Another Wonderland Part One
Kayla Johnson
"Are you going to answer me miss Liddell or continue to fiddle with your gown?" The nurse barked at me with her unpleasant, scratchy voice.
I continued to pull at the loose threads in my hospital gown, and hummed softly to myself, ignoring her question.
"Alice, you will answer me at once! Or do I need to retrieve Dr. Burns?" She threatened.
I released my tattered gown and slowly lifted my head to gaze at her through my veil of raven hair.
"Hmm, did you say something?" I asked innocently, batting my long lashes for affect.
The nurse's red, painted lips thinned, and an angry blush bloomed on her plump cheeks
"Were you daydreaming of that ridiculous 'Wonderland' again; is that why you missed my question?"
I looked down at my spotless hands; "oh dear it appears I've spilled Mr. Hatter's tea all over my hands! Might I wash them?"
She rolled her eyes and gave a snort. "You are truly helpless, I will make sure Dr. Burns knows that your illusions are ever present!"
She stood and grabbed my arm roughly, pulling me off my small wire, framed bed. She proceeded to drag me out of the room and down the hall to the restroom, where she shoved me in. "Make it quick!" She slammed the door behind me and I could hear her heavy footsteps retreating down the hall.
I padded on bare feet up to the mirror, hung over the hand sink and stared into it intently.
My reflection's face scrunched up, when I saw nothing but the pale young woman, with slight dark rings under her violet eyes.
"Rabbit, where are you?" I whispered frantically, running my hands over the pane of glass. Even though the first time I had entered Wonderland it had been through a rabbit hole, Hatter had told me that I could always return through a mirror if I looked hard enough. I prayed that this dingy, mirror could serve as my looking glass. I couldn't take another year in this mad house; with its experiments and cruel doctors, I needed an escape. I could never return home though, my parents would just send me back. No, Wonderland was the only place I could go.
"Time's up miss Liddell, time to come out!" The nurse's bellow sunk through the door.
"Bloody hell, couldn't you have waited but a minute longer?" I grumbled under my breath. I had no time to waste. Tearing off a long strip of my gown, I wound it around one of my hands, then turned back to the mirror and smashed my cloth, wrapped fist into it. The mirror shattered on impact, like a stone plunking into the water and causing a rippling effect.
"What was that? What are you doing in there?" The nurse cried out from the other side of the door. I heard the doorknob creaking, and I knew she must be fumbling to unlock it. I quickly grabbed a shard of the mirror and hid it within the folds of my dress, right as the door burst open.
The nurse rushed in accompanied by a rather large guard, dressed all in white. Her beady eyes landed first on the mirror fragments that littered the tiled floor, then raised to the young woman standing amidst the wreckage.
"What have you done, you wretched girl?! She hissed at me.
I merely cocked my head to the side, and clasped my hands behind my back. "I saw the Jabberwocky in the mirror; I stopped him from coming through, no need to thank me."
She glared at me in return and turned to the guard at her side. "Take her back to her room and lock her up tight, she will be going without supper tonight!"
I smiled smugly, loving that I was causing my tormentor such angst. "That is quite alright with me; I had one too many scones at Mr. Hatter's tea party."
"Get her out of my sight now! Dr. Burns will deal with her come morning," she snarled to the guard.
I instinctively took a step back as the guard approached me, his burly arms outstretched to claim me. I let out a whoosh of air as he grabbed me and threw me over his shoulder like I was a sack of luggage.
He turned around and carried me down the plain white corridors, to my prison. Once we arrived he flung me onto the bed and disappeared back through the heavy metal door. Once I heard the click of the lock, I stood and shook at my gown until the mirror shard tumbled out of its folds. I snatched it up like it was a rare treasure, and retreated back onto my bed, crossing my legs under me as I studied it. When I saw nothing but a sliver of my own reflection, I turned it over to the other side and stared at it once again; still nothing.
Frustrated I bit at my rosy lips and turned the shard in every direction.
"Hatter, Rabbit, Chesire!" I listed the names, hoping one of them would respond.
I listened carefully, but the only thing I could hear was the mutterings and wails of other patients down the hall.
"This is hopeless! Hatter you are truly mad!" I vented, tossing the shard across the room. It hit the wall and spiraled to the floor, where it landed harmlessly.
I drew my legs up to me and wrapped my arms around them, burying my face atop my knees.
