Chapter two

Another mans reality

”Are we there yet?” little Mary whined for the umpteenth time, dragging her tired feet over the earth beneath them.

”Soon, little miss, very soon.” he always answered, his eyes glued to the ground and the thin path they followed. Never looking up, never looking back. Eyes always on his feet as if studying their exact movements over the soft ground.

Mary looked around her, it seemed like they had left the mansion garden completely and entered an entirely new world. Tropical plants of all forms and sizes surrounded them, along with exotic flowers and birds. She watched all in silent awe, mouth agape and eyes wide. Did she have all this in her own garden and never known about it!?

”Here we are, little miss.” Lucifer announced, releasing her hand and gesturing at the building in front of them.

If Mary had looked surprised before... that was nothing compared to the look on her face as she laid her eyes on the palace in front of her. It was enormous and built in white stone, overgrown with flowers and had colorful curtains hanging everywhere! Statues stood here and there and a big fountain stood in front of the house, sprinkling water out of the mouths of fishes and the shells held by mermaids to cascade down in the pool below it.

”W-what in the world...” she gasped, taking a few steps forward to look around.

A flock of white and red birds flew over her head, making her hair and dress flutter. Amazed she looked after the beautiful creatures as the flew up in the air and disappeared into the distance. With a small giggle she skipped to the fountain and looked down at the water, completely forgetting about Lucifers presence behind her. She could see the bottom, the water so clear and glittering in the sunlight as it moved, a goldfish swam towards her and surfaced. It was as if it was looking at her, it's golden eyes intelligent and aware.

”Good day, Mary.” it whispered to her.

Her mouth fell wide open and she couldn't help but to stare at the little creature.

”E-eh, good d-day.” she stuttered.

The little fish giggled and jumped, splashing a little water at her. Blinking she watched it swim towards it's goldfish friends who had watched the interaction on a safe distance, but now neared her. In a chorus of ”Good day, Mary”, sounding like a bunch of small children before following the first goldfish back to their little... castle? Yes, indeed there was a castle on the other side of the fountain, at the bottom. The home of the fountain goldfish.

”You like my fountain and my goldfish?” Lucifer suddenly asked as he appeared at her side.

”Yes... very much.” she was in shock.

He grinned at her and patted her shoulder, jumping up on the side of the fountain and strolled along it.

”How are you my little dears!” he called towards the goldfish castle on the bottom of the fountain. ”Have you caught your bugs and grown fat yet?”

”Of course!” they said.

”Well then, it's all well and fine!” he said, smiling. ”Take care and fatten up, because at twilight I will catch you all and have you for dinner!”

”NO!” Mary yelled. ”You can't!”

He whipped around to look at the little girl.

”And why not?” he asked. ”Why can I not eat my own fish from my own fountain, the fish that lives in the castle of the pool I created, the fish that are rightfully mine? Is it not in my right to eat them if I wish to do so?”

”It is in your right.” she agreed. ”But because they're yours it doesn't mean you can do something like that! Leave the fish be and eat something else.”

He studied her closely for a second, then nodded, making his mock bow.

”As the little miss wishes.” he said. ”I shall not eat the fish in the fountain to settle my hunger.”

”Good.” she said satisfied. ”Shall we go in then, mr Gains?”

”Oh, please. Call me Lucifer, little miss, I do prefer to be called by my first name.”

”Alright, shall we get going, Lucifer?”

”With pleasure.” he smiled.

The two of them entered the white palace full of colorful curtains, marching forward over the floors covered by carpets. The first thing little Mary noticed was that there were no windows, which was strange because if there were no windows how could Lucifer keep the rain out? She decided to voice her question to the strange old man.

”Why don't you have any windows?” she asked curiously.

Lucifer turned to look at the girl, tilting his head in his odd little way and raised an eyebrow.

”Now why would I want those?” he asked.

”Well, if it rains the water will come in won't it?” she said, sticking her little nose in the air like she always did when she told someone they were stupid. ”It's perfectly logical!”

”And how can you be so sure of that, little miss?” he asked.

She was dumbfounded.

”Well, it... it would rain in!” she finally managed to say, frowning at him.

”But why?” he pressed on.

”Eh, em... I don't know! That's just how things are!” she waved her little arms in frustration. Why wouldn't he understand something so simple?

”Aha!” he said, making a wild gesture. ”You can't explain!”

”I can!” she said angrily, mouth agape and eyes wide and looking quite offended.

He was mocking her intelligence!

”Then tell me, little miss! Why would the rain come inside my house when it's supposed to rain outside? To pay me a visit?”

Mary blinked.

”Rain can't pay you visits!” she said, eyes wide. ”That's just stupid.”

”Well, of course it can!” he laughed. ”I've visited the rain once or twice. Not very social, but nice enough.” he winked.

She frowned and pouted, crossing her arms as she glared daggers at him.

”Now you're just being silly.” she said resolutely. ”Besides, there's no way you could ever talk to the rain! It's not realistic!”

”Oh, big words for a small miss!” he chuckled. ”But can you define realistic to me? Is realistic what grown up people want to believe is real because it's what they see? How come they don't believe in things just because they can't touch them? See them? Smell or hear them? Does it make it less real?” he held up a finger in a rather stern way as he looked down on her. ”A man who see things that no other man sees are told he is mad and then gets locked in. Why is that? As real as it is to that man it is unreal to another. Just as God. Some people believe in him, others don't. A basic reality according to me!”

”You're not making any sense, Lucifer!” little Mary groaned.

”Ah, but it does make sense to me, little miss!” he crowed with his usual madman grin. ”Just as I say you can talk to the rain and you say you can't! Why is that?”

”Well, I don't know...” she admitted, fidgeting on the spot.

”Exactly my point!” he said. ”Talking to the rain is my reality but not yours, ya?”

She blinked at him then nodded enthusiastically.

”You're right!” she said in understanding. ”I got it now. What might be real to you is unreal to me. Like talking to rain and having no windows!”

Lucifer shook his head with a small smile before patting her shoulder.

”No, the windows and rain are completely different things.”

”But you said...” she began.

”Windows are windows and rain is rain. They are not the same. Windows are things created by human hands, melted sand and a fire. Rain is a constant force of nature, slowly drained from the ground, the plants and the seas and lakes, drifting up in little clouds before falling down to nurture the earth yet again.”

”But why?” Mary asked curiously, wanting to hear more.

He just smiled at her mysteriously.

”That is a story I will keep for later.” he said simply before continuing down the hall. ”Come on, little miss! Let's get some refreshments!” he cried over his shoulder before whistling a happy tune.

Little Mary shook her head with a defeated sigh, hoping that the time he would tell her more about the rain and nature would be soon. It sounded quite interesting. But for now she had to settle with some lemonade and cookies... not that she would complain about that!

With renewed curiosity she followed the old man down the hall, a bounce clear in her steps and eyes glittering.

This would be interesting.

-x-x-x-

Sorry, I completely forgot I put up the story here! ^^' Well, I have one more chapter that I've written that I'll put up in a few days I guess. Well, I hope you enjoyed the chapter, even though I haven't really looked it through so there will probably be a whole bunch of mistakes... ah well!

Review please? :3 I'd very much like comments on it because I don't know if I want/can continue on it... I really want to because I really like the idea behind it and all those little conversations those two have :D