Dreaming permits each and every one of us to be quietly and safely insane every night of our lives. ~William Dement
All the things one has forgotten scream for help in dreams. ~Elias Canetti
Time is too slow for those who wait, too swift for those who fear, too long for those who grieve, too short for those who rejoice, but for those who love, time is eternity. ~Henry Van Dyke
{Okay, most of the main storyline is preserved fairly well, but be warned, I did change around a few details!}
(Italics are inner thoughts, by the way.)
I OWN NOTHING
We Put The "Fun" In Dysfunctional
"Welcome to Hell", I laughed.
Jeff pouted. "C'mon, she can't be that bad", he chided. Feeling my joke die an embarrassing death, I stepped aside and let him into the kitchen. Dinner was done cooking, and was already laid out on the table. Taking his jacket, I forced a laugh to cover my embarrassment.
"We'll see if you are still saying that in a few hours..."
DNALREDNOWNIECILA
He was. Still saying that that is.
Barely able to contain my nausea as he practically flirted with my mother, I offered to clear the table. Without waiting for them to approve, I stood up swiftly, taking several of the dirty plates with me. Jeff stood up as well, taking his own plate and glass over to the sink.
"Well kiddies, my show is about to start. I'm sure you can handle yourselves without me", she laughed.
Yeah right.
"Um, Sarah?", Jeff muttered quietly when my mom left. He pulled a small dark blue box from his pocket and slowly opened it. A gorgeous light green ring laid nestled deep in heavy black fabric inside the innocent looking little box. My heart sped up.
"Will you...will you go steady with me?", he stammered.
Oh God no, anything but this!
He looked so hopeful too.
"No, I...this is too much Jeff. A ring...no, I can't", I mumbled. I pushed the ring away, the hurt in his eyes nearly killing me. He put the ring away slowly, his eyes shining wetly. I moved away, my whole body suddenly freezing.
"Okay, um...goodbye then", he said stiffly. I briefly hugged him and led the way back to the entrance of the house. Without a backward glance, he pushed open the door and walked out, disappearing into the city. My heart clenched and I very nearly called him back.
"Bye Jeff", I whispered. Wiping my hands on my dress, I froze. A heavy lump poked out of my pocket and my eyes widened when I pulled it out.
He left the ring in my pocket!
Barely thinking about what I was doing, I took off down the street in the direction he had left. The city lights flashed around me and I hoped I would find him soon. It was mid-December and I was freezing in my short little blue dress. Much to my relief, I found him only a few blocks later.
He was being mugged.
Before I could reach him, he was tossed into the back of a white van with a strange rabbit logo on it. The men in the back threw a worried look my way and soon the doors shut, the odd van speeding off deeper into the alley. A man with two long pigtails stepped out of the shadows and smiled. A fog settled in my mind.
"So sorry. I'm a friend of Jack's you know", he purred. I shook my head to clear it.
"Why didn't you help him then? And his name is Jeff, not Jack!", I practically screamed. His grin grew wider.
"He has to go back with us for questioning. He stole something from our Queen, a very valuable ring. Did he give it to you, Alice?" he asked eagerly.
"My name's not Alice!", I spat, lunging at him. Driving my elbow into his stomach, I tried to distract him as I slipped the ring out of the box. Suddenly I fumbled the box, horrified as it slid right out of my grasp. The box clattered to the ground and we both froze. The strange man's face lit up happily.
"You do have it!", he exclaimed. Jumping away from me, he snatched the box off the ground and ran.
"Come back!", I yelled. He knew where Jeff was, and I had no intention of letting him go. Sprinting as fast as I could, I followed him warily. Soon we were running through parts of the city I had never been to in my whole life. Frantic ticking filled my ears as we rounded the thirteenth corner. I could feel my heart in my throat as I finally caught sight of him slowing down at the end of the alley. He seemed to take a deep breath and leap into a giant silver mirror. Unable to stop in time, I tripped and fell through a cool silver mist.
I screamed, my throat already raw. The mist seemed to condense and funnel around me, as if trying to smother me. Suddenly a light flashed and a clean wind blew away the mist. I found my legs again, right where I had left them and sighed in relief.
Overcome by shock, I swayed back and forth on the bright green grass.
Grass?
Black flowers blooming across my vision, I finally succumbed and collapsed. The ticking finally stopped.
DNALREDNOWNIECILA
"Alice? Wake up please! A hand roughly shook my shoulder and I blearily opened my eyes. Less than an inch from my face a small slot slid open to reveal the strange man from before. Except now he had...
Bunny ears? What the hell?
His ears perked up and he smiled nastily. The wall behind me slammed shut and I jumped. He chuckled.
"Good, can't have you falling asleep on us now!" Fear spiking through my blood, I quickly scanned the box I was in. The walls were soft but way too close to ever be comfortable. The box was barely bigger than me!
"Let me out of here!", I screamed, panic clawing up my throat. He just chuckled again and walked away. The box shuddered. Fresh air wafted into the box and I breathed deeply, trying to get rid of some of my fear.
Fresh air? Maybe I can escape!
