AN: Happy new year 2022!
So I know this just come out of nowhere. Another story just post while others haven't? It's weird, I admit. But truthfully, this idea already circling my mind for past 2 months. This OC just keep bugging my mind, demanding to make me write her story as soo as possible. So this is my respond for that.
I'm not 100% sure when I'll update Death Lurking or Spinning Time. I do have the draft for next chapter, but it is still new. Not to mention, busy life make it hard for me to write them. Time will tell when I can update those two. In meantime, I'll focus on writing these story first.
I hope you all enjoy this as much as I do.
Also, for anyone's curiosity, Alice/Enigma looks like McKenna Grace
Der anfang ist das ende = The Beginning is the end
1. Der Anfang Ist Das Ende
If only she had known what was going to happen, she probably would never have chosen this path.
Is it luck? Or a catastrophe? The fact that in one night, her life changed completely. A reaction from one thing that brings significant changes in a person's life during this long life.
She won't know the full truth. All she knew is thinking about the old possibilities that couldn't change the harsh reality.
The fact that her life will never be the same again.
▪︎1001▪︎
Nothing went wrong that day.
The weather is very nice. No rain or storms or anything like that. The sun was shining comfortably, didn't feel very hot. The kids in the class don't make noise. Okay, one or two fights were going on. But everything was normal. The teachers are happy to accompany the children who are still 4 years old.
Her class organized an interesting activity for the celebration of parents' day. Something as simple as decorating the class with small works as a form of appreciation for the services of parents. Whether it's a picture, photo, statue from a play doll toy, or so on.
She would normally be interested in all of that. She likes to make things that can make her parents happy. Oh, she knew they were always smiling about everything she did. From small things to big things. Their smile is the motivation to be a good and exemplary child, the kind of child that parents are always proud of.
But that day... she didn't have the willpower to do something.
Maybe that's the first sign that leads into everything.
"Is there a problem, Alice?" One of the teachers asked softly as she stood steadily, unmoving, staring at the sky through the classroom window. Miss Brownson, her name is. "Why don't you make your own? Your friends have already made it."
Alice. A name that was familiar to her. The name she had heard for the past four years. But somehow... the name didn't suit her at all. Feels... foreign. "Birds," she answered.
"What?" Miss Brownson repeated.
"Birds," Alice pointed at the birds flying in the blue sky with unusual movements. She had been staring at the flock of birds for five minutes and they continued to fly in the sky like a never-ending circle. "They fly strangely."
"They always fly like that, Alice."
"No, they don't!" She insisted, upset. "They usually fly without direction!"
Miss Brownson smiles. But not the kind of smile that brings warmth. No. The type of smile she gave was a mocking smile. The smile that Alice had seen once in a while at every teacher in the school. "Of course, they fly aimlessly, Alice. Birds don't expect direction as we do. Now, how about you start making crafts for your parents?"
For the first time in her lifetime, Alice wanted to protest. She wanted to scream.
▪︎1001▪︎
After that day, Alice slowly felt the abnormality in her life.
She tried to ignore it. Trying is the keyword. Because in fact, the practice is not at all easy. She began to see strange numbers and symbols all over the place. At school, at home, at the park, at the mall, in the car, in the sky. Heck, she had even seen it in her neighbor.
At the age of five, Alice learned one word to describe her situation.
Crazy.
She's gone mad.
Her parents were worried. Several times Alice was invited to go to a place where she talked a lot with adults wearing white coats. They are kind and care about her. Never once used a loud tone like her kindergarten school teachers. For a small moment, Alice felt relieved by their presence. But there were times, Alice's heart screamed in pain and annoyance. As if the comfort she had wasn't right.
Just like before, Alice tried to ignore it. But no matter how much she tried, she became more and more rebellious. It was as if she was trapped in Wonderland without knowing the way home. She never told any of this to her parents, of course. They will be worried, which lead to more therapy and more concern about her insanity.
From that, Alice got the second sign.
One day, Mr. Moran got into an accident that made him unable to teach for a month. The school was forced to find a substitute teacher to teach mathematics. At least until he finally recovered completely.
"Everyone," Miss Brownson said one morning as her classmates fell silent. "This is your temporary teacher, Miss Dinah Madison. She's going to be teaching math for the month. Be nice to her, okay?"
"Okay," all the children answered in unison as Miss Dinah nodded.
To Alice, her demeanor was mysterious and serious. She's not like the general teachers who always smile all the time. No. This teacher seems like a woman who is too cool to be a kindergarten teacher. Especially with her blue eyes that stare probingly and her short hair that seems to indicate how disciplined she is.
That was what might make the children feel afraid to face Miss Dinah. But oddly enough, that was what attracted Alice to talk to her.
"Alice, right?" She asked at lunch in the park. "Your name is unique."
"That's a common name," Alice answered as she ate the apple her mother had bought this morning. "Mom loves Alice in Wonderland. She always wants to name her child after her favorite story."
Misa Dinah tilts her head. "You don't like that name?"
"Not that I don't like it. It's just," Alice let out a small sigh. "I feel alienated by that name."
Miss Dinah looks up. "Do you feel stuck with that name, Alice? As if you weren't free with your choices?"
It's not the kind of question that is usually asked of young children. But for some reason, Alice was relieved that Miss Dinah asked such a thing. "Yes," she answered in a small voice. "But don't tell my parents. They'll get even more worried."
"My lips are sealed," she said with a smirk.
