"Once upon a time there a young little girl named Alice. She was very imaginative, and very crazy too. "
This was the story that haunted my life for the past years of my life. I know this story of Alice in wonderland was wrong, or so I hoped.
Don't know what I'm talking about? Well, allow me to introduce myself.
The names Crimson Heart. I was born in London, England, but moved to Gotham City when I was two years old. My father was a writer, in fact his great, great grandfather was the writer of Alice in Wonderland book. And my mother, well, she... Let's just say it is mostly because of her I get bullied a lot.
Her family was the mind behind Alice in Wonderland...
It's a secret between the world, my father, mother and me. We are all from Wonderland. My father is the Mad Hatter. My mother is the Ivory Queen and I, well, am not even part of the storyline itself.
I was born a half human, half wonderland-ish. My wonderland part allows me to be my half human and half wolf, and can bend and morph items to my will, as well as grow an occasional pair of wings, but only during special times.
Now back to the story.
My mother didn't know that the world had a book idea about wonderland, so when I told her that my elementary teacher read Alice in Wonderland in class, she came in the next day and decided to talk to the class about the history of Wonderland. The teacher ridiculed her stupidity and kids started calling me ' Mad Alice ' and ' The nutcase of Wonderland '. Kids would throw stones at me, hit me, and hurt me in every way possible. I hated it. I wanted to reveal my powers to them and show them that I'm not afraid. But I couldn't cause I was afraid of showing my true self.
My parents knew about my issues in school, and comforted me when I needed it. Sometimes, when I was really sad and hurt, they would let Cheshire, my cat, walk from the Wonderland dimension and comfort me and play with me. They taught me everything I needed to know about wonderland. They showed me how to control my powers, how to fly, conjure spells and even taught me how to fight the fair way and the dirty way. I wished they had stayed longer because once I hit 10, everything went downhill.
My life became a personal Hell.
It was during the summer evening. I was coming back home with Cheshire and my two huskies, Scratch and Bark, from the park after taking a nice, long stroll, when I came back to see a police car next to my house. I remember asking what happened and they told me that my parents were shot because someone was mugging them and died. I was speechless as they told me to step inside the police vehicle and dropped me off at the nearest foster center, with Cheshire following me by my side (since he's invisible) and gave me the leash to my two dogs, my parents last words, will and my bags and left. It was all a blur.
The foster center hated me, and I hated them. From there, I got called the same names and was hit more than at school. I had plans to escape and go back to Wonderland, as my mother gave me a handheld mirror that was an instant portal to Wonderland, but I couldn't go by myself till I was the right age.
I changed from home to home, hell to hell, tear drop to tear drop. I was all alone. Cheshire kept me company and so did Scratch and Bark. They weren't allowed in the foster care, every night I'd sneak out and go the clearing behind the foster care, where I built them shelter, and meet them there and play with them. They were my only friends.
It's been six years since, and I still haven't found out who killed my parents. I still don't have a place to call me. So far, I live with an elderly woman who I am proud to call 'my foster mom'. Aunt Grace is perhaps the best parent I've known in my life. She knows about my dogs and allows them to stay with me, since she has a husky of her own. We do a lot of stuff together, like go for walks at the park, read Shakespeare, and we both love to bake desserts and share them among the homeless at the homeless shelters.
I was coming back from school after a huge shakedown from the popular girls. They took my lunch money and started slapping me and shoving me into the lockers, causing me to earn bruises and scratches. I was late and the moment I opened the front door, I was greeted by a crying Aunt Grace. She speeds walks over to me and hugs me and asks me where I've been. Me, being very confused, jokingly said that I was being held by Gotham's finest assholes accounted for lunch money and my parents past. She looked at me with sad eyes as she scolded me for language.
"Aunt Grace, What's wrong? You're not yourself today." I ask.
She doesn't respond. This makes me worry a little. She suddenly starts to burst into tears. I hug her and ask again.
"I can't take care of you anymore. The foster center said that I was too old now. You're going to have to go back, they said." She said and cried some more.
No, I thought. I can't go back to that place. If I go back, I will never find a better parent than Aunt Grace.
I go up to my room after my last dinner and think.
I have to leave this place. Run away, back to Wonderland.
I immediately grab my black backpack and stuff my clothes in it. I pull back my long, chocolate brown hair into a ponytail and slip on a pair of black sweatpants, a black shirt, and plain black hoodie. I go to my makeup stand and apply a dark shade of navy blue eyeshadow, so that no one would recognize me if I see someone I know off the streets. I go to my closet and find a few wads of hundred dollar bills. Enough to buy me a ticket to London and get to the rabbit hole to Wonderland.
I quickly write a letter to Aunt Grace saying that I'm leaving for good and don't try to find me, because by the time you do, I will be in a new home, and live a new life. I jump out the back window and roll onto the ground. I groan at the pain from impact, but shrug it off and start sprinting away towards the city.
I feel a presence behind me and look behind to find Scratch and Bark following me, as well as Cheshire strutting behind them. I felt guilty leaving them, but I wanted to get away from my past. I told them to go back home, but they were very stubborn, so I let them tag along. Cheshire floated towards my bag and snuggled inside. I kept walking, with the dogs on either side of me, chasing each other and making me laugh. I stop at a dark alleyway and the road in front of me.
"If I take the road, they are surly gonna find me. But, I don't want to take the alleyway." I thought. Cheshire's head pops out of the bag and looks at me with a wide grin. I smile back, knowing I have someone to protect me. I walk straight into the alleyway.
I kept walking. There were broken bottles and glass shards everywhere. It reeked on sweat and blood. Suddenly, I felt a hand grab my shoulder. I turn around and face the onlooker.
"What is such a pretty girl, *hich* doing *hich*here?" The man said and grabbed my other shoulder and pushed me towards the wall behind me. He reeked in alcohol. I turn my head and try to escape from his grasp. He leans in and sniffs me and licks my neck. I try to push him away, but then he grabs my hands and holds me against the wall, his grip tighter. I could feel tears streaming down my face and I try to escape.
"Aww, don't cry. Daddy gonna give you something good tonight." He says as he takes one of his arms and reaches under my shirt.
Suddenly, the man released me and I fell to the ground, my dogs came by my side and started licking me, to see if I was alright. I could hear the screams of the man and it sounds like someone was beating him up. I felt Cheshire jump out of my bag and soothe my crying self. I was violated. I felt weak. After a brief moment of crying in the fetal position, I heard the sound of footsteps coming towards me. I back up towards the wall and kept crying. My dogs sensed my fear, so they started growling at the figure that was coming towards me. The figure kneels down towards my dogs and puts his hand out. Something went on between my dogs, as they stopped growling and came back to my side. I started hugging Scratch as Bark rested his head on my lap and Cheshire was on Bark's back. The figure walked towards me and kneeled down.
I could see his face more clearly now. He was wearing a red suit and black cape, as well as a black mask to compliment his costume. He had strong features and broad shoulders.
It was Batman's protégé, Robin.
He extends his hand out to touch my cheek, but I buried myself in Scratch's fur. He pulls back as he sees my newly wet face and I fall unconscious in Scratch's coat. All I remember was being lifted into the air and my head being cushioned by a soft chest, as my arms were wrapped around a person's neck.
I felt safe for a second, as I thought it was either someone from Wonderland, carrying me back home. I could finally be free with the real me.
Boy, was I way off...