"I don't understand, what do I have to do?" I sniffled like a young girl despite being nineteen years of age.
"Alice? Is that you Alice?" A timid voice called out.
My head whipped up at the sound, and I stumbled off the bed in my haste to get to the shard.
I grabbed it, careful not to cut myself on its sharp edge as I brought it up to my face. A pair of small, red eyes greeted me.
"Rabbit!" I squealed out in joy.
The only thing that was visible on the thin shard of glass was the eyes, and I noted that they narrowed at me.
"You sound faintly of Alice, but you are far too old to be Alice," Rabbit argued.
This caused my heart to sink; that my childhood friend did not recognize me.
"Oh course it's me Rabbit! I've grown that is all." I explained.
The eyes studied me again, but for a bit longer this time. "Those beautiful violet eyes, oh my great goodness it is Alice!" He cried excitedly.
"Rabbit, how do I enter Wonderland?" I asked with a hint of urgency.
"Why, just step through a Looking Glass of course," he replied like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"I've tried staring into a mirror like Hatter instructed me but it's not working!" I vexed.
"Oh Alice, still as silly as ever I see. You can't simply just stare into a mirror and expect to be whisked away to Wonderland; you have to envision it in your mind and wish to go there."
"I wish to return there more than anything, things are not pleasant here in my world," I admitted sadly.
"I'm sorry to hear that miss Alice, but unfortunately Wonderland is not faring much better," Rabbit replied with a sense of foreboding.
"How so?" I asked tilting my head in concern.
The beady, red eyes darted back and forth frantically. "I can not say more; too many ears could be listening in on us through the looking glass.
"People can hear us conversing?" The thought chilled me, as I thought of who could possibly be listening in.
"I've said too much! Either come or stay, but I must leave; I am running late! Good day miss Alice," Rabbit dismissed, before disappearing from view.
"Rabbit! Rabbit, come back!" I whispered harshly.
When no eyes reappeared I sat back and grumbled to myself. "Just come through the looking glass Alice he says; it's simple he says. If it's so easy why haven't I gotten through?"
"Okay Alice you can do this, just clear your mind and imagine Wonderland."
I cupped the mirror shard in both hands and took a deep breath as I closed my eyes. I pictured Wonderland's forest with its trees in impossible shades, and the towering flowers that showered petals that could crush. Then, even though it was an unpleasant memory, I thought of the Red Queen's garden. I could almost smell the roses, that dripped blood like an open wound. I could hear the soft applause as the Queen's court watched her score another hole in her twisted spin on croquet. Last, I thought of my favorite place in Wonderland; the Mad Hatter's cottage, with the long tea table covered with treats and trinkets right outside. My mouth watered, as I savored the memory of the buttery scones dipped in sugar, and the sweet teas.
Through my closed lids I could make out a bright light, and hear a faint thrumming. I opened my eyes and gasped in wonderment, at the glowing, pulsing shard in my hands. Suddenly the room around me began to shift, as the bed rose higher and higher and the hands on the clock on the wall began to spin in a flurry of motion. Then as quickly as the commotion had begun it came to a sudden halt. I held my arms out to balance myself as the room stopped spinning. Once it was still, I glanced over at the mirror shard and realized, that the room had not grown, I had shrunk.
I slowly crept over to the shard, that was now larger than me. I bent down and touched the surface with a fingertip, and nearly jumped when it began to ripple like water underneath my touch.
I think I understand; I believe I need to enter through the shard itself.
"Well I hope this works," I murmured, hitching up my skirt with both of my hands and stepping out onto the surface. I let out a cry as I was immediately pulled under, like a stone sinking into a pond. I couldn't see anything as I spiraled downwards in a series of flips and tumbles, my gown billowing up around me. My screams echoed the childish wails that had arisen from me when I had fallen like this, so many years ago.
I seemed to be descending through an endless dark pit, my stomach rising in protest and my long hair whipping against my face repeatedly.
I don't remember it taking this long the last time I came to Wonderland; perhaps I am plunging into Hell instead.
No sooner had the eerie thought entered my mind, when I glimpsed a sliver of light, growing larger and larger the closer I drew.
I finally slipped through the mouth of darkness, and landed in an ungraceful heap on solid ground. "Ouch that bloody hurt!" I hissed, pushing to my feet, and rubbing my back with both hands. Once the pain in my back subsided, I turned and took in my surroundings. I was in a small clearing, that I instantly recognized; it was not far from Hatter's house.
