Alice woke up the following morning as one does after a terrible dream in which some disaster or equally unfortunate circumstance had levelled your house to the ground. Following that the first few seconds of consciousness are filled with a giddy sort of relief and delight. Until you notice all of the rubble surrounding you.

Being rather a lot ruder than she would be to real people Alice ignored the good morning greetings of the two inhabitants within her head and closed her eyes again, willing them away with all her might.

But there they were, jabbering away without consequence and as usual very little sense. Alice would recoil a little as they talked and carried on their conversation, seemingly unaware of her. She felt as though every word they spoke would release a drop of some corrosive acid inside her mind, which would eat away at her brain and further speed along this insanity. There was obviously something rotting inside her brain to have caused these delusions and this scared Alice very much, for what could cure that? Alice had heard of the amputation of affected limbs and the like, but a diseased head? Alice really tried not to think of it anymore.

Which proved rather difficult as her thoughts spawned a rather gruesome and silly discussion between the Hatter and the Hare about people they knew who had been decapitated- "Well I don't know why he was so shook up about it, I thought it had rather suited him and he had always complained that he was too tall." Alice once again decided that the best course of action would be to ignore them and get on with her daily routine. If she was late to her lessons she could hardly give the true reason without being sectioned.

Alice couldn't help feeling rather dismayed, she had had such high hopes yesterday evening after leaving the clinic. She had forgone dinner that night and went straight to her empty dormitory to think and contemplate her next move. What exactly is one to do when finding out that they have gone mad? The Hatter and the March Hare had finally finished their tea and, for that moment had fallen oddly quiet. Alice wondered if this should make her glad or suspicious, before groaning quietly. Now let's not have to add paranoia to the growing list of mental maladies, I've got quite enough to deal with right now as it is.

She had tried to recall all that she could about mental illness, which as expected wasn't a lot. In books it would often strike after a thrilling revelation in the plot, which would confine the heroine to her bed for many months, wasting away in both body and mind. The story of the fallen woman would usually be resolved in her death.

While agonizing over her limited choices that frightful pair suddenly increased in volume. Quite kindly they informed her that they would be gone for a few hours, to run errands and other such things that weren't her business. And they were gone.

Hours passed and the room got dark while Alice lay on her bed. Eventually the other girls returned, but Alice couldn't hear them. All she could hear was silence.

Alice was a girl who liked to have things explained. She mulled over all she had experienced in the day and a number of explanations occurred to her. Perhaps the men had told the truth and had merely overrun during their tasks whatever they might be. This reasoning suggested that they could move elsewhere or at least that she was no longer aware of them and there was number of other unexplainable factors that made her head hurt to think about.

A second, more realistic and so much more appealing explanation would be that the effects of her fall had simply worn off. It was perfectly credible and Alice had managed to convince herself more by the minute as she turned the idea in her head. She remembered her uncle regaling her with the time he had come to after surgery while still drowsy from the chloroform. He had imagined all sorts of strange delusions, ranging from giant spiders to walking skeletons (although Alice had suspected at the time he had played it up a little for her amusement). Yet he seemed perfectly sane to her now.

As the night went on the silence prevailed. Only the soft breathing of her dorm mates could be heard and Alice fell asleep with a careful sort of optimism.

All of which had been dashed to the floor in with a simple "Good morning Alice!"

They were both far too enthusiastic and Alice felt a little jolt from their salutations. She uncovered her eyes and quickly looked around to see if the other girls had heard it, for surely it was loud enough, but they appeared blissfully unaware as they rose from their beds not looking her way.

She felt very lonely now. It was rare that Alice ever felt the need to seek companionship with her fellow boarders, but the frightening prospect of having to deal with this alone made her wish she had taken the pains to become friendly with them.

However it was doubtful that even if she were the very best of friends with these girls that she would be able to confide in them. They would run away screaming if they knew.

.x

There were some small reprieves during that morning from the constant chatter and clanging of china. They left as completely as they did the previous night, giving her time alone as she dressed to get ready for the day. Alice was very thankful for this small measure of privacy. Not just as she'd be livid at having to put up with two gentlemen (imaginary or otherwise) during such moments of privacy, but it also gave her a few all too brief moments with which she might fool herself into thinking they were gone for good. She could think mundane thoughts again, about her lessons, breakfast and all of the other details which previously might have bored her. They were precious now.

