I do not own the rights of the movies or books about Alice in Wonderland. This is purely a fan-made story. Enjoy.

The moon was full on this cold fall night, providing the only light in pitch darkness. The wind howled as it blew against the trees, grass, and little cottage deep within the woods. The shutters rattled and slammed against the walls and windows, making the house groan and creak eerily in protest. Age had not been kind to the establishment as it had seemed abandoned and lost to the world for many years. Cobwebs hung loosely in corners, dust caked upon the broken furniture and floors. The smell of mold and wreak of decay carried rode along the draft, moving from room to room. As unappealing as it may seem to most, to others it may be a welcome from the storm that began to rip through the sky above. The more I think back to that cottage, the more I begin to realize how much it resembled myself, back when I was still from that world of my own.

I had went out from my home with my sister in the evening. It has been so long, I can't even begin to recall her name. We had gone out to the park to study a bit of history for schooling. I always struggled in my studies as they had never appealed to me and seemed so dull. Books without pictures, stories without fantasy, no interest could possibly be found by such nonsense. Slipping away from my learning, I had taken off into the wooded area due to seeing a peculiar sight of a rabbit with a waistcoat and a pocket watch. It wasn't anything one normally sees from that world, after all. Of course now I realize how foolish that was, especially in knowing I could not simply catch it. Rabbits are much faster than people, so it was no surprise that I wound up lost without a trail to follow in the late evening.

Darkness consumed the woods like wolves upon sheep, washing over the trees and landscape in its hunger. The winds pushed and drove me further into the unfamiliar void, almost as if herding me to where fate lay in wait. Everything had seemed so hopeless and terrifying. Clouds soon covered the moon as if sensing my grief, and they unleashed the anger I felt at myself as well as the doubt in my heart that I would ever find my way back to London. Rain poured, masking my tears of frustration. Thunder crashed to drown out my cries for help. Through all this, the wind still pushed and shoved me, directing me right towards that dreary little cottage.

When I had laid my gaze on the abandoned home, it had seemed like a sanctuary. My heart felt a flutter of hope as I ran through mud and thorns to the rickety gate. The wind slammed the wooden fencing open as I approached, as if welcoming me to where it had been leading. A streak of lighting illuminated the area, making me hesitate as the house looked like a hungry monster for all of a few seconds. The fear that flashed through my body should have been my first warning to turn back. Suppressing the instinct to flee, I trudged forward as bramble snagged my clothing and mud caked my feet and legs. Perhaps it too was trying to hold me from the horrors I would face from entering. Trembling, I managed to make my way inside without a second glance back.

Once inside, I felt a brief sense of relief wash over me as it seemed that the cottage had managed to hold together enough to not leak the outside weather inside the open living space before me. Although I normally would have called out to see if anyone was within the residence, I was absolutely positive that here I was alone. How foolish..

The draft was chilly against my damp skin and clothing, shivering I noticed that there was a fireplace on the left wall of the cottage. Inching closer, I noticed broken wood from chairs and other such furnishings laid in a heap within the pit. Curious, how it seemed to be set up just as though someone knew I would be arriving and in need of a fire. Though I didn't have any suspicions of such, I was a bit hesitant for a split second. Again though, I acted without a second thought. I simply shrugged off the eerie feeling and got to work.

Once the fireplace was lit, I sat back against the dust covered armchair that was set close by. The flickering flames illuminated the room dimly, but it was enough to really see just how dirty my skin and clothing had gotten. A soft groan escaped my lips as I picked away thorns that had caught in my legs and dress from the bramble outside. My hair dangled from my shoulders, tangled and dripping from the rain. Shivers emerged in short violent bursts as the warmth of the embers only made me realize how cold I truly was. It was irritating and frustrating, but I could only blame myself. My eyes bore into the yellow and red hues as my mind wandered about, trying to comprehend my situation. A sudden glint caught the corner of my eye and I shifted my view towards the flicker. Curious..

In the far corner of the dim room, a long mirror sat by itself with finely decorated black steel framing. It looked to be quite the luxurious antique, but for it to be left untouched seemed odd for such a broken little cottage. It too had been abandoned and neglected, just like this place.. and myself. It was coated in thick layering of dust and dirt, scratches somewhat revealing themselves upon the surface of the glass. An eerie dark aura seemed to emerge from the cold and ominous mirror as I gazed at my reflection, sending chills down my spine. Nonsense, mirrors can't simply make one feel that way. It was impractical. Laying down on the floorboards, I returned my eyes to the coals that burned hot in the fireplace.

It was unclear how long I had laid there for, but before long I had managed to fall asleep without realizing it. When I had woke from my slumber, I wasn't quite sure what had stirred me. Was it the thunder, or perhaps a flash of lightning that had filled the room? It could have been that the fire had died, and I began to tremble from the cold draft. No, it wasn't any of those things. A loud thump in the corner of the room made me realize that I was no longer alone. Springing up at once, my eyes scanned for the source of the noise, and I noticed a shadow darting behind the long couch.

"Alice...", a voice whispered like a soft breeze. It was almost dream-like and I wondered if I was still asleep.

"Who's there?" I called, my voice quivering slightly with uncertainty.

For a long moment there was nothing but still silence, apart from the pitter patter of rain against the roof and windows. Maybe I had still been dreaming. Just as I was settling back down, it called again.

"Come with me, Alice.." it cooed.

As if unable to resist, I rose to my feet and approached the broken furniture slowly. I bit my lower lip, unsure if this was the right move to make. It was all just a dream, right? It had to be.

