Defeating Your Own Mind
Chapter Two: Two Choices
By: AliceWithKnives
Disclaimer: I don't own American Mcgee's Alice (man…) but I wish I did! I want another sequel!
Darkness was all around Alice, but she didn't feel the burning ink that was eating away at her skin. Her body was numb, and the neurotransmitters in her brain were preventing pain from passing through the axon due to the extreme pain that was assaulting the epidermis and digging its way to the dermis of her skin. Blood was soaking through her dress, staining the silky fabric and ruining the once beautiful dress. Her face had patches of skin missing, and her long black hair was shredded. Some of the hairs dropped down the front of her dress and stuck to the puddles of blood that were dripping into her bra. Far to her left, Alice's vorpal blade laid, glistening in the hellish muck that was engulfing it.
"I'm in hell..." Alice mumbled, squeezing her eyes shut as she tried to tear her way through the ink. Woosh! Drip! A faint whisper of two distinct sounds echoed throughout the sickeningly thin darkness. Freezing, Alice's brain finally defrosted and the agonizing pain surged through every nerve of her body. From the direction of the sound, a white light pierced through the suddenly fragile darkness, engulfing Alice and causing the darkness to shred away until nothing was left. "Stop!" Alice hollered as the dark was stripped away. One final surge of terror and pain coursed from Alice's brain before everything stopped. All the pain was gone; all the wounds were healed (not even leaving a scar). Alice had been awoken.
From within the carriage, Nan Sharpe shook Alice aggressively, slapping her now and then in order to awaken her from her comatose-like sleep. "Stop!" Alice leapt forward, her hand outstretched, as though she were reaching for someone. In her mind, a faint shadow of a man stood, waving at her before he vanished, leaving but a memory in his wake. Alice's heart clenched in her chest as the stranger disappeared, soon to be replaced by Nan Sharpe's face as the nanny continued to shake the distressed young girl.
"Alice? Can you hear me, dear? Do you know where you are? Answer me!" Nan Sharpe shouted, still shaking Alice. Finally irritated, Alice slapped the large woman's hands away and sat up, placing her hand on the side rail of the carriage in order to prevent herself from falling over or slipping out. "I would answer you sooner if you weren't shaking me so bad and not giving me a chance to talk." Her head was pounding, but Alice tried her best to not insult the old woman, but it was hard as the lady went from being exceptionally worried to exceptionally apathetic.
"Well, you scared the daylights out of me, deary!" With a deep laugh, Nan Sharpe sat up straight as well, finally taking in the scenery. They were close to the Mangled Mermaid. Alice looked around as well, abhorring the disgusting stench of sex and drugs. Throughout the streets and side allies, shady prostitutes were standing alongside creepy perverts whom were throwing money at the middle-aged women. For every article of clothing removed (which wasn't a lot), the men would throw some Euros at them and then watch as the scantily clad women would dive for the money like hungry dogs. This was London, but Alice preferred it this way. It made her feel better about her way of life, even if it wasn't that great. At least she hadn't resorted to selling her backside like the sluts of the streets.
Bang! Shhhh! The carriage came to a halt in front of the back door of the Mangled Mermaid. As Nan Sharpe got out to pay the greedy whip, Alice jumped down and wandered towards the door, ignoring the mangled bodies that gave the place its name. Some of the men had most likely fallen asleep drunk and died of alcohol poison or from banging their heads too hard on the concrete. Many bodies of women laid thrown around. Most weren't even given the decency of being half-naked. Not one of the disheveled bodies had a dress on or even undergarments. Alice felt the sour taste of bile rise into her throat before she booked it through the backdoor and up the crooked stairs. From within her mind, the black-haired girl heard a faint chuckle from the Cheshire cat before his voice rang in her head:
"Escape to Wonderland. If you were there again, you wouldn't have to see such monstrosities." His conniving face was behind her eyes, tempting her to follow him; however, she quickly refused, trying to prevent her mind from experiencing the dreadful pain she had felt before. Alice gulped loudly before almost all of her energy escaped her, causing her to have to lean against the stained walls of the hall. In her head, she was fighting for control. On one end of the battle was all that haunted Wonderland, beckoning her closer and closer. On the other end, Alice was pulling with all her might, trying to stay awake in order to keep herself away.
"Alice!" Nan Sharpe shouted from below the floor, snapping Alice out of her imaginary battle. Gasping as the sudden flow of adrenaline rushed through her body, making her nauseous. Leaning over, the poor girl retched, but all that she could throw up was bile since she hasn't eaten for some time. As she sank to her knees, Alice could hear the heavy footsteps of Nan Sharpe, but before she could call for help, her mind was pulled from her body. She could see her body fall to the floor, her head landing dangerously close to the vomit. Squeezing her eyes shut, Alice lost her breath as she was pulled into the darkness once again. However, this time was different. Instead of entering Wonderland in order to use it as a defense against gossipers, Alice was swept across Wonderland until she had crash landed in the Queen of Heart's castle.
"Ah! So you have returned!" the Cheshire cat grinned menacingly with glee.
"Not because of my own free will!" Alice bellowed as she stood, dusting off her deep blue (no longer stained) dress.
"Oh but it is. You see, we are you. You created Wonderland, so if we beckon you here, your original, mind will not be able to refuse, because the part you had created, the part you relied on for so many long and deceitful years, will manage to bring you here anyway. Because, half of you wants to be here. Like two sides of a coin. There are only two choices you ever have. Go to Wonderland, or be broken trying to discard it. But when the time comes, choose swiftly, because you won't have the choice for long." and with that, the sinister feline vanished, leaving the young woman confused and lost within the Queen's domain.
How will I get out alive and unbroken?
This chapter is definitely longer than the others. I haven't slept in twenty hours, so I apologize if this does not make sense. Any comments or questions? Please review! Heck, Review anyway!