ALRIGHT PEOPLE, I'VE BEEN NOTICING SOMETHING IN THE POLLS. YOU CAN VOTE UP TO THREE TIMES! NOT JUST ONCE! P.S: WHITE AND ELLIOT ARE TIED! WHO WILL WIN HER HEART I WONDER…CAUSE I DON'T KNOW. AS ALWAYS, READ, ENJOY, VOTE, COMMENT REVIEW, THE GOODS!

Ch.21: Past and Present

Pain exploded through my shoulder as the bullet connected with my skin. It tore through my flesh in a nanosecond, like a knife through butter. The force knocked my down to the ground. I lay on my back as the pain turned my entire side useless. And yet, nothing compared to the pain in my heart. My big brother lay dead inside the house, the man whom had tormented me for so long now served as food for animals, and now, I had completely lost my own mother to madness.

There was a banshee like scream as she ran at me, an attempt to finish the job. A desperate feeling overcame me, forcing the working side of my body to act. I screamed in an animal like manner and shoved the knife into my mother's gut as she tackled me. Blood splashed from her lips as her body went limp on top of me. I lay there, my mother's corpse a heavy burden above me. I numbly wrangled and shoved until I was free of her grasp…forever. I stood above her and stared at her. I should have felt something. Anything. Greif, sorrow, anger. But no emotions came.

I knew the dark truth. My mother had lost her sanity and her love for her children along with it long ago. The bloody body that I now stared at, the woman who had been trapping me for so long, was no more than the carcass of flesh that had birthed me. Where there is no love, there can be no grief.

I turned, dropping the knife, and hobbled into the little house. Blood stained the floor. I turned to the phone and dialed with my useable hand. A young sounding women's voice answered, "Hello, this is the police. What's your emergency?" My voice was no more than a croak, a whisper and rustle of leaves. "Their all dead. A man, a boy, and a woman." "I'm sorry, what?" "Please hurry. There's a child dying." "Wait, what-?" "Just come." I dropped the phone, not bothering to place it in the receiver.

I turned to see the bloody scene behind me. I held my shoulder, the blood still oozing through. I wobbled over to the spot where my brother lay, and fell onto my good side. I snuggled into my big brothers blood soaked chest, the warmth already fading. Soon, it would be gone forever. I briefly wondered if the police would even bother to show up. I dismissed the thought. It didn't matter if they came too late, or even if they didn't come at all. I was dead inside. Even if I did survive this night, nothing would fill the hole in my heart. Heal the scars made by my own mommy.

I closed my eyes and imagined myself back in bed with Ni-chan, snuggled up and safe as I could be. But reality's cruel image seeped into my mind's eye. The aerial image of me, the bloody little girl with long hair, curled up next to her big brother's life less corpse, surrounded by a sea of crimson.

"Hey, I think the girls alive!" I slowly peeled my eyes open, only to see the face of a young police officer. "She opened her eyes! I need a stretcher, now!" I closed my eyes again against the flashing lights and snuggled closer to the ice cold mass than was my brother. I felt hands, big and burning, grab me carefully and tried to pry me away from Ni-chan's body. I resisted with all my might. It took three men to finally pry me away from my big brother. Spots swam across my eyes, even though they were closed. I felt the hand setting my on fabric, then the feeling of movement. The movement stopped. I closed my eyes again until I heard the clanking of metal.

I once more forced myself to look. I saw Ni-chan, laying across from me on a gurney. His face was streaked with blood and grim from the floor. His glassy eyes stared straight at me, seeing nothing. I stared back a look like a dead fish on my own bloody face. A man came to Ni-chan, turned his head up, closed his dark blue eyes forever, and zipped up the body bag. I let my eyes close again, the image of Ni-chan engrained into my eyelids. The last time I ever saw my big brother.

