"Now class remember tomorrow we will be creating groups and performing skits. The five group leaders are Charlie, Sandra, James, Gretta, and Ari. Ari are you paying attention?"
My friend Sam nudged me as Ms. Rodes, our theater teacher, glared at us.
"Yes Ms. Rodes" I replied.
"Good, now the group leaders will write the skit and tomorrow the groups will practice. This Friday every group will showcase their skits, am I understood."
"Yes Ms. Rodes" the class coursed.
"Alright, class dismissed" the snobbish replied returning to grading papers.
"This class is so boring" I yawned as we left our last class and boarded the buses. "Why did I take it again?"
"Because we both would at least be in one class together", Sam replied as we boarded the buses. "Besides it's not that boring."
I glanced at her eyebrow raised.
"What" she asked.
"Just so you know I'm making a big sacrifice for you."
"Yeah, yeah" she answered as she dug through her purse. "So what is your skit going to be about?"
"I have no earthly idea"
"Ari! We were suppose to be brainstorming ideas all week!" Sam gasped.
"Well I honestly didn't think she would choose me as a group leader, she hates me."
"She doesn't hate you Ari" Sam sighed
"Whatever"
I could hear Sam sigh as she pulled out her library book. I glanced at the worn cover to see the title. Alice in Wonderland.
"You're reading a fairy tale book?" I questioned. Normally Sam wasn't into books with happy endings.
"This is a different version, it's actually quite morbid." She smiled
"Right" I drawled, "so what is it about?"
"I can't tell you that, you'll have to read it yourself."
I peeked over her shoulder only to discover that the book is written in kanji.
"Sam, how the blazes am I to read a book that is in Japanese?"
"Well you could always take Japanese lessons from your Mom like I did."
"Sam" I growled. She knew my Mom and I were not on good terms.
"Fine, you could look up an English version on the internet."
"Nah, that's too troublesome." I could hear her snickering in the background.
"You sound like Shikamaru."
"Huh?" was my intelligent reply.
"Shikamaru, from the manga Naruto"
"Oh" I replied. I knew not to mention anything anime or manga related to her or she will continue talking for hours on end. Suddenly I felt my shoulder being shaken.
"Ari, come on it's your stop." Sam whispered.
"Huh?" turning towards the window I saw the small trailer that was my home. Quickly grabbing my bags I ran off the bus and into the house. Throwing open the front door I noticed that no one was home. On the counter was a little note.
Your Dad won't be able to pick you up today and I'll be home late from work. There are some leftovers in the fridge. I'll see you later.
Love Mom
I crumbled the paper. Love? Please, she doesn't know the meaning of the word. I dragged my backpack back to my room and collapse on the bed. For several minutes I stared at the water damaged ceiling. I turned to face the clock. The neon green numbers stared back at me impassively.
"Forget this, I can't think of anything." I reached for the clock and set the alarm. "Maybe I'll be able to think of something after a nice nap."
Darkness, that is all I can see. All consuming darkness, before a speck of light appeared. Then another speck, and another; soon I was surrounded by a multitude of lights. The vibrant colors swirled about me as I walked, or glided, I can't tell if there was ground below my feet or not.
In the bright lights a dark shadow appeared in the distance. The shadow steadily came closer and I could faintly make out an outline. It looked like a rabbit walking on two legs. In fact that was exactly what it was. Hopping closer and closer to me was a White Rabbit in a tuxedo. The Rabbit stopped right in front of me and held out his paw. Resting in his paw was a cream colored envelope.
"For me?" I whispered. This is one weird dream I silently thought.
The White Rabbit nodded his head and offered the envelope once more. Before I could accept the envelope I felt a small object collide with my back and little hands grab my feet. I was suddenly being dragged backwards, the White Rabbit just stood there with the envelope before he disappeared from sight.
As sudden as the dragging started it stopped. Scurrying to my feet I spared a glance behind me and wished I hadn't. Five creatures, because I could not call them anything else, stood there. Their heads looked like skulls and when they talked, at least I think it's suppose to be talking, it sounds like a lot of squirrel chattering. The shock of it all must have gone to my head because I don't remember falling backwards and backing up. But I do remember my back hitting against something solid. I looked back and notice a big white wall. Looking forward once more I saw that there were three other white walls and a ceiling as well. Great these strange creatures kidnap me and there seems to be no way out.
Looking forward I see the blue, green and two yellow creatures standing behind the red one. Every time the red one's head bobbed the chattering began anew. Now that I got a closer look at them they look like those tree spirits from that movie Princess Mononoke that Sam made me watch, except these ones are different colors.
During my musings the red one grabbed my pant leg and gently tugged on it until it had my attention. Having my attention the red one pointed to the far wall.
