Chapter 2

Down the Rabbit Hole

"Psst!" A voice whispered into her ear. It sounded nothing like the gentle tone of her mother or the bubbly Eclaire. Allysia dismissed it as the wind and continued sleeping.

"Psst! Wake up!" She groaned, grumbling for a few more moments of rest. "Hey! Wake up!"

Annoyed, the brunette slowly cracked a single eye open, desiring nothing more than to punish the person who disrupted her sleeping state.

Soon her other orb followed suit, gawking at a possible source for the voice. A white rabbit hovered right over her head, its scarlet eyes locked onto her own. Normally, Allysia wouldn't have minded seeing such a cute, little bunny.

'But bunnies don't normally wear suits…' When was it normal to see a rabbit garbed in a dapper red tartan jacket and pants? 'And with glasses no less!'

"Haha! So funny, Eclaire! You have to do better than that to freak me out!" Allysia exclaimed with a laugh, her eyes scanning her surroundings in search of a blonde girl.

"Why are you calling for a pastry?"

Her body suddenly tensed, snapping her head towards the fluffy creature, his eyes pure and curious. It did not do just what she thought it did.

"I'm the only one here after all!" The rabbit said in a rather whiny voice. She stared at the rabbit for a single moment… then closed her eyes and rolled over to her side.

"Oh boy. That's what I get for reading then falling asleep. Now I have this crazy dream with talking rabbits…"

The hare certainly was not pleased by such a reaction. "Come on!" he cried. "Aren't you supposed to come after me or something?"

Allysia remained completely silent, mentally chanting she was dreaming.

The rabbit released a sharp breath of air, upset about being ignored. Then there was a quick clicking noise as the rabbit opened a certain object. By the faint ticking noise, she assumed it was a pocket watch.

"Oh, this just won't do. It seems I'll be late if this keeps up. I suppose I have to do things the hard way…" Resisting her curiosity, she kept her eyes shut tight as the watch snapped to a close.

'I'm only dreaming… this is all a dream…'

"Now up you go!"

A shocked gasp escaped from her lips as her body suddenly left solid ground, cradled in a pair of strong arms. Her head lay against a broad, solid surface. Allysia opened her eyes. No longer did a tiny white rabbit hover above her head. Now she gaped at a man with deep white hair, his long furry ears protruding from his head.

'What… what is he?' she wondered before she finally coming to an important realization.

Thrashing her limbs about, she shouted, "Hey! You kidnapper rabbit person, I demand you to let me go this instant!"

The white-haired man chuckled in amusement and replied, "Why would I do that? I'm not letting you go! Besides, why wouldn't you want to come? Don't you have any idea where we're going?"

"No, I certainly do not! Where are you taking me?"

"Huh. I guess it's been longer than I thought. I guess a refresher is in order…"

Just as another inquiry flashed in her mind, Allysia's attention was attracted by a large gaping hole. It was huge; how could she have never seen anything like it before?

"You better not be thinking what I think you're thinking!"

"How else are we going to get there? It's the same exact way we got there before!"

"Where, bunny boy? Wh---"

Suddenly her sentence was clipped by a loud scream.

The man leapt right into the abyss, hurtling down with her carefully in between his arms. All air escaped from her lungs, her mouth wide with silent screams. The world spun wildly around her, flashing between blinding illumination, lurid red, and cold darkness. Her body felt light, her heart rising to her throat. Nausea stabbed her stomach.

Then as the world slowly fell into an inky blackness, Allysia could hear a single voice breathe into her ear, whispering a single word that wiggled its way into her dizzy mindset.

{ღ}~{ღ}~{ღ}

"Allysia…" She felt her body rustle slightly, but was unable to perform further movement. Her body felt pinned to the cold floor, encapsulated in a heavy sheet of frozen ice.

"Allysia…" The voice called her name again.

She tried opening her eyes, but they refused to open. All that lay before her was perpetual darkness. She tried opening her mouth to speak. No words came out from her lips.

"You have a very important role to play… an important role indeed…"

'What are you talking about?' was her unspoken inquiry.