Snatching a hair pin out of my hair, I quickly jiggled it in the bottom seam of the box. Soon it caught on something and I grinned. With a few more deft twists, the lock snapped open and the bottom of the box fell away.
I screamed.
Acting on pure reflex, I grabbed the edge of the box as I started to fall. I looked down and felt faint. A giant lake glided by beneath me, steam coming off the surface ever so slightly. I hung there for a few seconds, desperately trying to climb back into the boxy prison. I didn't know where I was being taken, but anything was better than falling to my death over a giant lake. Suddenly my grip failed and another scream began to tear its way out of me.
Straightening my legs, I braced myself to hit the lake, hard. The cold water enveloped me, forcing all my air out in a surprised gasp. I fought my way to the surface, gulping in deep lungfuls of crisp clean air when I finally burst through the silvery barrier.
Bobbing in the center of the lake, I sighed and started swimming toward the shore. I could see a city there and where there were people there would be answers.
This was going to take a long time.
DNALREDNOWNIECILA
A few hours later, I flopped up onto the side of the street. The city vaguely reminded me of a much more urban Venice, with its lack of any beach to exit the water from. Squeaking noises drifted across the alley and straight into my musings. I looked up.
The beady red eyes of a rat stared back at me hungrily.
"Augh, I hate my life", I mumbled. I scrambled to my feet, wringing out my hair and clothes as I went. I walked a few steps cautiously, my legs a bit wobbly after swimming for so long.
"Hey! Get away from my catch!" I jumped and whipped around. An oily man stared at me from under a tattered wide-brimmed hat.
"Your...catch?', I stammered, teeth chattering. He drew a knife and I darted backward. In one fluid motion, he kneeled down and killed the rat. He frowned, and stuck the newly dead rat and knife back into his coat...somewhere.
"You're an Oyster, aren't you? I don't want nothin' to do with you then!" I blanched.
"An...oyster? Why..." A high pitched whistling filled the air, paralyzing us both for a moment. Before I could pinpoint where it was coming from, the man grabbed my hand and pulled me deeper into the alley.
"If the Suits see us, we'll both be dead!", he whispered violently. The cold finally got to me, and I began to shiver in the frigid wind.
"Suits? Who are the...oh, never mind. Listen, can you help me? I can pay you..." He just stared at me. I smiled, dug into my pocket and held out my hand, a very wet twenty dollar bill laying across my palm. Ignoring the money, he motioned for me to follow him.
"Well then, thank you for helping me. My name is..." My mind suddenly went blank. I tried desperately to recall any sort of name, but nothing even sounded familiar.
Why couldn't I remember my name? What is going on here?
"To have escaped the Scarab you must be the Alice of legend. Do not fear Alice, I will help you", he promised, motioning for me to move more quickly.
"Follow me."
DNALREDNOWNIECILA
An hour later, we were in front of a shop of the most unusual quality. He paused and looked around, and then motioned for me to follow. Together we ran to the front of the shop, only oausing for a moment before dashing inside.
The first thing to register was the sheer volume of noise in the seemed to be trying to talk to everyone ese, all at the same time. They were trying to sell...tea? Little odd-coloured bottles littered the tables and I could only assume they were tea since we were, in fact, inside a tea shop. They had the oddest little labels on them though. LUST, HOPE, SERENITY...the list went on.
"This way"' muttered a voice in my ear. I turned around and nearly collided with the oily man from before. Without another word, he took my hand and led me into the back.
Dark carpet turned to lush grass as we stepped into a back room. White furniture filled the room, with few glass cases and bookshelves in the back.
"Would you like a cup of tea?"
I froze in place.
A simple white chair in front of a desk slid around to reveal a not-so-simple guy. A battered brown hat was tipped at a rakish angle on his head, chocolate brown hair curling up and around the brim. His hands lay limply in his lap as he stared at me.
He grinned.
"Who are you?", I asked, voice shaking a bit. His eyes drifted off to the side, as if he was reading something very interesting written on one of the throw pillows on the couch. Suddenly his expression shifted and his gaze snapped back to my face.
"A friend, I hope, Alice"
"My name's not...", I managed to blurt out before a deep shiver wracked my body. I wrapped my arms tighter around myself and tried to force my teeth to stop chattering. My still-wet dress clung to my legs, stealing any bit of warmth I managed to accumulate.
Eyes narrowing, he stood up and straightened a few papers that he had disturbed from their spots on the pristine desk. Taking a few steps to the nearest of the glass cases in the back, he pulled a dark purple coat out and turned back around with a smile.
"My name is Hatter and you look like you could use this", he said. Taking the coat gratefully, I slid it on, forcing my numb fingers to button it up. Sensing my pain, hatter reached over and finished the last few for me. I smiled hesitantly.
"Why are you being so nice to me and helping me?", I practically whispered. If he heard me, he pretented not to notice.
"Don't forget, I want a good price for her!" Hatter shot a glare over my shoulder. Turning on his heel, he strode over to another glass case filled with that odd tea. After careful deliberation, he plucked a hot pink tea labelled EXCITEMENT off the shelf.
