"Alice!" It was about the eighth time my mother had called me. I knew I was late for school but I didnt care. I didnt feel much like going today, or anyday for that matter, and my bed was so warm and inviting. I lay still, my eyes still closed, listening to my mothers footsteps growing ever closer. She threw open the door and I looked up slowly, she scowled at me.

"Do we have to do this every morning Alice?" I just blinked at her and she grew impatiant.

"I like routine mother," I said it sarcastically, I too was tired of the routine, "But if you dislike doing it so much dont bother tomorrow." Yeah right, tommorrow morning would be no different, I would be practically dragged to school.

"Alice if I felt safe in the knowledge you could get up and ready for school without me I would be more than happy to spend the morning doing things I wanted to." I could tell she was angry, even though there was a smile on her face, she only used my name this frequently when she was angry, and unfortunately that was alot.

I sighed and pulled myself out of bed, my mother didnt even blink at the purple bruises that ran the length of my legs. Safe in the fact I was up she left my room, I stared at the now shut door waiting for my eyes to adjust to bieng open. Once the sleepy haze had stopped obscuring my vision I began my morning routine.

I brushed my teeth, without looking in my bathroom mirror, grabbed a black t-shirt and a pair of black jeans and pulled them on after changing my underwear, not even taking the time to look at myself. I finally ran a brush through my hair, and then I was ready without even glancing at myself.

I suppose I should explain the bruises, I wasn't clumsy although that was a pretty good excuse. I didnt come from a dysfuntional family who abused me, although sometimes I made-believe to appear more interesting. I didnt have an abusive boyfriend, I didnt even have a boyfriend. I guess I just bruised easily, I got them whilst I was sleeping. Just from lying on my bed.

I thought about this as I walked down the stairs, I thought about my unusual dreams that I never could seem to remember in the morning. All I remember are vivid and unusual colours. I jumped down the last step, grabbing my school bag from the hall and attempted to leave the house un-noticed.

"Alice, dont you want breakfast?" My mum called after me. I shook my head, I hadnt eaten breakfast in the last two years, I dont have an eating disorder, dont worry, just eating that early in the day makes me sick. I sat down at the kitchen table never the less.

"Can I just have a coffee please mother? I feel a bit ill." I know I was playing the martyr trying to get my mother to feel guilty for making me go to school, but she should feel guilty. werent parents supposed to want their children to be happy?

"Coffee will only make it worse," my father chuckled shaking his head before going back to reading the newspaper. Despite this within seconds their was a fresh cup of coffee infront of me. I tried to drink it as quickly as I could, so that I could leave my house.

"Alice, have you looked at yourself this morning? You could take more care in your appearance." My mother was tutting and shaking her head. I barely notices though because I was running my toungue over my teeth, I had stupidly burnt it gulping down coffee.

I ignored her, grabbed my back and marched straight out of the room. I could hear my parents arguing softly and I knew my dad was unimpressed with her comments. Ah I love my dad. I slammed the door on my way out, it was a typical morning in my house.

I stared at the floor as I walked to school, this was how I lived, I was invisible, and I liked it. I disliked crowds, I disliked noise, I disliked embarrasment. So bieng invisible was a nesicary precaution. The streets were unusually crowded today due to the run up to christmas.

So much to my dismay I had to take a shortcut, I hadn't lied earlier, I really do like routine. There was comfort in it, familiarality. Anyway the shortcut consisted of a dark alleyway that smelt alot like urine. I wrinkled my nose and attempted to hold my breath, fastening my pace.

Before I was free of this disgusting alley something shiny caught my eye. A mirror. For the first time ever I was urged to see my reflection. My mother had shaken the little confidence I had, did I really look that terrible? I didn't want to look, it went against all my principles, I didnt care how I looked, I never had.

I looked. The girl that stared blankly back at me was practically a stranger to me. She had mid length brown hair, dark brown eyes surrounded my long brown lashes and she was skinny. Did I really look like that? I looked ill, the palest of pale skin pulled tight around my bones. I winced at the sight. Just as I went to turn around a figure brushed against me and I fell.

I didnt fall into the mirror, but past it. Into it. I was tumbling now, bright flashes of colour surrounding me. I remembered now, my dreams, I was always falling in them. I closed my eyes and tried to think of normal things, because this, this was far from normal. My eyes were still jammed shut when the falling stopped, and I hit a surface with a loud thud.

When I opened my eyes I was in a building, with grey walls, grey ceilings and grey floors. I shuddered, I wasnt the biggest fan of colors, yet even I knew this place needed some. Infront of me were two rather large men, wearing buisness suits and a look of disgust. It was almost as though I smelt bad, perhaps I did, I didnt particulaly care right now.

"Oi, Dave, looks like we 'ave a rogue oyster 'ere. Just missed the shipmen' an all." The one on the left said, I assume, to the one on the right.

"Looks like it Carl," My assumption proved correct as the one on the right answered him. "what ever shall we do with 'er? The queen wont be impressed if we let one of her precious oysters free." His voice sounded as macho as he looked. I knew I was in for it, and although I would like to know why they reffered to me as an 'oyster' I also knew that I was undoubtedly faster than them.

I didn't hesitate for a second as I began to run past them, not knowing where I was headed and not brave enough to think what would happen if they caught up with me. I ran down corridor after corridor, turning corner after corner. I eventually came to an open doorway, but even then I didnt pause to consider what out side would be like. I ran straight on, and ran over the edge in to a lake.