They returned as soon as she was decent and Alice had to wonder how they knew when to come. "Oh, we just sent the Dormouse to check when it was safe to go back." The Hatter informed her casually.

Alice was understandably outraged, to which the Hatter seemed confused by. "No, no don't fret. It's common knowledge that dormice reproduce asexually, so it's really not inappropriate in the slightest. We wouldn't have sent him otherwise you know."

"I've never heard such a stupid statement in all my life! Of course dormice aren't asexual, that's utterly ridiculous."

"They're not? Dormouse! You lying scoundrel!"

Alice was very confused about how to react to these figments of her over-stressed brain. They were quite contemptible characters, but surely interacting with them further could only do her harm. Alice was a rather pugnacious on many accounts and was never one to let any offence go no matter how small, but arguing with them seemed entirely counterproductive. There wasn't really anyone there after all.

And in any case, at that moment the Hatter and the Hare had moved onto a conversation, (from what Alice could gather) concerning who would win in a fight between the Jabberwock and a Bandersnatch. This was one topic for which Alice could safely say she had absolutely no opinion on.

.x

Breakfast was a tense affair for Alice. The other girls seemed oblivious to her, but surely it would only be a matter of time before they noticed something was amiss. After all she felt entirely changed, as though there were a brand upon her forehead that would warn others of the danger. Couldn't they tell how different she was?

Apparently not, but this didn't keep Alice from watching tersely as they passed by her, frightened that if they came to near they would know.

Girls sat on either side of her, greeted her and otherwise acted completely normally. They discussed lessons, the upcoming spring term holiday and other girls. Not Alice though, as far as she could tell not one sidelong look or whisper had occurred concerning her. (This was more than she could say for poor Elizabeth Tanner, who according to general discussion was looking rather puffy today). Girls here were perceptive and above all slightly cruel and not prone to discretion. If they had something to say about her at least one would have let slip by now. Alice sighed in relief at her peers' lack of astuteness regarding mental health issues. However relief did not last long when two people were playing snap rather loudly between one's ears.

Her first lesson of the day was etiquette. St. Agnes prided itself on its strong emphasis on imparting to young girl's the habits of good society and the teachings of refined deportment. After all, a girl who could not fit seamlessly into high society was a girl not worth bothering about in the eyes of her family.

It was one of the subjects Alice had found rather challenging when she had first arrived. Although she had a certain innate gracefulness carried over from childhood; she recalled bounding over well-kept lawns with the agility of a young dancer as her sister sat surrounded by books, irritated at yet another spontaneous disruption. It didn't quite suit the still, stiff manners expected from a hostess from her well to do guests.

The large, airy room looked lovely bathed in the weak spring sunlight (Alice's favourite school room, which she believed almost made up for dire subject). Today it had half a dozen or so small round tables set around, each with floral display in the centre, some of which Alice recognised had been made in a previous lesson by the girls, her own had not been included. They also held an assortment of items for afternoon tea.

Soon the sounds of delicate china and silverware being carefully arranged filled the room. Spoons and forks were lined up with acute attention to detail, and napkins folded with the seriousness one rarely sees outside of a magistrate's court. It was unlikely that they themselves would ever have to set a table once they left school (although sometimes their teachers would threaten that should they fail they may would themselves as a serving girl, so perhaps they would). But it taught them how to accomplish a task with concern for all areas involved, and how a proper table spread should look any many other things Alice was sure although she couldn't quite fathom what. She had been to many, many afternoon teas in her lifetime, but couldn't remember anything about the angles of plate to napkin (she hated mathematics). All she recalled were those lovely cakes covered in icing sugar and cherry jam.

The looks of concentration on all of the girl's faces showed their utter commitment to getting their task right, but Alice felt as though she was required to commit more of her attention than any of the others. Even the girl two tables away who was on the verge of tears as she broke her second saucer.

But at least she didn't have to put up with the most distracting comments as she set her tea cups, handles angled the same way.

"I do love tea, but you're pouring it all wrong you know."

