Title: Whispers in the Night
Author: Casshirek
Summary: How do you repair something that does not exist? Alice is left with the question in the night. All material copyrighted to American McGee and Lewis Caroll along with the rest of the appropriate parties.
"You broke Wonderland."
"I most certainly did not." Alice retorted in the fashion of a condescending adult. "Wonderland broke on its own." The grubby little child that stood opposite her was clearly dense. She should have known better than to believe in imaginary realms. Alice longed to correct her but neither heart nor tongue would obey her directives.
"You broke Wonderland." Accusations hardened green eyes.
"Now, you listen here - why would I do such a horrid thing to a horrid little place that never existed? Wonderland is just .. is just .." Alice faltered, searching for the words. "...a figment of your imagination." Was the pompous conclusion.
"No!"
"I beg your pardon?"
"No! Wonderland is *real* and you broke it! You broke Wonderland!"
"So? What if I did? Why should such a silly thing matter to me?" Memories teased the darkness of her thoughts. For a fleeting moment, she remembered the insanity, the affable madness that suffused the twisted land of hopes and misguided dreams. Had that not mattered to her to one point? Were the cards of no importance? Was the Chesire Cat merely an irritation, a thorn in her calf to be brushed aside and forgotten save for the scar?
Scar.
The word lingered in her mind. How aptly it described the impression that Wonderland had left. She would always bear the scars of her time there, in the form of happy memories and not so happy ones. Wonderland had destroyed her parents, her home, and what chance at a normal life she might have had. Ten years she had spent in this dank, dark cell when she could have been living.
"It doesn't matter." Alice stressed furiously. "It doesn't matter at all."
"But you loved Wonderland."
This time, it was her turn to look up and shout - "No! It's just a silly made-up place that doesn't exist because it is in my mind." Words grew garbled, tumbling together in an erratic fusion of meanings. "I never loved Wonderland. Wonderland was stupid. Besides, how could I have broken it?"
"You stopped believing."
"There was nothing to believe in."
"You stopped smiling."
"There is *nothing* to smile at, you horrid little thing!" Ten years spent in therapy was stripped away in one solitary night.Once again, Alice lived the ordeal that separated her from home and love. The fire, the screaming, the tears, and the screaming, oh gods, the screaming -- it was happening all over again. Alice screamed. Despite her best efforts, the straightjacket would not give. Erratic struggling gave way to a sudden whirlwind of motion as she tore against her unyielding restraints.
"You stopped being Alice."
Alice paused in her writhing as she digested that idea. She was still Alice, as far as she was concerned. The blue pinafore and white apron were still there. She had the same green eyes, the hair. She was Alice. "Whatever do you mean?"
"You died inside." The child intoned somberly, brushing dark strands of hair away from her face. Green eyes seemed muted as they studied Alice. Familarity gave way to sympathy which segued into irritation. "You gave up. And then you died."
Numbly, she whispered in response. "But I don't want to be dead. I don't want Papa or Mama or Dinah or anyone else to be dead. I want us all to be alive and happy. Wouldn't it be nice if real life could be a fairy tale with a happy ending?"
"Fix Wonderland." A gentle murmur, almost too soft to be heard. "And then it'd be a happy ending."
Alice looked up with a start.
Nothingness.
Moonlight poured through the window in a thick waterfall of silver that threw her cell in stark relief. In the distance, there were trees, whipped into casual motion by errant breezes. Shadows danced over the floor, hiding her expression. If Alice concentrated hard enough, she could almost hear the world outside over the omnipresent din of the asylum.
"Alice?" Yellow light prickled along her skin even as the door was swung open. "Are you all right? I heard you screaming." Concerned hazel eyes met vacous green.
"I'm fine." Alice observed. The tiniest of breezes sent ripples through a puddle of rainwater in corner. Somehow, during the most recent storm, it had collected there in the cracks of the floor. With some amusement, she found that, if she were to strain just a little, she could see her reflection within.
It was also the corner the little girl had occupied.
