Alice: back through the looking glass
The window was painted with a scene of old london. The houses and businesses of old london town seemed to have placed themselves neatly like pieces of a chessboard, a game Alice had been practising more often since her supposed 'dream'. Many people alike who called themselves friends and associates off her family, often business ones of her father's, seemed to take some note in the girl's behaviour, as she herself was very odd, even before her 'dreams' which she seldom spoke about. Alot of them called Alice 'mad girl' or some other upper class insult. Always behind the family's back of course, but they, especially Alice much to her non amusement, heard them from time to time. Her parents were embarrassed by this indeed, they would not allow their daughter to behave in such a way and make them look ridiculous in front of the fellow aristocrats of london.
The window she was staring through now, which was the one painting the scene, reminded her of the gateway to her world on her last venture to it. The looking glass. "Alice? Alice?" a female voice called from the front of the room next to a chalkboard. This voice brought Alice out of her gazing. "Oh yes sorry" Alice snapped out of her gazing and bring her attention towards her older sister tutoring her a lesson. "What is the answer to the question I just asked you?" her sister asked sternly. "10 squared is 100 and 11 squared is 121" Alice smiled. "Alice, that is not the question i asked you. Do you even know what it was?" It seemed her sister was asking her two questions now, a question and what was that question. "Well it was, it was, oh i don't know what it was" she gave in as she could find no memory of what her sister's previous question was.
"It was what is the name of an angle over 90 degrees. Alice what is the point of homeschooling you if you never pay attention" her sister scolded placing her hands on her hips. "Well, perhaps making the lessons more interesting" Alice innocently suggested. "I've tried to Alice, i've taken you out to the fields and the parks for some refreshing scenery. Yet you still don't pay attention." "I don't mean the location of the lesson's, I mean the lesson's themselves. Surely there is an arithmetic book out there with fun pictures" Alice hoped. "I'm afraid not Alice. You are going to have to take responsibility for your own learning Alice you know" her sister retorted. "Well that day has not arrived yet" pointed out Alice. Seeing it was pointless to carry on this conversation to a pointless end, her sister decided it was time to dismiss the 12 year old, after glancing at the clock. "You may go now Alice, we'll continue this tomorrow." Her sister packed up the chalk and rubbed off the drawings they had made.
Eager to leave the session, Alice packed up her belongings she took to every lesson and made it look like she was doing so at a normal pace, to not give away her eagerness. She left the room with her sister whom had closed the door and Alice proceeded to her room, intending to pack her things away. When she opened the drawer however to do so, she was startled by her kitten, Dinah. "Oh!" Alice dropped most of her things as she flung her arms in the air when Dinah appeared from inside the drawer. "Oh Dinah you naughty kitten." She picked up the feline who seemed to be smiling, though she wasn't quite sure what to make of smiling feline's anymore, she couldn't help but return the gesture. "What have i told you about sneaking up and surprising me like that" Alice shook her finger. She soon stopped after she drew a parallel of her sister scolding her earlier. Dinah cast her eyes to the ground but Alice softened. "Oh i can't stay mad at an adorable thing like you" She pressed her face against Dinah's and smiled, quite glad she didn't talk like a human, the last cat she saw do that, spoke in nothing but riddles and poems.
She then put Dinah down and continued to put away her items as she originally planned to do. While she did, Dinah started meowing over by the clock in her room, trying to get Alice's attention. "Just a minute Dinah, i'm busy right now with-" she glanced slightly at Dinah and the clock then whipped her head around as she realised. "It's 4 o'clock, why i'm supposed to be at the meeting point in half an hour" she gasped. "Thank you for reminding me Dinah, I'd better hurry, if i am to get there on time." She finished putting away her things and hurried down the stairs of her three story house. Dinah jumped into her front pocket of her skirt while she was running. Being a cat, Dinah did this with no trouble or effort whatsoever. Alice thought she had better ask her parents permission first before running off like that. She stepped into the front room of the larger than necessary house to ask for what she was hoping to receive. "Mother, Father, my lessons have finished now, may i go out to the town now?" asked Alice. Although she asked to do this everyday, she still thought she'd better get permission. "Yes you can dear, but wait a moment first." Alice quickly turned around again at her mother's second part of her sentence.
"Alice dear, your father and i have been talking. Your sister has just told us that were day dreaming in your lesson again." Her mother put down the knitting needles next to the chair she sitting in. "Alice you have to learn that every action has a consequence, if you don't pay attention in lessons where will you end up?" her father stood up from his chair. "I was only daydreaming for a while, just about the-" but Alice was cut off by her mother. "Oh Alice not that silly little wonderland dream again" her mother sighed. "It was not a dream, it actually happened. At least, i think it happened-" "Alice I've told you this before, If you do not take any responsibility, or plan things ahead, you could end up in serious trouble" scorned her father. "Your father's right Alice, and you are to start learning to think things through right now, we forbid to go out today, you are to think about that." "But mother-" Alice protested. "No but's young lady, up to your room now" ordered her mother. Alice realised this would not allow her to do her favourite activities of the day. She sulked and replied "yes mother" and left the room.
With a frustrated look on her face, and her arms crossed, she made her way up to the stairs, Dinah looking up sadly at her. In the front room her parents continued talking. "Oh i hate being hard on her dear" Alice's mother admitted. "I know, i do too, but you hear what she says about, rabbit's and cheshire cat's and talking chess pieces" her father reminded. "She has embarrassed us before in front of our friends, but hopefully she'll learn before it get's her into trouble" hoped her mother. But what the two authorities of the house didn't know was, a window was being opened. "Don't worry Dinah, no one come up here in my room most of the time anyway, we'll be back before any realises we're gone" Alice assured the worried cat. Dinah just looked back at the door then at Alice. "I suppose you'd better come with me, i don't want you giving me away." With that, Alice put Dinah in the front pocket she was in before, and climbed out the window and onto the roof next to it. She wasn't a very good climber herself, but she knew the house structure well and proceeded to the drain pipe which she climbed down.