Warning: This story is not a very happy-go-lucky story. It has scenes of every day life (for some people). There IS violence, abuse, bad words and naughty things. If you do not wish to read about anything nasty, then I think you should consider going back and choosing a different story to read. However, if you feel that you can handle some very dark scenes, then congratulations. Read on.

ALERT:Oh, and if you do not feel like reading a very dark story but you'd like to read some of my work, I will be posting some more happy stories very soon, so you can wait for them, if you'd like.

Alice was trapped.

Her cage was not within iron bars, or in a cage like the singing canary in the parlour room. No, her cage was wrought with the rules and orders of her New Life.

The girl in question sat on a soft window seat, her blonde hair alight with streaks of sunlight. Her soft blue eyes sought out something far away, across the meadows and into the darkened forest. At first, if you just happened to pass the room, this is what you would see. A glance, just at the surface and not beneath or above. However, if you took a moment, perhaps paused in the doorway, you would realise the drooping way she held her shoulders, the body shape that meant that her upper body was confined with a corset, and her stockinged feet. Of course, if you looked even closer, you would see her tempting lips speak whispered song.

Hush-a-bye,

Don't you cry,

You'll return,

One day soon.

The whispered words were just that – a secret, words carried but not meant to be heard.

But, of course, you would never walk past this door, or have the chance to pause and wonder…

For the house was an empty shell, housing a man of business and vile, and a young woman, who chased faraway dreams of a place called

Wonderland.

CHAPTER ONE: Whispers

Alice was hot and bothered. Her stockings clung to her legs, restricting her almost as much as the heavy dress that had hardly a movement within it at all. Her breaths came out in short gasps for air, the hard corset pressing in on her chest from all directions.

"Alice." The man clutching her arm in a death grip whispered harshly. "Would you be quiet!"

Alice narrowed her eyes but kept a small frozen smile on her face, making her look quite mad. "I'm suffocating!" She whispered back, just as firmly.

The man nodded at a man as he rushed Alice past. Finally he reached a small alcove and pushed her inside roughly.

Alice tumbled against the stone wall, doubled over as she tried to catch her breath. For a minute there was only the sound of her breathing, before she stood and rubbed her arm. She met the stormy grey eyes of Lord Damon and her own blue eyes grew cold.

"Are you done?" He growled, reaching for her.

Twenty five year old Alice dodged his hand and crossed her arms resolutely. "No! I didn't even want to come to this party in the first place!"

Damon stepped towards her, seething. "You have no say in what we do! You are just there to look pretty!" He looked her up and down with distaste. "And you can't even do that!"

Alice, who had stepped away again at his searching eyes, fumed. She had half the mind to slap him, to tell him to stuff his thoughts up his-

"Enough." Lord Damon announced and grabbed her hip. His hand slid down to her thigh.

Alice turned and did the only thing she thought of.

The slap rang out in the stone space. She breathed hard. Her eyes opened wide as she stumbled backwards. Her hand reached up to her cheek and her eyes watered.

Lord Damon tightened his grip on her upraised hand, and his other rand retracted from Alice's face and returned to his side.

Alice was shocked. A man before had never slapped her. It hurt a lot more than being slapped by her sister. She expected to see a large red mark on her face when she looked into her mirror that evening. But for now, she lowered her hand and glared furiously at Lord Damon.

He was smirking and the sight of her furious eyes only fuelled his spite. Perhaps a little intoxicated by that evening's drinks, he shoved her backwards and she fell.

Suddenly, as though noticing his change in demeanour, she tried to get up, but he pushed her down and raised his fist.

Alice slipped into her thoughts. She thought of lovely words that started with W.

Winter. Waffles. Waking. Wallflower. Waltz. Want. Wardrobe. Warm.

She smiled languidly.

Warrior. Water. Wash. Waterfall. Waterlily. Watermelon. Wattlebird.

Her eyes started to flutter shut. She curled tighter into a ball, her body and mind disconnected.

Wave. Wayward. Weary… Weep… Weird… Welcome, Welfare-

"Wench!" Lord Damon rumbled as he swung.

Alice giggled, how strange. Wench.

Whistling, whirling, whisk, wilting, whooping, wiggling, wild, will, window, wink, wisdom,

Whisper…

Wish…

"Wonderland…"

A/N: There we go, first chapter I have ever written on Alice In Wonderland. Just a repeat - it is based of the wonderful Tim Burton's visualisation of Alice in Wonderland - his movie of 2010.