The First Step

 So it’s been a year or so since the blog was last updated.  I had an idea that I really wanted to do for the Asylum Letters but the inspiration behind it ended up falling apart before I could really do anything with it. And I feel bad that I wasn’t able to do my idea and I feel even worse for having to postpone the Letters for the time being.

May-May and I had a really good talk the other night. We celebrated having over 1,000 likes on our band page. We spent a portion of the night discussing where we wanted C.C. to go and talents that we both wanted to expand and hone.

One thing that May-May does amazingly is makeup. He’s been doing both of ours since the very beginning. I do not have his talent with a brush. All I can do is standard theatre makeup and that’s about it. Part of my goals for this year is to become more independent. I have already started this by moving out of my parent’s house. Another thing I want to do is being able to do my makeup as well as May. One of my birthday gifts from him was some liquid liner from Black Heart and for Christmas my boyfriend, Nathan, gave me some beautiful red lipstick and so marked the beginnings of my steps to becoming somewhat adequate with painting my face.  And after reading a very wonderful post by the woman who is my idol and my very reason for wanting to be on stage. I have purchased a train travel suitcase. I’ll carry my makeup and some other personal effects to bring the magic fully together and really start this.

Sometime before the end of March, May told me that we are going on a shopping spree to buy me some essentials. And I’ll start practicing and with time I’ll get better. 

(My first batch of test make up! More will come when May-May and I go shopping)

I’ll be sure to post some pictures of my first attempts. Which I know will probably be terrible but, hey, for someone who is starting out I’ll wear all the marks with pride.

And now a promise to all of you Sprinkles, old and new, about this blog.

I have a personal motto:

“Just say it, just do it”

Communication is very important. Too many times we never say what is really going on in our heads due to something like being afraid of how other people might react to something. I am a victim of this. For too long I was, and sometimes I still am, afraid of saying something that might cause a confrontation or make someone think less of me. But after re-reading a letter that I wrote to my ten-year-old self I was reminded of my personal motto and the many, many times I wrote down that very phrase.

 “Just say it.  Don’t waste so much precious time by being quiet. You have a voice. Use it”

Another one of my goals is to be more open and honest and I want to take you all on the journey. You’ve all seen the videos of our adventures but I would like to fill in the blanks for all the things you don’t get to see. I’ve always loved talking to people, trying to get more personal. But to do that you have to open yourself up first. So here I am being open and honest to all of you and hopefully make some connections along the way.

So let’s make the first step together.

Are you ready?

Love,

J.S.

Everyday Magic

Hello, Sprinkles!

First off I want to thank all of you from the bottom of my heart for being so amazing. All of you have made May and me very happy with all of the positive comments, the likes, and telling everyone and your grandmother about us. We feel very loved and blessed and we are working our little Victorian butts off to make you all proud. And hopefully we will be seeing some of you guys face to face in upcoming tours (we pray). Please stay tuned as the official release date of the CD is fast approaching. Not to mention all the new merchandise. 

So today I wanted to write something personal before we jump back through the twisted metal gates of the Bastille Asylum. I am a believer in magic. I do believe that it exists and that sometimes magic just seems to speak to us.

Two weeks ago May-May had made himself a mermaid tail and I asked him to make me one too. He did and the next week I tried mine out in the pool. Ever since I was a little boy I had always wanted to be a merperson. The idea of having a tail and swimming through the sea, collecting sunken treasure, and playing with dolphins and other little fish had always been a fantasy I wanted to make true. And now here I was in the water with a bright turquoise tail covering my legs. It wasn’t easy at first but I was able to finally swim with it. I felt at home in a way and I won’t lie I very much wanted to belt out Part of your World from the Little Mermaid. For a brief hour or so I felt like mermaid. I had visions of sitting on a rock near shore and brushing my hair with a fork and holding a piece of broken glass to gaze at my reflection. I looked over at May and he was a natural. My pyromaniac pirate friend was an absolute perfect mermaid and I was so happy to share this with him. We talked of the ocean and songs and other magical things.  I really wished I had an underwater camera so I could show you all how amazing it was. Maybe the next time I’m over at May’s I’ll get a picture of each of us in our tails. Wouldn’t that be a sight ;) ?

But the magical thing about it all was that a terrible storm was fast approaching our little mermaid paradise. The sky rumbled and cracked with lightning and yet not a single drop of water nor any powerful wind breached our sanctuary. We swam for a long time and we could see the storm was very much upon us yet it never fully reached us. Maybe it was the sea nymphs and fairies. Maybe they thought we were their kin and protected us. All I know is that as soon as we dried off and headed inside the sky opened and the rain fell.

Another moment of magic was just two days ago. I went to go visit the love of my life and he was talking on the phone with his aunt. After he finished we hugged and said our hellos and he smiled happily and told me that I needed to go see something in his room. I walked in and I saw something I hadn’t seen in a very long time. A fort, a fort made of pillows and blankets. He jumped up and down and I couldn’t help but smile and laugh with him. It was another magical moment when we crawled under the fort and held each other and watched movies later that night. I felt like I was six years old again. I remember making similar forts to read my books or watch movies or to hide under if I was ever scared. That same feeling of safety and happiness washed over me as we spent hours talking about the week and the future. We laughed as we played with the fringe and tassels from the blankets. It was wonderful. The fort felt impenetrable to the outside world and even time itself. As we snuggled watching the movie I felt the best magic of all. Love.  And just like that another happy memory in my life was born.

