Hello again, readers! Here is the next chapter for you all, back on schedule!
Yeah, 'on schedule'. I've actually had a good chunk of time to get the plans for this story refined, so I should be able to post chapters on the same schedule as before for a while yet. Wish me luck!
DISCLAIMER: 'Alice: Madness Returns' and the 'American McGee's Alice' series are owned by Spicy Horse and EA, including unused beta content. The author owns any custom elements he chooses to introduce in the story.
Onward to the Chapter!
Water. I'm in water. I need to breathe. I need air. Where's Alice? I don't feel her hands. Is someone screaming? I hear a voice, not mine. What's this taste in my mouth? It's horrid.
Wait a minute. I'm in water. That's not right. I was in tea a second ago. Something's changed. My chest hurts. My hands are cold. Cold? Wasn't the tea hot?
Open your eyes, Kyle. Get up. MOVE!
Thunder rumbles as all my senses return at once. I flounder and struggle as the water around me, a whole ocean's worth, tries to pull me down. I cry for help, and salty water fills my throat and stomach. My hands reach for something to grab that isn't water.
Something tangles around my legs, holds them tight, keeps me from moving. The water's cold easily soaks through my clothes. Each move I make takes a lot of effort. My strength fades, and I sink down into the sea. My vision turns brown against the sea's black, and I'm too weak to wonder why.
Something extends from the brown thing, and roughly grabs my arms. The brown color stays in place as the rough thing pulls me up with amazing strength. The tangle around my legs rises with it. The water pulls back, tries to hold me down, but the rough thing is stronger. When I rise above the surface, more water drums onto my skin as a cold wind chills me to the bone.
The brown thing pulls me up to a dim yellow light, and then drops me onto its hard, wet body. Water is in my ears, but I still hear the thumps of something walking to my front. A large hand grabs my hair and pulls me up by my scalp. A sunken face with gray eyes looks at me. Rough hands tilts my head to the side, and violently shakes my head around. The water in my body rumbles and shifts just as violently.
"Ya bloody drownie," the face shouts at me against the wind's howl. "What've ya got to say for messing up my catch of the day?!"
I moan back, and then retch as the water in my chest forces itself up my throat and out my mouth. The man drops me with a loud, "Cock and fuckery!" as I brace my body on all fours and vomit what remains inside my stomach. A sharp kick to my side makes me heave several times, but nothing else comes out. I groan as I fall into the slop I just got out of my system.
"Get out of me fuckin' net, ya drownie," the man shouts at me. "Yer legs tangled up the best catch I've seen all week! Bloody storms bring out the worst people."
The man stomps out of my vision, and I look up at the dark sky. Lightning flashes across the clouds. Rainwater patters on my body. The world around me bobs back and forth with wild tilts. I slowly look to my legs, and see strands of black rope wrapped around them. The strands have a pattern of small squares, and my legs and feet are hopelessly tangled inside.
I slowly rise to a sitting position as my throat burns. My hands move clumsily, the rope too wet to grip. I look to the side of the brown surface, and see the turbulent ocean. The surface I lie on smells odd, and looks familiar.
'Wood,' I realize after a few moment's thought. 'This is wood I'm sitting on, on top of the water. Is this some kind of ship?'
I blink at the word 'ship'; when did I last see one of those? I don't know if London has a harbor, and there weren't any ships in the Vale of Tears, or the Hatter's Domain. So, why do I know what this vehicle is?
"Ya out of there yet?" The man's voice comes from nearby as he steps back into view. When he sees I'm not, he shakes his head and mutters several words under his breath.
"Yer damn lucky its getting too dangerous to continue me catch," he continues as he starts to carefully untangle the rope from my legs. "I knew it'd be stormy today for fishing, but this weather is bloody terrible."He stands with his legs spread wide against the ship's rocking, his fingers rough and scarred in several places.
I start putting the pieces together as he works. I must have gotten tangled in this man's fishing net, and he had to pull me out of the water and onto his boat to get me loose. The storm around us must be pretty bad for him to stop fishing for the day. I don't recall seeing any fish in the waters around me, but I was more afraid of drowning than helping someone get extra food.
"There," the man grunts. "Yer free. Now, move aside so I can get to the docks with no more trouble."
I wiggle my legs, now free of the evil black rope, and slowly scoot to the closest side of the ship I can. I prop myself against a corner, and turn my mind away from what's happening to me. The pounding rain, my runny nose, the ship's bobbing, my stomach's growling, and my aching muscles all fade to small dots. I just breathe, and think of other things.