I snapped open my eyes and jutted upwards to meet the colorful swirls of the dream realm. I swished my head all around, scouring for Nightmare. My mouth fell at what I did see. Every. Single. Fregin. Role holder. In Wonderland. Even Alister, Alice, and both Jokers were here. And they were all staring at me with varying looks. Most of with were horror, some with blank looks, few worry. My gaze finally landed on Nightmare. He froze at my glare, and shivered. "I-I I needed more power to see your dream, so I asked them…I-I'm sorry C.J. I-I d-didn't…."

Rage boiled up and exploded from me like the bullet had, "DAMN IT NIGHTMARE! I TOLD YOU NOT TO DIG ANY DEEPER, AND YOU DRAG ALL OF FREGIN WONDERLAND INTO IT! YOU BAS-!" The dream realm once again began to crumble and all of the role holders disappeared.

P.O.V Change: Peirce

All of the role holders all stared in shock at each other. Even Blood was speechless. This world may have its issues, but even here, a mother willingly turning a gun and pulling the trigger on her own children was…unfathomable. We all looked to Nightmare. He floated there, pale as a sheet. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to drag anyone else into this. I just needed more energy to view her dream, I never…." Alice gulped, "It's alright Nightmare, and it's C.J you need to talk to." He shook his head. "She's probably awake and long gone from the tower by now."

I shivered. C.J had always been so cheerful and brave, and kind all the time. Always smiling and grinning and laughing about nothing. How could something that horrible have happened to her? And she was so young; it's hard to believe she survived something like that traumatic. It's tragic in every way….

I shook my head and fidgeted, "S-so what do we do?" Boris snarled at me, "Nothing, idiot. She obviously needs to be alone." Alice shouted out, "NO! Letting her be alone is the worst thing we could do!" We all looked at her. She seemed like she really didn't want to talk. She looked down, "It's just…I once read in one of my sisters psychology books that when a tragic event occurs that's out of anyone's hands, sometimes the sole survivor will start to blame themselves. Out loud, or unconsciously. It's especially seen in children. It's possible that C.J subconsciously blames herself for what happened." We were silent for a time. Dee spoke up, "But why would she blame herself?" Dum took turn, "Yeah, it was her Mom's fault!" Alice blushed, "I don't know, but I do know someone has to talk to her. If no one talks to her, she'll think she's alone." Black Joker crossed his arms, "We don't even know where the hell she went." I twitched. Alice looked up to all of us, "She'll probably go to a place that makes her feel safe. If anyone who wants to look for her knows a place like that, go there and see if you can find her." Nightmare nodded, "Yes, that's we should do. And remember that even if we can't find her, she has to sleep eventually. But be careful about what you say if you do find her. She's on edge and emotionally unstable. She might bend so much, she breaks."

P.O. V Change: C.J

I continued to run through the forest at full speed, not caring where I was going. I was blinded by my anger. I was angry at everything; Nightmare for back stabbing me like that, Peter for bringing me here, Alice for worrying about me, the damn roots I kept tripping over, but mostly myself. For having the gal to trust any of them.

I face planted for the third damned time over a root. I pushed myself up and rubbed my badly scraped palms. My knees, despite being covered by my pants, were also bruised up. "That looked like it hurt ma'am'." My head jerked up to see a young faceless boy. He was maybe 12 or 13, thin frame, with even stranger clothes than what else I'd seen so far. His shirt was a bright yellow, with a dark blue jacket, worn brown shorts and a cardinal red bandanna fixing a shock of fair hair to his forehead.

"…Yeah, it did." He grinned, "I have bandages at home. Come with me!" He turned and ran off. "Hey, wait up!" I hulled myself up and chased the kid. I stopped, huffing, not knowing where he went. I heard a sharp whistle, "Over here ma'am!" I saw him over to my right and darted after him.

