CHAPTER THREE
Twigs broke under her bare feet as she darted through the trees. The shadows might have invoked some fear from her, if she wasn't entirely focused on one place and one place only.
It seemed that deep down, she had not forgotten the strange path through the Ascots maze and through the forest. In fact, she hardly blinked before she suddenly found herself in front of the large, gnarly tree whose roots twisted around and within the ground.
Quickly, she circled it to the other side. With anticipation, she circled the tree at a quick jog.
Confused, she slowed and circled the tree slowly, one pale hand against the rough bark.
She circled the tree six times before she finally dropped her hand and stood back. Quickly, she glanced around the familiar clearing.
"I'm sure this is the one." She murmured to herself, a rising panic within her.
She looked around slowly. There were no other trees in the clearing. There were no other trees like this in the whole forest.
And then, she saw it.
The upturned earth near the base of the trunk.
She dropped to her knees, hands on the new earth. "No." She whispered, "It can't be true."
She quickly tried brushing the sand away but not matter how far under she dug with her dirt-encrusted fingernails, she couldn't break through to the hole beneath.
"He couldn't have filled the whole thing!" She gasped, thinking of the long eternity drop.
With a last desperation, she stood and jumped heavily on the mound of earth, landing on the ground with all her might before bouncing back up again.
The dirt held.
Letting out a shaking cry, she clawed at the tree until the pain in her fingernails was too much to bear and she sank into a sobbing heap.
It seemed straight away, but really it was morning, when a hand touched her shoulder.
Alice had stopped crying and wiped away her tears a short while ago, and the hand on her shoulder seemed so comforting.
"Alice." The familiar voice said gently, "It's time for you to return."
Alice nodded, knowing all along that she would have to one day go back, whether it be in the morning, or the next night. She stood wearily and wavered – but the strong arm wrapped around her waist, a hand on her own for guidance.
"Come along, dear child." His voice sang, as though she were in fact a little girl needing comfort.
Which, Alice thought to herself glumly, was exactly what she was.
It was a slow walk back to the mansion, full of silence. Soon, Alice found herself in a bundle of blankets, sipping hot tea.
"My dear, it was lucky that Lord Ascot found you!" Mrs Kingsley gasped, sending a thankful look to the Lord in question.
"It was no problem, ma'am. But I would like to know…" Lord Ascot kneeled down to make eye contact with the blonde. "What were you doing out there in the middle of the night, Alice?"
Alice could hardly say that she wanted to have a look at the rabbits hole, to see if the door to Wonderland (Underland, she corrected herself) was indeed closed. Instead, she just shivered and avoided staring eyes.
But Lord Ascot would not give up.
"Did someone perhaps tell you to meet them there?"
Alice's mother and the surrounding maids gave gasps of shock.
"Surely not!" Mrs Kingsley rushed forward, horrified. She shook her daughter. "Alice? Alice? Speak the truth! Speak-"
"My Lady!" Lord Ascot exclaimed, and the maids rushed forward to take Mrs Kingsley back to her armchair by the fire, where she promptly burst into tears.
Alice spared her mother a concerned glance, before finally meeting Lord Ascot's eyes.
"I am sorry for the trouble I caused." Alice whispered. "I did not mean it."
Lord Ascot gave a terrible sigh and closed his eyes. "Alice, you must tell us. Now." He opened his eyes in a stern glare.
Alice shifted. "You see, lately I've been having restless sleep." Truth, Alice thought to herself. "I usually wake up in the middle of the night, and then cannot get back to sleep for a long time, sometimes not till the next night." Truth, Alice counted again.
"And last night? Did you wake up and decide to go for a walk?" Lord Ascot chided.
"No." Alice shook her head. "It would be very silly for a young woman to go for a walk in the dark, alone."
Alice's mother, having recovered from her hysteria, nodded and smiled at her daughter. "Good girl, good girl. I taught you that right from the beginning!"
Lord Ascot seemed to ignore Alice's mother most of the time, but this time he agreed with her vehemently, and flashed a proud smile to Alice.
She had got a point of trust, just as she had planned so.
"Do you remember then? How you ended up in the woods?"
Alice hesitated. "No. I don't remember waking up and leaving my bed. I think…I just woke up in the woods and got upset since it was so strange and I didn't know my way back…"
Lord Ascot nodded gravely. "I thought so. The woods are so confusing during the day my dear, they must have been frightful at night."
"Oh yes, terrifying." Alice hid a smile. After a jabberwocky, a few dark places did not scare her as much now.
"Then, my dear, it has come to my conclusion that you must have sleepwalked yourself out into the woods." Lord Ascot announced grandly and her mother gasped.
"Oh, surely not! What shall we do?" Her mother rushed to Lord Ascot.
Lord Ascot thought for a moment, before counting on his fingers. "One, the door must be locked each and every night."
Alice did not like the sound of that. Perhaps she could use the window to esc-
"Should we lock the windows too?"
"Yes. Definitely." Lord Ascot gravely replied to her mother.
"Make note!" Alice's mother called to the maids, who looked doubtful.
"Two, Alice must have a cup of warm tea before she goes to bed."
Alice didn't mind that. She already did that anyway.
"Three…well…" Lord Ascot faltered.
Alice's mother came to the rescue. "Three – Alice should do sewing or knitting for an hour before bed every night."
Alice stared at her mother. "How will that help me to conquer my sleepwalking?"
Alice's mother gave her a strange look. "Oh it won't, my dear. But you'll improve on your sewing."
Alice felt a laugh stir within her, and she saw it echoed on Mr Ascot's face, but for her mother's sake, they both did not let it out.
"Well, perhaps I shall retire." Alice excused herself.
"We shall start tomorrow night, dear!" She heard her mother call as she left the parlour.
Oh, joy.
A week passed and every night Alice followed the same three rules – doors should be locked, tea should be drunk, and patterns should be sewn.
At the moment, Alice paused her sewing to take a sip from her Earl Grey tea. It was a pleasant flavour, but it was definitely rather dull. Perhaps tomorrow night she should bring back the Chinese tea.
Alice replaced the cup on its saucer and returned to her sewing. With a tired look, she eyed the boring handkerchief. How many of these had she made now in her life? Her mother had urged her to sew one with Hamish's initials, but every time she tried to picture herself presenting it to him, she burst out in laughter.
But even that thought didn't wake Alice from her melancholy. She sighed and threw the final handkerchief away.
"That's it. No more. I couldn't stand to make another." Alice stood and stretched in a very unladylike manner.
Sewing was such a boring task. Perhaps if she made it more interesting…
Alice shook her head. Sewing? Interesting? I would think not.
She took a seat at her desk and pulled out the small, leather-bound journal. She opened it, her fingers caressing the thick pages.
With a wry smile, she held her hand up in the light of the near by candle. Her hands were pale and smooth, but on one finger was a small, almost invisible, callus. If she closed her eyes, she could still feel the hilt of the silver Vorpal Sword, heavy in her hand.
There we go - Chapter Three done and dusted. How do you feel about this chapter? Comments? Questions? Thanks for reading!