Chapter 1: Escape

"Alice, grow up! You're being annoying!"

Alice stuck out her tongue, "There's no way you can get married to that imbecile!" She crossed her arms defiantly. Lorina gave up.

"There's no point talking to you is there. You're acting like a kid! You don't care about anyone but yourself!"

Alice was wide eyed, "I beg your pardon! You're the one that doesn't care about anyone else. When was the last time you cared about someone other than yourself?!"

Lorina glared at Alice, speaking now in a calmer tone "When Edith was born, you were 7 remember, I took you to that riverbank that afternoon. You fell asleep for ages. I cared for you all that time..."

Alice looked down at the floor that was true. She'd been upset because her mother and father were too busy with Edith to care about her. She felt jealous and wanted to escape that world. Lorina spoke again, interrupting Alice's thoughts, "You owe me something Alice... please do this for me?"

Alice sighed and held onto her older sisters hands, "Alright Lorina, but I still think you're making a mistake. This is an arranged marriage, is this really what you want?"

Lorina sighed, she didn't honestly didn't know. She nodded, but she wasn't certain.

"Chess! Get down here you stupid cat!"

Chess peered down from the tree, he smiled cheekily "Gonna have to get me down yourself Blanc, you're a rabbit you can jump high enough."

Blanc's ears twitched as he heard Chess laughing at him, "I'm not a rabbit... well, not fully... that's not the point! She's returning!"

Chess' laugh faded his cat ears twitched excitedly. "Returning... you serious?"

Blanc nodded; glad to see that he was finally getting through to the stupid cat. But his expression turned to worry; "She might not be willing though... it has been 10 years..."

He looked up again at the tree to find that Chess had vanished. Blanc looked around, fists clenched angrily,"Damn that stupid cat!" He rushed off in search for him. "This isn't Wonderland Chess... this is reality!"

Lorina was dressed in pure white, her dress trailing behind her a little way. Her high heels raised her height a little and she stood in front of her mirror to view herself. She was trying to tell herself that getting married was a good thing... but then again she wished she could escape this world. Alice was in the room checking on her sister, she had not gotten changed yet. She was still in her yellow dress with a white apron over the top. She walked up to Lorina, she could see her trembling.

"Lorina, you don't have to do this..."

Lorina sighed and sorted out her heels, "I have to Alice. It's all arranged... mother and father want this."

Alice put her hand on Lorina's shoulder, "Do you want this?" She left the room praying that Lorina would be okay with what she chooses. Lorina looked back at the mirror surprised to see that it had a misty look to it as if she could pass through, she blinked it was gone. Lorina sighed, "I wish I could get through there..."

Chess was hiding in the garden outside a giant house; it had been decorated as if a big event was going on. Chess looked around and vanished. He reappeared on the other side of the garden. He started to walk away when suddenly...

"Cheshire Cat?" Chess froze on the spot... that's it. He was found out. He looked around slowly deciding whether he should vanish or not. He was surprised to see who it was. He smiled, "Alice! Long-time no see!"

Alice edged back wide eyed and pale. "It was real... all real. I must be dreaming…"

Chess covered his face with his hands, "Dammit... I forgot it was all a dream to her!"

Alice rushed over and hugged him; Chess fell over at this sudden embrace. They were both on the floor. Chess tried to shove Alice off gently as he could but she kept holding on, "I'M SO HAPPY! Cheshire..."

"It's Chess actually..." he smiled nervously. Alice looked up at him puzzled. She looked at him up and down.

"I swear last time I saw you..."

Chess rubbed his head and smiled again, "I looked like a cat... yeah... I wanted to surprise you later but you vanished. Went back to reality."

Alice let go of him, she stayed on the grass whilst he stood up and brushed himself off.

"Back to reality?" she asked.

Suddenly they were interrupted by a shout, "Alice!"

"Hurry, get inside!"

Turning invisible Chess headed for the house, purring at how large and grand it looked.

Lorina looked all over for Alice. 'Where's that girl got to?' she thought, 'if she's escaped because of the wedding then...' She saw Alice running inside in a hurry.

"ALICE!" Lorina yelled and ran after her, lifting up her dress as she did so. Alice had run up to her room, she locked the door and lay on her bed. Chess reappeared and sat on the bed with her. He stroked her long, tangled brown hair.

"I'm sorry I scared you..."

Alice looked at him again, her blue eyes filled with tears, whether they were of fright or happiness she didn't know. Chess didn't know either, he wanted to make her happy but he couldn't think how to. He kept stroking her hair which seemed to stop the tears in the end. Chess smiled,"Anymore and we'll be drowning in a pool of them."

Alice smiled too, "It's just that I never expected all of this to be real. Wonderland and all the inhabitants. But if the Queen's still there. How do you survive? All the beheadings and such…"

The cat tapped his nose, "We have intel. But we need you Alice! Please…come back to Wonderland with me…"

Alice sneaked out of her room, she heard Lorina talking to Edith so this gave her the opportunity to sneak out. She exited through the back door and headed towards the nearby riverbank. Lorina had seen her walk out and immediately followed her.

"She's up to something..." she muttered. However, she was happy too; it gave her a chance to get away, t least for a little while. She followed Alice through the grass and found her going through a small tunnel in the fields. Lorina had to squat down, so that she didn't get her dress spoiled. She followed through, wondering what her sister was doing down here.

"It's a strangely large rabbit hole," she said to herself. She stopped. Rabbit hole? Her sister mentioned that once... but it was a dream. Wasn't it?

She continued cautiously feeling the ground then she felt it. The dip, the rabbit hole to Wonderland.

"It can't exist!" she gasped. Then she got worried, Alice was ahead of her. She'd already gone down, what if she was trapped?! Lorina didn't have time to think, the wind rustled the trees above the hole so violently that she got scared. She screamed and fell, thinking how she would get out ever again.

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