I finally caught up to him after he stopped. "Gezz kid, how do you…." I trailed off as I noticed that he had no shoes. He ran like that barefoot? He looked at me and smiled nicely, "This is my village ma'am!" I turned to see what looked like a gypsy camp. Only, this one wasn't sad and gloomy with beggars lining the roads, like in pictures I'd seen. Tents and caravans lined the dirt trails. All of the people were faceless, wearing bright, flowing cloth and head covers. Women chatted in groups on the trails and men sat at makeshift tables and on the steps of the caravans that lined the trails to talk to other men while children all ran amok, playing and laughing carefree. There were people gathered around fires to listen to epic stories or poems or songs all around the camp. It was lively and fun atmosphere than made me want to buck up and have fun.

I looked down at him, "…Gypsies?" He grinned at me, "Hmm…I guess you can call us that." He turned back and ran a bit further into the camp, "HEY, I FOUND A VISITOR! AND IT"S A PRETTY LADY!" I flushed furiously as all heads within earshot of the boys call turned to see me. An old woman, haggard with age, hobbled up to me. "Welcome child. I am this village's elder, Elda." She laughed a bit, "And yes, I do see the irony in my name. Come now, you look tired. Your name?" "…C.J Thourn. It's nice to meet you." She smiled kindly, "Come join us for supper. It's rare for guests to come, much less one with a face." I waved my hands in denial, "No, I-" She reached out and grabbed my hand. "Oh my goodness! We best get this taken care of!" She turned to a young woman in a brightly colored tunic, "Songlin, please fix this young lady up before dinner." The woman curtsied, took my hand, and whisked me a way before I had time to object.

Songlin pulled me a good ways across the camp before stopping at an unusually large tent. She lifted the curtain and tugged me inside. She put her hand to her mouth, "Sparrow! Find the bitterroot and deertreek!" "Yes Mamma!" She looked at me and smiled, "It won't be but a moment Miss." I heard the clattering as someone came up. I was surprised to see the same young boy that had brought me here! He smiled and handed two jars of plants to the woman, "Here you go, Mamma." He peeked around the corner, "Hey! About time you showed up!" Songlin gave him a stern look, "Sparrow, don't go confusing the poor girl." "Yes ma'am."

She turned to me and led me to a chair, "Sorry Miss, he just gets excited." I smiled, "No problem. And please call me C.J!" She blinked at me and smiled, "Alright then. C.J." I looked to the kid, "So your names Sparrow, hmm? And this is your mom?" He grinned and nodded, "Yes ma'am! Mommas the village healer! She'll have you better in no time!" I smiled. His mother turned to him, "Sparrow, go to the garden and spook off the crows. I think their coming back soon." He nodded, "Ok Mamma." He hopped off in high spirits.

I chuckled. She looked at me, "What?" I shook my head, "Nothing…you're lucky." She cocked her head, "Hmm?" I laughed, "Nothing. You're the healer?" She nodded, "Yes. While my remedies are considered obsolete in the towns, they still work." She opened and dipped her hand into a jar of greenish-grey gunk. She held it out, "Let me see your hands." I held them out. She rubbed the substance all over my hands. At first it felt like she was putting a towel soaked in scalding water over my hands, then it quickly changed to the sensation of dipping them in a bucket of ice straight from the polar icecaps. I tried to jerk my hands away from Songlin, but she kept a firm grip on my wrists. Suddenly, the feeling stopped. Along with the pain of the scrapes. Songlin genly wet a towel in a bowl of water and wiped the muck from me. My hands were still red, but the swelling was gone and the pain had been reduced to no more than a dull sting.

My eyes were huge when I looked up to her smiling face, "How the hell did you do that?" She giggled, "It's all in the deertrek." She looked serious, "…Are you…a foreigner?" I nodded slowly. Her gaze grew distant, "Then just what are you doing all the way out here? Shouldn't you be with the role holders?" I shook my head, "No! I mean…I don't want to be around any of the role holders right now." She waved her hand, "Of course. I'm sorry to pry. If you're feeling better, we should get you to dinner." I nodded solemnly.