The man did not seem to take any notice of her attempt – his smooth, cool voice resonating once again. "Your role is very great… one that is not meant for the faint of heart. I wonder what you would choose? Would you embrace your perilous destiny or run away from it? I guess we'll all find out as the game progresses…"

'Wha… what are you talking about? What role? What game? Is that the reason why I'm here?' But all her questions remained unsaid, unheard.

This figure suddenly appeared right over her face, his sweet breath bathing her cold skin in blessed warmth. "I hope to see you again… Allysia."

{ღ}~{ღ}~{ღ}

"Oh dear… she fainted," the white-haired man quickly deliberated when they both landed. Quickly cleaning his suit of any detritus and dirt, he strode in long, deliberate steps towards the unconscious female's form.

Suddenly a very curious question floated up in his mind. 'Does she seem… different?'

Of course, he could imagine that her choice of dress would change. Even still, there was something very strange about her, but he just could not put his finger on it…

Oh well. His love for Alice was unwavering, no matter how much she changed! She could have shaved her head and covered in filth and he still would love her!

He tenderly lifted her brown head, using his free hand to search for a special vial. He smiled, nostalgia washing over him as he held a clear bottle up in the air.

'But just how am I going to make you drink this?' The man wondered for a long, calculating moment. Of course, administering the drink in the fashion he had when he first brought her here was incredibly tempting, but he thought against it. She was terribly angry with him before and didn't want her upset with him yet again. Popping the cover off, he tipped the mouth of the vial to her lips.

{ღ}~{ღ}~{ღ}

Allysia slowly felt herself return to reality, her mind reiterating those words like a broken record. What was that supposed to mean? What was the game? What exactly was her role? None of it made any sense…

'More importantly am I really alive right now?' She was amazed she survived that deathly plunge, even at the cost of her throat. Her throat burned, desiccated, and crying for refreshment. Falling to one's possible death certainly did make on thirsty.

"Alice… please drink."

Suddenly, Allysia grew vaguely aware of her surroundings. Something hard and cold touched her lips. A cool flow of liquids lapped against her flesh, demanding entrance.

Thirsty as she was, she did not think about what she was doing and opened her mouth, drinking the contents with blind, parched lips. Finally, the flow of liquid ceased. Her senses heightened.

As the cool item receded, the young girl realized she wasn't lying just anywhere. She was lying in somewhere hard and warm – someone's arms, she feared. Falling victim to her inquisitive nature, she opened her eyes.

Lo and behold – the white-haired rabbit man hovered right above her, his spherical glasses glistening in the light.

"Glad to see you're finally awake."

Allysia yelped in surprise and pushed the man away, creating as much space as she possibly could between them.

"Hey, what did you make me drink? Where are we?" she blurted out, struggling to regain her poise.

He visibly frowned, gracefully rising to his feet. His eyes were tinged with definite melancholy. He raised the bottle up in the air. "Oh… you really don't remember what this is? Dear me, next thing you're going to say is that you have no idea who I am…" He felt the sentence trail off his tongue as he regarded the brunette's countenance. It was utterly blank, lacking the spark of familiarity he so truly yearned. "No! It hasn't been that long, has it? How could my cute little Alice forget me?"

She blinked at his dismal display, her mind repeating one word. 'Alice?'

Just as she came to a powerful realization, he grasped her roughly by her arms, his face hovering mere inches over hers. "Well then. It's time for me to refresh your memory, Alice…"

Before she could open her mouth and explain he got the wrong girl, he smashed his lips onto hers.

Her mind suddenly fell completely blank, her aqueous orbs wide with shock. Just what the heck was happening?

After a long moment, he pulled back, examining her expression.

Allysia gazed at him with palpable surprise, her expression shell-shocked. Her mind certainly wasn't blank and empty anymore, swirling with various different thoughts. One thought especially took a prominent place in her mind.

The man stumbled back after a harsh impact, massaging his reddened cheek.

"Pervert!" was all Allysia could yell, her own cheeks flushed with an embarrassed crimson. "Who are you and what gives you the right to do that?"

