Esmeralda

[cleverlyinsanehatter]

His belly was warm and happy because Mad had just finished his morning tea with a delicious blueberry scone. The hatter wasn’t sure where he was headed to next. Out to the garden? Perhaps Cheshire was out there and they could climb trees. Or maybe he should work on a hat. He had so many ideas buzzing in his head, but they all vanished when he saw a girl start to fall towards the ground. Mad ran to the girls side and grabbed her so she wouldn’t collide with the floor. “Oh dear dear dear. Are you alright?”

[the-dancing-outcast]

Esmeralda latched onto the young man that had rushed to her side to hold her from falling. “Oh goodness, I’m so sorry…” She trailed off as she made eye contact with her rescuer. “Well, hello there good sir, thank you for saving me.” Her mouth lifted in a half smile that she knows makes the boys go mad. “Your arms are very strong,” Looking down at his arms she traced his bicep. “I’m Esmeralda, and you are?” She looked up at him batting her eyes.

[anemonewrites-blog]

Clopin is making his rounds, looking bored and moody due to the monotonous routine his life his taken on. He misses travelling, misses meeting new people wherever he goes, rather than the same old faces day after day. He wishes for a little excitement. 

His wish is apparently answered as he passes the door to the rec room and catches a glimpse of a young woman who appears to be wavering. He stops, about to ask if she’s alright, when she staggers and he lurches to catch her.

"Woah woah woah, it’s alright, I have you," He says soothingly, looking down at the girl to check her breathing. Suddenly his face turns almost grey, his mouth half open in utter disbelief. It can’t be… But he would know her anywhere. “Esmeralda?”

[the-dancing-outcast]

She knew that voice anywhere even if she was feeling dizzy. She looked up from his arms. “Clopin? Is that you?” She looked at him in disbelief; it had been awhile since she had seen him. His arms gripped her tighter as they hugged for a moment. Pulling away from him, Esmeralda voiced her thoughts, "Thank you, by the way, that could have hurt. How have you been?"

As she was listening to him answer her question, she turned to look back at the TV. It was off. No balding man from Channel 5 reading about a fire. She looked back at Clopin who had stopped talking, he must have noticed she lost her focus on him. “Sorry dear but wasn’t that TV on a second ago?"

[toulousesanity]

Toulouse was at a lose for how to handle this situation. Did she just faint in his arms? Where were the vapors? He does not have the sanity for this! He could not just had let her fall, it was not proper protocol and he could feel his mother clipping his ear just for the suggestion of not catching a lady. Guiding her to the nearest couch, Toulouse eased her down as gently as he could. “M-ma’am? Ar-are you alright? D-do I need to call a nurse?”

[the-dancing-outcast]

The meek little boy sat her down on the couch next to where she was standing and she looked up at him, “Thank you so much hun, whats your name?” She looked him up and down and determined he couldn’t have been more than a teenager. How could someone so young be in a place like this she wondered to herself. He looked at her with big beady eyes, nervous and shaking. She took his hand, “Sweetie, I’m okay, just got a bit light headed from excitement no need to be a worry wart. Are you going to be okay?”

[thefixerupper-deactivated201410]

How long had it been since he’d been outside? He had lost count. He didn’t even so much as look out the window anymore, avoiding confronting his delusions at all costs, but he had retracted so far into himself, he was nothing more than a zombie. He was so tired of the same four walls of his room, that he decided to stare at the same four walls in the rec room instead. He hardly ever payed attention to his surroundings, but somehow she caught his attention, perhaps it was her labored breathing, or the way she swayed like she might faint.

He got to his feet slowly, his features pinched in concern. “Are you alright?” He asked, but there was something about the look on her face that told him that she couldn’t hear him, she was somewhere else. When she began to tumble to the floor, he reached out to steady her, her body slumped against him, and he didn’t fight it. “Do you need a doctor?” He asked gently, fanning her face with his free hand. 

[the-dancing-outcast]

She looked up at the large boy holding her and asked, “What did you say?” He repeated himself and she said, “No, sorry I just… got light headed I guess. Thanks though sweetheart.”

She started to pull away but he didn’t loosen his grip on her right away. She looked at him trying to figure out what he was doing. “Well you aren’t exactly my type but I’m always up for new things. What’s your name handsome?” She asked seductively still in his arms.

[the-dancing-outcast]

Esmeralda walked down the hall and entered the rec room. She saw a few patients in the room, some reading, some watching the TV. Turning to the television, Esmeralda saw a balding man reading the news for Channel 5. The newscaster talked about a wildfire that was burning through the countryside. She started feeling a little shaky. She watched the fire intently and started feeling dizzy. It was bringing back memories of her nightmares and her being burned. She started hyperventilating and sweating. Her knees got weak and she started to fall; reaching for the couch to hold herself up. Suddenly she felt gentle arms hold onto her and grasp her tightly. She closed her eyes and accepted being held and it calmed her down.