Alice tried to open her eyes. Her eyelids seemed to be glued together. She forced them open with great effort. It was hard to take in the world around her; all she could see was a white blur. Eventually her eyes adjusted.
She found herself in a large, king sized bed. The whole room was white. I was a large room, twice the size of her old one. Light streamed in from four large windows.
Alice started to get up but a stabbing pain forced her back down again. She lifted the covers to reveal a thick bandage around her waist. A dull ache came from her head. She felt her forehead and found another bandage.
"What happened?" she thought out loud.
"Good you're awake," a voice said. A wide grin appeared above her.
"Hello Cheshire," she said weakly, "What happened?"
"Well, you got you got into a bit of a rough and tumble with the Red Queen. Let's just say, you ended up with a knife in your side and the Red Queen at the bottom of the canyon."
It all came flooding back with great speed. Her 'almost' execution, Lewis's fall, the battle, the stabbing.
"Is Lewis and Hatter alright?" she asked. She did not remember if they had got back safely or not.
"I'll tell them that you are awake and they can tell you themselves," he disappeared.
Alice stared at the ceiling for a while, thinking about what happened. Suddenly it dawned on her, the Red Queen was dead! They would never have to deal with her evil ways again.
The door burst open. A crowd of people streamed into her room. It was all her friends. They all began to talk at once.
"Alice!"
"Alice dear, you're awake!"
"You were a goner, I was certain of it!"
Alice laughed, painfully, at the mob. They had obviously waited a long time for her to wake up.
"Let her have some space!" someone ordered. Alice tilted her head to see Lewis beaming down at her. He looked healthy, despite the bags under his eyes from lack of sleep.
"Everyone take a step back!" called out someone else. She turned to see Hatter. Same flaming red hair, same starch white skin same bright green eyes. Everything was in its place.
She felt a smooth, whit hand on hers. She saw the White Queen, smiling sweetly, at her bed side.
"How are you dear?" she asked. Her sugary voice was music to Alice's ears.
"A little sore , thank you."
"You would too!" exclaimed Mc Twisp, "I certainly would if I was stabbed in the side by the Red Queen."
"We've been waiting a long time!" said Bayard, "You took forever to wake up!"
"How long was I out for?"
"At least a week!" said Mallyumpkin, sitting next to her on the pillow, "we thought you were a goner, for sure!"
"Is the damage really that bad?" she asked warily.
"Well, with the loss of blood and the extent of the knife wound, there was a possibility you wouldn't have made it," said Lewis, rather darkly.
"After the first few days there was no improvement," said the Hatter sadly, his eyes twinged yellow, "We thought you were dead, no longer with us, done for, sleeping with the fishes, gone to a better place, lying stiff in a box, gone to meet your maker, zip, zero, nada, gone…"
He talked faster and faster, his eyes were yellow and he had a pained expression on his bright face.
"Hatter!" said Alice, snapping him out of his spell.
"Poof!" he croaked.
"Relax, I'm here now," she said reassuringly to everyone.
"We even planned your funeral! But that is a secret because we don't want to upset you!" piped up the March Hare. Alice found this comment quite alarming. She didn't like the idea of preparations for her funeral were underway.
Hatter glared at Hare and gave him a hard kick up the bottom. He leaned into Alice, "I wouldn't listen to him, dear. He hasn't been the same since he went mad last March," he gave her reassuring nod. Alice gave a little laugh.
….
Alice rested the next few days. She spent a lot of that time sleeping and recuperating. But she was never alone. Someone was always next to her, keeping an eye out, comforting her during her nightmares and entertaining her when she was awake. Her friends took turns with sitting with her.
Lewis wanted to get Alice alone but it wasn't his turn yet. Finally, it was his turn to sit with her. He knocked softly on the door before entering. There was no reply.
"Alice?" he said opening the door. She had fallen asleep. She still had a book in her hand that she was reading when she fell asleep. He snuck into the room and made himself comfortable on the couch, beside the bed. She looked very peaceful in her sleep. She did not look like the curious girl he knew her to be. He thought she looked wonderful. He knew that she belonged here. This is where she was the happiest. For the next couple of hours he watched her sleep, wondering what was going on in her mind.
Alice opened her eyes sleepily. She didn't realise how tired she was. She turned to see Lewis next to her. Where he belonged.
"Hello," she yawned.
"How are you doing?" asked Lewis.