I guess the message in today’s post is that magic is all around us if we look hard enough. It can be something as fantastic as being a mermaid or something as simple as building of small fort and being with the one you love. Never forget the magic, Sprinkles. Take joy in all the small things.

With much love and icing kisses,

J.S.

P.S. I hope you’re ready from some new characters. The Asylum is about to gain some new members. 

Survival Marks or You're a Fighter and Beautiful

Hello all! I’ve wanted to write this since I read a very beautifully written post by Miss Li-Anne and meeting some new friends rekindled that need to write this. 

So most of you know that I was in a car wreck last year. I hit my one year anniversary of that wreck, among other things, last month. How did I total my truck you ask? Well, like most of time in my life, I was running late. I had just come back home and I had forgotten to wrap my Christmas presents for my friends at school. It was cold outside but there weren’t any flakes on the ground so I thought I was going to be ok. I spent maybe an half an hour wrapping the gifts before I went outside to put all my things back in my truck. Snow, which I have labeled the ‘White Death’ at times, had covered everything. I had never in my entire life driven in snow. East Texas doesn’t get that much snow to begin with but this year it almost a blizzard. I took a breath and quickly packed my truck. It was full to the brim with laundry, bedding, the Christmas presents, and many, many more things.  I had just enough room to turn the wheel and shift gears easily. I started the truck and made my way to the road. I barely started down it before I started slipping. I pulled over and put it four-wheel-drive and started again. Much easier this time so I felt better about it. I noticed that I needed gas so I started towards town. Down the road I live on there is this hill. Towards bottom of it is a bridge. Somehow, someway, I hit  patch of black ice and I crashed into this bridge going around 40 some odd miles. Thankfully, and I do think this was the key to my survival, my laundry took most of the blow. But I when I hit the bridge the air bag went off. I was thrown forward, then back, and then forward again. This time my seatbelt had snapped and my head hit the cracked windshield.  From the middle of my head there was a zigzag and sort of loop to the right side cut. I would learn later from the EMT that I was almost scalped but thankfully that wasn’t the case.

I knew that I had wrecked and several thoughts came to me at once:

 1) Oh *%$&

2) Man after all that work on my truck and now it’s totaled. (I had just installed new brakes. Fat lot of good it did right?)

3) Oh God my mother is going to freak

4)Oooooooooow

5) Am I bleeding?

6) Can I still move my fingers, toes, neck?

7) Where is my phone? I need help

I stepped out of the truck because I knew I wasn’t going to find help just lying there. Plus I needed to know if I could still walk and with that I found my answer. However, being in a wreck can really mess with your equilibrium so after one step out I fall on my ass. I hear someone calling out to me. At first I was thinking “Light at the end of the tunnel?” but no it was a nurse who happened to be visiting a patient nearby. She had seen my wreck and had already called 911. She rushed over and applied pressure to my head and began the standard questions one would ask someone if they had a concussion. What is your name? Can you move everything? What hurts? Who is president? etc.  More thoughts began to race into my head.

How was I going to inform my friends, whom I consider family, about this?

What about Nathan?

NATHAN!

The first guy I start a relationship with (we had just made it official eight hours prior to the wreck) and I wreck.

 I am not going to die here in some ditch, like Mom had always had nightmares about, after all of that.  Damn it I am going to survive from this. *@&$ you, Death, it is not my time.

I found my drive. Despite everything being cold and incredibly bright I stayed conscious. I was taken to the local hospital where seven other people had wreck around the same time I had. I had the glass removed from my head. And the only painful thing that I experienced from that incident was not glass, or the 37 staples that were put in my head, but the IV needle. At this point everyone breathed in a sigh of relief and knew that I was going to be fine.  I was cracking jokes because I wanted to reassure everyone that I truly was alright. And after six hours on that gurney I was finally able to leave the hospital.

At first I made jokes about my scar. Like I’m a boy and I lived so I must be Harry Potter. Or that I was a mad scientists experiment and so on. But I was really insecure about it. I didn’t feel disfigured or anything but I felt…not broken but ashamed, that the scar had to be hidden. I felt as if a part of my head was missing because I couldn’t feel it for the longest time and it’s only until recently that I’ve been able to. And I don’t know why but I just felt self-conscious about. I grew my hair out and I always kept it covered. Then I was going through Veronica Varlow’s Danger Dame Diary one day and I remember how she was mauled by a dog and how she overcame that. Clarity finally set in and I realized that I was still me, scar or no scar. Not only that but I was still beautiful. Nothing had changed. And then I realized something important. My scar was not a disfigurement or something to be insecure of. I had a mark of survival on me. I had clear visible representation that I was a fighter and that was something to take pride in.  

