Insane Love
I was thinking I could put all this at the end of the story but then I realized there are some things that need to be addressed before I begin. Well, first of all, I'm loosely basing this story on the Tim Burton Wonderland. When I say loosely, I mean that I'm mainly making things up because the movie won't come out for over a year. I've looked at what news there is and I have looked at Johnny Depp's costume. As for the personality, I have to make that up as well since there is no movie clips to go off of. Rumour has it that Alice falls in love with the Mad Hatter. I will not be surprised if this is true because if there is any way to give Hatter more screen time, it's to change the story. The Hatter is my favourite character and not just because he wears a top hat. He really is so unique and quirky. I can't wait for the movie to come out to see how Johnny decides to play him. I give Hatter a name in this:
Theophilus Lutwidge Tenniel
Now if you're a big fan of the book you might know where this name came from. If not however, let me explain. Theophilus Carter was an inventor who was said to be the inspiration for the illustrations for the Mad Hatter. Lutwidge was Lewis Carrol's middle name before it was changed to Lewis Carrol. His real name was Charles Lutwidge Dodgson. Sir John Tenniel was the person who did the illustrations.
This story takes place in the nineteenth century.
That's about it.
Flitch
Alice's life at her house in England had been, to say the most of the experience, a comfortable arrangement. Try as her poor father and mother might, they could not keep their daughter from becoming a reclusive miserable woman of nineteen. Her countenance held all the signs of a woman who had been through much torment. Whatever anguished her she would not utter a word. Not even to her dearest friends and closest relatives. No, Alice's life had taken a drastic turn. So drastic, that after a year, her parents sent her off to the asylum where she was there taken care of by nurses.
Now, Alice had no regard for these nurses whatsoever. Perhaps it came from the fact that she never sought to seek their eyes when they came to talk and care for her. On an average day, a nurse would come to Alice's room and find her sitting in a plain wooden chair by the window. There she would sit, staring out into the courtyard, or perhaps daydreaming of another world. However, this was no ordinary day. Today, Alice was lying on her bed, her hands folded in front of her, looking up at the ceiling. The nurse who had entered the room hardly attempted conversation with Alice. This time was a bit different, with a sentence coming out from her lips when she saw her patient.
"Dreadful weather we're having today Miss."
"The worst I have ever seen Jane." Alice said, addressing the ceiling.
"Are you at all well enough to stand Miss? The Head Nurse says you should be taking a bath at this hour."
"That time already?"
"Yes. Shall I send someone to fetch water?"
Alice nodded and Jane left the room, shutting the door behind her.
"Oh Dinah, you of all furry creatures would have not liked this place. It's cold and dreary with people coming in to interrogate me about my problems. I have been spurned by love and left to suffer here for it! Why I came back to England is beyond me, through I suppose I was trying to escape from my memories there. Perhaps I should have searched for my love. See if he had escaped a horrible fate. It could very well be possible for I heard he escaped the Queen before on my first visit to Wonderland. But oh Dinah, if you could only be here to see the sorrow that filled my heart and washed away happiness from me when I found out he was sentenced to another crime, one of which he could not escape from. Although, as I said before, he could have escaped. What a wonderful thought that would have been. The knowledge that he is still living and pouring tea in another world is enough to bring me to tears. But I have resolved to think otherwise and will therefore wallow in my own misery, though misery itself grieves me so."
This was one of many monologues that Alice told herself when she was feeling particularly upset. It was always done in silence, for any of their words falling on other's ears would have provided them with the knowledge of why she was here. It was not plain old misery. This was most probably the worst of all forms of it. This was a lover's misery, felt by those who have been kept from their partners. It was cold and horrible but it was just the thing that got her into the asylum.
At that moment, the door opened again and Jane walked in, carrying two buckets of water. She was drenched from being out in the rain and Alice could see the pale blue undergarments that she was wearing underneath her white dress.
"You're smiling Jane. What has happened?"
"You are to have a guest Miss."
Alice quirked an eyebrow. No person had visited her except for family in months. It must have been her parents or maybe a close friend.
"Who is it then?"
"No one knows Miss. He seems to have travelled far for his shoes are well worn out. He kept muttering your name under his breath. He has said nothing but it since he came in fact. Oh he is a handsome one Alice. Greatly dishevelled but very handsome all the same. He just needs rest and some new clothes. Many even a cutting of his unruly hair."
"I'm sorry Jane but this man is someone I am not familiar with."
"Perhaps Miss, he was an old friend who has changed his appearance."
Alice quickly jumped off the bed and went to her spot in her chair by the window.
"I think I will have my bath later Jane. I do so crave company. Send him in."
"I'll inform him Miss."
Once again, Jane left the room, leaving the buckets of water nearby her bed. There was a moment in which nothing happened and then Alice moved the buckets to the window and put a foot inside each. The water, despite being brought in a moment ago was only lukewarm and certainly not the temperature fit for a bath. She turned her face back to the window and observed a small plant, whose leaves were drooping for the weight of the rain hitting it. She heard the door creak behind her but kept her eyes trained in the same spot.
"Miss, this is the person." Jane said behind her.
Alice turned and locked eyes with the person. For a moment, he looked expectantly at her and then sighed and turned away. Jane stood rather awkwardly beside the guest.
"Are you familiar with the gentleman Miss?" She asked.
Alice took another look at the person but she could not recognize him.