"Wait a minute, I am not for sale! And why are you helping me anyway?", I demanded. Hatter shook his head at me softly. He tossed the small bottle carelessly over my head and I flinched instinctively. He made an offhand shooing motiontoward the door and waited until the door loudly clicked shut to focus back on me.
"I know you're not for sale, but Ratty is a lot easier to get rid of with some tea. And as for why I'd help you...do I need a reason to help a very pretty girl in a very wet dress?" I blushed, drawing the coat tighter around my chest. He just laughed.
"Figures, people always want something", I muttered.
"Why are you here?", Hatter asked.
"I'm looking for my boyfriend. His name is Jeff Chase. I...I can't say my own name for some reason though. To be completely honest, this whole place confuses me" Pulling me down onto the soft white couch, Hatter sighed.
"Here...your name chooses you. For all intents and purposes, you are Alice. I'll help you find your boyfriend, okay? Just stick with me." I smiled and nodded. Grinning from ear to ear like a conniving cat, Hatter leaped to his feet and paced behind the desk.
"So...where are we going to go to get help?"
"This way" I turned toward his voice and was only mildly surprised to see him open a door in the wall that led directly outside. Steeling myself, I walked over and followed him into the city.
What was I getting myself into?
"By the way, what exactly is this place?", I asked, staring off the edge of the building. He froze and I bumped into his back before I could stop myself.
"Isn't that obvious?" I shook my head no, and he laughed.
"You're in Wonderland, sweetheart!"
"You mean like that story in a children's book?"
"Does this look like a kid's story to you?"
Nope, definately not.
DNALREDNOWNIECILA
"I'm returning a work of Edwin and Morcar" Hatter leaned against the dark brick, absently clutching my hand. My fear of heights was not that big of a deal to me but he still insisted on holding my hand to prevent me from being the slightest bit scared. Not that I was complaining or anything. It felt...nice.
"How does the little crocodile improve his shining tail?" Hatter growled in exasperation.
"He pours water of the Nile on every golden scale! Let us in Duck, she's scared of heights", he said quickly. The door opened and he ushered me inside.
"Hold on to something", he muttered as the door snapped shut. Nodding, I wrapped my hand around a...seat? Looking around I was amazed to see that we were in a bus. A buss jammed into the brick work of a building! A slight shudder ran through the metal of the bus, freeing little tiny bits of mortar all along the walls.
"What..."
The bus fell.
Holding onto the seat for dear life, I stared at Hatter. He just stood there, cool as a cumcumber, until the bus came to a shuddering stop. His lips quirked upward in a small smile.
"You okay? It can be kind of alarming the first time", he laughed. I scowled at him.
"Shut up you" He offered me a hand and I took it gratefully, having missed the warmth and solid weight of his hand.
"Come on, let's go meet Dodo", he said. I smiled.
"Yes, let's"
DNALREDNOWNIECILA
"She's looking for a guy named Jeff Chance."
"Chase. Jeff Chase." He shot me a look but I ignored it. Dodo just glared at us both.
"Why should I help you?", he sneered. Hatter glared right back at him.
"The resistance has contacts in the Casino, yeah?" Dodo crossed his arms.
"No comment" Hatter growled in annoyance again.
"Well, use them to find her guy. She can pay you." Shoving my hand deeper in my pocket, I turned to stare at Hatter. Dodo slowly sat up and walked over to us.
"Pay me? Pay me with what exactly?", he asked, mildly interested. Hatter gently nudged me forward.
"Show him the ring Alice." I froze.
"My ring is not for sale", I said quietly. It was the only thing I had left of Jeff, there was no way I was giving it up. Without warning, Dodo yanked my hand out into the open and stared at the ring.
His mouth dropped open. I let my hand drop as his eyes flicked up to meet my gaze. His eyes drilled into my own, questions surfacing more rapidly than I had hoped for.
"Your Oyster is wearing the Stone Of Wonderland!"
Hatter's mouth dropped open in a parody of Dodo's.
"What? Where did you get it Alice?", he asked, spinning round to face me. Eyes never leaving me, Dodo reached into his jacket and swiftly pulled out a gun. My blood froze in my veins and, for one horrible moment, I couldn't even breathe through the crushing terror engulfing my whole body. Moving between me and Dodo, Hatter held up his hands.
"Dodo, just calm..."
"We have waited so long for the Stone and now it falls straight into our laps. You better hand it over girlie, or else!"
An enormous ticking filled my ears as I backed up. Hatter grabbed the front of the gun, forcing it away from me.
"Just put the gun dow..."
Dodo pulled the trigger.
The world seemed to move in slow motion as Hatter flew backward into a bookshelf.
I ran.
I could hear gunshots behind me as I ran and even a few threats from Hatter. reaching the bus in record time, I flung myself at the controls desperately, trying to figure out how to get it moving before it was too late. Flicking all the switches I could see, I nearly began to cry as the bus refused to move.
"Hit the blue button!", screamed Hatter. Whipping around, I saw Hatter wrestling with Dodo, fighting to keep him from reaching me.
"Press the bloody blue button!", he screamed again. My finger darted near the button but something held me back. I glanced back at Hatter.
