Alice struggled to get out of the card guards hold. She was wakened from a most disturbing dream....
In the dream, she was walking down the halls of the asylum in search of her rabbit. She heard a commotion in the nurse's station, and went to investigate. Inside she saw Dr. Wilson and Nurse D - only they weren't themselves - they looked like the Red Queen and Mad Hatter! They stopped and looked at Alice.
"Would you like some tea?" asked the Hatter, wearing Dr. Wilson's lab coat.
"No time for tea." replied the Queen, straightening her nurse's hat. Then she pointed at Alice and shouted, "Off with her head!"
That's when Alice woke up. She wasn't in the woods anymore. She was in a courtyard. The sun was shining on her face. That's when the guards started to drag her.
"Where are you taking me?"
"To the trial."
"Trial?" wondered Alice.
She was then shoved into a waist high stall. To the right of her, high above her, was the Red Queen sitting at the Judge's bench. Then she must be in the witness stand.
"Is this trial for me?" she wondered.
She looked over and saw the jury box. There was only eleven people. Bill McGill, the Mad Hatter, the March Hare, Humpty Dumpty, a white bishop, a red pawn, the lion and the unicorn, and three card guards.
The Cheshire Cat appeared before her.
"Why did you hurt me Cat? Was it something I did?"
"It's a cat thing." the cat replied. "But your out of the woods now, aren't you glad?"
"Well I guess so. What is this trial for?"
"You."
"Me? Why?"
"We can't wait a lifetime for you to decide, so we're putting you on the spot."
"But you don't need a trial or a jury for that."
"I know that. But the Queen thought it would look more professional."
"Well I guess I can see the point in that. Are you the twelfth juror?"
The cat bowed his head. "No, Rabbit was the twelfth. He always loved a good trial."
"That he di..."
Alice was cut off by the queen.
"Everybody sit down!" she screamed.
The Queen looked down from the bench.
"Cat, you may start."
He nodded, then turned to Alice.
"Alice, don't you like it here?"
"I love it here Cat."
"Then why are you trying to leave us? Don't you like us anymore?"
Alice sighed and looked at the Cat. He was pacing in front of her. She looked at the Queen. She looked uninterested and drummed her fingers on her desk.
"It's not that you aren't dear to me but, sometimes I get so lonely."
"What do you mean Child?" asked the Queen.
"Look around, there are talking plants and animals but no real humans like me."
"What about me?"
"You're not real and your definitely not sane."
The Queen gasped."How rude! I'll have your head for that!"
Alice continued talking to the Cat.
"Sometimes I feel like I'm missing out. My peers have grown up, why can't I?"
"But we'll disappear."
"It's not your decision Cat" she warned.
"Please save us Alice!"
The sky had grown dark and the wind started to blow.
"Leave me alone. I hate you, I hate Wonderland, I'm stuck in the asylum because of you!"
Alice stood up. The wind swirled and howled.
"I hate you Wonderland! I hate you!"
"No Alice don't!" yelled the cat.
"I hate Wonderland! Why won't you go away? You ruined me!"
Alice couldn't tell if the wailing sound she heard was the inhabitants of Wonderland or the wind. It was very dark.
~*~
Alice tossed around in her bed.
"I...hate...Wonderland." she murmured.
If Alice was awake, she would have heard the clicking.
His nails clicking on the tiled floor.
He sat beside her. "Another restless night Alice? Never again."
Alice let out a mournful cry. "Where are you?"
"I have to go." he whispered. "It's time for you to grow up."
"What am I to do?" she whispered. "I'm alone."
"Yes alone, what you chose, but I don't blame you."
He paused for a moment and then turned to go. "Be good Alice." and then he disappeared.
"Cat? Don't leave me." she moaned in her dream. "Alone."
The End
