuffled toward Alyssa and thrust the tray in her face. Permanently open eyes locked onto hers, implying a soul buried somewhere within the wood. Alyssa accepted the goblet and held it at a distance, even as its scent tempted her. What effect would wine have here? She couldn’t risk finding out.

Skyler took a sip and indicated the other lounge chair. “Have a seat.”

The chair swiveled on its own volition, and a vicious face stretched along the backrest.

Alyssa held the goblet further away. “I think I’ll stand.”

An enormous door dominated the far wall. A heavy splintery bar ran horizontally across its darkly wooden front, and a grizzly bear stood guard before it. Alyssa mistook the bear for a taxidermy display until the animal crossed its arms and bared its teeth.

“It’s so great to see you again,” Skyler said. “Last time was, what, summer after college? Been far too long.”

Alyssa agreed. It had been far too long, and there was supposed to be so much time ahead.

Her frown deepened. “I just wish it were under better circumstances.”

Bewilderment creased Skyler’s forehead. “Better? Everything’s great.” He kicked his feet up and spun in his chair. “What’s not to love?” He leaned back, gazing at the clouds for another revolution. “It’s all so simple now, the way it should be.”

Pretending to ignore the bear, Alyssa pointed at the huge door. “Sky, can I see what’s in that room?”

The chair stopped abruptly, with Skyler’s serious eyes pointed at Alyssa.

“I don’t think Teddy would like that.”

The bear harrumphed in agreement.

Alyssa backed up a step and generated a kind smile. “You never introduced me to Teddy.”

“Oh, right, I guess I wouldn’t have, being as I was like four when I had him.” Skyler gestured, indicating them to each other. “Alyssa, Teddy. Teddy, Alyssa.”

Teddy grinned, waved, and resumed crossing his arms and scowling.

“Come on. Take a seat. You’re making me nervous.” Skyler hopped off his chair and dusted off the other until the creepy face disappeared. “There you go. All better.”

Alyssa inspected the apparently ordinary lounge chair and decided to chance it, well aware there was nothing ordinary about any of this.

Skyler leaned forward, hungry for info. “So come on. Tell me all about you. How’s life as a dental hygienist?”

“It’s actually much better than I thought.”

He flinched in confusion. “Really?”

“Yeah, I mean, I had a rocky start and all. And some, well, curveballs. But once I settled in, got into the right mindset, I learned to like it.”

Skyler raised a skeptical eyebrow. “But you don’t seem happy.”

A small wave dismissed the comment. “I’m fine. Enough about me, though—”

“Alyssaaaa.” He drew out her name as if to emphasize how well he understood the person who answered to it. “Can’t fool me. You’re not yourself.” He slumped back, withdrawing into memory. “Always so full of life … the life of the party … and about three of those per weekend …”

Alyssa cringed at her own memories. She had indeed partied frequently in college, but not because she was “so full of life.”

“I’m not that person anymore,” Alyssa said, glancing into the goblet and indulging in a quick sniff. The accuracy was remarkable.

“Come on. I know it hasn’t been that long.”

It seemed like a lifetime. If she failed, it would be an eternity.

“Sky. This isn’t about me. I came here because you need my help.”

“I do?”

“Yes. You really do.”

Skyler shook his head. “No, no. Remember how great I said I’m doing? That was me talking. Just a minute ago.”

Alyssa took a deep breath, mostly out of habit, as she turned back to the imposing door.

“Humor me. Let me take a peek in there.”

Teddy growled, and Skyler swiveled away. “No. Everything is fine how it is.”

“It’s not.” Her eyes begged him to understand.

He shrugged, lips melting into a lazy smile. “This place is perfect.”

“No, it’s not!”

Alyssa sprang to her feet and flung her goblet down. It shattered against the floor and evaporated in an instant.

“You’re in a coma.”

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