Mama Gotham

All Those People In Those Old Photographs I've Seen Are Dead

*Twenty Years Ago*

It was amazing how quickly Jervis went from ignoring Alyssa to being glued to her side. Every time his family was over – which was often – you never saw one without the other. The same could be said for their sisters, which perhaps was the reason the two older children were so excited to have a companion of their own.

Though she got him to play games with her often, Alyssa and Jervis could usually be found it Jervis' work space. The boy loved nothing more than having someone to work his experiments with; and having a second imagination helped open doors he'd never thought of.

The siblings each existed in their own world, up until the day Alyssa reached for a screwdriver and found a crayon scribbled invitation.

"You are cornerly invited to a royal tea party!" Alice informed, standing as tall as her three-foot stature would allow.

"Fancy dress required!" Jamie declared. She linked her arm with Alice's and they skipped off, leaving Jervis and Alyssa to share a surprised look.

*******

The small section of old houses was even more run down than she remembered. Every time Alyssa blinked however, she could still see the small children in the yard, still hear their laughter turn to screams as the sunlight faded.

She shook her head violently. She had come here for a reason, and it wasn't to relive old memories.

Pointedly ignoring the ticking sound coming from no where that she hadn't gotten to stop since last night, Alyssa decided against entering the condemned shack of house that looked like it may collapse around her. Instead, she walked around it, the overgrown grass of the backyard scratching against her legs.

The tree where a rope swing had once hung had long since keeled over, but the termite eaten wood remained. She wasn't interested in the tree however, only what it marked.

Jutting the shovel she'd brought with her into the ground behind the stump, Alyssa did her best to focus on the shifting of the dirt and only the shifting of the dirt. Before she knew it, her shovel clunked against something hard, and she got down on her knees to uncover it.

An old metal box sat there, covered in dirt and rust. Good it was still here. That meant he hadn't found it.

Alyssa sat there for a moment that felt like forever. Everything; her sister's laughter, her father's shouting, the ticking of an old watch, echoed in her head. She pulled the box from the ground in a trance, as though she was possessed.

Lifting the loose clasp, she pushed the box open.

Still in her trance, she shifted through the things inside. A wilted flower crown, an old pocket watch with a crack across the face, a faded picture of four small children having a tea party....

A golden sun necklace, that looked as though it had been broken. Alyssa knew better though; the dent in the sun rays left the perfect place for the silver moon that went with it, but that was buried in a much deeper hole.

There was a second picture underneath the necklace; a newspaper clipping with an article attached.

'Andy Lewis (pictured above) still missing. He was last seen leaving the Gotham West Side Food Bank where he volunteers regularly. His wife, Nancy Lewis, begs anyone with information of her husband's whereabouts to come forward. Quote: 'I just want my Andy home. Please, help him come home.''

Alyssa's trance finally broke and so did the rest of her. Her body shook with sobs, and she shoved the box off her lap, the contents spilling onto the grass. Her vision blurred with tears and she could hardly breathe.

A hand laid down on her shoulder, and she snapped around only to see no one there.

"Please...." her voice cracked as a fresh set of tears pooled in her eyes. "Please Andy, I'm sorry...I'm so sorry..."

******

Alice and Jamie both wanted their tea party to be perfect. They wanted a full tea set, fancy dresses, and fresh pastries.

All things that their families could not afford – not that any money had ever been spent on the happiness of the children.

This was what lead to Alyssa and Jervis' mission. They spent the day running around town, looking in every place they could; second hand stores, dumpsters, nothing was barred. Giving their sisters the best tea party ever had suddenly become their only reason for existing.

Alyssa wandered into a local food bank after being chased out of her third bakery. Fresh treats were apparently out, but perhaps she could get something from here. It may not be warm, but if she turned up her 'cute little kid charm' on the right person maybe she could get some of those cupcakes on the shelf too high for her to reach.

"Can I help you?" a man with sand-colored hair and a nice smile asked.

"My sister's having a tea party." Alyssa informed with the most innocent look she could muster. "Can I please have some treats to bring to the party, mister?"

The man stared at her a moment, and just when Alyssa thought she was about to be chased off again, he smirked. "You're good. I've seen a lot of kids come in begging, but you've been the best."

"I'm not begging!" Alyssa snapped, annoyed and forgetting her innocent act.

"Oh?" he played along. "You sure you don't want some milk and bread then? Perhaps some fruit and vegetables would be a bit healthier than cupcakes."

".....I got those last week." she muttered, looking at her shoes. Pretending she wasn't slum trash and her family wasn't poor as dirt became much more difficult when she had to turn to food banks to be fed.

The man's face softened, but stopped right before the look of pity she despised. "My name's Andy." he offered. "Andy Lewis."

"Alyssa Connors."