Chapter 3- Reality
"Fairfarren, Alice." It was the last thing Hatter said to her. She smiled to herself, halfway back from China, after awakening from another of her frequent Underland dreams. But her smile quickly faded. While in china, she had met another girl.
The girl had been hired as a translator, but they became fast friends. Eventually, even though she had never said a word to anyone else, Alice trusted her enough to retell her adventures in Underland. The other girl had been enthralled, until she figured out Alice actually believed this place was real.
From that point on, she became intent on proving to her friend it was all a delusion, knowing if Alice continued believing in it, she would be thrown into an asylum. Alice resisted at first, showing her the only proof she had access to in China- the scars on her arm.
But those were easily dismissed as scratches from thorns. Even if thorns didn't penetrate deeply, some contained poisons just harmful enough to leave scars, but not enough to cause illness. In fact, the girl was able to refute any point Alice could make.
"I was there, I saw it." You saw it because you were dreaming- you did hit your head when you fell into that hole.
"If it was all because of the fall, then how do you explain the white rabbit? I saw him before I hit my head." That's because you were feeling pressure from the surprise proposal and your conflicted feelings, combined with the natural heat of the day.
"What about those memories from when I was little? I've never dreamed of anything else!" It's quite common to have reoccurring dreams, in your case that was probably even more likely due to how imaginative your father was.
"Then why was I so much more confident when I came back?" Dreams we have are really just our subconscious trying to solve problems. When Hamish proposed, he gave you a new problem, so your mind came up with a new dream, and the dream it made was able to solve the problem. That's why you felt so confident.
"But I even saw Absolem in this world- twice, in fact." Blue caterpillars and butterflies are average, everyday creatures. Just because they were in a dream doesn't mean every bug you see is magical.
Her friend was only trying to help, but Alice only became more confused than she had ever been. It seemed so logical that Underland wasn't real. And how could it be? A place as fantastical as Underland- no way it could ever exist. Even while she was there she had known it was a dream.
But she didn't want it to end like that. She had so many wonderful adventures there, and had met so many amazing friends. She couldn't just dismiss them as a delusion- could she?
The brave, feisty dormouse, Mallymkin, who had doubted her at first, but saved her from the bandersnatch nonetheless- and even she had come to believe in Alice eventually. At first she wasn't sure how well they would get along, but Alice came to think of Mally almost like a second sister.
Then there was the Hatter, who had faith in her from the start, even when Alice didn't believe in herself. And when she stepped up to face the jabberwocky, he had stood beside her, giving her strength. He sacrificed his freedom for hers, and would have sacrificed his life, too, if the Cheshire cat hadn't stepped in to save the day.
Cheshire cat was another of her dear friends. He had shown her the way to the Hare and the Hatter when she was lost in the woods, and although at times he could be very lazy and selfish, he often came through for his friends, and she could rely on him if she ever needed a favor- as well as providing a fair amount of comic relief.
March hare didn't do much other than throw things at seemingly random times, but once Alice got the hang of it he was rather predictable, and she grew rather fond of him.
Bayard had seemed untrustworthy at first, but he turned out to be a loyal friend, and the White Queen was kinder than Alice had even thought possible.
After meeting all of them for a second time, remembering her childhood experience and finally convincing herself Underland was real, could she really change her mind? But did it make sense for her not to? What if she was clinging to a dream, only to please people who weren't even real?
"You won't remember me." Hatter's words rang in her head, and for just a moment she accepted Underland without question. Maybe he wasn't the only one who needed a wakeup call sometimes.
She decided as soon as she got back home, she was heading straight into Underland for a visit. Before she heard another word about it, she had to have some proof that it was real. And until then, no matter how much she struggled, even if she did become convinced it was a dream- she still wouldn't forget. If only because she had promised him, she had to remember.
Author's Note: I realize I left a review stating I was going to London; however, feeling quite encouraged by the two reviews I've acquired so early on in the story, I found myself typing late into the night to get you this chapter today. Chapter 4 will be posted on either Sunday or Monday- and next time I'll be going into the present tense, so keep reading! A big thanks to the reviewers, and anyone who has read this story. Sorry for the lengthy note. Fairfarren all!
-Scrylethia
