The Quiet Ones
Hello, my name is Static and this is my first fic. I have a more or less love-hate relationship with this fandom. I've only read a few of the mangas, but I still think it presents some interesting, out-of-the-box ideas on what Wonderland is and could be. However some elements of the storyline and the characters themselves don't really seem to do the original fairytale much justice. Eh, whatever, still very much a fan. :P :3 Anyways, give it a read and tell me what you think!
1. When the Line Blurs
The woods were cold and dark. Flickering images wove in and out of her peripheral vision, only for her to turn and see nothing. It had been daytime less than thirty seconds ago, but because this world was so changeable, she should've known to be better prepared. It was pitch-black outside, with stars trying desperately to shine through the thick canopy of leaves above, but Alice was left pretty much blind. She hadn't even thought to bring a lantern on her little adventure to the Amusement Park, and now she was stranded in the middle of the forest, at what she assumed must be close to midnight, completely alone. I wonder, she thought, If this is how Ace feels sometimes. Alice closed her eyes for a moment and opened them once more. The paths are made of dirt and clean of brush. I can see a few stars through the trees. So long as I follow the strip of sky, I should be fine. She took a deep breath, and continued on her journey. There was absolutely no reason for her to be afraid. It's just a dream, she kept telling herself, Just a silly little dream. I'm safe, at home, in the garden, asleep. Alice wasn't afraid of the dark. However, she was afraid of being outside in the dark.
Back home, Alice's parents had always warned her about going outside at night. Bad things happened, people got hurt, murdered, kidnapped, all sorts of horrible occurrences. However, this was a dream. The situation she was in right now was not real. As much as she told herself that, she still doubted. As Alice spent more and more time in this world, she became more and more afraid. What if I'm not asleep? She wondered, What if I've woken up, and I'm hallucinating? What if – right now – I'm in the madhouse? I could be in Bedlam right now and not even know it. She shook her head. No, her family might not particularly like her, but they would never be so cruel as to send her to Bedlam…Right? Each time I talk to someone from this world, I could actually be talking to a doctor, unable to tell the difference from this horrific and absurd fantasy as opposed to reality. I could be in a straightjacket right now, wandering around a cell, being afraid of nothing. Lately, Alice had more and more of these thoughts. She was becoming convinced she was crazy. She couldn't be asleep, because the cold of the Clock Towers winter created goose bumps on her arms. The heat of the amusement's park summer made her sweat. She could feel bruises and scratches and any other injury she might obtain here until it healed. She was aware of the minutes and hours that passed. People did not perceive such things in the middle of dreams, at least she never had.
I'm feeling things from the real world, she thought, but somehow, I've become unable to see it as it actually is. And that thought alone terrified her more than the darkened forest.