Alice sat, reading her book.
The laugh of the purple cat echoed in the tree above her.
She shook it off and went back to her reading.
What an interesting noise...
There it was again. That laugh... That deep, insane laugh.
"You must kill every evil being so they don't follow you to the surface."
Every evil being? Hmm...
The laugh came about one last time, before suddenly, the purple cat jumped from the tree and landed lightly in front of Alice and her book. He sat and whipped his tail menacingly.
"Hello, Alice."
Alice set her book down and looked ahead. There sat the cat, staring at her with his big, yellow eyes.
"We're ALL mad here. We'll kill to get what we want...what we need."
It was as if Alice had been hit by a train. Alice knew then what she should have seen all along...she knew-
"I know what you're thinking Alice...and you're right. It was I that told the Queen that you stole her crown, when it was, in fact, I who took it from her as she slept. I told the catterpillar that you would make the perfect servant, because you were gullible and clueless. I told the Mad man in the Hat that you had planned to ruin HIS unbirthday. And even after I dropped every hint imaginable, you still didn't GET IT."
...But you helped me kill the catterpillar! You told me how to get back to my world!
"No, I told you how to get back to the Queen, so the fat woman could take care of you, and I could enter the door to your world! That fat bitch wasn't worth anything. She couldn't even kill a little girl."
No! That can't be true...!
"I assure you...IT IS! And this would all have been SO much so simpler if that stupid rabbit hadn't gotten in my way. But now that I'm here, I can get what I want. Now, hold still, Alice!"
The cat, with a giant leap, landed on Alice and disappeared.
How strange...
Suddenly, Alice's fingertips began to burn.
Ouch! That hurts!
Then, her entire body began to feel like it had set on fire!
As the fire spread across her body, Alice started to choke on something. She coughed and hacked as tears ran down her face.
I...can't...breathe...
Alice's mouth opened wide, as if to try and cough up what was choking her, when, out of her mouth, came two feet. Alice continued to cough up the person, until finally, it was out of her. Alice sat, catching her breath,and looked at the person, her eyes watering. The person looked like her! No...it WAS her!
The person was exactly like Alice, save her dress, which was purple.
Wh-who are you?
"Oh, Alice, you know who I am, don't you? Don't you recognize me?"
No, I'm afraid I don't... What is your name?
"Why, I am the Cheshire Cat!"
You...?
"Dearest Alice, won't you ever learn anything? I told you that in Wonderland, we kill to get what we want. And that is what I'm doing here. I want you-I want to be you. I want to experience life in the REAL world!"
With that, the Cheshire Cat disappeared.
CHESHIRE CAT!
But he was gone. Alice could hear his laugh all around her, before things grew quiet once again.
I have to get home.
Alice grabbed her books and ran through the field, toward a tiny house on the horizon.