Chapter 4: Falling with Old Friends

Loose strands of grass coiled around Alice's bear feet as she raced across the dewy, wet field toward the back woods. She really should have worn proper shoes, but she didn't care, she was only acres away from returning To Underland! She had waisted so much time! Flittering it away up here like she had no life to care for at all. Old doubt crept into her head...what if they..no, no don't go there! Alice put her mind back on the place she soon would be. That word that walks the fine line that holds both the love and innocence of the carefree child hood life ;and holds erie, horrible, dark, and lovely secrets and stores, and makes you see who you really are, and live up to it. Pure wonder! A bubble of electric excitement fluttered in her pumping chest and she tore on. Alice had worked this out completely, turning the plan over and over in her mind. There was a small forest between her land and the Ascot land just next to theirs. Once Alice reached the forest she would follow the path she had always played on as a child to the Ascot garden. She hoped it was early enough that no one would notice a strange messy haired blonde girl in her bed clothes, covered in grass and mud sneaking through the garden and back woods at 6:30 in the morning. Alice knew the way to the Rabbit Hole by heart; it was always playing over in her haunted dreams. She would find it.

Alice emerged from the forest with fronds of bracken and ferns threaded into her hair, and mud staining her white gown. Pulling away from the trees she ghosted between the rose bushes and mazes of shrubbery that made up the clipped garden on Ascot Manor. He mind reeled with memories of this place, of horrible garden parties, stuck up people casting strange glances at her as she danced the dreaded quadrille with Hamish…there it was, the gazebo! Now all she had to do was follow the shrub maze to-

"Who are you!" a female voice made Alice jump out of her wits. She whipped around to see a gardener, her knees dappled with dirt, holding some daisies in one hand, and brandishing a spade in the other.

"I-um, I was just sightseeing." She lied lamely. All she had to do was get away from the rattled gardener. But her mind was racing with other thoughts and she couldn't make anything up at all.

"What? In a private garden?" The gardener stepped forward and Alice backed away toward the shrubs.

"Yes, well it's just such a pretty arrangement you have here. I mean, look at all the roses…" Alice darted into the forest of plants and through the orchard, she didn't stop, until she saw a pair of familiar glowing blackish green eyes in the distance.

She slowed, her mind fuzzy with memories. The eyes grew closer then suddenly an entire shimmering black feline face materialized into place around them. Alice's heart leapt, all her doubts melted like lemon drops in a fire.

"Chess!" she half squealed, half whispered. The Cat's crooked smile flashed in front of her but he lokked confused as if he hadn't expected something. Alice couldn't contian her self, she ran forward to wrap her arms around his still materializing furry neck.

"Well, well I didn't know you missed me that much." His silky voice rolled off his purrs. Alice pulled herself away.

"N-no, I just miss Underland so much, and I need to explain and see the Hatter and…." She gasped, and painted, cluting at her chest. She had not realized how out of breath she was.

The Cheshire cat smiled from furry ear to furry ear. "You got the name right, that pesky Dormouse said you wouldn't even remember anything at all."

Alice had had jumbled memories of the place, but she did remember. Then she realized. " Um,…how exactly are you up her, and why?" Did every one down there still think she couldn't get through the House of Doors properly? She brushed it off.

"My dear," the Cat answered her question. "when you walk a cats way, you can end up almost anywhere." He smirked. By now his entire suave body was there hovering as if he were lying on some invisible wall. Alice was still confused as to why he was here.

And to answer it, Chessur pulled a small gold chain from around his neck and plopped it in Alice's dirt smeared palms. The dappled morning light reflected off its tiny, shining surface. "I know this; it's the key to the Tiny Door!" Alice's face lit up.

"Yes, yes, now let me lead you to where-"

"I know where to go, Chessur." Alice cut him short, he squinted his turquoise moon eyes at her for a moment.

"That was rather rude, but fine then, I'll just come along for the ride, and the company." The Cat lazily spun as he said this, but Alice was becoming more and more used to his mad behavior.

They both trotted along the woodsy orchard and the Cheshire Cat filled her in the goings ons of Underland. Obviously Mirana, the White Queen, had taken over command of the throne; all the Red Queen's captive had been set free long ago; the Hare, Dormouse, Cat, and Mad Hatter( Alice listened a bit more carefully here) had returned to their place in the White Queen's court as chef, guard, and hatter. But something was odd, Cheshire spoke as if editing it, like he didn't want to worry Alice with anything bad that was going on, or bubbleing up.

She ignored it.

A question deep in Alice's heart was burning to be asked, How much dose he miss me? Have they cared how much time had passed? She wanted to scream, but held it in, they were mostly just her mind running wild with worry. Alice would see her dear friend soon. The Cat was in the middle of explaining how much more beautiful the land had become, and about how he had found the most perfect spot to lie in to sun just to the Queast of the Tulgey Wood, when Alice spotted it, the large mossy, twisted tree stump on the crest of the hill that marked the Rabbit Hole.

"There it is!" She raced forward, her hair flying in the wind kicking up. The Cheshire Cat vanished in a cloud of black and neon blue green. Alice stopped and braced herself against the tree to peer down what looked to be an ordinary dirt crumbling rabbit hole. Alice nearly fell down as she jumped when the Cat appeared at her side, paws kneading the soft grass below.

"Well, you did manage to find it after all; you're not as dimwitted as the first time." She scowled down at him. "Only joking, luv." He tacked on smoothly. Alice didn't care, she was almost there! Her heart nearly flipped out of her chest with glee. The Cat floated up to her eye level.

"I'm going back…" She whispered, her eyes watering ever so slightly. His eyes looked hopefully into hers for a kind moment.

"Yes, you are, now get down there quickly, please, You,ve been gone for such a long ammount of time! I'm leaving, I do rather hate it up here." To Alice's surprise Chessur suddenly turned to what looked like powdered obsidian, and trickled down the Hole.

The girl, no, the young woman took one last look at the rolling country side she grew up on. She could just peer around the patch of forest to see her house; her heart ached momentarily for her dear mother, but she had to leave, and at least she had said good bye. The wind whimpered through the light green trees, and the sun blazed faintly above her, the morning wearing thin. All the memories of her father flashed in her mind's eye. Alice looked sky ward and blew one last kiss to her father, in a Wonderland of his own no doubt. Then she clipped the key chain around her neck, steadied her shaky breathing, and jumped.

She

Was

Falling

Down the Rabbit Hole.