Alice is one of those things. I hope she's doing better than I am.
Cold water splashes on me. I snort and spasm as I snap my eyes open. The boat's rocking has stopped, the rain now a light drizzle. My rescuer stands over me with a battered bucket in hand.
"That got ye up," he says with a click of his tongue. "I wouldn't have rescued ye again if ye'd fallen off the deck, ye know." I silently stare back, my throat too parched for me to make any sound other than heavy breaths.
"Now," the man continues as he extends a hand to me. "My fee, please."
I just stare at his rough, scarred fingers. The man beckons to me, so I extend my hand toward his. He slaps that away, and then grabs me by the shoulders. With a loud grunt, he slams me against the wooden wall.
"I want a fee, ye cock," he shouts at me. "A payment, a donation to me rescuing ye! What I did was a service; I could have just left ye tangled in me net and sold yer corpse to some crazed doctor at Rutledge Asylum. I'm going to get something from ye, alive or dead!"
I let loose a growl, but I can't do anything against him. He moves his hands all across my body, not being soft in any way. It's then I see I have my London clothes on. This confirms the earlier thought that I am back in London, in reality. Compared to Wonderland, this seems worse off.
The man shoves me to the wooden deck and digs into my back pockets. His hands push against my butt and penis without mercy. I scrunch up with a whimper, and he just slaps me in the face with a loud, "Shut up and take it, ye cunt!" I don't resist after that.
The man suddenly withdraws his hand from a back pocket of my pants with a cry of, "Saints be praised! What's this?" I look back to see a small, round, orange stone in his hands. A bolt races through my heart; that's the stone the clockwork creature gave me in the Domain. How did that get here?
"This'll be worth me catch, and even more," the man exclaims as he squints his eyes to look at the stone better. "Whoever chose to toss ye into the sea certainly didn't have the time to search ye."
"G… give that back," I hoarsely demand as I press my hands against the deck to push myself up. "That's… mine! I need it!"
"It's mine now, brat," the man says with an oily sneer as I imagine his eyes calculating the value of the stone. "It's me payment from ye, for keeping yer sorry skin alive for another day. Now, piss off!"
I can only stare in anguish as the man walks off. He pockets the stone in his water-stained pants; a void I can't reach. I push myself up, and jump the short distance between the wooden deck and the wooden docks. The world still rocks around me, like I'm still on the ship. I stumble underneath a small roof, next to piles of crates, and slump down to the ground. This isn't Wonderland, anymore.
Why am I here? This is worse than Wonderland. Back there, I had some semblance of power. I was someone special. I had a purpose. I could go somewhere new, and do something important. It was dangerous, but I had the strength to face that danger. Here, I'm just an orphan with no special skills, and a bunch of problems.
No noe cares about me. I could close my eyes, and never wake up again.
'Don't do that,' a small part of me protests. 'Tou've met people that care about you.'
Those people have probably forgotten about me. They won't recall me if I talk to them.
'What makes you so sure about that? You haven't tried it, yet. Get up, and find someone to talk to! You won't know until you try!'
I look at my hands, wrinkled from the water and cold. I look around me, the crates silent to any words I would speak. The rain outside drums on the stone without end. I stand up and, slowly, carefully, step out into the rain.
I take my steps one at a time. I ignore the ships to my left, and the dimly-lit piles of crates to my right. Burly men meander past me, many of them with large nets or crates full of gasping, flopping fish. None of them stop to speak to me. They probably want good wages for their catches.
I move past the ships, and come to a row of houses and shops. A few muscular men walk past me, chatting among themselves. Their combined body odor makes me cover my mouth, and turn away. One of the men says the words, "Mangled Mermaid", which gets my attention. What is a mermaid, anyway?
I move back to the water. Two men take drinks from what I assume to be beer bottles. I can't read the bottle's names. but the men look happy just drinking and slurring out words.
Past the drunkards are a small gang of kids in shabby clothes crowded around some kind of poster. I move over without crowding around them. The poster shows two men in some kind of advertisement, one smaller than the other. The smaller man has red hair, and a fancy black mustache. He wears an equally-fancy black coat, pants, and top hat with a cane. He gathers the attention of a surrounding audience to the larger man, who stands in a pool of water. This second man wears a blue-and-green shirt and cap. His belly bulges out of his shirt as he messily devours into a large fish. The man's teeth look more like tusks, his face shaped like some monster.
