A: Hey everyone, I've had this idea for a while, and I've just recently started making this idea a reality. I have no promises on updates being punctual, but I'm trying for ever Sunday until I finish it ( if I do) Sorry to those who want me to continue Brooms and Detentions, I don't know if I'll be continuing that any more. Please don't kill me!

Anyway, constructive criticism is appreciated. Flames will be ignored Blah Blah Blah...

" Alice! Alice, Help!" Someone was screaming. She tried to find them in the darkness. Because there was no telling which direction she was facing or where she needed to get, Alice started running. The agonized screams didn't stop, didn't slow. But as she ran, the voices seemed to grow quieter, quickly becoming a mere echo. Suddenly the floor fell from beneath her feet. She tried to scream, but no words escaped as she plummeted into the abyss of sightlessness.

" Don't dawdle, Alice. We'll be late." She hit the ground, quite lightly, in fact. A white rabbit in a waistcoat looked at her, silver pocket watch in hand. His pink nose twitched. Alice obediently followed him. The pair ran through a beautiful countryside. Alice thought it a bit strange that no one was out on such a lovely day. So quickly the country melted away into a dark forest of giant mushrooms. Just as quickly, the giant colorful mushrooms that blotted out the sun stopped, leaving Alice in a garden. The flowers seemed to whisper, but she decided that it must have been the wind as she continued on. Where she was going, she couldn't tell. Music alerted her that someone was a head. Alice followed the path carefully. As she turned a corner the garden opened up to a fenced yard. A funny looking man with a tall hat and a brown jackrabbit sat at an impossibly long table. There must have been three dozen chairs, of all shapes and sizes. Food and countless varieties of tea pots filled nearly every inch of the table. The hare took a drink of tea, then spit it out, quite comically, when he noticed Alice. The man jumped up, proving to be short, and by the way he maneuvered piles of hats, Alice guessed he was a hatter. He pushed through the gate, seized Alice's hand and led her through the maze of hats, of all sorts, as he talked.

" My dear, we have no room. And it's very, very rude to sit down when you haven't been invited." Alice opened her mouth to protest, but everything disappeared with a pop, leaving her alone once more. She looked around, startled by the sudden silence and the pure blackness of the world around her. She took a step back and tumbled. There was no left, no right, no up or down. Yet she could feel the wind whipping around her.

" Who's painted my roses red?!" A high pitched voice realized she was in a bush, only after the leaves and branches were parted. She was gruffly grabbed by the collar and yanked out. She was face to face with a beautiful woman, dressed in deep reds and what seemed to be the purest of whites. Around her, cards stood at attention, awaiting orders.

" Off with your head!" The queen screamed. Alice was carried off before anything else could be said. She was led through the castle, made of cards, naturally. In what she guessed was a courtyard, was a guillotine made of black wood. The blade glinted in the sun. Alice was laid on her back, looking at the thin blade, over ten feet above her neck. Alice heard drums start to beat. Slowly, smoke started to appear around her head. First blue to match the sky, then a light purple, and yellow and green. She started coughing as the vile smoke filled her lungs.

" Alice, get your lazy ass up!" Irabeth screamed in her ear, puffing white cigarette smoke into her face. Alice jerked awake, coughing. The clock next to her bed read 7 pm. The battery must be dead. " Go get me some more beer." She ordered. Alice rolled over, grumbling.

" Don't let minors buy beer." Her skin sizzled quietly as her mother pressed her cigarette into the back of Alice's neck. Alice winced, but didn't make a move to do anything.

" I don't give a fuck. Get some." Alice sighed as her Irabeth stumbled out of the tiny room.

Ten minutes later, Alice stood at the counter of the corner market.

" I'm gonna need I.D." The man said. Alice slid him a fifty.

" No you don't." The man studied her for a moment before picking up the bill.

" Enjoy your day." He said, giving her a creepy smile. She rolled her eyes, taking the bag from the counter. She walked back out into the cold spring rain. She walked quickly, trying not to take too long. Her day would suck if she wasn't quick enough for Irabeth. A gust of freezing wind pushed rain into Alice's eyes. If only her sweatshirt wasn't full of holes. Her mother was particularly fond of putting her cigarettes out with Alice's skin. She couldn't even count the little circular burns she had. Every piece of clothing Alice had was full of holes. Her high-top converse were worn thin on the bottom, her jeans ripped and stained with blood from when she couldn't evade her mother. Her shirts were usually too small, not that she would ever complain. With as much as the Wicked Witch of the West drank, Alice was lucky to get food, let alone clothes that fit. She couldn't help smiling at her little analogy. Irabeth did remind her of a witch. Her nose was slightly crooked, eyes sunk and ringed with dark circles. Alice's dark hair stuck to her forehead, making it even harder to see.

Her mind drifted back to her dream as she walked. She couldn't remember a lot, but she couldn't help thinking about the screaming at the beginning of her dream. She felt as though she recognized the voice, just couldn't place it. She tried to recall what had made the person scream. No such luck. As she drew near the hell hole she called a home, she wondered.

What if I ran away, just didn't go home? Irabeth probably wouldn't even notice until she sobered up, which would be eventual, since I have her beer. By that time, could I be far enough away?

This was a trick question, as there was no such thing as too far from Irabeth Liddell. The woman was a menace to society, the worst of the worst. She wouldn't be missed by anyone. Alice was suddenly struck by a brilliant thought.

" I'll kill her." She whispered, thankful that no one was around to hear her. And it's completely possible to get away with too. She realized with satisfaction. dropping one cigarette on the alcohol drenched carpet or counter and- " Boom." She said aloud, unable to contain her joy. She took a deep breath, lingering just outside her front door, finally deciding. She'd take it for a few more days, until she could pull off an accidental fire.

The next three days were hell as Alice got beat for ' spilling' as much highly flammable liquids as possible. Three bottles of 151 Rum, probably ten cans of spray hair shit she found in the bathroom, whatever other flammable stuff she could get her hands on. Finally, Alice dumped a whole bottle of her mom's Everclear 95% proof alcohol on her mom's bed, receiving four burns, three cuts ( from the broken alcohol bottle) and probably 15 new bruises. But it was going to be worth it. Alice kept telling herself this. Going to be worth it. Going to be worth it.

And it was. At precisely 7:05, Alice stood over her mother, passed out on her bed. Alice had met her at the door with a beer, in which she'd put a handful of crushed sleeping pills. Alice smiled, taking out her lighter. When the damn thing wouldn't light, she went into the kitchen to get some matches. Sitting on the counter was a blue and green caterpillar. Alice squinted at it. It seemed familiar, even though she was not known to like bugs, of any kind. On any normal day, Alice wouldn't have looked any closer, but at that moment, she could have sworn that there was a small cloud of colorful- something, around it. For a reason unknown to her, she picked up the tiny animal and put it in her pocket before grabbing the match book. She struck a match and ran.