"You want me to follow you, you who kidnapped me." I questioned aloud.
The twins as I called the two yellow ones hid behind the blue one who's spinally arms were crossed, if I knew any better I'd say it was glaring at me. The green one stood at the side pushing her fingers together while the red one continued to gently pull my pant leg.
"Fine I'll come just no more dragging okay." I sighed
The twins began to jump up and down as if celebrating. The blue one just walked off while the green one stood there and seemed to be smiling. The red one took off a little ways before turning back to me and waving me on.
"Alright already, I'm coming." And I repeat my first statement; this is one weird dream. I followed after the five creatures until we reached the wall.
"So what now" I said to the red one. It kept on motioning towards the wall so I took another look at it. Inscribed on the wall was a series of strange marks. No not marks, Kanji.
I glanced down at my five companions. "Sorry, I don't read Japanese." I noticed out of the corner of my eye that the Twin's jaws dropped. I also think the blue one rolled it's eyes but you can't really tell when they don't have eyes in those sockets. The red one motioned again to the wall so I looked at it once more.
There once was a little dream.
Below an image of the White Rabbit appeared on the wall.
No one knows who had dreamt it. It was such a small little dream.
The image of the White Rabbit looked around as if searching for something.
This made the little dream think. 'I don't want to disappear. How can I make people dream me?'
The little dream though and thought and at last had an idea
The image of the White Rabbit, which is now sitting, punched his hand as if he suddenly had a thought.
I shall allow people to wander into me and they will create my world.
The image of the Rabbit disappeared and an image of four invitations appeared, each with a symbol emblazed on it.
"So the Rabbit was inviting me into this dream?" I asked the five creatures. At their nodding I continued. "That doesn't sound so bad."
"Does being torture for eternity really not sound that bad?"
I quickly spun around to face the new voice. Behind me sitting at a table was a man drinking tea. His hair was in disarray, a sleeve of his jacket was missing and on his head was a top hat with the price tag still attached. Raising his hand he motioned me over to the table.
Four of the five creatures ran over to him while blue one stood beside me, arms crossed.
"Come, come. No time to dilly dally." The strange man called. Willing myself to move I walked over to the table.
"Sit, sit. Enjoy a cup of tea while you're at it. I haven't talked to a normal person in a long time. Only had theses little spirits to talk to you know. The others are fine but Aoi likes to pout a lot." The strange man sipped on his tea as he glanced at the blue one."
Gingerly I sat down. "Aoi?"
"Yes, yes. That is Aoi pouting over there, grouchy little fellow he is. And this is Aka." The man said pointing to the red one.
"Fiery little one she is when angered. And there is Midori over here." The man waved to the hiding green one.
"Sweet little girl she is although a bit on the quiet side. Then we have the twins Len and Ren. At least they remembered their names. I didn't have to think up new ones for them after they died."
"Died" I gulped.
"Yes, yes died. You see the White Rabbit invited these five. When they accepted the invitation they gained the title Alice."
"Alice, like in Alice and Wonderland with the happy singing flowers and the queen of hearts Alice?" I questioned.
"You're a little wrong on your facts there girl" the man said with a deadly edge to his voice. "It the queen of clubs and the flowers bloomed from the singers corpse." As he said this Midori hung her head while Aoi's glare intensified.
"Sorry" I apologized; not only for this man to continue but also to maybe placate Aoi so he wasn't staring so murderously in this direction.
"Don't worry, don't worry. Outsiders wouldn't know how things really are here without coming here, and once they did come here they would have trouble getting back."
"Trouble, what do you mean?" I asked.
"Trouble my dear, trouble. People who enter this dream have a hard time finding their way out. And those who died in here are doomed to stay here forever." The man said starring sadly at the five spirits.
"What about those who are not dead?" I questioned, hopping it would distract the man from his quiet musing.
"Ah, you see those who are not dead like me are still trapped here, but at least they don't have the title Alice, that would be dangerous."
"Dangerous, how?"
"Why my dear it is extremely dangerous. You see the White Rabbit sees this all as a game. The one given the title Alice has the power to end this dream and return those trapped here to the real world. Of course that is providing Alice is able to not fall for any of the White Rabbit's traps."
At my confused look the man sighed and glanced down at four of the five spirits. Aka nodded her head allowing a small squeak to be heard. Nodding his head in acceptance the man ran his hand across his face before starring straight into my eyes.
"My dear girl, I have been here for more years than I can count. I have been here so long that I have forgotten what the outside world is like. I knew that the only way to escape this place is by becoming Alice but I was never offered an invitation. So I was trapped here until an Alice succeeded and defeated the White Rabbit at his own game." The man sighed and a far off look entered his eyes.
