Alice in Wonderland (2010) Fan-Fiction. Recognizable Upperland and Underland Characters Copywrited to Disney. Charlene Elsie Kingsleigh to iczerfae. (M) Mature Readers only.

Chapter I: It begins.

All in the golden afternoon
Full leisurely we glide;
For both our oars, with little skill,
By little arms are plied,
While little hands make vain pretense
Our wanderings to guide.

Excerpt of "Golden Afternoon" by Lewis Carroll

It was a year since Frabjous Day and Alice was standing confidently at the bow of the ship, her long golden blond hair free of ribbons or barrettes and whipping in the wind. The massive ship blew it horn twice then slowly moved away from the harbor. Alice turned to the harbor and waved her final goodbye and one could tell that it was not sad but eager for the adventure ahead.

The Kingsleigh woman stayed until the ship was sailing into the western sky then made their way to their carriage.

"I still can't believe that Alice is gone," Margaret's voice trembled. "I can't believe you let her go, Mother." Helen Kingsleigh said nothing and sobbed quietly. Margaret turned to her youngest sister. "You could have said something Charlie, Lord knows Alice confesses to you everything."

Charlene Elsie Kingsleigh, or Charlie as her father and family called her, was different from the other Kingsleigh woman. If Alice had been the odd one, Charlie was the black sheep. Her mother and sisters had lovely golden blond hair, pale skin, and beautiful brown eyes; Charlie was a brunette, tanned , had one green eye and one blue, which she felt were entirely too large for her head in her opinion. She also felt she looked too much like her father.

It was true, however, that if anyone could have made Alice pause, it was her little sister and confidant Charlie. Charlie took her role very seriously. Alice had told Charlie all about Wonderland as they grew up, and as they were only four years apart, they bonded better with each other than their older sister. Charlie had always enjoyed Alice's stories, for that is what Alice had begun to call them after she turned ten years of age. As a child, Charlie would attempt to draw the characters from the story and show them to Alice for approval or draw them repeatedly until they were right. Alice found she needed her father or mother less and less after waking from her nightmares. As she would always sleep in Charlie's bed and both were comforted by the other's presence; they insisted on sharing their room.

Now in the carriage Charlie was determined to defend Alice's choice. "I would have jumped onto a ship as well if I had been the one forced to marry Hamish Ascot." Charlie stated rather bluntly.

"Charlene!" Margaret exclaimed, horrified.

"Lord Ascot has done much for our family," Helen Kingsleigh admonished. "It is horrible that you speak so low of his family."

"Lord Ascot is the only pleasant person out of his entire family. I don't blame Alice from trying to escape the marriage to his horrid son." Then Charlie said more to herself, "I would rather have the fictional Hatter from Alice's stories."

"Charlie!" Margaret whispered. "That is why you were sent to boarding school."

"Only after father had died. He hated the idea." The guilt and defeat in her mother's eyes only confirmed her cold statement. Outside, the rolled by and the sun was setting. Feeling regret at her mother's silence she continued, "I do not dislike you mother. I love you very much. I just don't understand why I could not stay." Charlie felt a lump of sadness rise in ther throat so she stopped talking and slumped against the carriage seat. The ride was spent in silence as the sun disappeared as the moon rose.

The carriage had lulled Charlie to sleep until she was gently shaken awake her mother and Margaret's whispers. Nolan, the butler, and his wife Emma greeted the family at the door of their quaint apartment. Emma was Charlie's nursemaid before she was sent to boarding school. The gentle and kind woman was in forties and had looked after Alice and Charlie as long as they could remember. Nana Emma grabbed Charlie's small traveling trunk and escorted her upstairs, promising a delicious breakfast and a lot of chatting in the morning.

Charlie was over whelmed with bitter nostalgia when she opened the door to the room she no longer shared with Alice. Only a few treasured toys remained and a large heavy oak desk had been arranged between the beds where the toy box had been. Charlie was glad to find the large standing mirror still had its place in the corner next to the armoire.

When the youngest Kingsleigh girls were little, they claimed to see things moving in the mirror from the corner of their eyes and would make up stories about it to pass the time.

The room also felt empty and lifeless without Alice, it felt dark even though the room was well lit with candles. Charlie's mind wondered to Alice's proposal to Charlie when she had returned home to see Alice off.

"I cannot come with you Alice. I have no illusions of grandeur and adventure. Besides, I get sick in a row boat." Charlie admitted miserably. "You have changed… there seems more to you now. There is peace and a…a.. muchness, yes that is what comes to mind." Charlie caught a quizzical look fleeing from Alice's eyes. "What wrong?"

"Nothing. It is nothing." Alice gave Charlie a reassuring if somewhat sad smile. "You reminded me of someone."

Now back in reality, Charlie left her room and headed to the first floor. She absent-mindedly caressed the door to her father's study with her finger tips, it was a ritual from childhood for warding off nightmares. Voices from inside the study grew louder, causing Charlie to stop and glare at the closed door.

There were not supposed to be voices in Charles' study. After her father's death, everyone refused to enter the study and it slowly became a shrine. The only exception was the maid who dusted once a week. The voices were not familiar and as late as it was, her mother would not be awake and Margaret had left for home as soon as Charlie had bid her a good night. Charlie surprised herself by stepping up to the door but when she began to turn the handle as slowly and as quietly as she could; the voices stopped abruptly. Charlie bust into the room and found only darkness and moonlight bathing her father's belongings.

After a quick investigation, she retreated into the candle-lit hallway and backtracked to her room as she had forgotten completely why she was going downstairs. Upon entering her room, Charlie felt an overwhelming need to write down what had happened, so she would know in the morning that she had not dreamt of the voices. As she moved a candle from her night stand to the desk, something on its corner caught her eye. She slowly reached out to grab it, afraid it might fight or flee. The light revealed an intricately beautiful black raven statue. Charlie searched her room while a feeling of being watched and an invasion of space washed of over her.

"Why is there a raven on my writing desk?" Charlie asked aloud to the empty room.