"Bruno Carpenter's Carnival of Oddities," the poster displays in shiny lettering. "Featuring the Insatiable WALRUS MAN!' That's... oddly fitting.
"Ya going to see this thing?" I look at the children before me as they speak among themselves, one boy asking this question to another.
"Not alone, I'm not," the questioned boy responds. He turns to a third boy and says, "Hey, ya'll come with me, right?"
"That thing'll eat me like a fish! Look at the size of it's teeth! It could probably eat us all up, and still have room for fish after!"
The children then start to argue on who is brave enough to go see this 'Walrus Man'. I leave when that argument turns to shoving and kicking. I don't want any more wounds on me.
I turn into a back alley as the rain hammers down on me. A few steps in, I crash into someone coming out. We both stumble back, and I sputter out an apology. I then notice this person; an elderly woman with familiar orange eyes.
"D… Dr. Fixxler!" I sputter this out as the doctor picks up something she dropped from within her arms. She looks up at me as a smile crinkles along her face.
"Well, my child, it's good to see you again." Her voice is just as I remember it from her shop. "But, it looks like you haven't had the best of days down at the docks."
I look down at my soaked clothes and can only nod in embarrassment. Her gray dress looks pleasant in comparison.
"Come over here, out of the rain," Dr. Fixxler says with a gesture to the rest of the alleyway. "Has my prescription been treating you well?"
"It's been working well, Doctor," I answer as I slink beside her and turn to face her from within the alley. "I haven't had as many nightmares as before. However," I pause as I try to phrase my next words correctly. "the dreams I've had were quite... realistic."
"Some people prefer their dreams to reality," Dr. Fixxler replies. She still has the smile, but I swear her eyes turn darker. Then again, that could just be the darkness of the alleyway. I don't know what to say next, so I stare at the wall next to Dr. Fixxler with an akward silence.
"Well," Dr. Fixxler finally says. "I'm glad to hear my medicine is helping you. The specifics of your amnesia certainly are unusual, but I am known for giving uncommon cure for uncommon conditions." I smirk as she quotes the slogan at her shop from memory.
"So, then," she continues, "do you have payment for my medicine with you?"
My smile shatters as Dr. Fixxler looks at me expectantly, waiting for an answer. I flash back to the fisherman, how he handled me to find any form of payment for 'rescuing' me. I don't want Dr. Fixxler to treat me the same way, or worse.
I look for a way to escape. I reach for my pocket, and then remember the only thing I had was taken away. I've got nothing to give her, but I don't want to submit to that realization.
"You don't have it." Dr. Fixxler's statement rips my thoughts to shreds. All I can do is shake my head in silent terror. Tears form in my eyes as I picture her ripping my clothes off to make sure I don't have anything. She could chop me to bits, and use my organs for some crazed potion. My bones could be parts of furniture. My teeth could be jewels.
"Jewel," I blurt out at that last thought. "I had a jewel with me, at the docks! An orange one, round, smooth, reflective! But he… it was…" I don't finish the sentence as the tears now flow down my cheeks. I fall to the stone beneath us in defeat.
"Don't hurt me, Doctor," I sob to the woman in front of me. "Please! I found a jewel, but it was taken by a fisherman when he saved me from drowning in the sea when I got separated from Alice. It was the only valuable thing I had! Please, give me more time! I'll find you something better!"
Dr. Fixxler remains silent as I stare at her, my green orbs against her intimidating orange. Her mouth is tight, focused, expressionless. I probably look like I'm on my last legs. But, I have no good way out of this. Dr. Fixxler probably knows that.
She asks a question: "Is this 'Alice' you refer to named Alice Liddel, by any chance?" I quickly nod. She raises her eyebrows, and smiles.
"Perhaps I wasn't very clear before," she explains. "I never said that material goods were the only method of payment. Alice Liddel figured that out when she first visited me." My jaw drops at this revelation.
"Alice visited you?! Why didn't you tell me? She works at Houndsditch, under Dr. Bumby, like I do!" I flinch as I realize I almost shouted those words at an older lady, but she doesn't seem to mind my tone.
"Bumby's report didn't mention you knew Alice Liddel, specifically," she states. "You must have become acquainted with her after you came to me, because I remember the Liddel family when they all were alive. I wonder what you two were doing to be drowning in the ocean?"
She looks at me like she wants me to tell her the reason, but I realize I still don't know where Alice is. She might be in trouble, and I need her to help me regain my memories!