Scars are beautiful. They show how strong you are and that you’re not going to let something like a car wreck, cancer, or a pissed off Rottweiler stop you from doing what you want to do.  I have several of them and I am proud of each and every one as should the rest of you. You are all beautiful inside and out and nothing is going to change that. 

Wear your marks with pride my friends.

Always with love and icing kisses,

Jay Scarlet

Asylum Letter IX

So here we are in 2012. I have little to no internet connection but I'm hoping to change that soon. If not I'll spend my days in coffee shops because I just can't stand not being on the blog writing all these letters. I have so much fun doing it and I hope all of you sprinkles enjoy reading them. Also I don't know if you heard but Filthy Victorians in the Dark is finally done! Here is the link right here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6XZXuTgCh8 . Also we took a trip to Austin, TX here is that link also http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEj5IWfuT88 . Anyway on to the main event the Asylum Letters. I hope you all enjoy it.

Always with love and icing kisses,

J.S.


Asylum Letter IX from Lizzie Lobotomy at the Bastille Asylum for Misfits and Miscreants


King Takes Queen

I didn’t sleep for days after my father’s death. On the off chance that I was overcome by sleep I would dream of him falling and having to listen to that sickening sound of bone snapping was just too much to bear. Every time I sit in his office I keep expecting him to burst through the door and scold me for sitting in his chair. I miss him terribly. The funeral was well. Father is now buried next to Mother. I wonder now if he’s seen her now that he’s in Heaven. Are they watching over me? Am I making them proud?

Ben has been so helpful. I don’t know what I’d do without him. He has been my anchor in all of this chaos. I love him so much. I couldn’t bear anything else to happen now.

"Elizabeth?" I look up to see Ben holding up more papers that needed signing. "Are you feeling well?"

"I’m am." I lied. "Just a bit tired that’s all. How goes the investigation?" Ben looked down at his feet.

"Elizabeth, you already know the officers’ report." He took his hand to rest on my shoulder. "They ruled your father’s death as—"

"Don’t you dare finish that sentence, Doctor!" I snapped. "My father was an intelligent man, a sane man. He would never do something so against his nature. Suicide is for the mad." I turned around to the newly replaced window. I gingerly brought a hand to the glass. Bars had been placed behind it to prevent any "accidents" from happening again.

"I heard someone in this room with him." My hand slowly clenched into a fist. "I heard father struggling before the glass shattered. And when I looked outside the window—"

"Elizabeth—" Ben tried to stop me.

"There was someone there with him, standing over his body." I stood up and turned around. "I did not imagine it, it wasn’t a bout of hysteria, and I know I saw someone. Why does everyone keep insisting that I’m wrong? None of you were there."

"But the orderlies were." Ben snapped. "They didn’t see anyone, only you. You have no proof other than your word against four men."

"I suppose if it was only one that would be enough to convince a court that I was wrong, wouldn’t it?" I mumbled.


"What?"


"Nothing." I sigh. "It just doesn’t make sense." I pulled Father’s old pocket watch from my apron and opened it. "It’s time for the afternoon rounds. I’ll be back shortly." I felt Ben’s hand on my shoulder.

"Maybe you should rest." I felt his grip tighten. "It’ll put my mind at ease."

"Stop treating me as if I'm glass!" I shook off his hand. "I am fine, Benjamin. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have rounds to do." I stepped out of the office and slammed the door behind me. I smoothed my apron before I made my way down the halls towards Ward A.

I did my best not to cry in front of others. It was hardest when I was in the Asylum. My entire life had been here and every turn around a corner there was a memory waiting for me

I'm walking down the hallway with Father as instructs me about the different types of insanity. How I needed to be educated in all these matters, for women are more susceptible to madness. I'm writing down all my notes on the inmates and Father beams with pride. I turned down the corridor past the Operating Room. I'm fourteen years old and Father is showing me the proper way to lobotomize patients. I couldn't help the tears that began to form in my eyes. I could still hear his voice, I could still smell the tobacco from his pipe, and I could still feel his hand on my shoulder, guiding me.

I don't know how I ended up there but somehow I was standing in front of Scarlet's cell.

"Aww, is wittle Wizzie crwing?" I heard him mock me. It was completely unacceptable and the fact that I was falling apart in front of him was just too much. "Are you really crying?"

"I bet you're enjoying this." I said through sobs. " 'Look there's Lobotomy, a crying mess. She got what was coming to her. All alone with no father. How hilarious'."

"I don't think that." He said very seriously. "As much as it pains me to say, I actually feel sorry for you."

"Well, that's just wonderful!" I snapped. "That's just what the doctor ordered. Pity from a lunatic!" I fell to my knees and continued to sob. Out of the corner I could see that Scarlet was at the bars of the cell and also on his knees. "What?"





"My mother died of a fever when I was seven." He said to me. "She was delirious through most of it." He chuckled. "At one point she forgot who I was. It was horrible to see that my own mother didn't even remember that she had a son." He paused and cleared his throat. "My father died when I was thirteen. Some vagrant stabbed him and stole his purse. I was alone for three days before an officer came to take me to an orphanage."