He was losing. Dodo had him pinned to the floor and was mercilessly punching him. Making up my mind, I leaped back out of the bus, ran up to them, kicked Dod as hard as I coould in the face, and pulled Hatter up.
"C'mon, let's go", I panted. He snatched his hat off the ground as we passed it and I nearly laughed. A man with a gun was trying his best to kill us and he was still worried about his hat? When we finally reached the bus, I couldn't see any blood on him, so I shoved him down and ripped open his shirt. A dark material beneath his shirt shined dully in the light and I just stared at him, unable to believe that he was okay. He grinned and sat up a bit so the hard seat behind him wasn't digging into his back.
"Body armour, Alice. I never go to a meeting with Dodo without it, not after what happened a while ago. I'm fine, love."
"Body armour? So, you're...not hurt at all? And I already told you, my name's not Alice!", I said quietly angry. He just kept grinning.
"Yes, Not-Alice, I'm fine. Why, were you worried?"
"No!", I shouted. He laughed.
"Well, c'mon then, let's get back to my tea shop and regroup. Maybe we can have a cup of tea as well, real tea not those bloody Emotion Teas."
I just glared at him.
DNALREDNOWNIECILA
A few hours later, we finally were within sight of the tea shop. We had taken many twisting routes, doubling back more than twice, just to avoid Suits and Underground members. We even had to hide from the burning light of the Scarab a few times.
"Hold up", Hatter mumbled, holding his hand out. I froze in place, my eyes darting to the doors of the tea shop. A bunch of Suits and a man with...some sort of helmet were interrogating Ratter. The man with the helmet tossed one of the workers from the tea shop off the bridge and I finally got a good look at his face.
His head was that of a giant white rabbit.
Hatter frowned.
"It can't be...", he muttered. Suddenly the rabbit man whipped his head toward us and began striding across the bridge. Hatter grabbed my arm and quickly pulled me away from the tea shop.
"We need to run. Yeah, now. Right now. Run!" He pushed me back down an alley and I nearly fell over. We made it to a dock before Hatter stopped running. He leaped into a small boat and motioned for me to do the same.
"There's a trick to this", he explained, yanking the starter cord several times, "and apparently I've never learned it." The Suits rounded the corner with the rabbit man leading the way like some sort of bloodhound and Hatter laughed nervously as the engine finally caught and started. The boat took off and I clung to the soft seat to avoid being pitched out the side. After getting his bearings, Hatter grinned and floored it.
"Where are we going?", I asked quietly. Hatter sighed.
"Well, we can't fight that posse and we completely ditch them either. There aren't that many places to hide in Wonderland. We're going to have to lead them into a trap, so we're headed to the Forest of Wabe", he tried to explain. I chuckled.
"Oh, so it's we now huh?" Hatter blushed and stammered, stumbling over his words.
"I don't know if you noticed, but my shop was ransacked. I'm...homeless.I only have one choice." I raised an eyebrow.
"And that is?" He glanced at me, and an emotion flashed across his face quicker than I could read it.
"To go home with you" I blushed and turned away, looking across the water. I felt...happy, but I still needed to find Jeff. We needed to go back where we belonged.
We needed to go home soon.
DNALREDNOWNIECILA
Sliding the boat up onto the bank without a problem, Hatter expertly hid it under an overhanging tree. He helped me out of the boat, grabbing a pack out of the boat at the same time.
"What's that?", I asked. He shrugged.
"Not much. Just a few creature comforts. We're going to be hiding out here for a bit", he explained. We trudged through the forest for a long time before he finally found a spot he liked.
"Why are we doing this again?", I asked after a while. He handed me two sleeping bags and I rolled them out onto the forest floor.
"Well, since we can't fight them, I'm hoping something else will" He struck a match and tossed it onto the pile of small dry twigs and wood he had picked up earlier.
"Something like the Jabberwocky"
A distant roar filled the air and I shivered in fear. He climbed ino a sleeping bag and motioned for me to curl up with him. Wadding up my jacket for a pillow, I curled up next to him and fell asleep.
DNALREDNOWNIECILA
Looking at her sleeping face, I was amazed by how peaceful she looked. I scooted closer to her, gently brushing a stray piece of hair off her forehead. Sh didn't stir, so I leaned in closer and lightly placed a kiss on her cheek. That Jeff guy didn't deserve her, she was too...perfect.
"Alice, can I keep you?", I whispered into her hair.
Her eyelids barely fluttered.
DNALREDNOWNIECILA
"Scoundrels! Knee-biters! Carpet baggers!"
"Old man, I said to let the lady sleep!"
I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and sat up slowly. Hatter was arguing with some old man dressed in a knight costume. I giggled to myself. Nothing in this world could ever seem truly weird to me now.
"Miss, are you laughing at me?" I jerked up, tearing my mind back to reality.
"No! I was just laughing at something I remembered", I explained hastily.
"Do tell", a mechanical voice trilled behind me. Hatter wrapped an arm around me and pulled me to his side.
"We're not going down without a fight, Mad March", he said quietly. The rabbit head tilted to the side and i shuddered in Hatter's grip.
