Prologue: The Proposal
"Cassiandra, hurry up. The suitor will be here any moment." My mother Elacena said to me then quickly walked out of the bathroom, leaving Esyl to finish dressing me up. I always found it funny how my mother could never remember my suitors name. Everyone says I'm going to marry him...Why did they not listen to what I had to say though? I don't want to be stuck with some gross, overweight, stuck-up rich guy for the rest of my life. I want to be with someone I actually care about if I'm going to be getting married. Esyl tied the last of the strings on my dress, oh how I absolutely hated dresses, and pushed me out into the courtyard. This courtyard was very dull, everyone was wearing clothes that only scaled from white to grey with only little tints of pale yellow or dull blue.
"Cassi I hope you well in your future." Someone said to me the instant I walked out.
"There's a rumor going on that Pete is going to propose to you today." Esyl whispered to me. This caught me off guard and I started choking on air.
"Propose? As in...ask me to marry him?"
"Precisely!" Esyl shoved me off into the crowd to go mingle. In the crowd I could pick out Nim and her boyfriend Kailreck. Tiyranus and his brothers, Chase and Kaleb along with their girlfriends Falynn and Tuesday. One guy that was talking with Tiyranus that I only knew to be one of his good friends. My friend Marelynn and her siblings. And lastly my friend Sylvia. To my disappointment, I didn't get to mingle much before I spotted something in the bushes. Seeing as I'm only a curious 18-year-old girl, I decided to go see what it was so I followed the mysterious thing into the maze. Spotting it again I saw that it was white and very small. Following it led me deeper and deeper into the maze before I bumped into my mother.
"Cassi, what do you think you are doing?" She turned me around and started pushing me back towards the courtyard.
"Ah...mother...I think I saw a rabbit..." I attempted to look back at where the white bundle was running away. I didn't try to follow it though...once my mother made up her mind that was that.
"Cassiandra...I have but one question for you." Pete knelt on one knee as the two of us stood in the gazebo. Here it comes...I thought to myself.
"Will you...marry me?" Pete held out a ring, it was a very cheap and ugly-looking ring.
"I...I..." My mind froze up. I had no idea what to say. So my very first thought was to run, and that's what I did. I ran past all the people and into the maze. Noticing the white bundle zoom off again I decided that that's where I would go, after the rabbit. I followed the rabbit all the way to the forest, but by the time I got to the edge of the forest I couldn't see the rabbit. Walking carefully into the woods was pointless because, with my very first step, I fell into a hole.
Chapter 1: The Flower Bizarre
I sat up with a start but ended up stopping in astonishment immediately. What was around me...the blindingly bright blue sky, the bright green grass...all of the flowers. Everything was so vibrant and colorful I could hardly believe my eyes. Where was I? Why was I here? What was the purpose of this? I pushed off the thought and stood up, deciding this was just a dream. I dusted myself off and paused for a moment. I was in a bluish-purple dress and my hair was tied up with a black ribbon. I was wearing stockings...they were stripped with card suits going up the back. And last I had an apron and black sandals. This...was very strange for me. I almost never wore dresses let alone looked like a 10-year-old girl while doing so. Once again shrugging off the fact I cautiously took a step forward, just to make sure my surroundings were really there. After testing the ground I walked forward, still being cautious.
"Who...are you?" Startled at the sudden sound of speaking I whirled around and saw a guy, looking closely I realized it wasn't just a guy. He was part snake! Or...something along those lines...
"Umm...what?" I was thoroughly puzzled, but no one could blame me!
"Are you...Alice?" Alice? Say what~?
"No...I'm Cassi." Do I really look like an Alice? No. I don't.
"Oh. Then why...are you here?" The...snake guy...blew a bunch of smoke in my face, which was rather unpleasant so I waved my hand in front of my face to get the smoke to go away.