The white-haired male stared at her for a moment before bursting into a light laughter. "Sorry, Alice! I knew you'd be upset, but I never expected you to slap me! You're more fiery than I remembered. It's okay though. I suppose I deserved it!"

'What's up with him?' Allysia felt her rage fizzle away, doused by a wave of incredulity. 'Is he some sort of masochistic rabbit?'

"Hey, I don't care how crazy or perverted you are. I asked you a question, and I'd like an answer, rabbit."

To her annoyance, she wasn't sure he even heard her. He merely reached for his pocket watch and checked the time.

"Oh my! I'm going to be late! She would be most displeased if I'm tardy… I must be off!" He ran forward, but then paused. The rabbit man turned to face her and grinned. "It's Peter. Peter White. Don't forget it now. See you soon, Alice…"

"But I'm not…" Peter had already disappeared from her sight, leaving her there by her lonesome.

"Peter White, huh?" Her fists suddenly tightened into a taut ball, a vein erupting at her temple.

"That perverted rabbit! How dare he do something like that? So disgusting… and confusing me for some abusive girl I don't even know… He needs those glasses checked."

Allysia stomped forward, her body veiled with a thin layer of a rather murderous aura, intent on pummeling the hare for his deprave, dissolute actions if she ever saw him again.

Suddenly, she felt herself lose her balance, falling forward right on her face. "Ouch…"

Slowly recollecting her fallen composure, she winced as she sat herself up, wondering what in the world she tripped over.

Her brown lashes fluttered in surprise, staring straight at a crystallized object.

{ღ}~{ღ}~{ღ}

After scaling down to the bottom level, the brown-haired girl found herself wandering aimlessly through a dense forest, her fingers toying with the cool bottle.

"What is this thing?" Allysia wondered, carefully cradling the fragile item in her hands. She assumed Peter dropped it when he left to attend whatever business he had. It wasn't like she was curious to know what he was late for. She was ecstatic to just be rid of that rabbit for even a little while.

"What did he even make me drink? What was even in the bottle?"

Allysia brought the bottle up into the light. It was unlike anything she'd ever seen before…

'The bottle was delicately carved glass, its multifaceted surface refracting a shining rainbow of light. Its top was crafted into a delicate heart.'

Allysia stumbled backward, almost dropping the bottle onto the forest floor.

"Oh my god…" One hand clasped her mouth as her mind evoked how the contents of the bottle were given and by what kind of man.

'My novel is based off a true story…'

"No way!" Allysia said with quick shake of her head. 'This is all one big dream. One horribly perverted dream. I'm going to wake up any moment now. Yeah, all a dream…'

Her resolve fortified and her sanity seemingly intact, the brown-haired girl marched on forward, unaware of where she was going.

The forest was incredibly dense and thick, blocking all forms of illumination on her current location. Like she could figure anything out in her current state of mind.

Rubbing her thumb over the bottle to calm her erratic thoughts, Allysia finally walked into a clearing in the forest. Besieged with relief, she nearly ran out, hoping to see glorious civilization, preferably one she recognized.

What met her gaze when she exited the forest was a singular building, towering over her with its impressive majesty. A tall, metal gate separated her from the structure, Allysia duly noted as she brushed her fingers along the cold, dark bars.

What should she do? Should she try seeking help from whoever lived here? Then again, why would her dream prevent her from getting to safety? Does that mean the gate was protecting her from the horrors within? Or are the gates serving a symbolic representation in her dream, acting as a concrete barrier that prevented her from furthering her own growth?

'And when did I ever think so much in a dream?' Massaging her throbbing temples, Allysia began to turn around and walk away.

"Oh look, brother! Who do we have here? Can we help you?" a voice asked.

"Actually yes! I was hoping…" The young girl froze in her place gaping as two children dressed in similar guard uniforms stood before her. Though the colors did distinguish them – one wore red while the other was garbed blue – something else caught Allysia's fearful eye: two sharp, lethal axes.

"Do you have business here?" The one wearing red asked. She struggled to form a coherent sentence, but her breath was trapped in her lungs. "Uh… sort of. I just…"

"No matter!" The blue one said with a smile. "Even if you don't look like you can do much harm, our job is to take care of all trespassers!"