"The first Alice to come was Aka. A bright and beautiful lady who was kind hearted and brave. She discovered me and learned of my plight. Since she received an invitation to become Alice she accepted in order to help me and many others like me escape. A little while after accepting she came across a sword in one of the towns. Being the headstrong girl she always was and knowing that she would need some form of protection from whatever the White Rabbit sent her way she took the sword. Unfortunately the sword itself was the trap."
The man paused and centered his gaze upon me.
"What you must understand is that the moment you fall for a trap you are doomed. The moment she touched that sword it took possession of her body. She could see everything that was happening but she could not stop herself. The sword took control of her body and killed thousands of people who were trapped here with me."
I stifled a gasp. So many people trapped here and they were slaughtered because a freaky rabbit didn't want to be bored and lonely. I looked at the trembling Aka. How she must have suffered killing those she was trying to save.
"At that time the sword had fused with Aka's body. Anyone who was in sight was dead. The White Rabbit didn't want everyone dead. No that would be too easy, too boring. So he imprisoned Aka's body in a cell. The gaps between the bars were wide enough for a small child to fit through but nothing else." The man sighed once more.
"I was able to find Aka's cell. Despite being in a cell Aka was still swinging that sword around as if she were killing even more people. In her cage Aka slipped and impaled herself." Tears began to form in the man's eyes.
"I thought she was dead, she wasn't breathing and this mist was escaping her mouth. Then the mist turned into this creature here and Aka's body regenerated and began to swing just as wildly as before. I learned later that this mist was Aka's spirit escaping the prison that her body became. Only in death is the spirit able to escape the body. When Aka escaped her body she was no longer bound to it. The sword fused to her body no longer controlled her or made her relive the deaths of the people she tried to save. It was that day that I vowed to help any Alice in any way possible."
"So because the White Rabbit offered be that envelope I am an Alice as well?" I asked fearfully.
"Not yet, not yet. You haven't accepted the invitation. Once you have accepted the invitation then you are given the title Alice and made to fight for your life."
"So as long as I don't accept the envelope I'll be safe?"
"You'll be safe, but you will be trapped here just like me. And trust me you would do anything to return to the outside world. I know I would," he muttered under his breath starring at his teacup.
I just sat there looking at the six before me. There is a madman who believes that he has been stuck in this messed up dream world for as long as he can remember and five little spirits. Each one of these small spirits is a representation of an Alice.
"And I'm the sixth Alice" I muttered aloud.
"Technically you're the fifth Alice." The madman stated sipping his tea. "Ren and Len were considered as one Alice."
"Okay" I said standing up. "You are officially crazy. I'm waking up now." I stated starting to walk away.
"No wait, wait! You're not dreaming" at my raised eyebrow he remedied his statement. "Well technically you are." I just continued walking.
"Anything that happens to you here can affect you in the outside world. If you keep walking you'll be in danger."
"And what is keeping me safe here" I glared back at the man.
"Were safe now because we are in a separate dream that is hidden in the one the White Rabbit made," the madman answered.
"So what, its like a dream within a dream," I questioned.
"Yes, yes indeed."
"Great this is just like Inception." I muttered.
"Like what" the crazy asked.
"Never mind"
I stood there thinking about what the madman said. What if this is really like Inception and I'm trapped at the lowest level. Then fighting my way out would make some sense. Or I could do it like they did in the movie and get out of here immediately.
"What would happen if a non-Alice died here?"
"They would be trapped just like an Alice," the confused man answered.
"Great, so that blows that idea," I muttered angrily. "So the only way to get out of this place is to pass the stupid Rabbit's tests?"
"Well" the madman drew out.
"What now" I hissed.
"There is more. You have to find a door, a door per test. And the only way to open the door is to find the key."
"A key" I deadpanned.
"Yes, yes, the Key of Truth. Usually the tests take the form of some sort of story or scenario. There are several keys to choose from and the keys are not always in the form of a key. Some are the form of solid objects such as a sword or a music sheet" I glanced down at a saddened Aka.
"Others are in the form of something more malleable such as memories." The madman answered finishing his tea and looking straight at me with those unflinching eyes.
"So I have to find some key, pass the rabbit's test, and then would pass through the door taking me one step closer to the outside world?"
"Yes, yes. That is correct"
"Just great," I muttered. "So do you know how many bloody tests this psychopathic Rabbit has?"
"Umm" The man shifted his eyes away from me.
"What now" I sighed.
"Well, when Aka came there was only one test although I don't know what Aka was suppose to do." He whispered turning his sad eyes to me. "When Ren and Len came there were four tests."
"So each time there is another Alice another test is added to the growing list," I growled.
"Pretty much" the man sighed.
"Perfect, just perfect."