Alice in Wonderland

Almost Alice

By The One and Only Hanabella

Preface- The Rabbit Hole

Mariella Kingless was not your average girl. If you saw her from a distance you would not believe that the looks the nineteen year old girl had were the looks she was born with. Her hair started off blonde and was very long but about half way down it changed from blonde to Ginger. Her eyes were like a human mood ring they changed colour with her mood. And she was smart like her mother, Alice, but she was also a crazy dreamer like her had been raised by her mother; she never knew her father. Alice never did mention him, her first and only love.

"Mother. Why is a raven like a writing desk?" Mariella asked her mother as they rode in the horse and carriage towards the grand party that was being thrown for Mariella's nineteenth birthday.

"I have no idea. I'm still trying to work it out after twenty years. Not even your father knew why and he was the one who asked that question." Alice said, moving a piece of hair from her daughter's face.

"What happened to my father?" Mariella asked with sad sapphire eyes.

"Not today, Mariella, please." Alice pleaded with her young daughter, who's eyes faded from sad sapphire to angry amber.

"YOU ALWAYS SAY THAT. NINETEEN YEARS OF SAYING THE SAME THING." Mariella shouted.

"MARIELLA." Alice shouted snapping her daughter back from her anger. Her eyes faded back to a peaceful peach.

"I'm sorry." Mariella said sinking into the back of the carriage.

"I met him when I was a little girl. And then again when I was nineteen in a place called wonderland. They called him the Mad Hatter. He always wore his hat on his head even if it was burnt and ruined. He was so kind, sweet, and caring. Just like you. I miss him." Alice said before a tear rolled down her cheek. This was the first time in twenty years that she spoken of the Hatter. Meanwhile, watching from a distance, Mariella saw how upsetting talking about her father was for her mother.

"Did you ever go back to Wonderland?" Mariella asked with curious Clementine eyes."No. I want to. Even more when I found I was carrying you. You would have loved wonderland. You never know, just because I couldn't get back doesn't mean you couldn't fall down the rabbit hole to wonderland. Watch out for a white rabbit in a waist coat." Alice said as the carriage came to a stop.

"Am I mad?" Mariella whispered.

"You're completely bonkers. But I'll tell you a secret; all the best people are." Alice said with a smile before the carriage door opened.

"Miss Alice, Miss Mariella. Welcome." The Gentlemen greeted them both, taking Alice's hand to help her out of the carriage then Mariella.

"Will you tell me more about wonderland after the party?" Mariella asked her mother.

"Yes." Alice replied with a forced smile. Talking about wonderland brought back all the pain. A pain that Mariella had not missed. And though it sounded selfish she needed to know about her father. The party was not to Mariella's taste; people were dancing but not the kind she had learnt while living in China with her mother. The Chinese people had lovely dancing, they looked happy. Unlike the people who were attending the party. She felt people eyes on her all the time because of the way she looked. She never wanted to fit in, she loved who she was.

"Mariella." Jonathan, the man who wanted to marry Mariella, said with a smile. Mariella had no feelings for Jonathan, she found him dull and boring.

"Jonathan." Mariella said with a forced smile. She really couldn't stand him.

"Will you dance with me?" Jonathan asked with a smile. Mariella turned to her mother her eyes we're stained with tears and Mariella knew it was her fault for bring up her father.

"No. I'm sorry, Jonathan, but my mother needs me." Mariella said, before going to walk away, he grabbed her gently.

"My mother is with you're mother. Please Mariella. Just one dance." Jonathan asked her with his sweet blue eyes.

"If you wish." Mariella said and she followed him towards the dance floor but stopped when she caught sight of a white rabbit, but not just any rabbit, the rabbit her mother had told her about. This rabbit would lead her to her father.

Mariella had one last look at her mother before she let go of Jonathan's hand and ran after the rabbit.

"MARIELLA." Jonathan shouted after her. But she was too busy running to care. The Rabbit was fast but she wasn't going to let the only link to her father go. Mariella arrived at a tree. The Rabbit had disappeared. The tree had a hole in the middle that looked like a rabbit hole. And Mariella remembered what her mother had said about the rabbit hole, so Mariella took a deep breath before she fell down the rabbit hole. Down the rabbit hole to Wonderland.