Chapter 3 The Looking Glass Room
Genevieve took a deep breath and held out her looking glass. "William Hare White," she spoke aloud. The looking glass propelled itself out of her hand and onto the bone covered floor. The surface rippled as a large figure rose out of the reflection. An exact copy of the White Rabbit himself. Accept of course, his eyes. The eyes of a Reflection (that is what you call these sort of beings) are never as real as the bodies themselves. For the eyes are made entirely of glass. When looking into them you see not a swirl of brown, blue, or green colors, but your own reflection contorted in the curve of the eye. She spoke again, "Show me…" she hesitated. She did not want to be shown her daughter; she wanted to be with her. But no. It would be best if Will explained it all. I should keep away, at least for an hour or so. She thought to herself. "Bring me to…the Duchess." With that the Reflection stepped through the unseen wall and led Genevieve in the opposite direction of where her Alice's footstep hurried not minutes ago.
Alice's hair was tangled and windblown from the fall. Her dress was rumpled and she was sure that she had been wearing at least one sock when she ventured to follow Will. Now her feet were cold and bruised. "I look awful!" she exclaimed. "Oh, don't worry Alice, these mirrors don't show what you really look like, just what you feel. To me you look quite pretty." Alice huffed, "Well I don't feel like an old hag so why is it showing me that! Stupid old hag reflection!" Will sighed, "Maybe you don't want to come face to face with what you are truly feeling." The key he was fiddling with finally clicked in the lock. "There we go. Inside now, inside." Alice stepped through the door and found herself surrounded by . . . herself. "Oh my."
Reflection Will opened a door on the right side of a small room. He then did something that, to someone inexperienced in the manners of Reflections, would be very peculiar. He sat down and crossed his legs, and then he squinted his beady glass eyes shut and honestly looked like he was about to explode. But he simply . . . well, he simply popped. He went out like a candle I should say. In his place lay Genevieve's looking glass. "Thank you Will," she laughed. She didn't think she would enjoy this as much as she did. But Wonderland is a curious place. The purple door stood open and Genevieve stepped through, not noticing the change that she went through as she actually set foot back onto the soil of the not so dreamlike dream world.
"Welcome to the Looking Glass Room. Choose a mirror Alice. Any mirror at all. And simply . . . well look into it." Alice stepped up to an intricately silver bordered mirror and looked straight into her own eyes. No, her . . . "Mother!" she cried. Her mother's eyes were a grass green unlike Alice's icy blue ones. And this girl's hair was slightly lighter than her own. More of a pastel yellow than a blonde. Her mother's younger self smiled and held out her hand. The looking glass surface rippled. "Be careful Alice. Don't forget that looking glass memories are not reality. Keep your head straight!" Will's voice faded as Alice stepped once more, through the looking glass. Into her mother's past.
It wasn't hard to find the house of the Duchess, since all you had to do was follow the screaming, squealing, and clanging of pots, and Genevieve arrived there with no trouble at all. She knocked on the large wooden door. "No Cook! Don't put that there!"
The door flung open revealing a rather large woman wearing a cream dress and an outrageously feathered hat. "I don't expect you to remember me," Genevieve said, "Oh! Jillian dear do come in! Cook look here!" The Duchess hurried Genevieve over to the miserable looking cook, "I do believe her name is Genevieve ma'am," the cook said rather solemnly. Duchess gasped, "Oh yes of course! Ginny love I am terribly sorry, do forgive me." Genevieve laughed, "Yes of course. My name is Genevieve." "Genevieve, how . . . unexpected," a voice purred, "I do love your dress." A large mirror appeared in front of Genevieve. Her white satin nightgown had apparently been replace by a dark purple dress cut just below her knees. Her hair was tied back in a black bow and Genevieve almost fainted when she noticed the Cheshire Cat perched on her shoulder like a parrot. "I must say though," he smirked, "aren't you a little too grown up for such attire?"
It was like walking on mist. There was no warmth and there was no cold, only a soft velvety feeling as she followed the empty reflections. Her mother's younger self pointed to small mirror on the right wall. Alice stepped through slowly. Her hair flew behind her as an unknown wind swept past. The White Rabbit's voice floated through her mind, "Alice it's Will. I hope you aren't too confused, I know this is all rather curious. I apologize but I fear I cannot give you the memories with any sound. It seems that the looking glass's have been …zzzzz and I don't think I can…zzzz…oh…don't make …zzz sound…they're…here…careful…please!" Alice's throat clogged up, "Will? Will!" A midnight blue glove reached through the first side of the looking glass and roughly pulled her back.
Alice woke up on a soft pink bed. "Hello." Alice looked around for the soft voice. A girl around eighteen sat beside her bed. Alice recognized her as one of the figures from the portrait in the rabbit hole. Her white hair was cropped short and her dark blue eyes stood out against her pale skin. Her dress was white as well, but the sleeves, collar, and the hem of the dress were ruffled with the same color of her eyes. The only strange thing was that she was wearing overly large black boots with silver buckles. The girl smiled gently, "My name is Mary Ann. Mary Ann White. I am William Hare White's niece. His sister is the White Queen, also my mother, Fallyn White. I hope I haven't spoken too quickly." Alice stood with her jaw hanging wide. She looked to her other side; on a small bedside table were a few pairs of white gloves and a red fan. Mary Ann. Could she be the same Mary Ann the White Rabbit had mistaken me for? It is very highly possible. Mary Ann laughed slightly as though she could guess what Alice was thinking, "Yes Alice. My uncle does tend to mix up his own niece with unfamiliar girls. He is getting old you know. Almost 192. But I must say, he doesn't look a day over 84 don't you think?" Alice could only nod her head; her mind was absolute pudding at the moment and none of this made sense. Absolute nonsense. "Isn't it!" Mary Ann exclaimed. Alice laughed, "Yes, yes it is."
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