"Alice! Alice! Wake up Alice!" The voice is sweet and reminds Alice of her mother's. She slowly opens her eyes until they are bugged and stares back at the woman leaning over her with a bright smile. "Up up up Alice, today is a big day!" Alice slowly sits up and blinks, rubbing her eyes, she looks out her window at the garden in the courtyard of St. Lawrence's Asylum.
"A big day?" Alice asks stretching.
"Yes! Your family is coming to see you!" the overly emotional nurse repeats as she begins to spruce up the red roses in a small vase on Alice's table. Aside from the red of the roses, the room is nearly completely white.
"My mother will be the only one," Alice states slowly walking into her washroom. "My father will not be coming I can assure you, Miss Watson."
"Oh, don't say that!" Miss Watson replies following Alice into the washroom as the young girl removes her robe and begins to look through her closet. "It's your 15th birthday!"
"Oh already?" Alice asks handing Miss Watson a blue and white dress. "Time just flies in here…"
"Oh, not this one again, Alice. You always wear this one." Miss Watson tries to push the dress back up into the closet but Alice snatches it and pushes it back at her.
"I want to wear this one Mary!" Alice gasps. "Please, you made we wear that ghastly red thing for the dinner!" Miss Watson shakes her head and sighs, but complies and after Alice finishes showering, she has the dress ready. Alice dries off and slips into her undergarments and Miss Watson comes back into the washroom with the dress.
"Where is your corset?" Miss Watson asks.
"I don't need it. I'm plenty small enough without it, and every time you lace it up I have to ask myself if your really trying to strangle me."
Miss Watson laughs.
"Oh don't be silly, Alice, where is it?" Miss Watson presses.
"I don't need it with this dress!" Alice snaps and narrows her eyes.
"Fine, have it your way!" Miss Watson snaps back. "But I'll have you know, if your family asks I tried to get you into the thing!"
"They wont ask Mary, they don't care, ever since I'll moved here Alexander is all they care about," Alice replies as Miss Watson helps her get the dress on. "He won't be here, I haven't seen him once since the move."
"It's your birthday," Miss Watson replies. "Perhaps he will come and see you."
"He doesn't like me Mary," Alice replies. "Mother tells him I'm sick, and father tells him I'm as crazy as a loon." Mary fights back a smile.
"He likes you, Alice," Miss Watson says. "Every time Mother Benton has a meeting with the family, he always asks to see you or know about what you are up to."
"I hope she tells him I'm up to more than eating and sleeping, surely that would be a boring story," Alice rolls her eyes. "The real world is always so boring-here, when I was home… There is no excitement in this world."
Alice adjusts her favorite dress as Miss Watson rolls her eyes thinking of how much better the lovely red dress would have looked. Alice sits on her bed with her two stockings and slips her small feet into them and pulls them up. She stretches her legs out and shakes her head.
"Can I wear my boots?" Alice asks.
"My heavens, deary, no!" Miss Watson scolds. "Those things aren't meant for a lovely and sweet girl like yourself!"
Alice frowns as she looks over at the high heeled, lace up black boots that come up almost to her knees.
"You're right, Miss Watson. They are dreadful aren't they?" Alice manages a smile and Miss Watson laughs as she brings Alice a pair of black wedge dress shoes. Alice slips them on and sighs, "When will my mother be here?"
"Oh, they are all coming," Miss Watson replies. "I'm sure of it. I would say near brunch."
"We shall see," Alice replies moving to the mirror and sitting at her vanity. She grabs a large brush and begins brushing her thick and long blonde hair. Miss Watson smiles and kneels beside Alice. She gives the skinny young girl a hug and kisses her cheek.
"Happy Birthday, Alice," Miss Watson says. "We all love you here at St. Lawrence's." She heads for the door. "I'll be back for your in about an hour." She closes the door behind her and Alice smiles.
"You can come out now, Cat," Alice says as she sees first the mouth then the rest of the cat materialize on her bed.
"Happy Birthday, Alice," the cat says in a low voice. "Fifteen years old and looking more lovely everyday."
"Thank you, but why are you here. If my nurses hear me talking to you, they will just say I'm even more crazy. Remember last time?"
The cat chuckles some and purrs.
"Oh yes, thought they caught me for sure," he says.
"How could they catch you, Cheshire? I'm the only one who can see you here…" Alice replies. "Or else I would be living at home and not in this asylum."
"Oh yes, sorry, Alice," the cat says with a frown. "I'm here to warn you of something I fear may happen."
"Oh?" Alice asks, raising an eyebrow and meeting his gaze through the mirror. "Trouble in Wonderland, cat?"
"On the contrary," the Cheshire cat replies. "Trouble in your world, perhaps."
"What do you know of my world, cat?" Alice cocks an eyebrow. "Outside of this room and me?"
"Just human nature, Alice," Cheshire Cat replies. "It's a warning about your brother; Alexander."
Alice's eyes widen.
"My brother?" she snaps. "What about him?"
"Your parents are very rich and you are quite safe and taken care of in this Asylum," the Cat says, "even quite privileged as opposed to some of the patients here."
"Your point, cat? I need to stop talking to myself before someone hears me," Alice says sharply.
"Your brother could be in danger of being kidnapped," the cat says. "Your parents are a very rich family, and the reward for his safe return could be a great price."
"Alexander, kidnapped!" Alice puts down her brush. "Who would do such a thing? Where would they hide him?"
"It hasn't happened yet, Alice. Maybe you could prevent it by speaking with your parents," Cheshire recommends.
"That's a splendid idea, cat," Alice replies. "They already think I'm crazy."
"Surely they would at least be more careful. He spends a lot of time with his friends from school." Cheshire hops from the bed and sits next to Alice.
"How do you know more about my brother than I do?" Alice asks, slightly annoyed.
"I know what you know, nothing more, Alice," the cat states, rubbing against Alice's leg until she kicks him away.
"Well….I'll say something," Alice sighs, "and end up in a straight jacket perhaps, but at least everyone's favorite child will be safe." The Cheshire cat chuckles and disappears. Alice goes back to combing her hair. As she combs, she begins to sing some, hoping that she wasn't being watched as she conversed with her old friend. It isn't long before the door opens and Mary Watson comes back in.
"I thought you said about an hour?" Alice says not looking up from her mirror.
"Well, I thought I would come help you straighten out your lovely hair." Alice knows instantly Mary must have heard her conversation and is here now to try to keep Alice from getting too crazy before her parents arrive. Alice smiles knowing that Mary has no idea how in control of her own mind she really is.
"Thought you would come straighten me out so my parents don't think I'm crazy?" Alice asks.
"I didn't say that, Alice," Miss Watson replies beginning to comb Alice's long hair.
"But you meant it," Alice pushes. "You've been standing outside my door awhile haven't you?"
Miss Watson leans down and strokes Alice's hair as she combs with her other hand.
"Alice…" Miss Watson seems to be having trouble continuing. "I don't know what goes on inside your head, and it hurts me to see such a fine girl here in the asylum. It's as if you're almost…"
"Normal?" Alice laughs. "Just say what you want, Mary. You won't offend me."
"Who were you talking to dear?" Miss Watson asks.
"Myself," Alice confesses with a frown. "Unless you believe in invisible cats and the like."
Miss Watson smiles weakly.
"Well, while your parents are here just try to talk with visible people, alright?" Miss Watson bites her lip as she pins back some of Alice's thick hair to comb underneath.
"As you wish," Alice replies. "I'm not quite as crazy as a loon, I assure you of that."