I looked up at stared at his back against the bars.

"I became an assistant to Edmund Sadini when I was fourteen and he taught me the art of magic and illusions." He continued. "He was a nice man but one day his heart gave out. I was eighteen at the time."

"Why are you telling me this?"


"People die, Elizabeth." He said simply. "Sometimes I think that there is some reason behind the death and the pain but I don't think there really is. Death just happens. It's stupid and it's inevitable. But despite that they still live on. All the memories of the people that we have lost live on through us, their successors. By telling others of them or having children and naming them after our fathers, mothers, or whomever continues their legacy."

Why was he being so kind to me? Scarlet had never once said my name to me before. Always 'Lizzie' or 'Lobotomy' never Elizabeth. Was he trying to comfort me?

"Or maybe I'm wrong." He said. "Maybe there is a Heaven above us all and all of our family is there watching us. Maybe the warm presence we feel when a memory of them surfaces is their angels smiling down on us. Despite locking me away, I liked your father."

"I did too." Naughty chimed in. "I felt really bad about his eye. I wonder if he ever forgave me for that."

"Stop talking." I muttered.

"Sorry."

"Not you." I said. "The other one. You...you were fine....Thank you." I stood up slowly and Scarlet followed in suit.

"You're welcome." He said and then wrapped his arms around me. I went to scream but he stopped me. "I'm not going to hurt you. I'm offering sympathies." He pulled me in closer to the bars. "Tomorrow, however, we go back to being mortal enemies."

"Agreed." He patted my back and let me go. "For a moment I thought you were about to kiss me."

"Please." He laughed. "You're not my type. Now get back to 'curing the insane' or whatever nonsense you do."

And I did. What a day it had been already. Jason Scarlet had embraced me and had made me feel better. I really didn't think that the day could become any more strange but after doing all my rounds and delivering medications I found out I was wrong. A simple twist of the doorknob to my office proved to be the worst choice I could make.

"Oh, uh, here she is."

I looked to find Ben staring at me with a confused look on his face. I turned my eyes to my chair with someone else sitting in it. A young man with slicked back hair. He was dressed as if he had just returned from a funeral. The only white on his person, besides his skin, was the kerchief in his breast pocket. His spectacles were gold and bright.

"I'm sorry, sir, I didn't realize that we were to have company today." I curtsied. The man in my chair chuckled. "Sorry?"

"I never dreamed you'd be so...polite, Elizabeth." There was a slight accent in his voice. "You don't recognize me? Oh, Elizabeth, I'm hurt. Maybe you'd remember me if I was cowering next to you?"

"Eriq?" My eyes grew. "Eriq Bastille? Is that really you?" He smiled at me.

"Yes it is. I'm back."

"But how? Why?"

"Father died." Eriq began. "About a year ago. He fell asleep and just never woke up. We were working in Paris and I just felt so alone. I had heard about your father and I felt the need to come back to my old home and help the girl that was so much like a sister to me."

"Oh, Eriq, that is so kind of you." I smiled. "I can't wait to hear all about your life since you left and to run the asylum together--" He broke off into laughter. "Why are you laughing?"

"Elizabeth, I didn't come back to run the asylum with you." He smiled again. "I came to take it back."

"Excuse me?"

"Henry Bastille was the true owner of the Asylum but he left in it your father's care. Now that you're dear father has passed I've come to claim my birthright." My face froze. "Oh don't worry. You'll still be employed here. I'll have another room made for all the other nurses and orderlies. We'll also have to hire some new doctors. Some new blood to revitalize the heart of this place."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I had it. I had it! The Bastille Asylum was under my control and this, this, sniveling little rat was trying to take it away from me.

"Now to check the patients." Eriq said.

"I've just finished rounds." I said.

"And I'm sure you did a wonderful job." He said as he took Ben's copy of the master key and exited the room. We both quickly followed. "It's been so long I can't wait to see the new inmates."

"See them?" I shouted to him. "You were terrified of them before."

"Childish fears." He shouted back. "Besides it's like going to the zoo, eh, Elizabeth?"

How he was able to find his way so easily? How long had it been and yet he still knew all the twists and turns of this whole place. I couldn't believe that this was the same Eriq that I knew. He was more confident, taller, stronger, and much more enthused about the insane than he had ever been as a child. I was sure that the old Eriq had been replaced by this man. It couldn't be him.

Somewhere along the way Ben had left us and Horace and Jasper began to chase after me. We all finally caught up with him just as he was about to reach the doors of Ward C.

"Eriq, is this really necessaryYou’ve only been here for a few minutes."

"I need to see all patients, Elizabeth." He said. "Reading records and reports is nothing compared to seeing them with my own eyes."

We stopped in front of Cell 3, Macabre and Scarlet. The both looked over to us. Scarlet locked his eyes on Eriq and gasped. He looked terrified of Eriq. Something metal clanged on the floor. I started to look for the source.