His twin smiled, raising his weapon in unison with his brother. "Yep! It's going to be quick and painless! We promise!"

She could not believe her ears. 'When did I have such vicious dreams?' she wondered, nervous beads of sweat rolling down her forehead. She tried waking herself up, roughly pinching her arms as hard as she could. Nothing worked.

"Bye bye now!" The twins spoke in harmony. Allysia snapped her eyes shut as the twin axes flew down towards her skull.

Then silence.

'…am I dead?' was all she could think. She never even felt the blades graze her skin. Then again, they did say quick and painless…

She slowly opened her eyes, surprised to see the tips of the blades hover mere inches over her face. 'What the…?'

She glanced passed the weapons to see the two child guards were dumb-founded, gawking at her. The axes receded as they continued staring, their expression void of all emotion – including the malice and dark delight on their faces.

She then was taken aback to see a joyous grin appear on their faces, recognition touching their eyes.

"Onee…"

"…chan?"

"Huh?" Allysia blurted out, confused. Before she could question them any further, the two young boys leapt straight towards her, wrapping their arms around her waist.

"Onee-chan, we thought we'd never see you again!" the blue boy cried.

The red one added, "We missed you so much, onee-chan!"

All Allysia could do was stare in astonishment at the sudden transformation, surprised by how quickly those bloody twins could turn into such affectionate kids.

"Look, you two, I'm sorry. But I'm really not your older sister. You've got…"

Her sentence was interrupted by the sound of a gunshot. All words died at her lips, feeling a bullet fly right over her head, the wind rustling strands of her brown hair.

"Hey! Are you trying to kill us, newbie-hare?" one twin shouted.

"Of course not. I was just trying to hit the more annoying one," the new figure said languidly.

"Ooh, sorry, brother, but you almost died!"

"Me? I'm not the annoying one! You are!"

"No, you are!"

"Shut up!" Then there was another shot, silencing the two twins. "You're just lucky I can't hit you both with one shot. So annoying… You guys are always playing around."

Allysia then took the moment to examine his overall appearance. Her blue eyes were first attracted to his head: long, brown rabbit eras protruded from his long, orange locks. Then she turned her gaze to gape at the firearm in his hand.

'Why are my dreams suddenly transitioning to perverted to ultra violent? When do I have dreams with guns and axes… and strange rabbit men?' Now that she thought of it, she did find him strangely familiar...

"Now seriously, just do your job. If the boss sees you two fooling around, he'll…" Then the rabbit man paused, staring at Allysia with a curiosity flickering over his face. The twins released the girl from their grasp, grinning from ear to ear. The man couldn't help, but exhibit a grin as well. "Well I'll be darned! I never thought I'd see you again!"

Allysia tilted her head slightly, confusion flickering over her aqueous orbs. Then something clicked.

"I thought you looked familiar… I don't think I can forget those ears." The man's smile grew wider. Just as he was going to reply, a low yelp escaped from his mouth, pain shooting up from the crown of his head.

"You, evil rabbit! How dare you kidnap and treat me like that?" yelled the brunette, her hands clasped onto his furry ears.

After a sharp inhalation of air, a low rumble resonated from the rabbit man. It took her a moment to realize that the rumble was actually laughter.

"Ha ha! Some things never change… Same old, same old!"

She then stopped her assault on his ears, regarding the man with dubious curiosity. "Why are you laughing? Shouldn't you be crying or begging for mercy, Mr. Rabbit? I'm practically ripping your ears out of your head."

"How many times do I have to tell you? I'm not a rabbit!" exclaimed the man, clearly affronted by the remark.

"But you look like one to me with those ears and all…" She then felt her brown lashes flutter in confusion, staring at the man's orange head with sudden interest.

'Say… didn't he have glasses before… and a different hair color… and entirely different attire…"

Realization slowly flowed into her features as a curious question floated into her mind. "Say… you're not Peter White, are you?"

The man frowned at the name, moaning, "There's no way I'm that psycho rabbit! We look nothing alike!"