"I don't know. I woke up here alright?" Getting frustrated with all his questions I stormed off, not afraid of the floors collapsing from under me now. I followed the path for a while, of course having no idea where I was going. Unfortunately for me as I was walking down a hill I then slipped and rolled down, hitting a tree.
"Ow..." I stood up rubbing my forehead then looked around as I thought I heard a laugh.
"I-is...someone there...?" I asked quietly. Why was I afraid? It couldn't possibly be that bad if it was anything at all.
"Oh is someone there?" The voice giggled, mocking me. I spun around but still saw nothing.
"Who's there?!" I called out more bravely now. I wasn't going to be afraid of whoever it was. I could take them no problem!
"Oh what a brave little one you are."
"I hear she's Alice!" Just as they spoke, girls came out of these flowers. How bizarre!
"I'm not Alice!" What was with this Alice thing?! Was it some kind of title?
"Oh how very rude!" The first flower said. She was a rose, or...she came from a rose. But wait..I recognized these flowers...They were my friends! What is going on here?
"M-Marelynn..?" I asked the rose.
"Oh...so you know my name...but I don't know yours seeing as you say you aren't Alice."
"I'm not Alice though! I'm Cassi, your friend?" This was all very confusing...Why did everyone think I was Alice?
"Sylvia, you remember me as Cassi right?" I asked the Tiger-Lily.
"I don't think so, everyone says you are, in fact, Alice." The flowers then apparently got bored with this conversation for they started singing. I couldn't take it anymore so I stormed off in anger and confusion about what was going on.
Chapter 2: Tweedledee and Tweedledum?
Wandering through the forest alone I was hungry, cold, and thirsty. Overall I actually just wanted to go home to my boring life for once. Somewhere where I wasn't being called Alice where ever I went.
"A wanderer?" Another voice from nowhere. I would be afraid or shocked if I hadn't gotten used to this already. But I was shocked when there was suddenly a guy in front of me. He had cat ears and tail. Along with a purple striped shirt and some black pants. I was starting to notice that everyone here looked like someone who had been at the gathering today.
"Ah...and who are you..?" I asked him, though I already knew that he was Tiyranus in reality. Why he was in my dream was what was confusing me.
"I think you know perfectly well who I am, but you may call me Cheshire if you so desire." He looked me up and down, as if he couldn't believe I was in a dress.
"Well...Cheshire...What reference or advice do you have for me?" I was ready to hear some sort of remark about me being Alice, so I was rather surprised when that was not what I had gotten.
"My advice? Be careful with your decisions...for they may affect your future." Cheshire then disappeared, completely evaporated into thin air, and all was silent again. My decisions will affect my future...? I thought to myself with a puzzled look. What could he have possibly of meant by that? I mean...what decisions of mine are that important? Before continuing on I kicked a rock into the distance to let out some of my frustration.
Walking down a path again, I was feeling completely lost and hopeless. That's when I thought I heard the sounds of footsteps. I was so tired though that I just shoved the paranoia out of my head and continued walking. I wanted out of this place. I would have probably given anything to be back in my bed at home and have my mom bring me some hot chocolate and tell me a fairytale.
"You know its rude to hit people with rocks, yes?" I spun around and saw twins standing there. These twins I had seen all too often in reality. These twins, these identical twins...just so happened to be my mother and aunt.
"Yeah! That hurt very much. You should apologize to me." My aunt Esyl scolded me for something that I had done that wasn't supposed to hurt anyone.
"Ah...I'm sorry..." I could only get those words out of my mouth and that was it, because I was so baffled that I had run into what would be my mother and aunt. But they were shorter, and very disproportionate.
"That's okay! I'm Tweedledum, and this is Tweedledee." Ha ha...what silly names for them. I had to stop myself from laughing so I wouldn't offend them.
"What are you doing here Alice?" Once again with Alice...and by my own mother! I couldn't believe this. My very own mother didn't know my real name.
"I'm not Alice..." I was interrupted before I could get out another word.
"You'll understand soon." They closed in on me and forced me to squeeze my way through a log.