~Fin
Author: Casshirek
Summary: How do you repair something that does not exist? Alice is left with the question in the night. All material copyrighted to American McGee and Lewis Caroll along with the rest of the appropriate parties.
"You broke Wonderland."
"I most certainly did not." Alice retorted in the fashion of a condescending adult. "Wonderland broke on its own." The grubby little child that stood opposite her was clearly dense. She should have known better than to believe in imaginary realms. Alice longed to correct her but neither heart nor tongue would obey her directives.
"You broke Wonderland." Accusations hardened green eyes.
"Now, you listen here - why would I do such a horrid thing to a horrid little place that never existed? Wonderland is just .. is just .." Alice faltered, searching for the words. "...a figment of your imagination." Was the pompous conclusion.
"No!"
"I beg your pardon?"
"No! Wonderland is *real* and you broke it! You broke Wonderland!"
"So? What if I did? Why should such a silly thing matter to me?" Memories teased the darkness of her thoughts. For a fleeting moment, she remembered the insanity, the affable madness that suffused the twisted land of hopes and misguided dreams. Had that not mattered to her to one point? Were the cards of no importance? Was the Chesire Cat merely an irritation, a thorn in her calf to be brushed aside and forgotten save for the scar?
Scar.
The word lingered in her mind. How aptly it described the impression that Wonderland had left. She would always bear the scars of her time there, in the form of happy memories and not so happy ones. Wonderland had destroyed her parents, her home, and what chance at a normal life she might have had. Ten years she had spent in this dank, dark cell when she could have been living.
"It doesn't matter." Alice stressed furiously. "It doesn't matter at all."
"But you loved Wonderland."
This time, it was her turn to look up and shout - "No! It's just a silly made-up place that doesn't exist because it is in my mind." Words grew garbled, tumbling together in an erratic fusion of meanings. "I never loved Wonderland. Wonderland was stupid. Besides, how could I have broken it?"
"You stopped believing."
"There was nothing to believe in."
"You stopped smiling."
"There is *nothing* to smile at, you horrid little thing!" Ten years spent in therapy was stripped away in one solitary night.Once again, Alice lived the ordeal that separated her from home and love. The fire, the screaming, the tears, and the screaming, oh gods, the screaming -- it was happening all over again. Alice screamed. Despite her best efforts, the straightjacket would not give. Erratic struggling gave way to a sudden whirlwind of motion as she tore against her unyielding restraints.
"You stopped being Alice."
Alice paused in her writhing as she digested that idea. She was still Alice, as far as she was concerned. The blue pinafore and white apron were still there. She had the same green eyes, the hair. She was Alice. "Whatever do you mean?"
"You died inside." The child intoned somberly, brushing dark strands of hair away from her face. Green eyes seemed muted as they studied Alice. Familarity gave way to sympathy which segued into irritation. "You gave up. And then you died."
Numbly, she whispered in response. "But I don't want to be dead. I don't want Papa or Mama or Dinah or anyone else to be dead. I want us all to be alive and happy. Wouldn't it be nice if real life could be a fairy tale with a happy ending?"
"Fix Wonderland." A gentle murmur, almost too soft to be heard. "And then it'd be a happy ending."
Alice looked up with a start.
Nothingness.
Moonlight poured through the window in a thick waterfall of silver that threw her cell in stark relief. In the distance, there were trees, whipped into casual motion by errant breezes. Shadows danced over the floor, hiding her expression. If Alice concentrated hard enough, she could almost hear the world outside over the omnipresent din of the asylum.
"Alice?" Yellow light prickled along her skin even as the door was swung open. "Are you all right? I heard you screaming." Concerned hazel eyes met vacous green.
"I'm fine." Alice observed. The tiniest of breezes sent ripples through a puddle of rainwater in corner. Somehow, during the most recent storm, it had collected there in the cracks of the floor. With some amusement, she found that, if she were to strain just a little, she could see her reflection within.
It was also the corner the little girl had occupied.
~Fin