"I know", he said. Hatter tossed me to the side and drew back his fist. Mad March just laughed and ducked, stabbing him with a sickly green knife as he lunged. Hatter collapsed. The old knight glanced at Hatter's body and took off, only looking back once. Mad March turned to me.
"Did you kill him?", I asked quietly.
"No, and I really don't want to do the same to you. Will you come with me?" I slowly shook my head yes. He stepped forward and gently put his hand on the back of my neck.
"Good night my dear", he whispered and pressed down. A black curtain slid down over my vision and I fell into his arms.
What a nice assasin.
DNALREDNOWNIECILA
Fingers brushed the base of my skull, and I sighed as light flooded my vision. The Queen sat at the head of the room, flanked by all the senior Suits. She smiled warmly.
"So you're Alice. Not much to look at, are you? Tell me Alice, where have you put my ring?", she asked quietly. I flushed.
"I have no idea what you're talking about. All I want is to go home with my boyfriend Jeff Chase. We need to go home", I said. The Queen frowned.
"So you're going to be difficult. Winston dear, could you do the interrogation this time? I've grown rather tired." A small man dressed in a bright red suitstood up and began pacing around me. I almost laughed.
"How did you get the ring Alice? Who gave it to you?"
"Jeff did. My boyfriend Jeff, the guy I keep mentioning that I'm looking for? Why don't you ask him? I gave it back to him after all", I said in a huff. The Queen snapped her fingers.
"She's lying! Augh, send in Jack! Maybe he can get her to tell the truth", the Queen demanded. A thud shook the room and the two silver doors behind me slid open.
Jeff walked in.
My voice died as he just stared at me. The Queen looked between us, a smile slowly dawning on her face. Jeff, or I guess, Jack, glared at her.
"So this was the girl you seduced while your fioncee waited here in tears?" My heart shattered when Jack denied none of it.
How could he?
They tried to ask me a few more questions but I just ignored them all. I was sick of this world and eveyone in it. No one loved me for me. Everyone always had an ulterior motive. No one did anything just to be nice. Finally they noticed that I wasn't going to answer any more questions and the talking ceased.
Finally, the Queen frowned and tossed her head.
"Take her to the Truth Room. Let the twins have some fun with her", she declared. Two Suits grabbed my arms, practically pulling me off my feet.
The Truth Room?
DNALREDNOWNIECILA
A few twisting turns later and I stood in front of a plain door. One Suit cautiously opened it while he other shoved me inside. They sneered.
"Have fun!"
The walls of the room swirled around me and I sat down hard. He world suddenly felt fuzzy and nausea viciously stabbed me in the gut. I closed my eyes and curled up on the floor. The room darkened and I opened my hand and felt the floor. Soft plush carpet bent under my fingertips and I sighed happily. I knew this carpet!
I was home!
I sat up and opened my eyes.
Two men in purple jumpsuits stared back.
"Hello my dear. I am Dr. Dum and this is Dr. Dee. We operate the Truth Room, where only truths can be spoken. Are you ready?" I shrugged.
"Then let us begin"
DNALREDNOWNIECILA
"How old are you?"
"I don't remember."
"Why are you alone?"
"Dad's gone and Mum's looking for him."
"Why don't you go into the study?"
"No. I'm…afraid."
"Of what? Just go and look, what harm could it do?"
Shuddering, I slowly walked over to the study door. Something was behind the door, something bad. I nudged the door open with my foot and looked around quickly. Nothing was out of place.
I stepped through and walked to the window. Outside, colors swirled in a sickening dance.
It was all a lie.
"So what if it is? It is still your home, isn't it?"
No!
I whipped around as light flooded the room. I looked down and fear spiked through my heart. I was standing on the only piece of floor, the rest of the room was a deep black pit. I wildly grabbed at the windowsill with both hands, vertigo already beginning to affect me.
"Let me go!"
Dr. Dee and Dr. Dum grinned. The floor began to dissolve and I panicked, black threads lacing my world together as I watched. A door slid open somewhere.
"Not-Alice! You have to jump! I'll catch you!", yelled Hatter.
"No! Go away! This is a private session!", shrieked one of the doctors.
Hatter?
The black threads slid back and I nearly cried in relief. Hatter stood in the doorway to the study, arms spread wide. The floor started to dissolve again and I leaped as hard as I could toward him. Slamming into his arms, he wrapped his arms around me and we fell into the living room together.
"How did you get here?", I asked. Hatter shrugged, eyes wide as he stared at the colors swirling around.
"Don't ask me, ask Charlie." I turned around, only slightly shocked to see that odd knight room before standing there too.
So his name was Charlie, huh?
"Believe it or not, my dear, but we're in your head", mused Charlie. He was feeling the pictures on the wall in the hallway. Before Hatter could protest, I flung my arms around him and hugged him tightly.
"You rescued me", I whispered. He blushed.
"Yeah, we should save that until we're safe"
"Found it!", yelled Charlie. A door opened in the memory of my house and together we ran outside into the brightly it corridor. Turning to look at Hatter, I gasped. Blood caked Hater's lip and his right eye was almost swollen shut.
"What happened to you Hatter?" He looked down.