"Ugh, I just want to get out of this room!"
"Yes, well never fear, Lewis is here," he said playfully.
"There you go again, flattering yourself," she laughed. They sat in an awkward silence. Neither of them knew what to say. Lewis eventually broke the silence.
"You gave us quite a scare, you know," he said smiling sadly.
"Yes, sorry about the," she said shamefully, "Where you all really planning my funeral?"
"Ha, yes actually," he looked pained, "Alice, I am so sorry. If I had just kept my temper and stayed with you, none of this would have happened…"
"Lewis don't…"
"Alice, I need to get this off my chest. I was jealous of you relationship with everyone here and… especially the Hatter. Because of your stupidness you nearly…" his voice cracked.
"Lewis, because of you I'm alive today, talking to you today. I should be the one saying sorry. I had no idea you were upset. I've got to admit, you gave me a heart attack when you fell."
"Not as much as I did when I heard you screamed! How about, I forgive you, if you forgive me?" he said with a cheeky grin.
"Deal," laughed Alice.
"You must think me mad," he said with a playful grin. Maybe madness wasn't so bad after all.
"Well, all the best people are," said Alice.
…
Alice was ordered bed rest for the next few weeks. She wouldn't be able to go home for another few weeks after that.
Alice got rather fed up with sitting in bed all day and was caught on numerous occasions trying to sneak out of her room. That didn't really work because she was still week and could only make it as far as the door and then had to be helped back into bed. Lewis was the one who suggested the excursion into the garden.
After Lewis saved Alice, everyone took more interest in him. They started to involve him in their conversations. Soon he became one of the most well known people in Underland, next to Alice, of course. He was declared an Underland Champion next to the Hatter and Alice, for defeating the Red Queen and saving Underland. Lewis and Hatter were not the best of friends; actually you couldn't really call them friends at all. They were more like Allies, fighting for the same cause, Alice.
Every day, Lewis would carry Alice down to the garden. She would lie down on the long chairs or on a blanket on the grass, while her friends would entertain her. One day, Alice was sitting alone with Miranda. Hatter was off making a pot of tea and Lewis was teaching the Tweedle's how to fight (so they could finally settle the issue over the broken rattle). The White Queen was feeling a bit down that day, Alice knew why.
"I'm sorry about your sister," said Alice quietly.
She gave Alice a small smile, "Thank you, it wasn't any ones fault. Her crimes were worthy of death. I will miss her, even if she didn't live me."
Alice smiled. That was the way the Whit Queen worked.
"But I can't help feel this isn't the last time we will see her!" Miranda said with a furrowed brow. And as much as Alice hated to admit it, she felt it too.
…
Ilosovic Stayne hung above the bottom of the Underland Canyon by an old scraggily branch, growing outward from the rock face.
"STAYNE! PULL… ME… UP!" screamed the Red Queen, who was hanging off his leg. He tried to kick her off his leg but she held on. He soon gave up.
"I will get you, Alice," he muttered, "I will get you if it's the last thing I do!"
….
A month had past and Alice had healed enough for her to go home. They again gave her the choice; stay or go. Alice sat down with Lewis. This was a decision they had to make together.
"I know you think it's right for us to go," said Alice, "and I agree. Like the reason I left last time, there are things I need to do, questions I need to answer."
"But you belong here!" exclaimed Lewis, "You are the happiest when you are with these people!"
"I know."
"I hope you don't mind me saying this, I mean, I would love it if you came back with me. It would save a lot of explaining, but is this what you want?"
"Yes," said Alice confidently, "anyway, I can always come back! It's not like they won't be here."
They announced their decision to everyone. Their friends weren't very happy about the decision but understood. They had to respect their decision.
The day came to say goodbye. That day was full of tears, hugs and fairfarren's.
"You keep up those caucus-races," Alice said to the Dodo, who bowed deeply.
"You take good care of those pups, Bayard."
"Take care of that arm, Tweedle Dee," Tweedle Dee had lost the battle of the rattle to Tweedle Dum, "Don't be too hard on him, Dum."
Alice knelt down to talk to Mallyumpkin. Mally had taken a shine to Alice when she was in recovery, and now didn't want her to leave.
"You take care of Hatter for me, please," Alice asked quietly. Mally gave a sad nod and hugged Alice.
Cheshire appeared next to her, lacking in smile.