I went under the water for a while, I say a while because I dont think time applies here. I still dont know where here is, part of me thinks its my immagination, I must have fallen and hit my head. If it is my immagination then I make the rules, right? I opened my eyes and looked around. Under the water was incredibley pretty, full of the same colors I experienced as I fell.
It was like an underwater city, trees and huts and paths. Eventually I surfaced, the need for oxygen burning in my chest. Once I was above water I searched my surroundings, I saw the legde I had fallen from and in the opposite dirrection what appeared to be civilization. There was quite a strech of water between me and my destination, but it was my immagination land therfore it wouldnt tire me.

This however was not the case, the further I swam the heavier my limbs got. I wasn't sure I would ever make it, I may as well give up and drown here. I decided to float for a while, and I did just that, lying on my back staring up at the unaturally blue sky. It was so bright it hurt my head and I felt the need to shut my eyes.

Drowsiness crept over me and when I woke I was bieng fished roughly out of the water. The culprit was a young man surrounded by a crowd, the most prominant feature was his hat. I smiled at him as I sat on the cold gravel floor. He had turned back to the crowd, "See people this is what happens when you drink to much of my tea. One drop will suffice, no more than that."

The crowd dispersed, seemingly sattisfied with his reasoning. When it was finally just me and him he held out a hand and pulled me to my feet. "So love, what on earth where you doing in the lake?" I just blinked at him, what had I been doing? Oh yeah. Running away from men in suits.

I didnt say this though, instead I just shrugged. We were walking now, uphill. To the right of us there was a wall, doors space equally along it, to the left a drop, the bottom getting further and further away from us. Eventually we reached our destination and entered a very badly painted green door.

"My name is hatter, I will be of as much assistance as I possibly can love, but to do that you have to tell me about yourself."

"I'm Alice, I'm 16 and I'm in my last year at high school." I smiled at him, he really was quite charming.

"Your an oyster?" He seemed shocked. Why did people keep reffering to me that way?"

"An...oyster?"

"A person from the real world." He explained as though it was common knowledge. He was walking around me, circling me, looking for something. I wasn't sure what, he stopped in front of me, his eyes gleaming. "If your an oyster, and your name is Alice...You could be thee Alice. Of legend."

I shook my head, "No. I am just Alice."

It was his turn to shake his head. "Take your shirt off." I looked at him in disbelief, I was not going to take it off. "Fine, dont worry, but I thought I would inform you that somewhere on your person," Here he took a pause to look me up and down, "is a mark, green in color. It wont come off."

I couldnt take it any more and I fell to the floor, was this what a mental breakdown felt like? Was I going absolutely insane? If I was that would be quite cool, something to tell people. Hey, I'm Alice and I'm insane. This thought almost made me smile, but then I remembered where I was.

I woke up in someone's bed. I swear to god if Hatter had taken advantage of me I would kill him. I peeked under the blankets and to my relief, and oddly dissapointment, I was still fully clothed. Dissapointment? Surely I didnt want anything from this man, yet the familiar knot in my stomach was there.

I rolled over onto my side and nearly had a heart attack. A few inches from my face was Hatter, watching me closely. His eyes slowly swept down my face and I felt myself blush, I wasn't used to male attention. Or any attention.

"What are you doing?" How long had he been watching me for? I doubted I even wanted to know. In a way it was flattering though, and made my heart beat a little faster.

"Well...watching you I guess."

"I can see that. Why?"

"I...Erm...Dont know."

"Ugh I stink," I groaned, I felt disgusting. After all I had swam in that water that had god knows what in. My mouth felt dirty aswell, all furry inside from not being brushed. Great.

"I know you do." Well that was awkward.

"Do you have a shower or a bath?"

"Shower. But the queen only allows enough water for the amount of people listed in the house, in order to stop refuges I guess."

"Oh..." Great. Again. Ugh this place sucked. It was way too complicated, my life back home was pretty much simple. Get up, go to school, come home, study, eat dinner with parents, sleep. Then repeat.

"I guess we could always shower together, you know, to save water." He winked at me. Dusgusting. He just smirked at me, looking incredibly smug. I had no idea what to do in a situation like this, I was begining to wonder if shutting myself off had emotionally stunted me.

Rather than drifting off into my own thoughts, I did the first thing that came to me. I pushed him off the bed. As he landed on the floor I heard a loud thump followed by a groan and protests of pain. I giggled, peering over the side of the bed at him. He had a grimace on his face, and I felt guilty, I hadnt ment to really hurt him.

Just as I was about to apologize his hand snaked up and pulled me down on top of him. I squeeled. Squeeled? Me? Really? I had never done that before, I had never been like all the other teenage girls. Never giggled and whispered about boys. Part of that was because of lack of trust, but mainly I just couldnt be bothered with it.

"Are you sure you dont want to take that shower..." He had one arm around my waist and the other was playing absent mindedly playing with my hair. I wasnt sure when they happened, but I wasn't comfortable with it. I knew how first relationships ended. Badly. Plus there was one thing that still needed clarifying.

"What exactly is the legend of Alice?"

"Huh? Oh well, basically she is meant to arrive and save wonderland."

I nodded, working out something. "This will never work between us Hatter." I still wasnt sure what this was, but I knew nothing would work between us.

"Why not?" He looked...Hurt?

"Because wonderland is from a story right?" He nodded. "Right, and do you know what happens at the end of every story?" He shook his head this time. "It always ends with the main characters falling in love. And Hatter that will be you and her. I can't risk bieng hurt."

"Alice your bieng ridiculous!"

"No I'm not," I could feel myself welling up. This was ridiculous, I'd literally only just met him. I guess this is what they call love at first sight.

"I promise I wont, I wouldnt hurt you that way. Please just give me a chance."

"You promise?"

He nodded, "I promise." And then he leant in and kissed me.