I started to begin my trek there, when I looked down and noticed I was not wearing the raggedy dress I had shown up in, but a more womanly version of the dress I had worn when I came to Wonderland as a child. It was a dark blue dress, that had thin straps for sleeves and was cut low enough to show a hint of breast. The bottom part of the dress fell to my knees, and swished around me when I moved side to side to inspect it.
"Now how did I get into this?" I wondered aloud as I walked over to a nearby creek and studied my reflection. My clothes were not the only thing that had changed. My hair was no longer a mess of tangles; its shiny strands cascading down my back to reach for my waist. I also observed that the dark shadows that had marred my appearance had been replaced by a healthy, pink blush.
"Well that's interesting," I whispered in awe of my rejuvenated appearance.
Still shaking my head in wonderment, I turned on my heel and followed the cobbled stone path that I remembered quite well despite the time that had passed since I had last tread it. As I walked, I could sense that something was off in Wonderland. I sensed a darkness that caused the trees I passed to curl in on themselves; that caused the air I breathed to thicken.
If the Red Queen was still alive, I would blame her for what I am experiencing now. No, she is gone, I defeated her myself." I reassured myself.
I continued on down the path, lost in my thoughts until I finally glimpsed the smoke rising from Hatter's chimney. I smiled, as I imagined him inside cooking his famous tea time treats.
"Hatter!" I called out, putting on a burst of speed as I closed the rest of the distance to his small cottage, and began rapping on the door with eager knuckles.
I heard a clanking on the other side as if a pan had been dropped, then hasty footsteps clicking towards the door. The door creaked open only a tad, and only an eye was visible through it. When the eye swiveled down to fall on me it widened.
"Alice?" The voice, with a slight timbre asked.
"Yes, it's me." I nodded, pleased that he had recognized me.
Before I could protest, the door swooshed open and Hatter wrapped a gloved hand around my wrist and tugged me inside, before slamming and locking the door behind him. He leaned against the door as he studied me, and I in turn studied him.
He looked exactly the same as when I had first met him. He had a stern, but handsome face that had a slight shadow cast over it from his top hat. His wild, blood red hair curled at his neck and brought out his dark brown eyes.
"You look...Different." He commented, finally breaking the silence.
I gave a small shrug of my shoulders; "that's what happens when you age."
"Not for me," he pointed out bluntly.
"Well, not everyone can keep their good looks forever," I teased nervously, uncomfortable with the scowl that seemed to be etched on his face.
"You shouldn't have come here," he grunted pushing off the door and making his way over to a steaming kettle.
I flinched at the evident displeasure in his voice. "I only wished to visit you; I've missed everyone terribly..." I trailed off.
He shook his head. "Oh Alice you may have grown but you are still as foolish as a child," he tsked.
I glared at him; if he kept this up I would be steaming along with the kettle. "Why are you speaking to me so rudely? I thought we were once friends!"
He took his time in answering, as he turned a knob on the stove to kill the heat, and that just angered me more.
"Only a child would come to Wonderland to visit, ignorant of the danger it faces," he responded plainly.
"And what is that exactly? It can't be any worse than the horrors I've faced in my world!" I snapped.
"Did you not sense the darkness out there, causing Wonderland to wither under its touch?" He asked, while walking over with the tea kettle to a nearby table and pulling out a chair to sit on. He poured himself a cup and took a long, savoring sip.
"I noticed that something was odd." I remarked. "Would you care to tell me what is going on here?"
He waved an arm to the open seat across from me. "Sit and I will explain since you seem to be in no hurry to leave," he scoffed.
I walked over to the chair still pondering why Hatter was acting so cold towards me. When I was a child he had been nothing but kind and welcoming. I slid into the chair and stared at him expectantly.
He sat his cup down with a clink and folded his hands on the table. "Recently, Wonderland has begun to 'rot' if you will; everything is darkening and the air is thick with untamed magic. I detected that the magic had Queen Red's familiar rose scent, and upon speaking with Caterpillar, he confirmed that it indeed appeared to be her magic.
"That's impossible!" I interrupted, leaning forward, causing my dark hair to whip with it.
"Let me finish dear Alice; he said that it was the Queen's magic, but it was not she who cast it."