"Well then you must know her sir. I didn't catch your name."
"Theophilus. And no, I'm not familiar." The man replied.
Jane looked at him with confusion.
"If you both do not know one another, than how did you know my patient's name sir?"
"I've been searching the world for someone named Alice. For two years actually. You see…"
Theophilus paused and then took a seat on Alice's bed. Alice in turn, wrinkled her nose at the thought that she had to sleep on the same sheets that this person was sitting on now. He looked like a drowned rat with his plain brown suit and frizzy orange hair. Still, like Jane had said before, he had a very handsome face, despite the fact that his eyes were black from little sleep.
"I was silly. I though we would always be together. But one day it changed. I was convicted of a crime and managed to escape punishment. When I went to find her afterwards, she was gone."
He sighed again.
"I've been looking ever since."
"Oh, so this is a coincidence. You're looking for a woman named Alice and my patient has the same name. But may I ask what your Alice looked like?" Jane asked.
"She had very silvery blond hair and a powder blue dress. I remember she was trying to escape from an arranged marriage to Lord Ascot's son."
"Lord Ascot? I heard his son ran away from home after he was spurned." Jane said.
"That's how the story goes. But this girl…"
Theophilus looked at Alice and she could feel his eyes piercing her.
"She's not mine. Mine was beautiful."
Sighing once again, he turned back to Jane.
"I don't suppose there's any tea in here?"
"Yes of course. I'll see if I can get you some dry clothes."
Theophilus followed her out of the room and Alice was once again left alone.
"Dinah, it's him. He's alive."
Jane came in the room about an hour later, and the rest of the day was spent between taking a bath and playing a card game. She would wait after everyone had gone to sleep to leave her bedroom. The hours seemed to go by very slowly but after awhile the sky turned dark and Alice made her way into the shadowy hallway.
The guest room was at the very end of the hallway. Odd, it seemed that there would be a guest room in the asylum but then again, she had seen much stranger things in her life. The door was closed and for a moment, Alice worried that it might have been locked as a precaution. However, when she turned the door handle, it yielded quite easily.
Despite the darkness, Alice could make out a slumbering figure resting on the bed. He was breathing slowly, his back turned away from her. She approached the bed and whispered the name of the person she loved.
"Hatter?"
There was a rather loud gasp and then Hatter turned to Alice so quickly toward her that she nearly fell off the bed.
"Alice, am I in such a state of delirium that I think you are here when you're really not?"
His eyes glinted in the darkness and were filled with an anxious passion.
"No. It's truly me."
"Then I'm not completely mad."
He reached out and pulled Alice's face toward him, at once kissing her fiercely when she was close enough.
"Don't leave me again."
Alice pulled away for a moment.
"I would never leave you."
"But you did."
"I thought that they cut off your head. I thought that this time you wouldn't be able to escape punishment."
"And that's why you left me?"
"Well yes."
"Ok, just don't leave me again."
"I won't."
Alice ran her hand along Hatter's cheek and as her eyes adjusted to the dark, she could see that he looked sad.
"What's wrong?"
"I want you to promise you won't leave me. Marry me?"
"How do you know about marriage Hatter? How long have you been here? And on that subject, how did you get here?"
"I followed the White Rabbit to a hole and jumped in after him. As for the length of time, I've been here for two years. And I really want to go back. England is driving me sane!"
"Don't you mean insane?"
"No! That's the thing. I've never felt so normal in my whole life when I was in Wonderland."
Alice had to giggle at how childish he was acting. Here was a twenty year old woman, having a conversation with someone who was probably twice her own age. Her thoughts were interrupted when Hatter grabbed her hand.
"Don't leave me in agony. Marry me!"
"Yes. I will."
He grabbed the neck of her robe and pulled her down onto the bed before turning on his side.
"Good. Goodnight."
Alice stared at Hatter's back for the longest time wondering how on earth a person can get to sleep that quickly. Especially after what just happened just a mere few seconds ago.
All she could remember was a shrill noise coming in her ears the next time she opened her eyes. The curtains were opened and the sun poured into the room. Jane was hanging over the bed, her mouth open in shock.
"Alice! I knew I should have locked your door last night. Oh poor Theo. Get out of the bed Miss before he wakes. He will have a shock if he sees you."
"Oh hush Jane. We know each other. I just didn't realize it…we didn't realize it until later on. You see Jane; our appearances have very much changed in the past two years."
Hatter made a noise from the other side of the bed and Alice and Jane both looked at him. He stirred and eventually got into a sitting position.
"Jane!" Hatter said brightly.
"Mr. Theophilus." She responded, her cheeks growing red.
"You wouldn't happen to have more Earl Gray do you? I really liked it from yesterday."
"We do sir. Alice, shall I take you back to your room?"
"That won't be necessary. She won't be leaving my side."
"Oh. Well, of course. Would you like some tea Alice?"
"Yes she would. Anyone would. Everything stops for tea."
Between his seventh and eighth cup of tea, Hatter finally burst out.
"We're getting married."
"Oh. How wonderful." Jane said, yet she turned her confused gaze to Alice.
"I think we should go to church after this. The sooner we're married the sooner I can leave this normal place." Hatter said, sipping his tea.
He paused.
"Poor Marchy must be missing me like mad." He muttered.
Alice married the Hatter and soon after returned to Wonderland where they had beautiful children.
They all wore hats and drank tea….
Earl Grey…
Happy New Year!