It was late as two young girls sat, laughing and smiling at each other as they played the game, "Alice the Madness Returns." Deanna was a husky girl, around 5'8" with short, black hair that covered her left eye. She wore big glasses that almost seemed to suit her. She was the mastermind behind the controls of the game as she hacked and slashed at anything in her path.
Next to her sat a rather skinny girl, her hair styled like Rapunzel from the movie, "Tangled" besides the dark brown color. She was around the same height as Deanna and was smiling goofily at the screen. Every so often she would pester Deanna, Dea for short, about missing a collectible until the girl went back and got it, appeasing the girl. Her name was Brianna, Brie for short, and she laughed before she spoke.
"What if Wonderland was real?" She said softly as she looked at Dea, who's eyes were fixated on the bright television screen, never leaving the game as she drunk from a half empty can of Mountain Dew.
Dea chuckled at the bizarre question as she replied in a lazy voice, "Then it'd be a pretty fucked up place haha." She bit her lip then sighed in exasperation at the game. On the screen was a 'Game Over' text covered in the animated blood. She sat the controller down and ran her fingers through her hair, a bit frustrated that she died at the same part again.
Brie was lost in her thoughts, daydreaming of the beauty and wonderful creatures of her version of Wonderland. She smiled softly, "Do you think it could be real?" Her eyes lit up as she smiled at Dea. The husky girl laughed and grinned. "Yes! And that mean old Cheshire Cat is there to steal your soul away!" She laughed and smiled.
Brie pushed her playfully and laughed. "Let's just go outside. You still need to show me the stream." Dea chuckled and stood, she stretched out her body and arms as she smiled warmly. "Well let's go then!" the husky girl headed out the back door of her small home and waited at the edge of the woods.
The woods were thick and seemed shrouded in the many shadows of overlapping trees, the wind made the trees sway to the tune of birds singing. In the distance was so covered in brush it seemed it was a wall between reality and fiction. Deanna often went behind this wall to get away from everything and be alone, it was quiet there, peaceful. It was a sanctuary that she believed would be hers forever. She smiled at the bliss as the wind brushed her cheek, seeming to carry the tune of the woods.
A small whisper sung in her ear, beckoning her towards the woods. Her body turned to the sudden voice and looked around, the forest seemed to move a turn in a new way. Her eyes widened as she pondered the sudden phenomenon.
Brie came running out and smiled. "Shall we head to the stream now?" Her eyes looked over the slightly frightened Dea and questioned it. "Are you ok? Did something happen?" She looked at her with concern as she followed Dea's gaze towards the woods.
Dea smiled a little as she looked back at Brie and stuttered softly. "O-of course!" Her hands quivered a bit as she held them together and looked back at the woods. "L-let's just head to the river heh.." She spoke in a nervous and rushed tone as she started along the brush covered trail.
Brie look at her curiously and slowly trailed behind her. The path was full of beautiful flowers, surrounded by dark leaved pricker bushes. Perched atop the prickers were pure white roses, some had small spots of red, a very unique type of rose to behold. Or was it painted red…? Brie shook her head as she lectured herself on the difference between reality and fiction.
Dea stopped in a field and looked around. The field was surrounded by tall grass and forget-me-nots. In the center of this vastly empty field stood a lonely tree. It was a large willow tree. The branches drooped with sadness as it stood alone, its' leaves wept, and its roots cried as the birds fell silent. It was silent, eerily silent. Deanna stood there, staring at the vast emptiness the tree seemed to bear.
Brie saw the tree and slowly started to advance towards it. Soon its' vast shadow consumed them, making them slip into an unearthly calm place. Dea walked over to the tree and placed a hand on it. Her fingertips tingled as the tree seemed to tremble under her touch. Its' massive branches swayed and the ground shook as the roots cried out.
Brie fell to the ground from the shock and looked at Dea. A wide hole opened, sucking in the dirt and rock around it. The hole opened into a vast emptiness that seemed to go on forever. Dea was clinging to the tree to avoid falling into the abyss as the ground slowly crumbled at her feet. She looked at Brie and said in a panicked tone. "W-What do I do?!"
Brie looked around and backed away a bit more from the hole. "I-I don't know!" She shook a bit and stared at the hole. The wind whistled around her and voices beckoned her to the hole. Her eyes widened as she slowly moved towards the hole.
Dea yelled at her, protesting her sudden decision and trying to scream some sense into her, but to no avail. Brie continued to shorten the distance between her and the hole, eyes never leaving the vast emptiness. Voices giggled and sung in delight as she drew closer and closer. Dea's screams and protests could not pierce her ears, she was completely lost. Brie's eyes were a bit darker in color as the voices controlled her, causing her to become a puppet in their grasps. A helpless, controlled, plaything, bending to the will of her masters.
Dea's fingertips were beginning to slip under the trembling trees' trunk. She slowly steadied herself at the base of the roots and watched Brie.
Brie was at the edge of the hole, staring down into it, hypnotized by the never ending abyss that consumed her thoughts and her body. She started to lean towards it, about to fall in, Dea quickly tried to jump to her, hit the side of the hole and quickly attempted to grab onto something. Her hands rushed for ground, or grass, or really anything that could save her.
Success. She grabbed ahold of a small root and clung for dear life as she looked up at her friend. Brie seemed to be fighting the voices, her expression showing concern for the husky friend. She grabbed Dea's hand and pulled with all her might. The wind picked up, blowing powerful bursts at her. They seemed to grab at her and attempt to pull her in. Her foot slipped on a wet patch of grass and they fell. Their world went black as they fell to the bottom. The large hole closed over them, the field returning to its normal state.