Chapter 1: They Won't Believe Me...
The sound of the 11-year-old slamming her fist on the table echoed through the kitchen.
"It was REAL, Mom!" the blue-haired girl yelled at her mother. Her mother narrowed her eyes at her daughter and crossed her arms.
"You HONESTLY expect me to believe that you went through that little door in the den and found a parallel universe?" her mother asked, "Coraline, STOP pretending! I don't have time for this."
Tears of pure anger began to well up in the child's hazel eyes, but she refused to let them fall.
"Mom, I'm not pretending!" Coraline yelled, "I'm telling the truth! Have I EVER lied before?!"
"Coraline, I don't have time for this, now calm down!" her mother snapped, sharply. Her sharp tone caused Coraline to wince slightly, but she clenched her fists and wouldn't let herself lose this fight.
"Oh, OF COURSE you don't have time for this!" Coraline said, "Ya know, sometimes I think that you care more about your stupid job than you do about me!"
"You know that's not true!" her mother said, taking a step closer, "Now do like I said and calm down!"
"But, Mom, the dream was real!" Coraline shouted, "Please just believe me!"
Her mother glared at her sharply.
"Coraline. Go to your room. NOW." her mother said. Coraline's cheeks turned red with anger, her vision being blurred by her tears. Everything in the room seemed to distort as tears began to fall from her eyes. Unable to think of anything else to say, although she wanted to think of something, Coraline ran up to her room, slamming the door shut behind her. She sat against the door and hugged her knees, burying her face in them.
"I hate her!" Coraline said, "I hate her! I hate her! I hate her!"
When her sobbing ceased, she could hear her mother talking to her father. She held her breath so she could hear every word.
"Mel, I don't think we should go THAT far..." her father said.
"Charlie, she thinks that there's an alternate universe in that little door." her mother said, "I don't think we really have any other option. I'm calling the hospital as soon as she goes to sleep."
"Mel..." her father's voice trailed off.
"Charlie, I'm calling them, you can't stop me." her mother said. Coraline's eyes widened in shock. The ache of betrayal clenched at her stomach. Her breathing became faster and heavier.
"N-no... She can't be... Calling the mental hospital?!" Coraline wondered aloud, "N-no... Why would she do this? Why won't she listen?! Jerkwads... They're both selfish workaholics who wouldn't care if I got hit by a train!"
Coraline harshly kicked the wall in anger. After a moment of heavy breathing, her feelings transferred from anger to sadness.
"I-I need to convince them that I'm not crazy, but..." Coraline was silent for a few seconds, then continued, "They won't believe me..."
"She's utterly mad, isn't she?" the young woman heard a small boy say to his mother.
"Don't whisper, it's not polite." his mother said, "And she can't help it, now can she?"
"I suppose not..." the boy said. Alice Liddell clenched her fists and continued walking, her gray dress swishing along with her movement.
"Bastards..." Alice muttered when she was far enough from them so that they couldn't hear, "Don't they have anything else to talk about besides me? Ugh... This world is so annoying..."
Alice continued walking back to the orphanage, although she despised that place, she didn't have a choice but to stay. After all, where else could she go? Live on the streets? Certainly not. With a sigh Alice saw that she was getting closer to the orphanage.
"Oh, forget it." Alice said sharply, "I'm not going back there. Ever. Hm... I suppose maybe there's a way to get to America from Wonderland... I've heard that America is rather nice... I'd better not be disappointed."
With that Alice turned around and crossed her arms.
"Alright, I'm ready to go now." Alice said. Almost instantly, everyone walking on the streets appeared to be giant bug-like creatures. Although Alice had seen them many times, she still couldn't help but take a step back in shock. The ground beneath her began to shake, and then it crumbled, causing her to fall into Wonderland. She was then wearing a blue and white dress with a ribbon that was tied in a bow with a skull in the middle of it. Her hair was now jet black, and she held her vorpal blade tightly as she landed. Cheshire appeared almost instantly.
"How nice to see you again, Alice." Cheshire said, "And just in time, too."
Alice raised a brow.
"Whatever do you mean?" Alice asked, "What's happening this time?"
Cheshire chuckled, which annoyed Alice greatly.
"Oh, you'll find out soon enough." Cheshire said, "And you're wanting to somehow travel to another part of the earth if I heard you correctly."
"Indeed." Alice said, "America. I've heard it's quite nice there. Pah, I'LL be the judge of that."
"Of course." Cheshire said with a chuckle, "How appropriate that you want to go to America... When the person you need to help you is there."
"I need someone to help me?" Alice asked, "Whatever is going on?"
"Like I've said before, you'll find out soon enough." Cheshire said, "Well, if you want to get to 'America', then just shut your eyes, and when you open them you'll be there."
"Yes." Alice said, "Thank you, Cheshire."
With that Alice tightly shut her eyes, and a thought came to her.
"Will that person Cheshire spoke of believe me?" Alice wondered, "I know for sure that no one back at the orphanage would... Let alone the asylum, or anywhere else that I've been besides Wonderland. They won't believe me... Will they?"