Chapter One
Beginnings
Alice Samantha Liddell lived a relatively normal life. The 22 year old was an English Major in her local college. She had a tight knit group of friends she hung out with at least twice a week. That is until fate decided it was time for the curse upon her family to activate. The day had started out pretty normally for the young woman. Get up at 9am, shower, get dressed and have breakfast, then pack her stuff up and leave the house. However, as Alice exited the house, she had no idea that a strange twist of fate would drag her into the fated world of Wonderland. She walked over to her 1962 Cherry Red Camaro and unlocked the driver's side door. Placing her Grey and blue messenger bag on the passenger seat, she double-checked to make sure that her laptop was in there. Satisfied when she saw it, Alice closed the door and put the keys in the ignition, then buckled herself in.
Turning the key, the car purred to life when a flash of white fur and plaid sped past the corner of her eye. Raising an eyebrow, Alice momentarily opened the door, but saw nothing. Shifting her car into reverse, she saw it again. However, this time she could have sworn she saw a flash of a tarnished bronze pocket watch. Deciding to investigate, Alice turned the car off, and unbuckled herself, then got out, nearly stepping on a slightly twitching snow-white rabbit with bright blue eyes. It wore a red and grey plaid waistcoat and carried a massive bronze-hued pocket watch. Alice's blue eyes widened and she cautiously tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her left ear, nearly jumping as the rabbit spoke in a soft, hurried and slightly stuttering voice.
"We're running late, late late LATE!" It bounced impatiently on hind paws. "Come, come we have much to do in not much time at all!" Big sapphire hued eyes stared up at the woman before him and Alice stared back, realizing this was no hallucination, especially when the rabbit tugged at her pant leg. "Come on!" It insisted and Alice shook her head "So, wait a moment..you're a rabbit...a WHITE rabbit no less..do you..do you come from Wonderland?" She asked and the rabbit nodded, twitching it's soft pink nose. Alice couldn't believe this. Wonderland was real?
Six impossible things..
1-Wonderland is real
Her great-grandmother's words echoed in Alice's mind and she realized she had to grab something. "One moment" She ran back inside after grabbing the keys from the ignition and she hurriedly raced upstairs, and to the attic after grabbing a mini-backpack. Running over to a dusty old box, she opened it and inside it was a cherrywood case that was locked. Quickly, Alice found the key and opened the box, inside was a slightly worn, but in tact leather journal with her great-grandmother's handwriting. Hurriedly, she placed it in the mini backpack and ran downstairs, grabbing a bottle of water and going to the front door, she gazed at the rabbit and nodded "Alright, lead the way." She said and locked the door behind her, dropping the keys into the backpack and zipping it up. The white Rabbit gave a nod and headed to the backyard. Alice stared at the huge hole near an oak tree. "Please don't tell me you dug that.." She groaned and the rabbit looked at her sharply.
"How else am I supposed to get to you?" it asked snippily then dove down the hole. Alice hesitated for a good couple of moments before she leaped in after the rabbit. Almost immediately she was swallowed by darkness, but it only lasted a couple of moments before she landed upon a pile of dried leaves, the rabbit quickly disappearing from sight. Cursing, Alice took off after the white rabbit and soon came to a circular room. Alice jumped as an ornate glass table with grinning cats and rabbits, and teacups engraved upon the wood legs suddenly appeared. A momentary glow of pink made her squint her eyes, and a glass bottle with a tag of 'drink me' appeared on the middle on the table. Alice took the book out first, then read what she had to do..she picked the glass up and a few seconds later, a star-tipped bronze key appeared. "Key first..then drink." Alice closed the book and put it back into the mini-backpack then zipped it up. Grabbing the key, she picked that up, and put it in her pocket, knowing it would shrink with her. Picking the glass bottle up, she popped the cork, and drank. A few seconds passed, and Alice was only slightly smaller than the rabbit. Walking over to the door behind the curtain, Alice put the key in and the 'click' resounded through the circular room, the black door opened and Alice was staring into the wasteland that had once been Wonderland. A look that was a mixture of horror and confusion appeared on the blonde's face as she glanced at the white rabbit "Isn't Wonderland supposed to be beautiful?" She queried and the rabbit was about to speak, when a smooth voice spoke from nowhere.
"Oh my goodness you're here!" the voice seemed to purr gently. Alice's head canted slightly to the left "Uh..show yourself?" She asked politely, jumping as a sharp, toothy grin appeared first, followed by slitted green eyes. The head manifested with ears and soon a fluffy black and grey-striped feline was floating in front of the blonde. Alice yelped in shock and stumbled back, staring wide-eyed at the grinning feline. Alice, not quite remembering who this was even though she had read the stories, took the leather-bound journal out, flipping through it.
"You've passed the page about me." Cheshire purred from behind her. Alice jumped and scowled over her shoulder at the cat, who's grin only widened if that was possible "That's terrible startling me twice in a span of less than a minute." She flipped back a few pages, noting a rough sketch of Cheshire and who he was. "Ah, Cheshire Cat, prefers to be addressed as Ches?" She glanced over her shoulder, blinking as nothing was there.
"Up here dear!" Cheshire called from a branch. Alice looked upwards and frowned. "Cheshire, stop this silliness we have a mission!" The rabbit spoke hastily and Alice jumped, having forgotten about the rabbit because the cat had distracted her. "To answer your question my dear Alice, yes I do prefer the title of Ches" He purred out and Alice scowled as she put the book away, zipping the bag back up. "I'd prefer it, if you please to call me by my middle name, which is Samantha. " She stated. "My family name is cursed." She shook her head. Cheshire floated over to her, nearly touching his velvety nose to hers. He spoke in a purr. "But that is your name, is it not?" He tilted his head. The blonde rolled her eyes "Yes, it is but that's not me...I'm not a warrior like my great-grandmother." She stared Cheshire in the eyes and he seemed to understand. With a flick of his tail, he floated lazily around her, expressive eyes thoughtful. "Not yet you aren't but you will be soon enough" He purred out.
Rather suddenly, a horn blew. Cheshire disappeared and the white rabbit quickly hid. Alice blinked as a warm weight curled itself around her shoulders. "I'm right here with you." Ches purred softly into her ear "I won't leave your side for a moment." The horn sounded again, this time louder and closer.