"I'm sorry, Doctor," I quickly say as I stand to my feet with fresh energy. "I need to find Alice. I'm sure she's somewhere on the docks, and I need to make sure she's alright."
The old doctor glances at my quick movement, and her eyes sparkle with mischief. For a second, they glint like the Cheshire Cat's.
"I won't get in the way of youthful fortune-seekers like you," she says as she steps aside. "We can discuss your payment another time. If you meet with Alice again, she might help you with that. Good luck."
I want to ask how many times Dr. Fixxler and Alice have met, but stop myself. With a quick bow as thanks, I race back onto the open docks. I start to run back down the same path I came. I need to find some clue to where Alice may have gone. When I get back to the docks, there are less fishermen unloading things than before.
Large blocks of cold ice are stacked like crates on top of one another, a thin layer of white fog on the ground. I pause at this sight; how can ice be cut like that? Also, how does ice make fog?
I dismiss that thought, and slip behind a group of fishermen. I take slow breaths to block out the men's pungent odor. They talk about the weather, whores, and beer. The name "Mangled Mermaid" pops up again; that could be a good spot to stary. I keep several paces behind the men as they walk away from the docks. At the very least, I'll find out what a mermaid actually—
Shit! I duck down behind a nearby barrel as Jack Splatter, of all people, pops out of an alleyway. He wears almost-identical clothing to when I last saw him, his face stuck in a snarl. Whatever he's angry about, I want no part of it. He walks just behind the group of men, and they all go down a nearby back space. I suck up my fear, and follow them. They go to a large house a few blocks over.
The men pass by the front doors of a white-walled building called, "The Mangled Mermaid". I look to a sculpture next to a sign showing that name, and flinch at a wooden lady above the words. The lady is old, with long, gray hair, a grin far too wide for her face, heaving naked breasts, and a fish tail instead of legs. The necklaces around her neck don't improve her look, but this seems to be what a 'mermaid' is. Can't say I like it.
I stick to the edges of the Mermaid as piano music filters through the windows and large front door. Splatter talks to two men in front of the door. I go past them, and take a left into a side-alley. There's a few barrels to one side, and I slip behind them just as Splatter walks down the alley.
A window opens up on the second floor. A woman in a pink dress looks out, and frowns at Splatter the moment she sees him. Her dress shows off her huge breasts, as well as the black lace gloves she wears on her hands. I can barely see an anchor drawn on her left breast, a blue stone tied around her neck, and a peacock feather in the bun of her hair. She looks pretty nice.
"Where's my money, you fucking spank-bucket?!" This comes from the woman, directed towards Jack. She sounds very much like the Nan Sharpe from Alice's memories.
"Get those fat-arsed whores out on the street," Splatter threatens back, "or I'll come up and brain ya!"
"Shove off, you cocker-snipe," the woman shoots at Jack. "You'll never get past Long Tim!" I don't know who this 'Long Tim' is, but Splatter seems to know this woman from somewhere.
"I'll get what you and your floozies owe me, Miss Ladybird," Splatter announces with a wagging finger. "See if I don't!"
"Maybe you haven't noticed I'm not pissin' me drawers at the prospect!" The woman's insult makes me cringe, but I don't stick around as Splatter spurts out some other insult. I walk around to the backside of the Mermaid before Splatter gets there. Another muscled man, possibly 'Long Tim', stands guard at the door. Another row of boats are nearby. These boats are massive, but they also look rotten.
I move towards another pile of crates, and almost step on a small octopus that wriggles like it's on the last of its eight legs. After a moment, I try to pick up the creature and toss it back into the sea. I grab it by its oily head, the surface slimy and slippery. Luckily, the sea is only a small toss away, but I don't see a splash amidst the black waters.
A strange sound makes me turn around, and I become a witness to a grisly sight. Jack Splatter stands in front of a muscled man—maybe the alleged 'Long Tim'—as the man falls to the ground. Splatter enters through the doors, and I look over what's happened. The man's neck is red-and-purple, his eyes bulging out. Splatter must have done this. Is he going to talk to that woman next? Will he hurt her, as well?
'Damn it! Why do I have to face so much danger to get what I want?! Fuck what the Cat said about self-reliance, I'm risking life and limb here!'
I walk through the Mermaid's open back door, pass through a corridor with some simple leaf designs that turns a few times, and step into a smoky, dimly-lit, crowded bar. The piano music from earlier tinkles a tune that doesn't affect me in any way.