"Well, seeing as the Truth Room was occupied, I was interrogated by the March Hare, aka. Mad March. I'm okay, really! Nothing that won't heal." Without another word, he pulled me down another white corridor.
We raced through the building, passing rooms after rooms of people just standing in front of what looked like…blackjack and roulette tables. They weren't talking or anything, they just…stood there.
"Hatter? What's wrong with those people?" He looked through a door at some of them and sighed.
"They are being…used. How did you think those emotion teas are made? Don't worry, they're not hurt or anything. Just drained", he explained sadly. I yanked him to a stop.
"What? Are you…are you serious? We have to save them!" I jerked my hand away from him and dashed into one of the rooms. Hatter followed warily.
"Not-Alice, we can't help them. They don't even know anything is wrong! C'mon, we need to get out of here!", he whisper-shouted. One of the people nearest us shifted and groaned. Hatter froze.
"Where am I? Where are my kids? I can't move my feet! Somebody please help me!", the woman shouted. His eyes widened with shock and I tapped my foot impatiently.
"They don't know anything is wrong, huh?", I said, voice dripping with sarcasm. He spun around and locked the door.
"What did you have in mind?"
DNALREDNOWNIECILA
A few minutes and tripped alarms later, I stood up shakily on the platform in the front of the room. Hatter paced at the back of the room, gun held tight in his hands. Two knocked-out Suits lay unconscious on the floor, blood leaking from their lips. He twitched and I almost dropped to the floor in a panic.
"Are there any more?", I whispered. He shook his head and I sighed in relief. The people around the blackjack and roulette tables shifted like seaweed in a current and I smiled.
"Everyone! Wake up! Try to your remember! Think of your families. Your children. Wake up!", I yelled. The fog cleared away from some of their eyes. Not many, but enough. I put my fake smile back into place and smile as brightly as I could.
"Try to move your feet!", I yelled, a bit softer this time.
"Where are my kids?"
"I can't move my feet!"
"Neither can I?"
"What's going on?"
"Why does that man have a gun?"
My head snapped to the back of the room here Hatter was. He gave me the kicked puppy dog look before slowly putting his gun away. Someone pounded on the door and everyone fell silent.
"Hear that? That's the Suits! They want to imprison you again! Don't let them!", I shouted.
The doors burst open.
I ducked behind one of the pillars onstage, holding my breath nervously. Hatter shot several of the Suits, but more flowed into the room in a matter of seconds.
DNALREDNOWNIECILA
"Sir, I'm picking up some very negative emotions!" Worry pricked at my mind, and I quickly looked at the monitor. That strange girl that had the Queen upset was yelling at the Oysters, frightening them. Bad emotions soared into the collecting tanks and I groaned. If this continued the emotions would overflow and the casino would explode…
"Wake up!"
Wake up, Daddy! Wake up!
A clear voice flitted across my mind and I shuddered. What was I doing? I had to think quick before anyone got suspicious.
"Sir? What should we do? Sir?" I pressed my hands to my forehead and waved my anxious assistants away.
"Don't worry, I'm fine. If the emotions get much worse, cut the Oysters loose. I'm going to see if I can salvage those Oysters."
And I want to see my daughter!
The tank technician looked worried as I stood up and lurched away. Walrus jumped up, catching my elbow to steady me. Nausea boiled in my stomach as I thanked him. Firmly holding me in his grasp, he walked with me down the corridor.
"You all right Carpenter?"
I nodded.
I'll be there soon sweetie.
DNALREDNOWNIECILA
"Stop! Stop! You're scaring the Oysters!", a new voice shouted. It sounded so familiar…almost like a memory of a dream. It sounded like…my father. I peeked around the column and nearly fainted.
Dad was here the whole time?
"You're scaring the Oysters", he repeated softly. The Suits glared at him, but put their guns down. He smiled at me and all my confidence fled.
"Jellybean…how've you been?", he asked quietly, tears pooling in the corner of his eyes.
Dad? Is that really you?
He strode over to the stage and held out his arms. I hesitated for only a fraction of a second before leaping straight into his embrace. I had waited so long to see him and now he was here. He felt so warm and real…tears flowed down my face as he held me tightly.
"Carpenter!"
Dad let go of me and turned to face the front of the room. A single fat man in a silvery jumpsuit stared at us, a gun clutched in his hand.
"What's the matter Walrus?", my dad demanded. Walrus laughed and leaned the gun forward. My dad tensed as the gun was aimed at me.
"Say goodbye", Walrus whispered. My dad lunged, folding his arms around me.
"No!"
An explosion of noise pounded my ears and I held my breath. I could feel my dad's heavy breathing, but the pain never came. Surprised, I opened my eyes, looking directly into my dad's pain-filled eyes.
"Be good jellybean", he whispered, falling to the floor. A bright red flower bloomed across his chest as he fell. I just stared, too shocked to move. Walrus grimaced.
"Foolish old man", he spat, reloading his gun. Tears leaked from my eyes as I stared down the barrel of his gun. I stood straight, hoping that none of my fear showed.
The gun fired.
