-Chapter 2-

"Alice, it's beautiful on you!" says a lady, staring at me a few feet away. Her white-blond hair trailing down onto the long white gown she's wearing. Her delicate arms were laced with golden ribbon and some gold nail polish covering each of her dainty fingernails. I look up at study her face. Her grey eyes bore into mine and a smile played along her lips.

"Thank you my Queen." fumbles out of my mouth. I turn and look in the mirror behind her and see… me. But not me-me, I'm much younger. Around… 7 or 8. I'm wearing a blue dress, that poofs out at my waist and stops at my knees. It has white lacy trim underneath it and the same lace on the poofy short sleeves. It's really a very pretty dress but definitely styled for a young girl, like I seem to be right now. So I guess it's suitable. My face is much rounder, giving me the desired childish look and my long blond hair is encased in a blue ribbon that matches the dress, and my bright, curious blue eyes. What is all of this? I'm sure this hasn't happened to me before, but yet I remember this dress and I know this is what I looked like when I was younger from the pictures scattered throughout the house.

"Come on Alice, let's go show the hatter how well his dress turned out." The queen holds her hand out. I take it gratefully and hop off the couch clumsily.

"Okay!" I eagerly skip down the hall. That's right; since I'm so young I can skip again without weird looks! Take that!

"HATTER!" I run up and hug… the hatted-man.

"Alice!" he picks me up, spinning me, before putting me back down and holding me out a distance to look at my dress," My… It looks wonderful on you Alice!"

"You really did a good job. It fits perfectly!" I twirl around in a circle, smiling. When I stop, I study him. How can I be so young and he look the same? He doesn't look to have aged a day between any of these dreams, yet I'm always different ages. He gets on one knee and places me on his lap. I hug him again and the queen smiles.

I wake up the next morning, staring at the ceiling. I groan, rolling over in bed. What was that dream? It seems so realistic. Especially hugging the hatter… What kind of name is that anyways, Hatter? That must be a nickname. Maybe he likes hats a lot. And the queen? I shrug it off as I get ready for class and then head out the door.

As I head down the hall to class, I get pushed against the wall, head hitting it hard. I shut my eyes and rub my head, groaning inwardly at the pain.

"Hey crazy, how are you today?" I hear someone say, sarcasm filling the air. I groan again as I look up to find Phillip standing there. He's a huge douche bag and has been ever since I wouldn't give him some "fun". It was a party earlier in the year and he was drunk as fuck and tried hitting on me and screwing me. Luckily, Charles was there and beat the shit out of him. Since then, he's been making my life a living hell anytime he can. Oh and did I mention he dated my sister?

Anyways, He just happens to have my Math and English class. I would truly be ecstatic if he fell over and died. No more torment, at least from him. He's made the whole campus think I'm medically diagnosed with insanity.

"Fuck off will you?" I try to go around him but it doesn't work. He's got my shoulders pinned against the wall. And his "posse" really isn't helping, huddling close and all. And of all times, the bell chooses to ring now, any help I could get now scrambling to their classes.

"How's your sister? Still in the institution? I wouldn't be surprised… she was a bit… off the walls when I was dating her." He starts laughing coldly, his posse following suit. I try shoving him off, knowing if I get angry it'll only make things worse.

"So how'd you get out? I'm more than certain you should still be in there too. You're no better than your sister. Hell, probably even worse." He tugs me forward and slams me into the wall again harder than the last.

"You're just pissed I wasn't as gullible as my sister. Your pathetic lies and fake charm doesn't work on me." I spat at him, regretting it moments later. He raises his hand and slaps me in the face.

"What'd you say bitch? WHAT'D YOU SAY?" His voice grows louder as he shakes me, slamming my head into the wall again and again. I shut my eyes as he shakes me, slaps me, and slams me into the wall repeatedly. His posse is laughing and cheering him on. Please let this all end…

"Wow Phillip. I knew you were a dick, but I didn't think you'd stoop so low as to abuse a girl who rejected you." I fall to the floor as a strong female voice comes from outside the circle. The posse sees her and laughs, turning back to Phillip, who had started kicking me.

After that, everything happened so quickly. The small girl had knocked two boys to the floor, shoving the rest out of her way as she sternly walks up to Phillip. She shoves him away from me and slams him into the lockers. "I'm talking to YOU asshole." She spat at him, staring fiercely up at him.

"I'm sorry, do I know you?" He smirks, eyeing her greedily.

"Oh you did NOT just do that!" She slams him harder up against the locker, slipping something out from under her skirt and raising it to his neck. My eyes widen as I realize it's a blade.

"Now, I'll only say this once so listen up." She shoves the blade closer to his neck, "Leave. Alice. Alone. Or next time, I won't be so nice." She grazes the blade across his neck, just enough to scratch and slips it back under her skirt. She steps away and heads toward me, "So it'd be best if you just believe me." She calls over her shoulder as she kneels down next to me.

"Hey, you alright?" She asks, her voice more welcoming now.

"Ya… Fine, don't worry about it." I shrug it off and try to get up.

"Whoa there Missy, we need to clean you up. You're bleeding." My hand slips up to my cheek, just noticing something wet there. I pull my hand away and notice blood. Oh great, that asshole really got me this time…

The girl helps me up and we shuffle over to the bathroom, my head pounding. "God my head…"

"Yea, that happens when you get your head slammed into the wall repeatedly" She smirks, looking at me. Her crystal blue eyes stare into mine. She looks familiar, but I can't place my finger on why.