People sit on stools at a fancy counter, or around tables and chat among themselves while sipping, or downright, chugging, bottles that the lone bartender dishes out. The two men from the front door are at the counter, arguing among themselves about some prior arrangement that one of them wants to back out of.
A group of burly men stand at a far corner around a thin man, slurring insults him. Stairs to an upper floor are next to the slurring mob. I can't recognize Splatter out of the crowd, which sets me on edge. He could find me pretty easily, now, and be able to escape before I ever see him.
I step to a darker area on the right to hide from Splatter. Someone instantly grabs me by the shoulders. Spicy perfume fills my nose as I feel two round, pointed objects press into my back. My cheeks instantly grow hot; these objects are probably a woman's breasts. The last time I was this close to a woman's assets was with Alice, back at Houndsditch.
The hands pull me next to a closed curtain, and press me face-first against the wall. Someone sniffs my neck, and I shudder as someone licks thier lips.
"Mmm," a sultry female voice whispers, "You're a young 'un! That's a sight for sore eyes like mine. The Mermaid certainly gets new fishermen from the docks that come to unload their catches. But you…"
The hands flip me around without any noise, and I see the color red made into alluring female flesh. The shadows don't hide the red in this woman's skimpy dress or gloves. They show off her impressive bust, like the woman outside. They also don't hide the red of her lips, nails, and flowing hair tied up in a bun. Her eyes are spheres of fire that burn in the darkness.
"…You, young 'un, are special." The woman enunciates the last word with a hiss that sends shivers down my spine. I open my mouth to protest, but the woman smushes her lips against mine before I say a word. My cheeks burn even hotter as I realize she's forcing herself on me. She must be one of the 'whores' those fishermen, and Splatter, spoke about earlier.
I shut my eyes as I feel her tongue press against mine, but I open them again when I taste a bitter liquid on her tongue. I instantly blame the taste to alcohol, even though I've never had the stuff. I press against the woman's grip, but she holds me like iron. She releases her mouth from mine with a wild gleam in her eyes.
"I've had nothing to satisfy me but fishermen for weeks," the woman excitedly whispers as her hands reach under my still-wet shirt. "They're too dumb for anything fancy, anything new. You're different enough to be fun!"
I gasp as the woman sharply pinches my bare skin, trying my best not to look her in the eye. I want to break away from her, but I don't want to cause a scene. If Splatter sees me, he'll probably remember who I am. He also looks like many of the thinner men here; he could have already escaped. This damn woman is in my way, feeling me up like I'm some doll, and I don't know how to stop her without making more problems!
"I don't have—" I gasp again as the woman pinches my stomach and sends tingles up my chest. "I don't have time for this. I need to find someone."
"Mmm, that can wait a bit," the woman argues as she moves her hands down to my waist. "I want something young and full for a few hours. I'll even do it for free!" I grit my teeth as my legs start to shake on their own. The woman's hands get very close to my genitals, her breath heavy as she touches me all over.
Fuck the consequences, this woman is crazy!
"I need to go!" I hiss through gritted teeth as I shove the woman back. She stumbles, but quickly rights herself with wide eyes. I bore my gaze into her, repeating in my head for her not to follow. I turn away after a few long seconds, and step back out into the room's light. I beeline for the stairs.
"Hey, boys," a familiar male voice shouts from a table I walk past. "It's the bloody drownie! Find yer land legs yet?" A chorus of laughter follows.
I lock eyes with the fisherman who 'saved' me, and then stole from me. A large glass bottle sits in front of him, filled with a clear liquid. A few bearded men with sweat-stained clothes sit around him. They give smiles that would better fit Insidious Ruin.
"I want to thank ya for paying me so swiftly," my 'savior' dramatically states. "That little gem was worth two day's fishing! So, because I'm really a kind old soul, I'll buy ye a drink! Come on, join us at the table!"
"I don't want a drink," I coldly state. "I have to go upstairs."
"Oho!" One of the bearded men says this with a chuckle, his voice deeper than I first thought. "'E needs to go upstairs, boys! Who do ya think e's gonna bang up?!" The other men roar with laughter at the implied humor. I just suck in a breath and walk away.
"That drownie can't bang up a sea urchin," the fisherman says with a small burp as I start up the simple wooden stairs. "When I pulled 'im out of the sea in me net, 'is dick was smaller than an urchin's honesty! E's got no chance, not even with Old Ms. Sharpe! Even if 'e pays a heap o' gold, e's got nothin' where it counts. Drownies like 'im aren't real men!"
