"What is life but a dream?" Reminded the pleading voice in the corner of her mind. "Stop running. This is nonsense, girl." But Alice could not, would not possibly dare to stop. In fact, she couldn't. What is life but a dream, indeed.
Alice found herself sprinting down the Menagerie yet again. Room after room, corridor after (blast it) corridor, no matter where she found herself, she could still hear the hideous sound of claws clicking on the floors, from one room to the next, in pursuit of her.
She'd died a many times in this maze, along with fragments of her heart. Every time she let herself be caught (by that INFERNAL beast), something inside her died along with her manifestation in this…particular reality.
Now, of course she didn't want to be killed. Alice definitely did not enjoy the sensation of death. Neither did she want to continue. She had been running for days, without sleep nor companion, and in constant fear of being caught up with by whatever had been chasing her. Her very soul was worn out, desperate, and very much eager to die. "Not yet." Alice whispered. Not yet.
The mirror room took a turn to the right. In the middle was an empty painting canvas. Hiding behind, Alice found a mirror on the other side of the canvas. Please, she pleaded the creator of the abandoned dream. Please let me find shelter here.
Her pursuer burst into the room, thinking that Alice had continued on into the maze. It was almost through the door when it caught a scent of life. It purred with disappointment. This was different form yesterday's "today". Too easy. As is she had given up.
The mirror had reflected the image of the dreamer. The maker of the canvas mirror stood silently in the glass confinements of his own dreams. He slowly studied Alice and tried to make small talk with her, but no sound penetrated the immaterial glass of the mirror.
Suddenly, the reflection stood in alarm. Taking out a marker, he wrote "run" (backwards, of course). Before Alice could think, the reflection gave way to crystal claws, the face of a grinning cat, with powerful paws that came plunging down into…
Alice woke up in her bed, startled. She was back at home. After a myriad of daily chores, she went skipping into the forest, and found herself tumbling down the rabbit hole, into the underground spring. Again.
The 49th Alice woke up to find herself in a blue party dress this time. As always, she opened the glass box to free the cat. As always, the cat pounced on her and said: "Let's play tag. I'm it." And readied itself to chase her. This time however, she did not run. The cat tilted its head in a curious way. "You're no fun."
As soon as the glinting crystal claws came upon her neck…
Alice discovered herself dancing. She was in a masquerade ball. Dumbfounded, she lost her footing, and tripped over the foot of the man she had been dancing with. The blond gentleman smiled lazily as if to show that all was fine. When she made no apology, he asked, "Cat got your tongue?" Cat got my tongue indeed. Someone snickered in the back of her mind. When she passed the window, she thought she caught a glimpse of the Menagerie and the fading smile of the cat. But the picture faded, leaving a reflection of herself, clothed in a blue party dress, alone and staring into out into the night. She took off the butterfly mask she had on and shivered.
She was alone.