My nose scrunched in confusion. "I don't understand, how is that even possible?"
Hatter smirked, and in turn answered my question with one of his own. "Tell me Alice, what did the Red Queen always have with her?"
I closed my eyes to think, and remembered that whenever I had seen the Queen she had always had a scepter with a heart as it's top. She had once even leveled the scepter at me, when she declared that I would be beheaded.
"Her scepter..." I whispered, in reply.
"Correct, perhaps you are not as foolish as I thought."
I glowered at him with my deep violet eyes and he just chuckled before continuing.
"While the Queen was indeed terrifying in her own right; it was the scepter that gave her magic. That heart atop the scepter is no ordinary heart, it is the very heart of Wonderland. So whoever controls the heart-"
"Controls Wonderland," I finished.
He nodded. "We believe that the Queen's scepter was stolen from wherever it was hidden, and that whoever is in possession of it is using it for their own ends."
I clutched a hand over my stomach as if that alone would be enough to stop it from dropping. "Why didn't Rabbit tell me?" I wavered.
Hatter's red eyebrows shot up. "So it was Rabbit that convinced you to return; of course he would fail to mention our current predicament. I should skin him for this," Hatter grumbled.
"He mentioned that all was not as it was, but he said he could not say more in case someone was listening in on us through the looking glass." I rushed out, hoping to save Rabbit from Hatter's wrath.
Hatter sighed wearily. "That was a good call I must admit for we can only assume that the looking glass is being watched intensely by whoever has the scepter. We wouldn't want them to know that Alice, the savior of Wonderland has returned."
"I'm hardly a savior, I defeated the Red Queen, nothing more"
"That is not what the people of Wonderland think; they are forever grateful to you for freeing them from the bloody reign of the Red Queen." Hatter argued.
Before I could respond, I was startled by the piercing cry of a familiar voice.
"Rabbit!" I cried, pushing from my chair and bolting for the door. I was stopped when Hatter swiftly grabbed me and pulled me to him, where I collided with his chest.
"Do not be stupid Alice and go charging into something without first seeing what it is." He chided against my ear before releasing me and striding over to look out the window.
"Well, well, well it appears to be Rabbit. Running late as usual perhaps?" He chuckled, then quickly cut off when he saw what Rabbit was running from.
"Impossible! It can't be!" He exclaimed.
"What, what is it?" I asked coming up to look out the window beside him. My eyes instantly widened in horror.
"It's the Bandersnatch! We killed it when I was here last, how is it back?"
"From the smell of roses, I would have to assume its been resurrected by the scepter," Hatter replied still mystified.
Not wanting to waste another second I grabbed the first thing I could find that would work as a weapon, which happened to be a fire poker.
Not giving Hatter another chance to stop me I threw open the cottage door and ran out, ignoring his demands that I get back inside. My bare feet slapped at the stones, as I ran down the path to meet Rabbit and the Bandersnatch. When Rabbit saw me he instantly ran behind me and gripped tightly to my dress, quivering.
"Alice kill that beast once more!" He begged, before scampering off in the direction of the cottage.
"Thank you ever so kindly for the support Rabbit." I bit out right before the Bandersnatch lunged into my line of sight. It began to circle me like the large, muscular cat it resembled. It was because of the Bandersnatch that when I returned home, I had been terrified of cats.
It paused in its circular dance for a second too long and I knew it was preparing to attack. I jumped back right before its teeth clamped over the spot I had just been.
"I don't know how you came back, but I can understand that you would be angry at me for killing you before," I let out in a ragged breath.
He growled and then pounced again, and this time I was not so lucky. His giant paw swung out in an arc, tearing bloody rows on my upper arm. I screamed in pain, and felt tears sting my eyes.
I was just grateful that he had struck my non-dominant arm. I bit my tongue against the pain and charged at the Bandersnatch, poker raised and ready. Before I could make contact, the beast flew over onto its side, letting out a roar. I glanced over to see a furious Hatter glaring at me.
"I told you not to be stupid Alice, and that was stupid." He then turned his attention away just in time to catch his top hat as it flew back to him, blades sticking out of the brim. I had seen Hatter use his hat as a weapon before and it was a very fascinating one at that. The top hat could be thrown like a boomerang, and knives would eject from the brim.
