A/N: Just went to see the film, and must say that it was excellent. What annoyed me though was the unresolved tension between the Mad Hatter and Alice! I wanted her to give him a goodbye kiss on the cheek at least…and the ending. As aptly said by some soul on the Internet, "Alice would not go on a trip to China after telling off all those people and talking nonsense, she would sent to a sanatorium. She is only a young woman in Victorian England."
So, I wanted to write a story (or at least try to) where she does. It doesn't remain like that forever though, don't worry!
Disclaimer: I would be mad to think that I owned any part of Alice in Wonderland.
Prologue - or, "The difference between madness and insanity, according to Alice"
"Madness is tonic and invigorating. It makes the sane more sane. The only ones who are unable to profit by it are the insane." - Henry Miller
Tiptoeing down the silent hall, six-year old Alice Kingsleigh glanced about warily for any servants who could spoil her evening expedition. Making her way to her father's study, she pressed her ear against the closed door, eyes closing to focus her concentration on the flurried conversation presently going on inside.
Her mother's troubled voice rang out. "What is wrong with my daughter, doctor?"
After some silence, Alice heard a deep, resonant voice – a stranger - remark, "There was nothing physically wrong that I could find with her during the examination, Mrs. Kingsleigh. I can only suggest that these strange dreams of hers must stem from a disease in the brain, as my fellow colleagues would so put it. There has been much research done on the subject in these past few years. I must say though, that it is most unusual for the same dream to be dreamt again and again. The detail she gave me was nothing short of incredible."
"Is there anything we can do for her?" This was her father speaking. Alice pressed her ear closer to the wood. She heard some papers being shuffled, and a pen scratching down some words.
"Unfortunately, there is currently no cure for diseases of the brain; however, with proper nutrition and fresh air it seems that many of the insane are getting better. Nevertheless, if the condition persists, that would not help young Alice's future offers of marriage, I'm sure. I've written here the address of a fine institution in the country which has a high recovery rate and –"
Alice jumped as a loud crash sounded in the other room. "NO! I refuse to let my daughter be treated like a pauper lunatic! She may be six-years old, but she is a young lady of respectable class, and I refuse to tarnish her and the rest of my family's reputation by sending her to such a place!"
Silence followed her father's outburst. Alice shivered; she had not heard him yell like that for quite some time.
"Very well, Mr. Kingsleigh," Chairs were shuffled back; Alice leapt to her feet and just managed to scuttle around the corner before her parents and the doctor came out of the room. "Keep your daughter here for now, if you please. Remember – good nutrition and fresh air are essential if she is to recover. If the condition persists though, I strongly suggest you consider the other option."
As the adults' footsteps began fading away, Alice sank to the ground. Her eyes stared blankly at her knees, as though they were new additions to her body. She was still in the same position when her maid found her there ten minutes later.
"Young mistress! What are you doing out her so late?" Numbly, Alice let the fussing maid direct her to her bedroom and put her to bed, whispering an automatic, "Good night," as the maid closed the door.
For the next hour, Alice tossed and turned until she became hopelessly tangled with her sheets. Her mind was in turmoil and kept repeating the last words that she'd heard the doctor say:
"…If the condition persists though, I strongly suggest you consider the other option…"
She shivered; her father wouldn't let them take her away! She was probably mad, but still –
"You are mad, completely bonkers. But let me tell you a secret – all the best people are."
As her father's words of wisdom meandered through her memory, Alice seized onto them like a lifeline. She desperately needed to convince herself that these people were different from the pauper insane that were kept locked up.
'Yes', she thought. 'The best people who are mad would know it's only a dream, but the pauper insane would believe it to be true. And I know that it is only a dream.'
Smiling at the conclusion she'd reached, Alice smiled as her mind settled down to sleep. She was all right – she was mad, but of the class where the best people were likewise. As long as her father was there to protect her, she would be safe.
A/N: Next chapter will start Alice's adventures in the present day. I hope you liked the prologue! Constructive criticism and other comments are much appreciated :)
Next chapter: "In which the rest of the company react to Alice's declarations."