Disclaimer: I do not own any credit for Alice in Wonderland other than this fan fiction.
My body felt like all of the energy was being pulled from me. Slowly, I opened my eyes to see the crimson water being sucked down the drain of the tub. The cold air brought shivers down my spine and with much effort, I managed to look up from the rim of the bathtub. Cheshire was already dressed, however he was not in the same suit as before. The coat was black with red trim but the red vest had black spiral designs along the front. His slacks had red stripes within them and his gloves were now black.
As Cheshire leaned down to unlock the clasps, I flinched slightly. He chuckled and tossed a white towel at me to dry off with. I climbed out of the tub and gingerly wiped at my wounded back, gasping as the soft towel touched my raw flesh. By the time I was done drying, the towel was covered in my blood, yet I didn't feel my back drip from any bleeding. I glanced down at my wrists and saw that they still bled slightly which made it curious. Surely my wrists would stop bleeding before my back. Another dark chuckle from Cheshire caught my attention and I gazed at him confused.
"My saliva slowed the bleeding and made it clot faster. It allows me to play a bit longer before devouring my pets." Cheshire spoke softly. His eyes stared at me darkly and mischievously he grinned. He reached forward and touched my cheek softly. "You need to get dressed now."
On the sink counter top laid a long black lace dress. I hadn't noticed it before when he bathed me. My hand trembled as I grasped the dress. The bodice had ribbons that laced up the front and the back. The bustle stuck out slightly and allowed the ruffles to blend and sway with movement. Along the bust line, black lace was sewn in, drawing attention to the cleavage in a seductive yet somewhat modest fashion. It was the most beautiful gown I had ever seen. I slid it on and it was the perfect fit. Odd how I wasn't measured yet they knew my size. Cheshire handed me fishnet thigh-highs and dainty black lace opera gloves to wear as well. After slipping it all on, he placed a black lace choker around my neck, a small silver lock charm dangling from the center. The finishing touch was a pair of black heeled shoes.
I glanced in the mirror and could see that my curling hair had streaks of a soft red. The bloody water must have stained bits of my hair. Cheshire stood behind me, looking at my reflection with a pleased expression. I broke my gaze from the mirror to look at him. Cheshire grabbed my chin and ran his thumb nail over my lips, causing it to bleed slowly. His thumb trailed over the blood and smudged it into my lips to stain them red. He licked his thumb clean and pinched my cheeks a bit to redden them as well. "You always clean up so nice" Cheshire whispered in my ear. My gaze fell to the floor and I felt him nudge my arms with his. I gently grasped it as he walked out of the bathroom and began to lead me to the ball.
As we walked down the oddly curved stairs, I realized that house was constantly changing. It made me wonder how on earth anyone could ever find anything here. I could almost slap myself for even thinking that because I knew why the house changed like it did. It was so Cheshire's "pets and toys" wouldn't be able to find their way out. As if to confirm my thoughts, Cheshire squeezed my arm a bit painfully. "Now Alice, we must be on our best behavior, mustn't we? You will stay in my sight, or I will hunt you. You will do as I say, or we will eat you. You will have manners, or I will punish you. You try to run, and I will make sure you regret it." Cheshire's last words were dark and very close to a hiss as he squeezed my arm so tight it felt like it might snap in his grasp. "Yes, Cheshire." I gasped in response and he slowly eased his grip.
Cheshire opened a rich purple door that loomed over us. I had to blink a few times for my mind to try to process what I was looking at. We were no longer inside the mansion as we walked through the door. This area was Cheshire's back yard. However to me, it seemed like an exotic garden.
The area was bordered with very tall weeping willows with thick trunks. The willows lined along a black iron fence which marked Cheshire's property line, or that is what I would believe had this world been normal. Lined along the trees were beautiful red rose bushes. Different brightly colored flowers and trees were planted all over the garden. Decorating the gardens were marble statues of men and women dancers with the men kissing the necks of the women or holding the beautiful girls closely. Iron antique gas lanterns hung along the pathways leaving a slightly dim light but enough to still see decently. As my eyes gaze at the cobblestone path, I could see more brightly colored flowers along the path. The flowers were purple, magenta, yellow, blue, and many other colors. It was really pretty here. It seemed so peaceful, almost enough to where for a moment, it felt like I was home again. In the center of the garden, I could see a beautiful marble fountain that was large enough nearly take up an average sized bedroom.
The fountain broke down into three sections of pools of water with the bottom level flat on the ground. On each segment that separated the pools were different beings holding up the next pool of the fountain. The first segment were unique creatures such as small hedgehogs, frogs, and flamingos all holding up the bowl. Between the animals I notice young girls dressed in beautiful gowns much like mine that also held up the second level of the fountain. The fountain appeared to have cracks for some of the water was trickling down the faces of the little creatures and young girls into the pool below them.
Standing upon the second level of the fountain was what appeared to be little statues of the March Hare, the White Rabbit, Hatter, Dormouse, and the Tweedle Twins. They stood casually but they were separated by teapots, which were holding up the final level of the fountain. The statues either held their mouths open or were holding teacups as the teapots spouted water into the little teacups and open mouths of the statues. As the water spilled over from the mouths and cups, it tricked down into the pool below.
At the very top, a statue of Cheshire embraced a beautiful young girl and appeared to be kissing her in a romantic nature. Water trickled from their mouths down into the pool below. As I gazed at the woman, I couldn't see and distinct detail in the face. Was it supposed to just be a girl, or was it someone Cheshire knew and held dear? Either way, the fountain was by far the most beautiful thing I had seen in this world and the least corrupt. This area was just peaceful. Everything about the gardens seemed pleasant. A soft clearing of his throat told me that Cheshire was ready to lead me further into the garden. I took a final look at the fountain before walking further in.
Many voices could be heard as we walked in silence. As we turned a corner I saw beautiful colorful tea light lanterns hung in the trees, much like the one's at Hatter's home. Stone benches were placed under the trees for guests to sit on while a band played waltz music. Beautiful young girls in gowns stood in cages similar to the ones in Cheshire's Pet Room. These girls looked terrified and clung to each other unlike the one's Cheshire had. I could see Mad Hatter, March Hare, White Rabbit, Dormouse, and the Tweedles all standing in a bit of a clutter. I was wondering what the commotion was about. Cheshire made a look of disgust as he gazed at the crowd. As if someone had sensed his gaze, a high-pitched voice rang out across the garden. "Oh Cheshire! You've finally arrived! You're later than White Rabbit." she giggled.
As the crowd dispersed, I could see a young woman staring at Cheshire. Her hair was light, just like mine, a platinum blonde. Her eyes seemed to hold a cold desire as she gazed with ice blue eyes. The woman wore a long crimson gown with a laced up corset. Her cleavage was heavily exposed and between the crevice of her breasts laid a black diamond heart on a silver necklace. The smirk placed across her rouge lips was replaced by a sneer once her gaze shot to me. I watched her as she sized me up, clearly judging and trying to find weakness. This had to be the girl Cheshire had used before. The Broken Toy…