"Hatter! Where are you? It's not a good time to play hide-and-go-peek! We have to leave for the Ascots' for the party!" I knelt and searched the shrubbery for my best friend.
"Tarrant! Where did you go to?" my mother called not far away from me. Tarrant had been missing for nearly a hour, and we had yet to find him!
Something caught my eye, "What's this?" I leaned forward and picked up a torn ascot with red stains. Blood? In a panic I jumped up and ran to my mother.
"Mother! Look!" I showed her what was left of the torn ascot through bleary eyes.
"Who would do this to such a gentle man? What did he do to deserve this?" My mother asked letting the tears flow freely.
"He did nothing to deserve this, Mother! But I know who! The only problem is, how did they escape?" The Red Queen and The Knave of Hearts were in exile, there was no way they could have escaped! Maybe I should have stayed in Underland in the first place. This never would have happened!
"I'll call the police!" My mother ran to the house before I could protest. Looking at the ground again I saw large footsteps by the shrubbery I had found the ascot. They were faint but I could still follow them, to a point that is.
"Hang on Tarrant! I'm coming!" Deeper into the garden I went searching for my love. The foot steps ended outside a small hall in our gardens filled with mirrors.
"Tarrant?" I asked cautiously as I entered. The door shut behind me, I turned to confirm the noise hoping it was Hatter.
"So good of you to join me Love!" A tall shadow said in the darkness.
"Stayne?" I was mortified, but remembering the bloody ascot tied around my wrist it was replaced by fury.
"What have you done to Tarrant! Where is he?" I screeched. The Knave visibly flinched.
"I sent him back to where he's safe! He can't live here with you. He won't survive long." He said casually and circling me like a vulture.
"What do you mean? How could he not survive?" Was this how the mice Dinah caught felt before they were caught and eaten? Fear? Desperation? Longing for safety? Longing for just one more day to live their life?
"You need not shake with fear love." He said walking closer and brushing his fingers a long my lower jaw.
"Don't touch me!" I snapped pulling away. He looked purely hurt.
"Alice, Love. What's wrong?" He said but kept his hand down.
"I am not your Love! Where's the Hatter?" I snapped.
"He went home. Said he regretted his decision and went back." he stated calmly as he circled me.
"Liar!" I leaping for his neck clawing at his face and bare chest with a furry to rival the Bandersnatch. He grabbed my wrists and turned me so my back was pressed to his front, a strong arm wrapped around me pinning me to Stayne.
"I like your fire my Sweet!" I may be innocent but I wasn't ignorant. I knew what his implication meant.
"Let go of me!" I struggled against his death grip, only to end up tired with less strength to fight.
"Tarrant, where are you my Love?" I whispered still struggling.
Tarrant
I had woken some time later, my head pounded like something beyond description. I sat up and nearly fell backwards. I used my arm to prop myself up and my hand to hold my spinning head. Or was it the room that was spinning? Either way, I was dizzy beyond belief. When the spinning ceased enough for me to stand I hoped to my feet (a little to quickly, my face almost meeting the white reflective ground from losing balance) and scanned my surroundings. Reflective glass surrounded me on all sides, my skin was back to it's usual alabaster, but most of my other features were still not present.
"Now, where am I?" I placed my hand on the mirror like wall, nothing. I sighed in exasperation. I circled the room and paused when I heard a voice. I listened again, this time the voice wasn't so muffled.
"Let go of me!" A female voice screamed. Alice? She had better not be here!
"Let go of me knave! I'll never submit to you! Where's Tarrant, I demand to know!" Her voice was full of distress.
"Alice?" I stood and ran to the mirror her voice was coming from. "Alice! I'm in here!"
Where ever here is! One of many voices in my head mocked as I slammed my fists down on the glass hard. In return the glass rippled like water and showed the scene playing out on the other side.
The Knave of Hearts had a firm hold on Alice with one arm and a hand roaming her body. His mouth was placing hurried kisses along her jaw and neck line. So empowered by rage and a new found madness (this being a madness that only occurred when other men made any kind of advance on my Alice!) I fell into the crowded space of my own mind with all voices screaming in a haunting melody one thing.
"Alice! Alice. Alice."