When I was about a foot from the couch, a swift dark blur darted out from behind the sofa and dashed towards the corner of the room, disappearing within a tall silhouette. A scream had escaped my lips from the sudden scare, though no harm had actually come my way. My heart was pounding in my chest, yet I couldn't fight the curiousness I held within, just as I had earlier today in the park. Inching closer to where the shadow had vanished, I realized that the object was the mirror. Impossible! How could anything run into a mirror and simply evaporate into thin air? Unable to accept this, I approached the glass and inspected it further. My gaze drifted from the top and paused at the deep scratches upon the delicate surface. My hand reached forward and brushed against the smooth surface, making my stomach sink as I discovered that the markings were not on the outside... they came from within. Laughter began to ring throughout the room, dark and ominous. My blue eyes shifted around, trying to locate who the disembodied cackles belonged to. Without paying the slightest attention, I felt my hand suddenly penetrate the glass of the mirror, causing another shout of surprise to emit from my lungs. Pulling back, my hand remained within the mirror, not even budging the slightest as I tugged with all my weight.

I'm unsure why I had thought it was a good idea, but in desperation, I placed my other hand on the surface to try to push the mirror away. To my dismay, it too fell through and the dark chuckles and chants began to grow louder. Panic filled my very core as tears welled up in my eyes.

"Please, no! Help! Let me go!" I cried to the very heavens.

"Alice.. Alice.. Alice! .. ALICE!" the demonic voices called.

Jerking and squirming, I noticed a tall dark figure appear on the other side of the mirror. Quickly looking behind me, I saw nothing there and gasped as I felt fingers coil around my wrists. Just as I turned my head back towards the glass, I saw a wide grin on its face before it pulled on both my arms, and I suddenly fell forward into the depths of the unknown void of an earthy tunnel.

A variety of objects fell around me, ranging from lamps to books to even portraits of strange horrific characters. My cries of terror mingled with demonic laughter as I tumbled past these strange items that seemed to practically hover in the air. I honestly felt like I would be smashed into by a stray piece at any moment, but to my surprise everything avoided collision with me even if it was only by a few inches. Slowly the obstructions seemed to lessen as it turned darker into the color of night, with the dirt walls closing in around me into a more narrow tunnel. Stars and a night's sky flew past me, which was fairly confusing as though I passed through a whole other world. While continuing to plunge head first, I noticed there was a bottom to the passage swiftly approaching. It was dirt around the same shade as the walls. I don't know why it intrigued me so much, but then panic quickly set my senses straight as I realized how near I was to impact. Instinctively shutting my eyes as I squirmed to protect my head, I braced myself and soon felt a harsh pop in my shoulder. The limb went limp and the bolting pain shot through from neck to finger in split second timing.

Sitting up, I looked around and discovered that the tunnel was gone. To my bewilderment, it appeared that I was lost in the forest that I had wandered in earlier. Fortunately the storm was gone, stars now twinkled in the quiet night's sky. Perhaps it had all been a dream in that cottage, even the mirror. I felt another sharp pain course through my arm, alerting me that this was no dream currently. I had somewhat wished that the dislocation had been part of the dream as well. Nonetheless, the rational wonderment on what could have happened eluded me, other than I had possibly wandered about in my sleep. I had never had a case of sleep walking before, but it did seem logical that people did such under stress, and I was indeed quite stressed.

"Hello? Is anyone around? ... Can anyone hear me? I need help!" I called in desperation.

Upon instinct, I had cried out into the night. When the sudden rustling of bushes nearby sounded, I felt a mix of fear and hope. The hope was that someone had heard my call and was going to help me. The fear was the unpredictability that I had attracted the exact opposite. As I waited in anxiety induced anticipation, the sound of trudging boots came closer. Relief washed over me as I imagined a gentleman coming to assist instead of a dangerous animal. Oh how naive..

"Look there! Oh poor thing, I do believe it's lost." came a soft voice.

"Indeed, it appears so.. What shall we do?" replied another.

"Hm.. It looks hurt, should we put it out of its misery?" the first voice cooed.

"That would be a waste. Let's use her!" the second voice scoffed.

"Please, my name is Alice. I-I don't wish to be trouble, I just want to find my way home." I piped up nervously.

"She wants to find HER way home. How silly." the first voice chuckled.

"What a foolish thing to say.. How could she possibly find HER way when she's so LOST!" the second voice sneered.

The bushes rattled about and suddenly, two figures stepped out from the darkened shadows. One was an enormous brown rabbit that was dressed in a deep red button-up coat with silver fastenings that glinted in the moonlight. His beady black eyes squinted slightly as he eyed my delicate state. A smile formed on his furry lips which seemed to grow more sinister the longer I stared. The other individual that had stepped out, was a tall gentleman dressed in a chocolate colored suit with a matching large top hat upon his head. His untidy chestnut locks swayed about as he stepped up close and extended a while gloved hand. His emerald eyes bore into my icy blue pools with a slight unnerving aura. Taking his hand, the man helped me to my feet yet didn't let go when I stood.

"Who are you?" I asked nervously.

"I'm the Mad Hatter, and he is the March Hare." the gentleman replied.

I recognized his voice to be the second one I had heard. Glancing down, the March Hare moved in beside Hatter and sniffed at my limp arm. Instinctively, my feet moved to side step away, which made the rabbit chuckle. The eerie sensation these two put off began eating away at me, yet there wasn't much I could do at this point. Almost as if sensing my thoughts, the Hatter spoke.

"You look rather nervous and a bit lost. There's nothing to fear, for the moment. Although since we introduced ourselves and came to help, it's rather rude to not return the same courtesy and at least tell us your name." he said softly, yet the tone held a sense of poison in it.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to seem rude or ungrateful. M-My name is Alice.." I answered, stumbling over my words a bit as I spoke.

"Alice.." the pair whispered, repeating my name back to me.

"Pleasure to meet you.. Alice." the Mad Hatter grinned.