She took my hand and led me to the tents exit, "Sparrow! Time for dinner!" He was there in an instant. The two of them led me through the camp to a large table at which every faceless in the camp sat. The table had a huge variety of food that, while strange, still looked delicious lay across it. My stomach growled loudly. Songlin and Sparrow looked at e and laughed as I blushed slightly. Sparrow smiled, "Wow ma'am, you must really be hungry!" Songlin looked to me, "We best not keep you from the table for long." She pointed to an open seat next to Elda, "That's where you'll be sitting. I'll see you later C.J." She turned, grabbing Sparrows hand, and walked to her spot in the table.

I wealked over to Elda, ignoring the eyeless stares I was getting. I grinned when I reached her, "Hi!" She smiled at me, "Hello C.J, I trust Songlin fixed you up?" I held up my hands as I sat down, "Yup!" I looked over at the food and back at her. She chuckled, "Please, help yourself." I grinned, "Thanks!" and started to chow down. There was laughter and singing and even a little dancing at the dinner; it almost seemed like a fest at a huge party! I had almost finished eating when a man walked up to Elda, glancing at me. "Elder Elda, I wish to tell the Legend of Marmund to our guest." Elda smiled and nodded her approval, "An excellent idea Aiden." She stood, "Story weaver Aiden wishes to tell our guest of the Legend of Marmund. All in favor?" All hands hit the air, a unanimous "I!" I looked to Elda, "What's the Legend of Marmund?" she glanced at me, "An ancient legend that has been a part of this village for as long as anyone can remember. Quite interesting, I think you'll like it."

Aiden stood up on a fallen trees stump on the other side of the bomb fire, looking quite the story teller. He cleared his throat and took a handful of a strange powder from his bag. He threw the powder into the large fire. There was a spark, and the flames became a deep blood red. The dancing flames threw shadows across his eyeless face as children sat in front of the fire, watching him. He began the story with a poem,

"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!

The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!

Beware the Dark Master, and shun

The frumious Bandersnatch!

He took his vorpal sword in hand:

Long time the manxome foe he sought-

So rested he by the Tumtum tree,

And stood a while in thought.

And as in uffish thought he stood, The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,

Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,

And burbled as it came!

One, two! One two! And through and through

The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!

He left it dead, and with its head

He went galumphing back.

These are the words that begin the tale of Marmund. It's said that Marmund was once a beautiful city, one that made even the Queen of Hearts castle look dumpy! A city in which the role holders Bandersnatch, Jabberwock, and the Dark Master inhabited. Of course, this was before they had gained their roles. The three had been mere village boys, living humbly with their families. The three were the best of friends, always together and causing all sorts of mischief. Until, that is, the day all of Wonderland was turned upside down." Tendrils of icy crept up my spine as Aiden's words seeped into me.

"You see, all three of the boys had fallen for the same girl. When they each found out that their two best friends had feelings for the same girl, they all decided that none of them would court her, for fear she would break their friendship. The girl, however, wound up falling in love with the boy who would become the Dark Master. The other two accepted their friends love with her and for a time, all was well. Alas, it was not meant to be. The several of the role holders visited Marmund not a few weeks after their engagement. There was an accident, taking her life. All three of them were in anguish, but none of them more so than her fiancé. He swore he would take his vengeance upon the role holders. He went to the Dealer, pleading of the great injustice. The Dealer gave him a proposition; he would gain great power and strength. However, the cost was more something as precious to any of us as our families."