"Try to avoid giving people heart attacks, Chess," Alice said with a smile, "It's a little unnerving."
"Will do," he said before disappearing. He didn't like goodbyes.
She turned to the white rabbit. "I think you need to slow down a bit Mc Twisp. Take a holiday."
"I think you may be right," he said wiping his brow.
The last person she had to say goodbye too was Tarrant. This would be the hardest person to say goodbye too.
"You could stay," he pointed out.
"No, not this time," she explained, "But I'll be back. I didn't forget you last time."
She gave him a big hug. His face was sad. He was saying goodbye to his best friend again.
"Fairfarren Alice," he whispered when he hugged her.
It was time to leave. They were escorted by the White Queen and the small party of friends to a plain room. In it was nothing but a long looking glass.
"I forgot to ask," said Lewis to the White Queen, "How are we to get back?"
"With the map found in the Red Queens possession, we are no able to find hidden entries and exits," she explained, "The one that will get you back to the party is through this looking glass."
As she said this, the mirror's surface rippled like water.
The Queen turned to Alice. "Feel free to come anytime," she said with a smile, "We'll be waiting."
She gave her a big hug and floated over to the party.
"By everyone," she said climbing through the glass, "Fairfarren."
Lewis helped her through before going through himself. When Alice was on the other side, hatter grabbed Lewis's arm.
"Take care of her," he whispered to Lewis, "Don't let her loose her muchness."
Lewis nodded and gave him a pat on the back. He climbed through with a chorus of 'goodbye' behind him.
…
Alice and Lewis stepped through the mirror into the Ascot's hall. They looked back one last time as the mirror became solid. They were back in their normal clothes; it was as if they had never left. The only tell-tale sign that anything had happened was the scars on their bodies.
They entered the ballroom. Everyone was still quite frazzled from Stayne. The room went quiet at the sight of them.
"Alice!" exclaimed her mother, looking at the scars on her daughter, "What happened to you?"
"I fell through a looking glass," said Alice, "Don't worry, I'm not hurt."
She turned to her mother. "Mother, the business trip wasn't cancelled. Margret lied to me and said you were sick so I came back. I see I made a mistake. She convinced me to stay longer because you were lonely."
"My dear," her mother said, "Do what you please. I don't want you hanging around an old lady like me your whole life."
Alice turned to Margret, "I don't have to spend my whole life making others happy, you know. I am allowed to be happy too. I made you happy by keeping you in the dark about Lowell. Yes, I knew about him, I didn't tell because he promised he wouldn't. It was a mistake and I'm sorry for it."
She turned to Louisa, "You have a brilliant brother. But you should look for a suitor yourself! If you want to find love for people, find it for yourself."
Alice sighed. It was a good to get that off her chest. She felt someone tap her on the back. Lewis offered her his hand. He led her to the floor as the dance began.
"You were brave to say those things," he said to Alice.
"I am trying to make a habit of it."
"I would like to see more of you, you know," he said as he moved to the music.
"Are you suggesting courtship?"
"Uh…" he cleared his throat nervously, "Yes."
"Then I agree."
Lewis beamed. "Wait here!"
He ran over to the orchestra and whispered something to the conductor. They began to play a lively tune. Lewis began to bend his bend his body. People stood, horrified at the display but not Alice. She laughed, for he was doing a very skilled futterwaken.
The End
Yeah, lame ending, huh? I didn't know how to end it! It was difficult to know what would satisfy everyone but keep doors open. I hope it wasn't too bad.
I'd like to thank some people *opens scroll* *clears throat*. I'd like to thank anyone who has read my story to the end (you rock for not giving up on my bad formatting in chapter 1), to my friend Bonnie who marked my atrocious spelling mistakes; even when it drove her insane, to my friend Steph who kept reminding me to write, ALL THE TIME, to my friend Caitlin who threatened my life for the next chapter and who went mad from the suspense, to my family who think it's cute that I am writing, to my readers who have given me reviews, Amber Icefire who kept me writing, to Sun-Surf-Soul my talented cousin (read her work guys) and anyone else who they think is worthy of a mention.
So what is the plan for me? I'm defos going to keep on writing! I have started on another story for the Hunger Games. And maybe in the future there will be other Alice in Wonderland stories. Follow me please and read my other things! Now I say goodbye. I love you all. xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
PEACE OUT!
~ Littl3 Bookshelf