"Wait...What do you mean I'll understand soon?" My words meant nothing to the two of them and they started singing about something I didn't really know, but it seemed like a song of riddles. Trying to avoid any song or riddles I started to run as they followed me with their song of confusion.
Chapter 3: The Mad Tea Party
I'm pretty sure that, by this point I had walked for hours. Both of my legs were sore and especially my feet from these sandals. My stomach was practically eating itself by now and I felt like I would faint at any moment. To my luck, I found a house. It was a rather small house but it was still a house. There was a giant table in front of it that had teapots and sandwiches and cookies across the whole table. I couldn't believe that I had actually gotten lucky in this place.
"Welcome~ You're just in time for the tea party." There was a guy standing at the very far end of the table holding a teapot in one hand, and a teacup in the other. There were two other people at the table, well, "people". One a girl who had tall rabbit ears that bent over from being so tall, and the other was another guy who was passed out with his head on the table. He had mouse ears and a long very thin mouse tail.
"Why don't you join us for tea?" The girl threw a teacup at me and I had to duck so I wouldn't get hurt.
"Are you mad? You could have seriously hurt me." I stood back up, baffled that she had actually thrown a cup at me.
"We're all mad here~" The man with the tall hat and trench coat said with a smile spreading across his face from ear to ear. It was a very creepy and sinister smile that I didn't like at all.
"I am the Mad Hatter, and these are my companions the March Hare," he gestured to the girl. "and Dormouse." He then gestured to the sleeping boy.
"We're just starting so sit, sit." The March Hare pulled me to a seat that was next to the Mad Hatter. Just as she sat me down, Cheshire appeared in the seat right across from me. Jumping a little in my seat at his sudden appearance they all laughed at me. The Mad Hatter took out his pocket watch and looked at it.
"Well, I say its time we get started hm?" He started to put his pocket watch away, but wanting to know how long I had been here, I snatched his watch away from him and looked at it. What I saw was definitely not the correct time. The needles were spinning too quickly and when I had come here it was definitely later than this.
"What is up with this watch?!" Frustrated once again I put the watch back in Mad Hatter's hand and crossed my arms angrily.
"Time can be funny in dreams, yes Princess?" Both Cheshire and Mad Hatter said this at the same time, and both smiled a creepy smile I didn't like.
"Have some tea" Mad Hatter handed my a cup and poured me a little.
"I don't want tea. I want to go home." I put the cup on the table.
"But your home is very far from here. You can't just go back in the snap of a finger. Besides, you have a task to finish here, you left it undone when you first came." Cheshire sipped some tea as if what he had said was nothing to be concerned about whatsoever.
"Task? First time I came here? What are you talking about Cheshire?" The more they told me the more confused I got, which seems a little backwards...but that's what happened.
"You have a task to do, but you need to see the White Queen to receive this task. And you came here once, long ago...When you did you wanted to be referred to as Alice because your mother had told you a fairytale that same day with a girl named Alice. That is why people keep calling you Alice." Everything was slowly starting to tie together now.
"I see...then how do I get to the White Queen?" Now I was determined. If the White Queen could get me home, then that would be where I'd have to go.
"Well, there's traveling by hat, but you would have to be much, much smaller." Mad Hatter remarked examining me then taking off his hat and looking at it.
"Any...other way?"
"Maybe the White Rabbit knows a way." March Hare thought aloud putting her teacup back on its little plate.
"So then...how do I get to the White Rabbit?" Now it just seemed like they were trying to stall me with all of these possibilities to get to one person.
"That way..." This was the very first thing Dormouse had said to me, but at least it was something useful, and I looked in the way he pointed.
"Right! I'm going there now then!" Before any of them could get out another word I ran off, I didn't want to be stalled any longer by mutual conversation. I just wanted to find the White Queen and get home.
Chapter 4: Time is Running Out?!