He paused and everyone leaned in, drawn in to the story. His eyeless gaze stared back at everyone else's. "To gain his revenge, he had to give up his own humanity. Consumed by his need for vengeance, he agreed to the deal. He used the power and his friend the Jabberwock to massacre the role holders responsible for his loves death. But he was unable to control the power. He and the Jabberwock destroyed the village of Marmund and all its inhabitants, destroying clocks and turning the once beautiful place into a wasteland. His friend stopped him, but at no cost to himself. The Bandersnatch was wounded badly. He begged his friends to stop their rampage and that they had exacted his revenge, but the Dark Master would not listen. Using his last bit of power, the Bandersnatch used one of his knives to pin the Jabberwocky to a large tree, putting him into an eternal sleep. Outraged, the Dark Master fought the Bandersnatch. Wounded and outmatched, the battle was won by the Dark Master. However, unable to kill his best friend, he used the last of his power to send the Bandersnatch into a deep sleep. The Dark master was later captured and forced into prison by the remaining role holders, where he is said to lay to this very day; awaiting the moment to escape and complete his revenge. It is said that someday, the Dark Master and the Jabberwocky would rise again to destroy all of Wonderland. But, there is still hope. Legend has that the day the Dark Master rises, a warrior with the power to wield the Vorpal Blade will rise to slay him forever, aided by the Bandersnatch. The results of that battle will either bring destruction and ruin, or peace and happiness throughout Wonderland." He looked down to some children, "But not to worry, that day is hundreds of years away."

There was clapping and even some laughing as everyone went back to eating and chatting. I shivered involuntarily. I looked to Elda, "That story…." She chuckled, "Oh, don't look like that. It's only a story that we scare children into behaving with. Nothing to fear." I looked down and finished eating quietly, the story playing over in my mind. There was something about it. Something that told me it was important somehow, I just couldn't imagine how. "C.J, I was wondering if you had a place to stay. You made it clear you didn't want to go back to the role holders, so I was thinking you should stay at Songlin's." I looked up to Elda, "Songlin's? I couldn't impose…." She waved her hand, "Nonsense. I already talked to her, and she said she was fine with it. Also, Sparrow seems to have taken a shine to you." I smiled, "That sound nice Elda."

She looked at me, "…What happened between you and the role holders?" I paused, "…I told them to stay out of my business, and they stuck their noses where they didn't belong anyway. Now they now something about me I really preferred they didn't and their insistent on talking about it, but I don't want to." She stared at me, "But that's just because their worried about you C.J. Their trying to help you because they know something's wrong and you, weather you want to or not, need to talk about it. Perhaps if you talked about it, you'd feel better." I paused. Damn it, she's right. I sighed, "Why is it that people have been telling me the same thing for days, but I'm only listening when you say it?" She giggled, "I didn't get to be the village elder for nothing. How about we get you to Songlin's and get you settled in?"

"That won't be necessary Elda." Both our heads jerked up to the intruder. Blood, Elliot and the twins were walking across the camp, the faceless parting to allow the through. Dee grinned, "So this is where you were hiding C.J!" I stood up, "What the hell are you doing here?" Blood twitched, "Looking for you." Elliot's ears leaned back, "Everyone's looking for you C.J! Alice is worried sick." Dum looked at me with puppy eyes, "Please come back with us Ne-chan! Everyone's worried about you!" I felt a twang of guilt as I crossed my arms, "Well, you four can scram, because I'm not leaving."

The four looked at each other. Blood looked me up and down, and then turned to Elliot. "We can take her." The four rushed me and, before I could even put up a fight, Eliot had slung me over his shoulder. I kicked and fought, "DAMN IT! PUT ME DOWN RIGHT NOW OR I'LL MAKE COATS OUT OF YOUR HIDES AND SELL THEM ON THE BLACK MARKET!" Blood looked back at Elda and smiled, "Thank you for keeping her company, but we really must get her back." Elda nodded, "Yes, of course. Be sure she knows she's always welcome here." Dee and Dum nodded "Will do!" The four then carried me off as I screamed and pounded on Elliot's back, selling some profanities that would leave Black speechless.

WOW, MY LONGEST YET! A NEW PIECE OF THE PUZZLE HAS COME INTO PLAY…. I HOPE YOU ENJOYED!