InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "STOP! HAMMER TIME."

Brian Jenkins | Dr. Jekyll (tooth_fairy) wrote in bellumlogs,
@ 2010-07-30 21:49:00

Entry tags:

dr. jekyll, scheherazade

Who: Sherri and Brian
What: A sort-of conversation
Where: Right inside and outside the locked door of 302
When: August 6, early evening
Warnings: Alcohol use and abuse, angst, and Brian being a pill

Once upon a time, Brian knew what day it was. As an important dentist, he was always on top of the calendar. He had a nice one in his kitchen with pictures of plants from around the world. July was the pitcher plant, though it was more specific than that. The picture had been of three little ones right in a row, their swollen bladders tinged a deep red-violet that looked almost too perfect to be natural. He had liked that picture. Though he wanted to know what would be up for August, he restrained himself from peeking ahead so as to not spoil the surprise. It was the little things like that, little surprises that you were expecting, that kept life interesting.

Now, Brian didn't know what day it was. Hell, he wasn't even entirely sure what year it was. One of his bottles of whiskey read "1997," but he knew that was wrong. It couldn't be 1997. His TV was way too slim and nice to be a 1997 TV. It was from the future, he knew, but what point in the future still eluded him. The only thing that really counted his passage of time were the notes and visits by his door. And even they started to blend into one another after a while.

At first, he hoped that his notes would send her away. The only time he left his apartment was to buy more booze - he was a large man and went through it fairly easily - and slip Sherri new notes. He thought they would work. But she was so stubborn. She was like gum on his shoe, and she just needed to let him peel her away so he couldn't crush her later. He didn't see why she couldn't understand this.

After sending his last note, he knew that he would have to do something else. Her little speech almost stirred him from his drunken stupor long enough to process thoughts. The feeling faded on by, but something about it stuck with him. Something about it kept him from lumbering back to bed to plunge into an inky sleep that would summon the monster he knew lurked within him.

The next day found him slumped in the doorway with a half-full bottle of whiskey cradled in his lap and a pad of paper by his side. Sherri would be there, he knew it. He didn't know when - he had lost his watch and all the clocks in his apartment were hiding - but he knew it would happen. And he was going to be ready, damnit.

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withinastory
2010-07-30 10:01 pm UTC (link)

Sherri wasn't really sure what she planned on doing during her visit to Brian's door, that night. Actually, she was a little embarrassed by her outburst the night before and half tempted to skip, except that she'd told Brian that she'd be there and she didn't want to let him think that he'd won without having to actually face her. She gathered up her courage, took the elevator because going was hard enough without facing the stairs, and plopped a pillow down on the floor before rapping on the door. "I guess you've had time to think about what I've said. I might have lost my temper a little bit, but I do mean it." She paused. "I didn't mean to tell you about the vampires, though. Sorry if that worried you."

Of course, she sort of thought he might have been too far lost in the alcohol to have even thought about worrying. It might have been wrong, but that made her feel a little better. Having worried Joss was more than enough.

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tooth_fairy
2010-07-30 10:06 pm UTC (link)

The mention of vampires had worried him, of course. But he couldn't really do anything about it. It just reinforced his idea that this place was evil - far too evil for a nice little girl like Sherri. And really, he was no better than those vampires. At least you knew a vampire was bad. You were expecting it. Brian's monster lived inside him, and he still knew nothing about it. Attempts at pulling it out so that he could see it, so that he could examine it, did nothing. The monster played dumb whenever he was around.

Leaning against the door, he lifted the bottle to his lips with his left hand while he scribbled on the pad of paper with his right. His handwriting was loose and scrawly, a side effect of the booze running through his system. But it was legible. Prying the bottle from his lips with a loud "pop," he tore the note from the pad and slipped it under the door.

Did you ~~get~~ see [blacked out scribbles] doctor?

	tooth_fairy 2010-08-01 04:25 pm UTC (link)
	Her question made him grunt into the bottle of whiskey. Coughing wetly as he felt a few drops slide down his windpipe, he sat up and considered this. Glowering at his feet, he bonked his head lightly against the door. "Maybe. Still got some...fritos...I've been eating those..." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	tooth_fairy 2010-08-02 02:17 am UTC (link)
	At her request, he knocked the side of his head lightly against the door. "I'll do it." At her question, he paused. Masquerade. What was that, again? He looked down. Oh, right. "Uh," he started. "Dunno. Don't know if I should. Might be dangerous." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	withinastory 2010-08-02 02:47 am UTC (link)
	"Brian? Brian?" Sherri pushed on the door again, not hitting it but just aiming to rattle it. "Are you okay? What's going on?" The laughter was perhaps scarier than the earlier tears. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)