"Who are you?" Macabre asked and I looked over to Eriq

"My name is Eriq Bastille." He said. "I will be taking over this asylum as well as the position of Chief of Medicine. ‘Doctor’ or ‘Sir’ will be appropriate." He smiled to himself. It was a cold, dark smile "I’m looking forward to getting to know you both." Both of the boys shivered. When did Eriq become so menacing?

"It’s good to be home." Eriq sighed. "Well inmates to meet, medications to try. I'm sure you'll two understand. We'll have a more formal talk later." He gave them a small wave before continuing down the hall.

Again, I was in complete awe. It was almost as if I had seen two people. Eriq, happy and childish, and the other man, menacing and cold. Maybe I was hysterical. I looked over to cell one last time. I noticed something near the bars. I gasped and quickly grabbed my key. It must have fallen from my neck while Eriq was talking. I quickly looked back at Macabre and Scarlet. Scarlet was on the floor his back against the wall. He looked on the verge of tears. He looked scared. What was he muttering?

"The end, the end, the end, the end." He mumbled. "The broken tower. White Queen will be taken by the Black King. Black all black."

"Jay? Jay! Snap out of it." Macabre tried to rouse him out of his episode.



I began back down the corridor. I didn't like any of this. I was not going to take Eriq's return without a fight. I would regain my lost position and I would get my Asylum back.



At any means necessary.


Sincerely,



Lizzie Lobotomy

We're Not Dead

Hello, Sprinkles. You're probably wondering "where the hell has Casanova Cupcake been". Well, November was National Novel Writing Month and that took up most of my time for the month. The rest of it was used on working on music and ideas for the show. Also the last month was used for soul searching by May and myself. Sometimes life just gets you and you wonder if any you do is worth the trouble. And it is. There were a lot of personal ups and downs that, I know, I had to filter through and certain questions that needed answers. The letters will start back up either at the end of this week or the middle of next.  I'm trying to get all my Christmas shopping done that way all I have to worry about is updating.

Thanks for reading, Sprinkles. Talk to you soon.

Icing kisses,


J.S.

Asylum Letter VIII

Hello, Sprinkles. I'm so sorry for the late post. I've been working to raise money for our fiances and May has started back at school. We're working around schedules but we still make time for you. We've been recording more music and videos and the latter will be posted soon. After this next recording session the album will be that much closer to finishing. I believe we have two songs left, maybe one. It's so hard to keep track nowadays. Well on to the main event. The latest Asylum Letter.

Asylum Letter VIII from May-May Macabre at the Bastille Asylum for Misfits and Miscreants

The Peaceful Reign  

It has been a month since Dr. Smyth’s death and the Asylum has had an eerie calm loom over it. Almost like the eye of a hurricane. There is an overabundance of silence. So much that you think that they very air from your lips will break and shatter all around. And in a blink of an eye the world turned over and the gale force winds break and destroy everything in their wake.

Ever since Jay’s episode, Naughty keeps more and more every day. It’s not because he frighten me but it’s the fact that Jay is hardly ever around. He’s usually more in control but Naughty seems to be taking the reins. And another puzzling thing is that Naughty hasn’t been himself. Normally he would have seduced an orderly, bashed someone’s head against the bars, kissed an inmate, or at least mock Nurse Lobotomy but he hasn’t. He’s quiet most of the time talking to himself or Jay. He keeps mumbling and scheming about how to escape. I would love to see the sea again but I wonder how Naughty would find us a way out. There are many floors and many locked doors between our cell and the main gates. Before Dr. Smyth’s death some windows were left unbarred but now every opening in the Asylum either as a lock or iron bars over it.

For the first week every inmate was interrogated by police and staff. Dr. Sodheim and Dr. Purge took great enjoyment in this. To them, along everyone else outside these walls, we were lesser creatures and therefore they were allowed to use any means necessary to extract whatever information we had about the dead doctor. Which was nothing. When it was Jay’s turn to be interrogated he told him of his visions of a man pushing Dr. Smyth out from his office window. Of course they didn’t believe him. The police ruled the death as an accidental suicide much to Lobotomy’s disappointment. She believed her father was sane and therefore could not have killed himself. She kept claiming that he was murdered. The police never told her about Jay’s visions because to them it was nothing more than the ravings of a lunatic.

I believe Jay saw something when he dealt those cards. He knew that I imagined the sea when I had my first leeching with Dr. Purge. He has a gift and his words should be heeded…yet things have been well here. Hardly any problems have risen. Maybe once, just this once, he could be wrong?

When I was a child I hated baths but now I miss them terribly. Bathing at the Asylum consists of standing outside, nude, against a cold stone wall and all the residents, of whatever ward you are in, join you as the orderlies throw buckets of cold water at all of you. You only have a few minutes to wipe away whatever filth that doesn’t cling to you. Afterwards you were given back your rags and then you are locked back in your cell. This happens once a week. But now that winter has begun to set in we’re allowed a small warm bowl of, questionable, broth. Enough to keep us warm and not catch pneumonia.

It was after we got locked back in our cell that Naughty spoke to me.