Something shatters. I don't know whether it's in my mind, or in the room, but I don't care. What I focus on is the insult. I can't let it go unchallenged.
I walk back down the stairs. A cold rage spreads over my skin, electrifies my blood. The men's laughter only fans the flames inside me. One of them stops when he sees me approach, and he motions quickly to the fisherman. That man looks over with glazed eyes as he takes a swig from his bottle.
Without a word, I take the man's bottle out of his hands, sniff it, recoil at the vomit-like smell, and then pour its contents all over the floor.
The liquid pours to the ground in bursts, and that disgusting smell fills the room. The fisherman's eyes widen to the point I swear they'll pop out of his head. His friends stare in silence, too. Then, they all laugh at their friend's misfortune. Some 'friends' they are.
"Ya fuckin' shit," the man growls as he leaps to his feet. "I paid good money for that! Yer gonna pay for hurtin' me feelings, one way or another!"
The man charges to me. His body sways from what I guess is the drink in his system. He swings a fist at my face, and my Wonderland combat experience takes over. I dodge his attack, spin behind him, and swing the empty bottle at the back of his head. The glass cracks apart, an expression to my inner rage. The man's howl makes it all the greater. He falls to the floor, writhing and moaning. Blood pours from several glass shards lodged into his scalp.
"Hope you can pay for that, too," I taunt as I drop the bottle's top onto his back. The room falls silent for a moment, and I look at the eyes of several drunk or shocked people. Then, everyone goes back to music, talking, and punching like nothing happened.
I stand ready to run if Jack Splatter tries to escape, or attack me. He's not here. The bartender, and every woman in the room, give me looks of anger, or lust. The red woman looks especially impressed; she steps out from the shadows, and starts talking to a woman dressed in faded white. I ignore her gaze as I return to the stairs. No one stops me this time.
The upper floor of the Mangled Mermaid isn't much to look at. Carpets give the wooden floor some decoration, lamps hang on the wall, and several closed doors tell me that this is a place for 'privacy'. One door is open, though; this room is separate from the others, and a couch is outside it. I walk over to it, and take a look inside.
Jack Splatter stands over the woman from before, the woman's left eye now black as she sobs in fear, or pain, against a wall. The room has a small desk with a lamp, a cabinet, and a carpet, the window still open to the rain outside.
"I told you I'd get what I want," he says as he draws a fist back. "And I'm gonna beat you till I get it!"
"Leave her alone, Jack Splatter," I say as I step inside. "She's not a part of this!" The man glances back, and then turns fully around as he recognizes me.
"Ah, the mongrel," he says with a grin. "Crawled your way out of gaol so soon? How'd you do it? Come on, tell me, one value-seeking member of society to another." I keep my mouth shut and point to the open door. Splatter's smile morphs into an upset frown.
"Well," he says as he steps over to the door. "Since you're asking so nicely, I should give you equal respect."
He then breaks that respect by reaching for my waist, but I crouch down and headbutt him in the gut. He lets out a loud, "Oof!" as he stumbles back a few steps, giving me time to stand back up and shift in front of the woman. I dodge Splatter's next swing, but the space around me is too small for me to shift by.
The sound of someone else walking into the room makes us both look to the door. Alice looks back at us, a confused look on her face. Unfortunately, Splatter's reaction is faster than mine as he takes the chance to slam his foot into my gut. I crumple to the floor with a moan, defeated for the moment.
"You don't give me what I want," Splatter shouts to the woman I lie next to. "I'll burn this dump of yours down to the ground!"
"Go away," Alice finally shouts at Splatter. "She's done no harm!" Splatter turns around to face her, and then slowly walks forward.
"She hurt me feelings," he deadpans as he smacks the burning lamp onto the floor. The glass shatters, fire instantly flaring to life. Alice raises her hands against the flames, but Splatter advances on her and slugs her across the face. Alice falls down, her body limp as Splatter quickly walks away. He doesn't even look back at me as the fire starts to spread.
I move over to Alice's body and tug at her arms, trying to get her up before the whole room lights up. The only thing that happens is my body slumps down alongside hers, my strength fading quicker than I can blink. My eyelids flutter, and then close, as the same voice from my nightmares says one sentence to me.
"Your journey is far from over."
Alright, that's all for now! We return to Wonderland after a brief interlude in London, with a look at the city's darker side (so to speak). What new adventures, monsters, and mysteries will Kyle and Alice find?
As usual, please review, comment, constructively criticize, and suggest new ideas as you wish.
Draconos is taking off!