"Tabitha! GET DOWN HERE THIS INSTANT!" The woman called from downstairs.
I hesitantly walked down the winding staircase and looked into the woman's stern eyes.
"What did I tell you about leaving your drawings out? I though I told you to get rid of this rubbish. Here let me help you with that and I'll throw it away for you." She stepped on the lever of the garbage can and the lid lifted up. She shoved my drawing book into the garbage with a happy little smile on her face.
"No!--" I yelled.
"How dare you talk back to me!" The Woman yelled and she smacked me across the face. "Maid, take this garbage out to the incinerator." The maid came over picked up the garbage and before leaving winked at me.
"Tabitha! You're 18 now and u don't need silly thinks like drawings. You need to learn some proper etiquette or else there will be trouble marrying you off. Do you understand me?" The Woman's voice cut deep.
"M-married!? Since when was I getting married off? Don't I have a right to who I can love!?" I was angry, but more than that I wanted to get away. As far away as possible. Before the woman could have any objections to her rebuke I raced up the steps and grabbed the duffel bag I had already packed. "No way will I be married off to some man I don't even know." I spoke to myself. "I want my own life, I don't wish for it to be controlled." A tear formed in my eye but I wouldn't show any weakness to my so called mother. The woman.
I raced back down the steps and hopped off the banister near the end to get to the opposite side of my 'mother'. "I'm going out for a while, don't expect me to be back anytime soon. And don't come looking for me either, you won't find me."
"Tabitha Eliza Gwenivere Come back here this instant!" She bellowed down the hall.
"It's not Gweneviere! It's Lesedi! I won't be called by your disgusting last name you fake!" I raced off outside and rounded the mansions corner to the incinerator. There, Felicity, the maid who was told to burn everything was holding the sketchbook in her arms.
"Dear, how long are you leaving for this time? Be careful alright?" Felicity tenderly spoke, handing me the sketchbook.
"I'm not sure it's pretty bad this time. I'll be fine for a while I'm going over to Alice's after all. Make sure you don't tell the fake though. And don't worry I'll be alright!" I smiled and raced off into the forest.
I knew exactly where I was going. Through the forest just a little ways away was a large garden that belonged to Alice my best friend. I got to the garden and ran through it until I found the spot where Alice always slept, and sure enough there she lay sound asleep the sun beaming down on her.
"Alice, Alice!" I spoke. Though I felt bad because it was so silent until I spoke, so peaceful. But I quickly forgot about that and kept trying to wake up Alice.
"Hmm….what?" She rubbed her eyes and sat up shielding her eyes from the sun. "Oh Tabby! Did it happen again?"
"Well why else would I be here with my bag stuffed like this?"
"Very true. So what did you do this time?" She asked rubbing her eyes more and looked about ready to go back to sleep.
"She wanted to burn my book, yada, yada, yada, then she told me she wanted to marry me off to some guy who I don't even know or care about."
"SHE WANTED TO MARRY YOU OFF!? To someone you don't even know at that!" She asked utterly surprised and her mouth gaped.
"Yeah I know. And I've seen him he looks like a dork, he probably still rides a bike with training wheels." I said sitting down next to Alice
"Hahaha. But how did you see a picture if she told you today?"
"Oh, I was looking through the mail and saw this picture of this guy. I thought he might have been for my 'sister' but I guess it was for me…" I looked up at the sky not worrying about the sun blinding me.
"I have a surprise for you. Maybe it will cheer you up some?" Alice looked a lot less tired now.
"A surprise? Does it have to do with cats?"
"Why is it that you guess that every time and are almost always right?"
"I'm just that smart." The both of us stood up and I fallowed anticipating the best possible thing.
"Look right here." Alice spread the bushes apart and the two of them peered through.
"Ohhhhh! Kittens!" Little purrs and mews were heard from the little tiny creatures, their frames looked so fragile. They weren't newborn but they were getting to the stage where they wanted to start moving around. I started inching my hand in.
"I don't think that's such a good idea Tabby." But Alice went ignored. Though I should have listened.
"Ouch!" The mother cat had bitten me right on the hand and had such an evil glare in her eyes. "Yes, yes, I'm sorry mother cat!"
"It's amazing how you love cats so much yet they never seem to warm up to you." Alice said reaching her hand in and getting a welcoming lick from the mother.
"I'm so envious of you Alice. I think it's because you have such a pure heart. You don't know hate or anger. You only know love and happiness and kindness. I wish I was like you. I wish I grew up like you. My real parents dieing was the hardest thing of my life. I was 6 and being with someone for 6 years and having them leave you…then having to go live with your evil aunt for 12 more years and learning she wants to marry you off. It's just so hard. I'll never have such a pure heart as yours." I swallowed holding back any tears that might have wanted to seep out.
"Tabby…don't say that. You really are a good person. If you weren't I wouldn't be your friend is that reassuring enough?"
"I guess so. I'm really glad someone like you is my friend." I paused for a moment. "You know I wish I was a cat. Free of all ties, independent, elegant and graceful. I think it would be a lovely life."
"Haha indeed it would." Alice Smiled. "By the way you're wearing something quite different today. Well seems more formal I think."
I recalled what she was wearing and gagged inside. I was wearing a white and red dress with some black in random areas with long sleeves and went down to about my knees. Then I wore white and red striped stalkings and black dress shoes. I also wore gloves and a bonnet like thing on my head. The only thing I didn't mind was the stockings the shoes and the dress, except for the long sleeves.
"You don't think… Do you think she told me today because that guy was coming today! How did I even make myself put this stuff on I must have been daydreaming!" I started taking off the gloves and threw them in the dirt to the side.
"Well it's not like it doesn't suit you. It looks really nice with your brown hair." I touched my hair and looked at it. It was a bunch of mixtures of color. It hair light brown, dark bown, and even some tints of red.
"Thanks I guess. Haha." I undid my bonnet and threw it to the side. I looked in my bag for the little white and red ribbon that belonged to my mom and tied it on the side of my head. A few moments later we suddenly heard a voice.
"Fallow me! Miss Tabitha, Miss Alice! Fallow me!" A little white rabbit on two feet with a little coat on, a pair of pants glasses and a large pocket-watch sticking out of his pocket stood only a couple of feet away.
Alice and me just stood there, eyes wide, jaws gaped, staring at the cute little bundle of fur.
"Well we don't have all day hurry chase me, your supposed to chase me!" The little rabbit ran off speeding through the garden, then he stopped jumped and signalled for us to fallow. "It's not fun if you don't chase me!"
I ran immediately. it must have peeked my interest or something. "Hey Tabby wait!" Alice came running following behind me. I fallowed Alice the little white rabbit who had just disappeared around the corner. "Tabitha! Little white rabbit!"
When I turned the corner I lurched to a stop. There was now a full grown man standing in front of me. Not only that but the man had bunny ears and was wearing the exact same clothes as the…no it couldn't be.
"Hey! You couldn't be the little white rabbit could you!?" I ran up to him.
"Well that is a most likely." And with that he pushed me down the hole. I didn't let out a scream but I shut my eyes and just kept falling. Not like there was anything else I could possibly do. This hole seemed never ending. I didn't even know where Alice was now. Would I even make it to see tomorrow?