Chapter One: The End

Alice sat on her bed and stared out the window, the grass was green and the birds were chirping a happy song, a song that made Alice feel sick to her stomach. She stood up slowly with a sigh and made her way over to her full length mirror. There reflected in the glass was a 16 year old girl, wearing a yellow dress that went down to just bellow her knees, she wore a long, white waist coat that ended just before her dress which was stitched together with red embroidery. Her wavy, mahogany brown hair flowed freely down to the centre of her back, to finish off she worse yellow, knee high boots with white laces over white tights. Alice glared at the girl in the mirror with all the hate she had in her body and angrily turned round with a grunt and threw herself on the bed.

She had had enough of life over the past few weeks, she was failing her school work on the British empire (not that she cared too much about it, the world was falling to ruins as it was, with a world war standing at their doorsteps yelling loudly that their whole world will be turned upside down), her cat snowdrop 3 had just died giving birth to kittens who didn't last through the night, and to top it all off, her grandmother Alice had died all but 6 days ago. Life was falling down the drain faster than someone could say 'wait for me' or 'what is going on?'. Alice grunted into the bed and rolled off, hitting her head on her nightstand as she fell. She stood up quickly and rubbed her head, could life get any worse?

"Alice! Hurry up darling; otherwise you'll miss your grandmothers will reading!" Alice's father bellowed up the stairs, he was particularly happy considering that his own mother had just passed on.

"Coming Father!" Alice replied as she straightened her dress and coat. She slowly walked out her room and down the stairs she had helped an old lady walk down only a few weeks ago. She could still remember her grandmother's delightful smell as it lingered in the air. Grandmother Alice always smelt of tea due to her obsessive habit of drinking it with every meal and it calmed Alice when she was missing her parents or had hurt he knee while running around in the vast garden just outside the stately home of her grandmother. Alice met her father just outside her grandmother's study as he placed his hand on her back.

"Darling" he whispered loudly, "I need you to be strong for me, I know this is hard on you but we will spend the money that your grandmother left us on a nice holiday to America when your mother gets back from France. Would you like that?" Alice looked up at her father with a fake smile.

"I would very much enjoy that Father" she replied, even though she loathed the idea just as much as she loathed her Father for even making plans with what to do with Grandmother Alice's money before he had even received it, or before he even knew that he had got any. Alice's father pushed open the doors and led Alice to her chair, before sitting down next to her in his. She was surrounded by Aunties and Uncles she hadn't seen in god knows how many years, and she knew none of them were their to morn Grandmother Alice, just to take their share of her money.

"Are we all here?, Good" said the fat nosed, fat bellied, and fat bearded lawyer who could have passed on for Father Christmas if it wasn't for his pitch black beard. He opened the white and gold envelope slowly and pulled out the letter inside. When he opened it he scan read it before his eyes opened wide with surprise and he opened his mouth to speak.

"Well… I…" He started before coughing loudly and went back into 'Mister professional mode'.

"It is written here, by Miss Alice Liddle…" Alice's eyes widened suddenly, her grandmother was married, yes she had had two husbands one with which she had her 5 children with, and one she told Alice was the true love of her life. Alice grabbed her head as it began to hurt and her father placed a hand on her shoulder, which she guessed was supposed to be comforting.

"That she leaves …all her items, her house and her land to her Granddaughter Alice Liddle…" she suddenly felt mixed emotions, she felt so happy yet so sick, so angry, so greatfull, so disgraced, but one emotion stood out from them all, so loved. As the whole room turned their shocked eyes towards the scared Alice, she stood up and received the envelope with the will of her beloved Grandmother Alice and the deed to the house.

"The will also states that she will live her alone until her and her future husband decide to leave, and that all must leave the house now because she wants Alice to settle in." said the lawyer and the whole room muttered swears towards Alice.

The party left quickly as Alice kissed her father goodnight before he left to. She closed the door and it was silent. She sighed and walked up to her grandmother's room and sat on her four poster bed. She looked around and smiled at the fact it was just so… normal. It smelt like Grandmother Alice and it felt like Grandmother Alice. She opened one of the draws on her bedside table and inside was a heavy letter labelled 'Dear Alice'. Alice opened the letter slowly and pulled out a note, a picture of Grandmother Alice and herself sitting on the riverside when she was just 2 years old and a golden ring which she automatically recognised as her Grandmothers wedding ring. She turned it over and over in her hands as she realised that there was symbols engraved into the pure gold band. She couldn't read it so placed the ring down on the side and picked up the photo. Her Grandmother Alice looked so happy and carefree with her white hair tied up in a black bow and her blue ankle length dress. Her eyed sparkling with fun and youth, the same eyes that would 'go exploring the house' at 10pm at night every full moon, the same eyes that laughed when Alice thought she was a demon, the eyes that were full of wisdom yet curiosity at the same time. She was sitting down next to a river with a little girl with brown hair and a white toy rabbit in her hands, Alice. Alice couldn't look at the picture anymore as she picked up the note and started to read.

'Dear Alice,

If you are reading this, then I have passed on. However I don't wish for you to morn me, I have had the most amazing life anyone could have wished for. I have 5 beautiful Children and one Beautiful granddaughter, and I found the love of my life in my wonderful husband, and that is what I need to explain. You may be curious about this as my title is still 'Miss' our love and marriage was secret since no-one would have agreed to the marriage. But rest assured I cared for your Blood Grandfather a lot but we were just friends in a forced Marriage. Now you may be wondering where I used to go every full moon, well funny enough I just went into my room and had a cup of tea! But Alice, I want you to understand this, my most prised item is a full length looking glass in the corner of my bedroom, please don't let anything happen to it, that is my last wish, along with you to be happy. I love you Alice. MRS Alice Liddle.'