I walked along the path again, all of my mother's fairytales had made me smart enough to not stray from the path. I came upon a house. Two stories with a front yard and its own little mailbox. I pushed open the little gate and walked up to the house then knocked on the door and waited. Nobody answered, but it sounded like a mess was being made inside so I opened the door, yes I know it was rude to just enter but I did anyways. As I walked in I almost got run over as a boy ran past me trying to gather some stuff.
"E-Excuse me.." I started only to be interrupted.
"I'm late! I'm Late! Time is running out." The boy ran off to another part of his house. And that's when I noticed who he was. He, was the white rabbit that I saw before I came here! This must be who the March Hare was talking about.
"What are you late for...?"
"I'm late!" Okay...He obviously hadn't even noticed my presence. He stopped abruptly and looked at me.
"Who are you? Oh wait. You're Alice. It's about time." He inspected me for a moment then picked up his watch.
"Ah...right...I'm sorry?" I decided not to complain about being called Alice anymore now that Mad Hatter had told me more about it.
"No matter. I have to go."
"Go where?!" I was noticing a trend that people started ignoring me when I would ask them a question instead of them asking me. Seeing as he completely disregarded my question and ran out, I had no idea what to do. That was my way of getting to the White Queen which, now I couldn't. I looked around the house and saw that, besides it being a mess it was pretty nice. I saw an interesting looking treat on the table, and still having nothing in my stomach, I took a bite. Probably not my best idea...I felt like I was suddenly growing, which I wouldn't have minded if it was only a few inches. It was not just a few inches, but a few feet! I suddenly couldn't fit in the house. It was very uncomfortable and I struggled a bit until I heard footsteps coming. I opened the window shutter and saw that it was the White Rabbit again.
"Ah! What have you done?! Did you eat the snack on the table?!"
"Umm...maybe? I wasn't expecting it to make me grow like this. Now help me out of here."
"You are a very rude girl Alice, much more rude than the last time you were here." I still wasn't going to believe that I had been here before, there was no way. This was just a simple dream and that's it.
"I just want out of here? Is that such a bad thing to wish for?"
"I suppose not. Here drink this." Oh, now they want me to drink something? Whatever. I picked up the bottom and took a drink. Just one small drink because I didn't know what this would do. After I took the drink I started to shrink immediately. Growing several feet and shrinking several feet in less that 10 minutes was a very weird thing to take in. But I was glad to be back to, well, almost my normal size. I was unfortunately a bit shorter but that's better than being oversized.
"Now hurry up and go! You're going to be late." He pushed me out of his house and towards the forest, then stopped and ran off himself.
"Late? For what...?" Not knowing what to do I walked off following the path again. I guess if I just followed the path I would ended at the White Queen's place.
Chapter 5: The Cheshire Cat
I looked up at the sky and noticed that the sky, wasn't really much of a sky. It never changed, there wasn't a single cloud in it, and it was always bright and sunny. So there was no way I could tell what time it was or how long I'd been here. I sat under a tree to rest my legs a bit then almost screamed as Cheshire appeared right in front of me.
"Are you tired already?" He bent down in front of me and smirked.
"What do you want Cheshire..?" I really wasn't in the mood for any of this fairytale dream stuff.
"I came to see how your adventure was going."
"Its fine I suppose. Besides the fact that I'm completely lost, I'm starving, and I'm completely exhausted but why should all that matter?" I stated with a noticable edge to my voice.
"Well aren't you just unfortunate." Cheshire gave me his smirk, which by the way, still made me uncomfortable. He stood back up and pulled me up.
"You mustn't stop now though my dear. You still have a little ways to go before you're at the White Queens palace." He started to pull me off but I pulled my hand away and stepped back.
"I don't want to go to the palace! I don't want to be apart of whatever is going on! I just wanted to wake up in my bed and go back to all of my studying." I snapped, then covered my mouth.
"Oh dear, what a short fuse you have little Cassi." This was the first time someone had actually used my name in this place.
"You would be mad too if you were forced into doing something wherever you went..." I half mumbled to myself.