I know how to pour a cup of tea thank you very much! Alice mentally hissed at one of the madmen, the Hare this time and seconds later fumed at having been tricked into conversing with them.

"No you don't, you're pouring from the end of the spout forwards, whereas you should try from the top of the spout side wards. Foolish girl." The other added in the most condescending of tones. So a blithering idiot though she was foolish. Alice was beginning to get caught up in her anger as she almost moved tea pot away from the cup. Luckily she hadn't spilled a drop, for there wasn't tea in them, but water coloured a bright crimson red with dye. It one drop had made it out onto the starched, white tablecloth the incriminating dye would have spread out, letting all the world know her inattentive ways.

She sighed, trying to let go of her indignant feelings, something with she had never attempted before this mess and carefully continued her work. But they would not make it easier for her. They soon tired of pointing out her many peculiarities and went on to their own amusements. They claimed to be playing solitaire, together, curious. But it was not the game that Alice could remember playing herself. It instead appeared to be a strange amalgamation of snap, bridge and in the middle of the game as the Hatter was losing, 52 card pickup. However at some point something in the game had occurred to due which they both unexpectedly and exclaimed "SOLITAIRE!". Frightening the life out of Alice and causing her to jump and gasp loudly to the interest of her class.

What would have been unfortunate would be if Alice had been holding her tea pot at the time, which fortunately she wasn't. However the girl next to her was, and was so surprised by Alice's behaviour that she spilled a catastrophic amount of coloured water, to rather macabre effect. Justly a lot of covered Alice rather than the unfortunate girl and before anyone could say very much of anything she quickly excused herself and near ran out of the classroom.

.x

After the incident Alice was reasonably more determined to do something about this problem, simply ignoring it was clearly not working and she couldn't go her whole life startling at seeming random moments. Her best bet was the library she had reasoned. She knew nothing about these strange imaginings and perhaps that was her way forward. She could under no circumstances go to anyone else, no matter how knowledgeable on the subject, so books were her only option.

The library had a reasonable selection of medical books and still Alice could only find one that even vaguely claimed to hold the knowledge she was looking for. She began with a medical dictionary as she couldn't go about researching something she didn't know the name of. Hallucinations, that's really what they were she supposed. Flicking through the heavy tome she came to a stop and bent down to read the miniscule script.

hallucination

A complex sensory perception that occurs without external stimulation, characterized by false or distorted perception of objects or events–eg, sights, sounds, tastes, smells, or sensations of touch, often accompanied by a powerful sense of reality. See Hypnogenic, Hypnopompic, Olfactoryhallucination, Illusion, Schizophrenia.

Alice only understood about less than half of the short explanation and the half she did understand only seemed to be partially right. She could only hear them after all, not see, smell or feel them and certainly not taste them. And what was hypnopompic supposed to be?

"I believe it's a variety of layered cake served after a light dinner course." The Hatter supplied knowledgably. Alice shut the book in dismay at both her compression skills and the thought that a desert may be a factor in her insanity.

.x

Author's notes- This is so late! It was meant to be posted last Sunday, where did the time go? I think I might have made up all of those late nights by sleeping in a week, terribly sorry. Go on, show me your anger (grrr) let it all out- in a review.

You reviewers are an astounding peoples, I'm over the moon that almost everyone who has this on alerts/favs also reviews. Keep it up dear, dear friends.

Did a tiny bit of research about Victorian etiquette for this chapter, but it's mostly from what I can remember from history class and countless school trips to the historical Victorian village. And all I can really recall from that was the ye olde sweet shop and gift shop at the entrance.

Not too much Hatter/hare-ness this time, and I do promise that this is going somewhere, although at snail's pace I'll admit. Chapter title is a reference to the Hatter and Hare's antics and Dormouse's supposed asexuality. When I can't think of chapter titles I just pick random stuff from the text.

Oh, and I saw the new Alice film yesterday. Maybe James Birdsong had a point, I was a little disappointed. Very, very pretty but that was about it. A few nice parts but not enough to make a film. I would still recommend seeing it for all the CGI wonderland goodness though, but you might as well forget that it's in 3D, I did watching it.

Well that enough from me, go and review. Tell me anything and I'll take it. I'm that sort of girl.