She leans me against the wall and I slide down against the tile. I close my eyes, leaning my head against the wall, trying to stop the world from spinning. God that douche bag… And I thought the last time he hurt me was bad…

A cool paper towel is blotted against my cheek. I open my eyes to see the girl. "So I never caught your name…" She looks a bit shocked, staring at me like I've gone bonkers. Great… another person to think I'm insane…

"How hard did you hit your head?" she laughs lightly and I join with her.

"Pretty hard apparently, but it could've been worse. So thank you…" I leave the sentence unfinished.

"Mallymkun." She replies.

"Geez, big name for a small girl." I smirk as she glares at me.

"Sorry, sorry." I laugh at her reaction, grabbing my bag and taking some aspirin. This headache definitely won't go away by itself. I look back at the girl, scrunching my eyebrows as I concentrate hard. Where the fuck do I know her from?!

"What?" She smiles at my face as she finishes cleaning me up. My eyes widen as I realize where I remember her from.

"Mouse-girl-thingy…" I mumble and her smile broadens.

"So you do remember me!" She hurries over to hug me but I dodge it.

"YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE IN MY HEAD! STAY IN MY HEAD!" I grab my bag as I hurry out and to class. What the fuck is going on? Did I hit my head too hard or something?

I duck my head as I slip into class, heading to the back of the room and sitting down.

Why is she here? SHE'S A DREAM, IMAGINARY FRIEND! I must be hallucinating… But, I can't be. Phillip and his friends saw her clear as day. What's going on here? Is she actually real? Where do I really know her from? Is she an old childhood friend? Is this… place I've been picturing her in with these other…. Creatures real?

Before my thoughts could go any farther, the bell rang. I snap out of my thought and pack up for my next class. I move through the hallways quickly and swiftly, sticking to the walls and ducking my head as I get to English. I get to my seat and settle down. At last, a class I can actually handle, minus the douche bag.

"Hi." A female voice comes from the right of me. I jump as I notice Mallymkun.

"Oh you've got to be kidding me…" I plop my head onto the desk. My favorite class is being ruined by assholes and imaginary friends… could this get any worse?

"Wow, such a wonderful welcoming for your hero." She scoffs.

"Oh I didn't need saving!" I hiss at her.

"You were on the floor, curled up, being kicked repeatedly by some jockey. Ya, I call that handling a situation, Alice." The sarcasm seeps through each word and I glare at her.

"Today we will be writing about an escape. Explain the details of what they/you saw and how they/you escaped did it. This will be class work for tomorrow too but homework after." I scramble to pick my pencil and open my journal up to start writing.

I wake up on the ground of long corridor filled with doors of all kinds. Small, big, thin, fat, round, square... I get up slowly, going around the room trying all the doors. No dice. How did I get stuck in this corridor anyways? I try to remember, something, anything, but my mind is blank. Great, amnesia. That's just swell. I turn back around and see a small, round table in the middle of the room. I slowly walk over to it. There is a small key on it. Is this some kind of trick? Or test? I cautiously pick it up and start around the room trying to unlock a door, but the key is far too small for any of them. I lean against the wall stumped as to how I will get out here. Or even how I got in here.

My back suddenly slides, as I realize too late that I pulled the curtain and the rod holding it up straight off the wall. The rod hits me right across my back.

"Ow!" I stumble away from the rod, far too heavy for what it is. Behind the piled up curtain, is a small door. The key fits perfectly but the doorway is too small for me to get through. I take the key back with me to the table, stumped.

There, I notice a small bottle with a label saying 'DRINK ME!' I set the key down and inspect the bottle. Should I drink it? I shrug. What the hell! I take a sip, tasting something like strawberries.

The world around me starts to get bigger. The doors suddenly double in size and become farther and farther away. The petite table that used to reach my hip is now to my chin and still rapidly growing more. What's happening!

Everything settles down and I look around. All the doors are vastly bigger… besides the smallest one. I run up to the "small" door and this time I can fit! I must've shrunk or something. I leap with joy before realizing I left the key on the table. Flustered, I try to climb up a leg of the table but I don't have the arm strength... or leg strength… or any strength at all. I stomp my foot and sit down once again, when I notice a piece of cake at one of the far corners of the corridor. I scurry over towards it, taking a vast amount of time due to my tiny little legs. Finally, out of breath, I reach the enormous cake. The label reads, 'EAT ME!' I tug a piece from the mass and bite into it.

Now the world is getting smaller? Am I growing or is this room shrinking? My head reaches the ceiling, causing me to have to hunch over. I keep growing still, until my head hits the ceiling. I maneuver into a crawling position and make my way over to the table, taking the tiny key into my hand and tossing back the rest of the liquid in the bottle into my mouth. Once again, the world grows.

I run back over to the small door, this time with the key, and unlock it. Ha-ha! I'm free! I do a little dance before hurrying off through the door, ready for what's next.

I lean back in my seat, smiling at the work I've just finished. No homework for this bitch, as always.

"Can I read it?" I look next to me to see Mallymkun leaning towards me, trying to peer at the paper.

"No." I shut my book, glaring at her again.

"That's no way to treat your savior, Alice." She huffs, glaring back.

"You didn't save- HEY!" I hiss as she snatches the book from my desk. "Give it back!" I growl as I reach over, trying to get it back. She continues leaning back in her seat casually, her eyes skimming the pages. I sigh and give in. Damn mouse…

Her smile grows across her face as she reads more and more. By the end of the paper, she looked like the fucking cat.

"You remember more than I thought." She says, handing back book.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I call after her as she stands up, turning her paper in.

Does she remember this too? She wasn't there though… Did I tell her then? How could I have? She wasn't real before a few days ago… Or… Was she? And if I told her, why don't I remember it? I'm so confused…