At the confirmation, she promptly released his ears from her relentless hands, crying, "Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you, Mr. Rabbit! I'm really, truly sorry I confused you for someone else!"

Gently massaging his throbbing skull, he dismally said, "But how could you confuse me with that psycho rabbit? Don't you recognize me? It's me, Elliot March!"

Elliot seemed crestfallen to see her countenance remain completely blank, but quickly came to a new conclusion. "Oh! I get it! It's been awhile since we last seen each other, haven't we? It's okay if you don't remember me, Alice!"

'Again with this Alice… Why do these people keep mistaking me for her?' she inwardly griped. She couldn't possibly look like. These guys really need to have their vision checked.

"Listen, you guys really got it all wrong. I'm…"

"And we don't care if you don't remember us either, onee-chan!" cried the twins in glee, running towards her and giving her a tight hug. "Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum are just so happy to have Alice back!"

Just before she could correct them, Elliot cried, "Hey, I want to be a part of this group hug!"

The orange haired man ran and wrapped his arms around trio, causing all of them to topple to the ground. Allysia struggled to liberate herself, break away from the bone crushing weight. She barely had enough breath to tell them they were confusing her with another. She cared more, at that moment, to break free.

'I'm so glad I'm really not this Alice chick. I wouldn't know how to cope with this sort of harassment on a daily basis…'

Just when she thought her ribs were going to break, her lungs depleted of life-giving oxygen, a voice suddenly spoke up. "What are you three doing? If that is your new tactic of homicide, may I say that it seems not very effective."

The three men swiftly rose to their feet, inadvertently helping their captive to her feet.

"We weren't trying to kill someone!" defended Dee.

"For once…" Dum added quietly under his breath.

Allysia merely sighed in relief, filling her aching lungs with blessed oxygen. "Thank you… I wasn't sure how long I…"

Her mind suddenly fell into speechless vacuity, gaping at the new figure before her. The sultry voice belonged to a rather handsome man. His eyes were a smoldering green, and his long hair floated around his face like black smoke.

"You are very welcome, my lady," he drawled, his voice like smooth, golden honey. He adjusted the ornate top hat on his head, tipping it towards her with his gloved fingers.

She struggled to form intelligent words, her tongue refusing further cooperation.

The twins piped up. "Boss! Boss! Look who came back! It's Alice!"

"Bu… but, I… I'm not…" she stammered, cursing herself for her idiotic display.

"Not what?" was his question. Allysia tensed as this man drew closer, his expression cool, calm, and perfectly unruffled.

It disturbed her state of mind to think his appearance struck a cord of familiarity, more so in something she read. He was exactly the way she imagined him.

'The Mad Hatter…'

She struggled to hold her ground when the hatter appeared before her, leaning in to gain a closer examination of her figure. She dared not flinch and give him the satisfaction he unnerved her… even if it meant losing her breath.

The hatter arched a curious brow. "Interesting… you're not at all like Alice."

The March Hare and twins gasped in surprise, gawking at their superior with palpable astonishment.

Regaining her poise, Allysia snorted. "Of course not! That's what I've been trying to say ever since I got here."

The three other figures turned their attention to Allysia, their eyes as wide as saucers as they regarded her in curiosity.

"It's unbelievable… she's completely different foreigner, yet they both look so much alike…" Elliot breathed out in amazement.

"Okay, cut all this Alice crap out! I've been wanting to know one thing ever since I got here, but there hasn't been a single person to give me a single answer!" she shouted in frustration. "Just where am I?"

The dark-haired male kept his countenance calm and placid, permitting brief curiosity to pool into his orbs. He said, "Why, you're in the country of Clover, though many of us originated from the country of Hearts."

Her breath suddenly got caught in her throat, oxygen trapped in her lungs. Those words echoed in her mind, her eyes expanding at the very realization. She knew Clover and Heart were just other names for another place, a name she was far more familiar with.

'Wonderland.'

Allysia then felt everything melt into an empty blackness, her mind floating in deep unconsciousness.

A/N Notes: Well, we're in Clover, folks. *throws confetti*

Thanks for reading~