I gasped, clutching my chest desperately. More shots rang through the air, but I barely heard them. I was so numb that I couldn't even feel the pain from the bullets. Shouts and yells drifted through my mind but I ignored them all. My knees wobbled slightly and suddenly I collapsed onto the floor. Darkness slid across my vision and I smiled. At least I got to see my dad before I died. I had missed him so much…
"No! ALICE!"
Goodbye Hatter. I'll miss you so much...
DNALREDNOWNIECILA
"Not-Alice! Don't you dare leave me! Wake up Alice!" I blinked and frowned. I still couldn't feel any pain. What was going on? My eyes found Hatter and rested on the gun in his hands.
Oh.
I looked over at Walrus. Red flowers were scattered across his chest in a haphazard fashion…and he wasn't breathing? What…
"Hatter? What…what happened?"
He looked away.
"Walrus killed your father and almost killed you. I shot him before he shot you though. You collapsed and I was terrified that he had managed to shoot you. Don't scare me like that again Alice!", he laughed nervously. The dead body of my dad lay on the pure white floor, blood spreading out even as I watched. I moved forward to him but Hatter held me back.
"No! Let me go! I never said goodbye!", I screamed. I could see tears dripping down Hatter's face but he shook his head and pulled me to my feet.
"I'm sorry, I really am, but we have to go. The emotions you released... they're going to explode. I heard one of the Suits asking Walrus about it. We need to go", he explained softly. I tried to fight him, but he was too strong. He dragged me out past all the dead Suits. Finally I stopped fighting, letting him drag me out of the building.
We made it to the perfectly trimmed lawn just as the whole casino tumbled inward. Hatter tackled m to the ground, covering my body with his own. Shards of glass rained down on us, tinkling as they fell. We laid like that for a while, Hatter unreflecting to let me get up when smaller explosions could go off. Suits scrambled around us, trying to get away from the destroyed casino as fast as possible.
Finally Hatter rolled off of me, offering me a hand up as he stood. He shot me a smile and all my anger drained away.
"Thanks", I muttered.
A few Suits ran toward us and I cringed against him. He put an arm around my waist and pulled me tight against himself, glaring at the Suits. They didn't glare back, just silently formed a ring around the two of us.
From behind the tight knot of Suits, mocking laughter drifted across the grass. Moving as one, the Suits shifted, opening up a tunnel. At the other end of the tunnel, the Queen laughed again.
"Silly Alice. You thought you could make a difference, didn't you? Silly, stupid Alice", she sneered. Heat shot to my cheeks and I heard Hatter growl behind me.
"How dare you! You bitch…"
"No, Hatter. I'll take care of this, okay?" He looked at me carefully but backed down. The Queen laughed yet again.
"You'll take care of me? How cheeky! Suits! Seize her! Off with her head!", she shrieked. Hatter grabbed me again, shoving me behind him protectively. The Suits just stared at the Queen. She paled.
"They won't listen to you anymore!", I Iaughed. She frowned and stomped her foot onto the ground, hard.
"Don't listen to her! She's not the one in power! I am! Me! Now, kill her! Off with her head!" The Suits chuckled and grabbed her. She kicked and struggled, fighting tooth and nail to get free.
"They've woken up", I said quietly.
As have I.
After a few moments, she gave up, falling limply into the grasp of her Suits. The people, Oysters and members of Wonderland alike, assembled behind me.
"Take her to the Eyeron and let her face all of Wonderland for a full week…if she can survive it, that is", Jack ordered from the front of the crowd. The scantily clad and well-endowed blond hanging off his arm smiled and lightly placed a kiss on his cheek. A tiny flame of jealously licked at my heart, until Hatter tightened his grip on me.
Who needs Jack, when you had a Hatter as devilishly handsome as…
as…
Huh, that right. I don't even know his real name.
Smiling for the first time in ages, the Suits led the Queen of Hearts away. The crowd cheered and Hatter laughed, al tension gone from his voice. Careful not to break his grip, I twisted in his arms so I was facing him.
"Hatter? Um…", I trailed off. He raised his eyebrows.
"Yes poppet?"
"What's your name? Your real name?" Sadness flashed through his eyes and he leaned away from me.
"Like I said before, here your name chooses you. I have no other name except for Hatter. Mad Hatter…it fits me, doesn't it?', he asked, pain lacing through his voice. I pulled him back to me and smiled brightly.
"Yes, it does. Mad as a fox you are, and I wouldn't have it any other way" The pain melted off his features and he smiled with me.
"Alice?", Jack called across the clearing. Hatter and I broke apart quickly, searching for the source of his voice. He waved to us, striding over to where we stood. Staring at Hatter, Jack cleared hi throat.
"With my mother out of the way, all of the Oysters…I mean, humans…will be returned through the Looking Glass as soon as possible. I'm sorry you got dragged into this mess, but I promise I'll get you home soon"
I blanched.
"Um, thank you", I stammered. Hatter looked away and my heart sank. Jack smiled and waved a few Suits over.
"They need the ring Alice. Only the Stone of Wonderland can reopen the Looking Glass", he explained. I swallowed and nodded, carefully pulling the ring out of an inside pocket in my dress. One of them bowed slightly and took the ring, holing it as if it were radioactive.
Is that ring really that important?
