Georgia Peach Science, Alice had to be transferred after her fascinating discovery of an alternate universe in our reality. Along with her boyfriend Jarrod, Alice moved drastically from Washington across the states to Georgia, so she remained close to the offices and could be there no matter what circumstances. She started to grow in popularity after her findings went public. It didn't seem to bother Jarrod too much on the outside but something changed in him on the inside.
“Hi, Alice right?” Aaron jokingly asked while stepping into the small office.
“Yes, I’m Alice. It's nice to meet you again Aaron.” Alice didn't pay much attention to him.
Aaron started to get closer to Alice admiring her and high-stepping over her piles of papers on the floor. Of course, she didn't pay much mind to it, since she was nose-deep in her manilla folder of paper. That was a quirk in Alice, everything had to be perfect no mistakes, but that's just one thing you develop when you become a scientist.
“Do you always examine your work so thoroughly?” Aaron questioned whilst peering at her calendar on the wall.
“I can’t make any mistakes. All my findings have to be correct. No mistakes.” Alice sharply snaps back to Aaron without taking her eyes off the papers.
The calendar hanging in her cubical was blank up until Aaron left. June 14th, cookout with company. That was new, uncertainty fell into her mind. Recently, her boyfriend Jarrod didn't allow her to go anywhere when she wasn't working. She couldn’t go out with new friends on her days off, especially if they were guys.
As she arrived home that evening the atmosphere in the apartment was different. That’s when the first of many began.
“Where have you been Alice?” his words slurred and his balance was off.
“Work.” She replied noticing the pile of beer bottles on the living room table. That one word seemed to trigger Jarrod to explode. Everything went flying all over the small apartment. Then, the one thing that frightened Alice the most. He struck her.
As she fell to the ground in shock, pain, and anger she screamed
“You good for nothing dirtbag!” She struggled off the floor.
“ What is wrong with you?” With the last sentence, she walked out.
She never expected this from him, his charming side hid the monstrous side of him. He hit her. Why? She thought of ways to get everything out of there, while she walked down the hall of the apartment building. She sat down on the stairs outside of the doors.
“Alice? Is everything okay?” a familiar voice echoed.
It was Aaron suspiciously walking in front of the opposite building.
She began to sob with her palms covering her face. Noticing the faint cries Aaron crossed the road and sat next to her rubbing her back and then moving her hair. That was when he saw it. The bright red handprint, creating heat on her face. Anger filled his core. Before he could even stand up Alice looked at him.
“Help me get out, please.”
Aaron offered Alice a place to stay for the night and she shyly accepted his offer. Even from the house across the street, they could hear crashing from Alice’s former apartment. It went on all night long. The sun woke the house at precisely 7 am. As Alice rose from the couch she rubbed her eyes feeling a stinging sensation. She began walking to the bathroom to look at the bruise but fell to the ground. Everything went black.
When she started to gain conscience she heard beeping. The laboratory wasn't much of a family place unless you have a proper reason to be there. Yet, there she lay at Georgia Peach Science, a cold, pale lifeless body. Without a blink of an eye, the room was filled with dark energy. Suddenly doors bust open and Jarrod comes waltzing in. His eyes all bloodshot and the smell of beer on him.
“Even as I'm a spirit, you still disgust me” Alice clenched her fists, causing her body to follow the same action out of anger.
Paranoid from his new-found love of drugs, Jarrod noticed and began to panic in the small white room. He made her feel insufferable now, it's his turn.
The drugs finally wore off after a bit and he started his way home. He said goodbye to Alice by placing his hand over the large bruise on the side of her face just below her eye. Smiling, proud that he turned into an abuser. As he returned home the house seemed clean.
“Those pesky cleaners, always messing with my crap,” Jarrod mumbled while opening another six-pack and placing it in front of the couch.
Sounds are coming from the bedroom, footsteps getting closer and closer up the hall. That’s when Aaron stepped out into the living room, in all black holding a knife in his hand.
“This is for the suffering of Alice. She didn't deserve anything you did to her and the way you treated her.” Aaron whispered before taking the knife and plunging it into the back of Jarrod penetrating his heart.
For the last second that Jarrod was alive, Aaron revealed his face showing him his killer.
Aaron rushed home to clean himself up and travel back to the laboratory. With his access, he could get in at any time even as late as it is. He took a seat next to Alice and told her what he did,
”He’s gone Alice, I killed him. Now we can be together and live forever. We can live our dream.”
Alice sat there on the edge of the bed in fear, even though she’s not in her body, she still heard everything that he said in shock.
“ I didn’t want this, I didn’t want any of it. I wanted him insufferable not dead.” Alice’s whispers cracked in between her words.
The constant beeps soon became one final beep, a long one that seemed to last 5 minutes. All of this for what? A dead abusive boyfriend, a psychotic co-worker, and a spirit that's trapped in the laboratory. She waited beside her comatose body, hoping at least someone knows how to wake her. Someone who then could listen to what she's heard and seen.