Since that brief conversation, Alice felt a sense of comfort. She didn't care about her worry about the madness in her mind. Miss Dinah's presence seemed to make the issue irrelevant. Several times Alice and Miss Dinah chatted about various things. Mostly about things Alice didn't understand, but that didn't stop her from becoming a close friend of Miss Dinah.
Alice also learned a few things about Miss Dinah. She's 35 years old, but still single and has no intention of getting married. She's an expert programmer but was forced to leave her career due to personal problems. She likes motorcycles, especially Ducati. And now she lives with her colleagues in an apartment near her school.
However, Alice knew there were things that Miss Dinah was deliberately hiding. Once, Alice found her rushing off after school class ended without any explanation. Then, she once saw Miss Dinah calling someone with a worried look, like those things she often saw in spy movies. One time - this made Alice even more suspicious and curious - Miss Dinah had been fiddling with the computer in the principal's office.
The sense of curiosity overtook the 5-year-old girl. But Miss Dinah never gave a definite answer. Alice admitted, she was very saddened by the behavior she received. She didn't want any lies and secrecy between the two of them.
But, then again, perhaps that secrecy is what links her choice. If she had never been curious, perhaps she would always trap in this endless Wonderland.
Which leads into the night her life changes forever.
▪︎1001▪︎
Alice heard the sound of broken glass from outside, startled him,r and forgot her focus on reading the textbook.
The blonde-haired girl had a habit of reading textbooks before going to bed. For some reason, she can't sleep if she doesn't read something so she gets used to reading anything. Besides, for Alice, reading was fun. Sometimes she asks her parents to read her something before she goes to sleep. She loves to hear the voice of her father or mother reading what she asks.
But tonight, her parents couldn't read to her because they were busy at work. So who made the sound? Alice knew that her parents couldn't possibly break something haphazardly. There must be something wrong.
As soon as she took her little red jacket, Alice slowly opened her bedroom door and walked down the stairs. Her blue-greyish eyes looked at the situation below with a cautiousness that she couldn't control calmly.
What she saw made Alice almost make a sound.
There were two foreign men in the living room. Both are wearing formal clothes. Much like a federal agent from the spy organization Alice often watches when she's bored. They wear sunglasses and a communication device in one ear.
"We located the target's house," First Agent said in a monotone tone.
"No sign," Second Agent responded in the same tone as he walked towards the kitchen.
"Burn the house."
Alice covered her mouth hard. Her heart skipped a beat as First Agent opened the gas stove, filling the surrounding room with an extremely unpleasant gas smell before finally setting up a fire.
They burn the house. They burn the house. They burn the house. They...
Her mind was in a mess. Who are they? Why did they come to her house? Where are her parents? Alice didn't know what she needed to do. Fear had taken over her body.
Run, her mind whispered. Just run!
Without much thought, Alice ran upstairs and slowly closed the bedroom door before locking it. She opened her bedroom window, looked down nervously before seeing a large tree growing near her bedroom window.
There was a sudden knock on the door. "She's here."
Alice's heart was beating madly. They found her.
There is no other option. Now or never.
Alice slowly stepped out of the room, trying her best to control her position on the tree branch. She also closed the window door tightly, seeing the height from his position that made him gulp, very frightened.
The girl closed her eyes while descending from the tree. Once at the bottom, she wasted no time escaping. She didn't know where to go honestly. Her thoughts only centered on running away from the house as far as possible and never coming back.
Even when she heard explosions from behind and the sky brought rain to Earth, she didn't turn his head. Fear and instinct to survive overtook her.
▪︎1001▪︎
She was crying under the bridge.
How long? Alice herself didn't know. To be fair, she had been running for hours. Her legs were already sore from continuing to move without stopping as soon as she arrived at a bridge. What bridge, Alice neither knew nor cared. She was just busy crying, expelling the bitterness and pain from her tiny heart.
She had lost everything. Her parents. Her house. Everything is gone because of two strangers who intend to kill her.
Why did she have to face all this?
"Alice?" A voice said.
The girl turned. As puddles of tears still appeared in her eyes, she put on her pajama clothes to wipe her tears. When her vision cleared, she saw a figure of a woman, dressed in all black, standing a few meters away from her. A Ducati is a park not far.
"Miss Dinah?" Alice whispered, not understanding why she was here.
"What happened?" She asked, approaching Alice while wiping her tears. A gesture that Alice should have rejected because it was done by a stranger, but Alice accepted because she needed it.
"They... they burned my house."
"And your parents?"
She shook her head.
"I'm so sorry," Miss Dinah apologized. "I should be quicker. If I knew they were targeting you..."
"There's nothing you can do about it," Alice disagreed. "What happened... happened."
Miss Dinah didn't say anything for a moment. "We need to move."
"Where?" She croaked.
Her blue eyes look at hers. "My place. But Alice... you must know something before coming with me," she said, and Alice nods. "Danger always comes whenever I or my friends go. If you choose to come with me, I cannot guarantee you'll be fine. You might put yourself in a dangerous position."
"So you give me a choice?" Alice guessed. "Either I come with you or not at all." She wraps her red jacket. "If I come with you... will you be able to tell me the truth?"
Because right now, that's what she wants. She wants to know why those two strangers targeted her. Why did they go as far as to burn her house and killed her parents in the process?
And maybe, just a small maybe, why there are those strange symbols and numbers around her.
Miss Dinah paused. "Yes," she finally answered after a while.
"Then," she stands up, stops crying, looks at her with seriousness. "I want to come with you."
And that is how Alice met Miss Dinah.
No, rather, that's how Enigma met Trinity, the woman who changes her life.