"Sorry for not standing by and watching Rabbit get killed!" I quipped, already getting back into a fighting stance as the beast pushed back to its feet. Hatter immediately threw his hat back at the Bandersnatch, only this time the beast dodged it and the hat became imbedded in a nearby tree trunk.
I heard Hatter shout a word that would have earned me a slap to the face if I had spoken it back in London.
"Hold on Alice, I'll draw it over to me as I get my hat." Hatter called to me, before making a dash for the tree, the tails of his jacket flapping behind him.
He'll never make it, the Bandersnatch is too fast! Knowing what I must do, I drew the large cat's attention back to me.
"Come here, you bloody twit of a beast!" I mocked, waving my arms over my head.
My plan worked and the beast turned back to me and came running, full trot. When the great cat was within striking distance, I mirrored its earlier action and lunged forward, plunging the poker's tip into its heart. The Bandersnatch's slitted eyes widened in shock then closed, as I yanked the poker free of its chest in a spurt of blood.
As soon as the beast slunk to the ground, I fell to my knees breathing heavily.
Hatter returned a moment later and examined the fallen beast.
"That was impressive, but foolish," he remarked as he came over to scoop me up into his arms.
"Come, let us tend to your wound and speak with our Rabbit."
I thumbed through another page of the book I was reading on the beasts of Wonderland, when a timid knock sounded on the door to my study.
"You may enter!" I boomed out, eyes still roaming over the print in front of me.
A moment later the door creaked open as the captain of my guards entered and immediately took a knee in front of me.
"I assume you have a good reason for disturbing me while I am in my study?" I asked, with a warning lift of one brow.
"Indeed, sire," the captain spoke, still kneeling.
I flicked my arm lazily, "you may rise now."
The knight nodded and pushed to his feet. "I wanted to report to you that the looking glass has captured an interesting sight that I thought would please you my king."
I leaned forward in my cushioned seat, my long blonde-white hair rustling. "And what might that be?" I asked, feigning boredom, when I really was quite intent to learn what he had for me.
"I thought it might please you more to see it for yourself my king, so I brought a looking glass for you to view it through," the knight said proudly.
"Well then, let us watch it together," I said.
The captain nodded, then pulled out a small mirror adjourned in a silver frame, then tapped its surface with his finger. The mirror rippled slightly, before a scene began to play out within it. I watched intently as the Bandersnatch chased the well- known White Rabbit through a forest, but that didn't interest me. It was the woman standing at the end of the path as if awaiting their arrival that fascinated me. She wore nothing but a deep, blue gown that clung to her curves, and matched with her stunning violet eyes. I noticed she held something in one hand and I looked closer to see that it appeared to be a fire poker.
"Now what is she going to do with that?" I mused, the corners of my lips quirking in a smile. My question was soon answered as the woman began to fight the beast, her waist length hair flying around her as she moved. She sustained a deep injury to the arm but still she didn't falter. Another person came into view and I instantly recognized who my court referred to as the Mad hatter. He intervened in the fight in an attempt to save the woman, but I could tell she would not need his help; she was glorious.
The Mad Hatter faded from view again and I watched as the woman taunted the beast, her arms open as if to welcome it. I held my breath in anticipation as the beast lunged forward and she met it with a poker to the heart. The woman then crumpled to her knees and the scene ended with the Mad Hatter carrying her towards a cottage. I sat back in my chair, disappointed that the scene had ended. That was perhaps the most beautiful woman I had ever seen, and her bravery made her all the more stunning.
I turned to my guard. "Who was that woman?" I demanded.
"I believe the Mad Hatter called her Alice, my king." The knight replied.
This caught me off guard; I had been so entranced at the sight of her I hadn't even heard when her name was spoken.
"Is she the Alice, that defeated the Red Queen?" I asked, more to myself than to my guard.
"I can not say for certain, as I have never met the famous Alice."
Could this be the Alice that as a child overthrew the Red Queen? Could this be the girl the realm called savior? I certainly thought this woman was brave enough to be the child legend of Wonderland, but I would never know unless I met her and I wanted, no needed to meet this captivating woman.
"I want you to find where this Alice is and bring her to me, I must meet her." I ordered my captain of the guard.
"Yes, my king," the knight bowed low before exiting the study.
Once I was alone, I cupped the mirror between my hands and willed this Alice to appear again.
The end for now...