project alice

she breaks from her reverie — thoughtful gaze PIERCING. “ perhaps. but zhe stories about you , zhey do not sound like umbrella’s … breed. ” it has been but a year since her escape and still , word spreads.

“ yes , ” she confirms , holding her hands out in front of her as if to study — though she knows every inch of them for the extensive experiments she’d ASKED for. “ they gave me vhat i needed to survive. ”

Alice watched the hand raise, fingers extended. She couldn’t imagine having elected to have such things done to her. But like the other woman said, she’d done what she had to to survive - and Alice couldn’t fault that. “I suppose we were both made into who we are today.” 

She knows she did what was right, what she had to do and yet there was a guilt weighing her down.

     “ I’m sorry if I made you worry. ”

     “ Not if waiting means more than just me might die. ”

They’d both seen too much death but Wanda knew that they couldn’t control that, that they couldn’t change that or stop all future deaths. But if Wanda risking her own life meant others might live well, she’d do it in a heartbeat.

     “ I didn’t die, let’s just focus on that. ”

Another small sigh left Alice’s lips. It seemed she and Wanda were too similar for their own good. The other’s justification is exactly what Alice’s own would have been, and she can’t rebut that. “I’m glad you’re not dead.” She mused, agreeing to focus on that fact for the moment. 

     “ Which is exactly why I had to act.         You seem.. UPSET about it. ”

She doesn’t understand why Alice has decided to make a big deal out of this.

She was upset. Though only because Alice didn’t want anything to happen to Wanda. Too many people had died around her already. “Just --- wait next time, okay?” Was she going to admit her fears to the other woman? No. 

She was right, of course, Wanda knew that but she didn’t care and time hadn’t been on their side. They had needed to act and Wanda had done just that.

      “ Maybe not but I didn’t hear you          throwing out any ideas. ”

words are taken into consideration, but there’s no immediate reply. really, all she wants to do is close them— it feels like she hasn’t slept in days, eyes dry and slightly bloodshot. “ i’d like to do the opposite… ” she gives, voice low as to not give away their positions. still, there seems to be a long way to go before they’re even remotely safe, eyes scanning and ear listening intently. she’s damn tense, knots in her shoulders aching from her stance.

The comment didn’t go unnoticed by Alice, a pang of sympathy for the other woman. No one asked to be in this situation, and not everyone dealt with it as well as Alice did. “Just keep moving.” Her tone was softer, understanding. As much as she wished they could stop, they weren’t safe. While she couldn’t see the daylight yet, Alice knew they must be coming up on the end of the tunnel. However, there were more than a few twists and turns before they got there, other junctions where infected could sneak up on them.