“Well, handsome, we’ve finally have a plan to escape this godforsaken place.” He purred.

“What do you mean?” I asked. He closed his eyes and opened them again.

“May,” Jay began as he took over. “Naughty and I have been watching and listening. We’ve mapped out the Asylum, orderlies’ schedules, and made a list of things we’ll need to finally leave here. And our moment will be soon, very soon.”

“But how?” Jay went to speak but stopped as an orderly approached. His eyes were set on me.

“Dr. Purge is ready for you.” Another orderly appeared behind him as the first one unlocked the door.

“Soon.” Jay whispered.

“Have fun, handsome.” Naughty winked before returning to his usual corner as I was taken by the arm by each of the men and led down the corridor back to Dr. Purge.  

“Werr rook who hele now”. Dr. Purge grinned. “Babies,” He called. “Time for dinnaw!” 

I was strapped down to my usual chair and the metal cage was placed over my head again. The orderlies left as Purge danced off to the leech jars. After my first feeding with Purge I was terrified of being strapped down again and have the leeches on my arms. The first week I had nightmares of falling into a sea of leeches and being devour by their many teeth. But after several more sessions my unease for the creatures passed. They could not control their actions. They were hungry and this was their meal. It was no different for a person thirsty for water. No, I no longer feared the leeches. Dr. Purge wielding anything sharp was a different story. The blade would change for each feeding. Today he held a butcher’s knife.

“Look what I have fow you today.” He said passing his hand along the blade. He brushed the side of it along my upturned arms. I almost flinched as the cold metal touched my skin but thankfully I was able to compose myself. Purge liked seeing his subjects in fear.

“What? You no play today?” Quickly, he made shallow cuts along my arms. I bit my lip hard so no sound would escape. “You think you stwong? You bweak soon enough.” He snapped on some gloves before dipping his hand into the jar. “They ahways bweak.”

I closed my eyes as I felt the familiar teeth sink into my skin. I didn’t want to be here with Purge. I wanted to be home with my family and my captain.

*****

“LAND HO’!” I heard someone shout from the crow’s nest.

I climbed up the steps and out on to the deck. The sky was painted with orange, yellow, and purple. The clouds were scarce and the stars were beginning to appear.  I looked over to see the shore of some beach and what looked like a village beyond that.

“Thank God.” I heard Captain Mad Ness exclaim. “I’ve been dying to have a drink for days.”

We soon docked for the night. The captain and the rest of my shipmates made their way to the pub and market as I watched over the ship. I hadn’t been with them for long, maybe a month and a half. I was cleaning the deck when someone called out to me. It was Mr. Vance, the captain’s first mate.

“May-May!” He cried out.

“Sir?” I asked poking my head over the side of the ship.

“Have you finished cleaning, boy?”

“I’m about done.”

“As soon as you get done come to the far side of the beach, supper is being made.”

I nodded to him and began to hasten my pace. I finished a few minutes later and hurried to the beach. The sky had become dark by then. I saw light coming from where Mr. Vance had said everyone would be at. I found many of the men drunk and laughing. Some were playing music, others were eating. I found the captain sitting by the roaring fire talking to Mr. Vance when she saw me.

“About time you get here, cabin boy.” She said. “Hurry and get yourself something to eat.”

“Aye, Captain.” I said grabbing some bread and fish.

I sat around listening to stories and laughs from everyone until the captain turned to Mr. Vance.

“Play me something, Vance. I feel like dancing.” All the chatter stopped suddenly and I looked up to see that everyone was gathered around me. All eyes were on the captain as she removed her coat. She rolled up her sleeves and removed her bracelets. She grabbed her bag and picked up two metal rods with something blacks on each of the ends.

Mr. Vance began to play a tune on his flute and someone else joined in on violin. The captain poured some kind of liquid into a silver chalice and walked over to the fire and passed the rods through the flames. The two ends caught on fire and the captain began to twirl the rods between her fingers. Soon she was skipping and spinning making the flames dance. Even the camp fire seemed to sway with every move. She smiled as the flames jumped and even more when we all started to clap in time. The music began to get faster and faster and we all clapped along. Suddenly the captain threw both of her torches into the air. I gasped in fear. What if something happened to her? But no one seemed at all frightened. In one quick motion the captain took a swig from the chalice and grabbed both the torches before spitting a beautiful arch of fire into the night sky. She took a torch and slowly brought it to her mouth. She popped the torch into her mouth and extinguished the flame blowing the smoke from her lips.

We erupted into applause as the captain bowed to us all.

*****

Not long after we all returned to the ship to get some rest before we left in the morning. But I couldn’t sleep. I was amazed by the captain’s performance. As soon as everyone had turned in for the night I snuck out of my bunk. I made my way quietly up the stairs and to the captain’s quarters. I brought up my hand and knocked on the door.

“Who the devil is it?” She asked from behind the wood.

“May-May, Captain.”  There was a brief pause.

“Enter.”

I opened the door. I saw maps of all the seas covering the walls as well as strange and exotic trinkets from the captain’s past adventures.  The captain’s bed was on the far side of the room and desk near the window. Candle lights flickered by the window as Mad Ness looked up from her papers.