"Well then", Jack interrupted, "Let's go get you cleaned up! You can't very well go home looking like that!" He snapped his fingers impatiently and a few of the previous casino workers hurried over. He muttered something in their ears about cleaning me up and making me look proper again. They nodded and advanced on me, tugging me away from Hatter.
"Come miss, we'll get you cleaned up in no time. The Queen's personal home is just over the next hill. It isn't far", the one closest to me said. I just nodded and let them lead me away. I honestly didn't care what happened at this point, I was too numb to really think.
I'm going home. I'm finally going home.
DNALREDNOWNIECILA
Only a few hours later and we were all assembled in front of a large mirror. I had been told it was the Looking Glass and that the ring, the Stone of Wonderland, was powering it. I had already said goodbye to Charlie when Jack walked over with the Duchess.
"I know I offered this to you before, but you didn't know what I meant. I offer it to you again. Will you marry me and rule over Wonderland as my Queen?" I looked over him and Duchess. She looked sad and clung to his arm as if she was afraid of losing him. He patted her hand, subdued but resolved. Then it hit me.
He really did love the Duchess, and she loved him back. They belonged together, yet he still felt obligated to marry me. He did owe his kingdom to me after all. My heart shuddered a little bit, but it didn't break like it would have a few days earlier.
"No, Jack, I can't. You already have a Queen" Duchess's eyes lit up and she leaped into Jack's embrace. He smiled and kissed her gently on her cheek.
"Thank you. Goodbye dear Alice. I think someone wants to talk to you", he said, pointing over my shoulder. I turned around and my heart roared back into life.
Hatter smiled.
"You cut it a little close, don't you think?", I teased. He blushed.
"Well, I guess I was trying not to think about it…anyway, I guess this is goodbye then. I hope you…um…have a good life", he mumbled. I sighed.
"Yeah, it is goodbye. Unless…you want me to stay?", I asked hopefully. He chuckled.
"Hell no! You should go home; it's too dangerous for you here. You need to go back home" I leaned back, stunned.
But, I thought he…loved me. Obviously I was wrong.
My heart froze in my chest and I plastered a big fake smile on my face. He smiled hesitantly.
"Goodbye then. Maybe you could visit my world sometime", I said flatly. He nodded enthusiastically.
"Yeah, we could do…pizza", he said awkwardly. He leaned forward like he was going to hug me, but obviously decided better of it and shrank back.
"Alice? The Looking Glass is ready" a Suit next to me said. He held out his arm and I took it, letting him lead me to the Looking Glass in the center of the room.
"Try to take a deep breath, ma'am" I nodded and he shoved me, hard, into the mirror. The wind took my breath away and the lights swirled around me again. I closed my eyes and smiled.
This was actually kind of nice.
Suddenly the world came back into focus. I barely had time to see the same dingy alley I had ran into all that time ago before I slammed into the pavement.
DNALREDNOWNIECILA
I tried to remember what had happened but all my memories were dull around the edges. All I knew was that I missed someone named Hatter. The fuzzy memories with him in them made me feel warm and happy inside.
Exhausted, I closed my eyes again and let myself fall into the darkness. I was so tired…
"She's over here!" Lights swirled around me and condensed into the dark grey and black of an alley. My head felt funny, like it was stuffed full of cotton.
Everything just felt…fuzzy.
I could feel people helping me up but I had no idea who they were. My heart and lungs felt heavy, like each moment was a struggle just to keep existing. I wanted to just go to sleep.
So I did.
DNALREDNOWNIECILA
I opened my eyes sometime later in my own bed. My mother was asleep in a chair in the corner. I tried to get up to get her a blanket, but she woke with a start when the bed squeaked.
"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to wake you, I…I", I spluttered as she rubbed her eyes. She smiled and I froze.
"It's okay, sweetie. I'm just glad you're okay. I was really worried. I thought…I thought you had disappeared, just like Harry all those years ago" My heart clenched painfully and I practically fell into her arms. I could feel her tears on my shirt and my own eyes started burning.
"Mom, I could never leave you", I whispered. She just hugged me harder.
I love you too much.
DNALREDNOWNIECILA
"So, how did you find me? I was so lost!"
"Well, a construction worker saw you run into that alley and never come out. He got worried and called the police. The rest is history. He said he would send his son over later to check on you. How nice is that?" She laughed.
I laughed with her and snapped my book shut. The door bell chimed and she winked at me. I tossed a pillow at her and put my book down. Sliding it back onto the bookshelf, I headed toward the front door. My mom beat me there and yanked it open.
"Hey, how are you?", asked Hatter. My head snapped up and my heart went into overdrive. His hair was combed down and his hat was being twisted nervously in his hands, but it was him alright.
Without another word, I ran across the room and jumped into his arms. He sighed happily.
"Finally", he breathed. I smiled into his chest.
"You have no idea how happy I am to see you. I thought I would never see you again", I whispered, practically hugging the life out of him. He lightly kissed my forehead. My heart melted as he looked into my eyes.
"Can I keep you?", he whispered back.
I just nodded and kissed him back. I could feel him smiling into the kiss.
My mom just stared.