 “What is it, May-May?” She asked. “It’s late and we have to ship off tomorrow.”

“I had a question for you.”

“Yes?”

“How did you that? With the fire?” She smiled.

“I learned that from an old friend many years ago.” She said.

“It was very beautiful.” I said.

“Thank you.”

“I was…I was wondering do you…I mean is there any way I could learn to do that?”

“Are you sure?” She asked. “It can be very dangerous, May-May. Fire hurts those that don’t respect.” She touched her side. “And sometimes even those who respect it are reminded of their limitations.”

“I would still like to learn.” I said. “I want to be as great as you, Captain. I want us to dance together some day.”

She smiled at me. “Come here, May-May” I came to her side as she brought one of her candles from behind her to the desk. “Watch the flame.” She said. “See how easily it bends and sways.” I nodded. “Fire is always looking for an escape. It doesn’t like to be contained. A small candle can easily become a raging inferno. One must learn how to handle it carefully. If I am to teach you, you must be patient and listen to everything I tell you to do. Is that understood?”

“Aye, Captain.”

“You’ll start practice, without torches first, tomorrow night. But for now, I believe it is time for bed.”

“Aye.” I nodded. “But could you show me one more trick? Please, Captain.”

“I suppose so.” The captain smiled and brought three more candles over to the desk. “Watch my hands closely now. Slowly she passed her hands over the candles. Each flame bending in the direction her hand went. Quickly she passed her hand over the two candles to the left blowing out the flames. She brought two fingers to one of the other candles and passed it over into the small flame. My eyes grew wide as the flame passed over on to her fingers. She touched each of the wicks of the candles and relit them before blowing the flame on her fingers out.

*****

I woke up dizzy and found that I was being dragged back to my cell. The walls seemed to spin more after each turn was made. I was tossed back in and I heard the door small shut. I felt Jay’s hand on my shoulder.

“We don’t have long to rest my friend.” He said. “Look.” I slowly opened my eyes to see something dangling from Jay’s hand.

“Is that?”

“Lobotomy’s key.” He said. “She was in a hurry and I was able to take it from her.” He smiled.

“Jay, I don’t think I can run right now. Everything is still spinning.”

“We don’t have the time for this.” Naughty groaned. “We have to go now before it’s too late.”

“Something’s not right.” Jay said. “In my dream there was a storm but the sun is out today.”

“So?” Naughty sighed.

“Something just doesn’t feel right.” He said. “Now’s not the time.”

“Of course it is!” Naughty snapped. “Lobotomy is going to notice her key is missing sooner rather than later and she is going to come back here for it.”

“If we leave now then something worse than a few days in Solitary might happen.”

My head began to ache. I heard Jay gasped and I looked up to him.

“What’s wrong?”

“He’s here.” He whispered.

“Who?”

“The prodigal son returns to reclaim his throne.”

“Jay?”

I heard the doors slam open and the sounds of many footsteps echoed in the hall. I could hear voices too as they drew closer.

“….Really necessary? You’ve only been here for a few minutes.” I heard Nurse Lobotomy say

“I need to see all patients, Elizabeth.” Someone said. “Reading records and reports is nothing compared to seeing them with my own eyes.”

The footsteps stopped. Lobotomy, accompanied by Horace and Jasper, and a strange new man stood on other side of the bars. His brown hair was oiled and smoothed back. He wore golden rimmed glasses and a fine suit and shoes. I heard Jay gasp again before moving back to the corner of the cell. His eyes fixed on the new man. He looked terrified. I looked up back up to the man and saw that his eyes were black. They void in them seemed almost endless. A smile came to his lips and it looked almost hungry.

The sky rumbled outside.

“Who are you?” I asked.

“My name is Eriq Bastille.” The man said. “I will be taking over this asylum as well as the position of Chief of Medicine. ‘Doctor’ or ‘Sir’ will be appropriate.” He smiled to himself. “I’m looking forward to getting to know you both.” I felt a cold shiver run down my spine. This man was not to be trusted. Could he have been the dark figure from Jay’s nightmares?

“It’s good to be home.”

 Sincerely

May-May Macabre

Asylum Letter VII

Asylum Letter VII from Jay Scarlet at the Bastille Asylum for Misfits and Miscreants

Visions

I banged on the padded cell door in vain. I had to escape from this place before it went up in flames. I slid down the door and rested my head on the floor. Darkness was my only companion. No light was going to break through. But I could still see it despite the shadows. The blood, the fire, and the screams that enveloped the Asylum were still fresh on my mind. Death was coming and it was going to take us all.

***

It had happened just before Lobotomy came to do her nightly rounds. May-May was playing with Phelicks on the far side of our cell. I smiled at the two of them as I shuffled the cards. I don’t know how they came to be lost in the first place but one day Phelicks was at the window and he dropped a pouch into the cell. It was a nice emerald cloth pouch and inside was the cards. I had never been to a fortuneteller or Gypsy but somehow I knew what the cards meant every time I used them. I saw things through the cards just like I saw things in my dreams. I had been able to divine things in a much clearer way but it had taken some practice. I cut the deck three times and closed my eyes.

What does the future have in store?  I thought.

I flipped the first card. It was a happy family standing outside a cottage and above the house was ten cups in an arch. The card represented my past and how everything was perfect then. My marriage, my career, my entire life was fine until Naughty and I killed Sarah and Ronald. I frowned as I turned over the second card and it was reversed, upside down. It was a blindfolded woman surrounded by eight swords staked into the ground. The card represented the present and that things that were already bad were going to get worse. What? What did this mean?

I heard something shatter, like something being thrown through glass.  I looked up. A window? I looked over to May-May and Phelicks and neither of them seemed to have heard anything. I closed my eyes and I saw something. It was very dark but I could make out two figures. One was an older man by a window and he was staring out. The other figure was a younger man. He ran over and pushed the older man into the glass. It easily broke and the older man fell to the ground. The image faded into nothing. I shook my head and turned over the final card, the one meant for the future. A tower being destroyed by lightning bolt lay at my fingertips.

No.

 Pain exploded behind my eyes and I screamed as fell backwards. I hit the ground and held my head as horrible images began to flood my sight. There was a storm raging outside. The only light given to me was the lightning strikes. I was running from something but I couldn’t tell what. As I ran I heard my feet stomping into something wet. I felt liquid splatter underneath me and when the lightning flashed all I could see was red. Blood flowed from the cages. Bodies lay in every direction. Some of them horribly mutilated beyond recognition and others looked as if they were just sleeping. Finally I reached a door and I quickly opened it. Inside I was shocked to find Lizzie Lobotomy dead on the floor before me. I looked up to find a man. There was something dark about him and I knew it the instant I saw him. He wore fine clothes and spectacles. His brown hair was slicked back but I could sense great evil from him. Then I saw the blade in his hand. This twisted, jagged piece of metal was bloody and the man smiled. The lightning flashed again and I felt a horrible burning in my chest. The man had pulled out a handkerchief and began to clean his weapon. I fell to my knees and the blood started to pour from my chest. I looked over to see that May-May was next to Lizzie. Dead. And I would be next. The man took off his glasses and tossed them to the floor. A golden throne appeared before him and he sat down on it.

“I will destroy you all, Jason.” He said to me. “There will be no one left alive. Innocent or guilty they all will die at my hand.” He smiled. “Just try and stop me”

The lightning cracked and the ceiling began to cave around all of us. The last thing I heard before everything went dark was his horrible laugh.

 “Jay? Jay!” I woke up to May shaking me. He was coming. The man from my vision was coming and soon. Someone was going to die tonight and that would be the first of the grizzly body count.

“Alright, boys, time for bed.” I heard someone say. Lobotomy! Despite our mutual hatred for each other I didn’t want her to die. Not at his hands. I jumped up from the floor and grabbed her hand just before she could unlock the door.

“Jay let her go!” May said trying to break my grip but I couldn’t. I had to warn her and everyone else here.

“Listen to me.” I said. “Something horrible is about to occur, something that will send this entire place into a spiraling bloody end. You have to listen to me!” I cried. She had the power to stop this, all of this.“I see death. All I see is death. There will be blood, so much blood.” I covered my ears. “I can still hear the sounds of their screaming. They’re all screaming.”  The sound was deafening. The voices were too much.

Lobotomy shoved something in my face and the din broke instantly. The smell was awful. Everything started to sway and blur. And before I could even hit the floor I was unconscious.

***

I awoke in darkness. I was in the padded cell reserved for Solitary Confinement. How long had I been out?

“Not long.” I heard my other half say. “Maybe an hour or two. It’s so hard to tell time here.” He sighed.

“Naughty, did you see it too?”

“Yes.” He whispered.

“What do we do now?”

“What do you mean ‘what do we do’?” He spat. “No one will believe you. You didn’t believe yourself when you first began dreaming.” I felt Naughty sit next to me. “Besides why should we help anyone?”

“What about May? The other inmates?” I asked. “There are several people here that don’t deserve to be caged. People that have been betrayed, like you and I.”

“Fine.” He sighed. “We’ll help the others. This means lots of planning. Where do we start?”

In the darkness we began to plan our next move when I heard the door unlock. Light spilled in and I covered my eyes. I was shackled and chained and I was dragged back to my cell. After they unchained me I was thrown to the floor and the door was slammed shut.

“How long has it been?” I ask May.

“A few hours.” He told me. “They want all the inmates in their cells and accounted for.”

“Why?”

“Because Dr. Smyth is dead and they suspect he was murdered.”

“What?!” I exclaimed. “How did it happen?”

“He fell from his window.” May explained. “Dr. Sodheim believes it was a suicide or so I’ve heard.”

This was it, the beginning of the end. I slunk over to the corner.

“What’s wrong?” May asked.

“We have to escape, May.” I said. “Or else we are all going to die here.”

 Sincerely,

 Jay Scarlet