A Riddle

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I am a tale in children's minds. I keep their secrets and share them inside. I blur their thoughts into fantasies kept like a canvas of art or a submarine depth. Though an illusion, it occurs every night; I give them a fantasy, I give them a fright. Nor good or bad, but always nigh? It's interesting to tell. What am I?

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"Would you prefer to be attacked by 50 duck sized Jabberwocky's or a Jabberwock sized duck?" Alice looked to Hatter with an incredulous look, stepping over another over grown root.

"Seriously?" she asked, laugher imminent in her voice.

"Its an honest question!" Hatter said wide eyed and insulted. "I heard from a man who heard it from another man who heard it from his cousins sister's friend's fiancé that there was a man who was attacked by 50 baby Jabberwocky's at the same time." Shaking his head, he took of his hat in mourning. "Lost both his shoes, and his best hat that day apparently." Hatter smirked proudly as Alice let out a spluttering laugh. He liked it when she laughed, her entire face lit up and it was infectious. When he heard her laugh he couldn't help but laugh with her. It was a nice change from her usual look of worry and confusion.

"It's true!" he exclaimed, slipping his hat back on with a flourish as Alice composed herself.

"Yeah," she said as she wiped her eyes. "I'm sure it is."

"So? Which is it?" Hatter asked, elbowing her lightly.

"Which what?"

"Which would you prefer?" Alice thought for a minute, over dramatising the pause for Hatter's sake. Honestly, she was enjoying the random questions pouring from Hatter's mouth. Both of them knew that their knowledge was limited to their own world so a game of 20 Questions involving Favourite such and such questions would get them nowhere.

" Attacked by 50 duck sized Jabberwocky's but I'd like the keep the Jabberwock sized duck."

"Why?" Alice shrugged.

"Who doesn't what to have a giant duck as a pet?" That earned Alice a laugh from Hatter.

"What about you?" Hatter scratched his head.

"Jabberwock sized Duck. After all you don't hear of Ducks attacking people."

"That's because they're tiny!" Alice replied matter of factly. "They're too small to do anything and they know it." Hatter chuckled and patted Alice on the shoulder, as if she was sorely misinformed.

"What's the worst that could happen with a giant duck? He eats the world's supply of bread? Alice?" Hatter stopped as he realised that Alice wasn't following, but standing behind as if frozen to the ground.

"Don't you hear it?" she asked.

"Hear what?"

"I don't know...sounds like giggling to me." Alice frowned and shook her head, her wild red hair bouncing around her face. Hatter gave her an incredulous look.

"Giggling? I took you more as a murderous scream type." Hatter was quickly rendered speechless as Alice gave him and evil glare. "Sorry for giving my opinion, sheesh!" he said. "Your stare could freeze continents y'know!" Alice shook her head like a disappointed mother and walked forward. Despite the mindless –and yet entertaining – chatter that they'd been engaged in since that morning, Alice was still thinking about what Duchess had said a week earlier. The more she thought about it the more she realised that what the mad blonde had said made no sense. Yes, there where points where Hatter was cowardly however they were usually caused by Duchess or Jabberwockys, something she could relate to. Most of the time, Hatter had been protecting her. He offered to take her to the Looking Glass, helped her run from the Jabberwock. Gone back to get her when she ran back for Tobais, covered her as she stood, petrified, in the forest as card guards surrounded them. But I've only been here for what? A week? Time seemed to move differently in Wonderland, she wasn't sure what counted for a day but she knew that it gotten dark several times since she'd been here. How can I be sure about Hatter if I've only known him for a week?

And he still hasn't told you about the death sentence. Alice flinched as she remembered Duchess' ominous revelation behind Alice's "panic attacks".

He looked a bit worried when I came out. Alice thought, Maybe he's planning to. But even that didn't convince her. They'd been on the road for a week now, sleeping on the ground or in caves scattered across the Jungle – according to Hatter called the Ilarian Jungle – yet he'd still not brought it up. As if he's doesn't want me to know.

"Hatter." Alice said, slowly slightly. "Duchess..." Hatter turned as she trailed off, her wary and accusing tone worrying him.

"Duchess?" he started, raising an eyebrow. "You listened to the blonde bobbed psycho? Remember, she makes her living off killing and tricking people-" Alice, tired of listening to his excuses stopped, glaring darkly at Hatter's back.

"Duchess told me that I was dying Hatter!" Hatter froze in mid-step. He could feel Alice's gaze on his back and tried desperately to keep facing forward.

"What!" he exclaimed with theatrical finesse as he turned. "Why didn't she-"

"And!" she stopped him. "That you knew and where supposed to tell me that night." Alice didn't back down as he looked her in the eyes, and he couldn't pull his gaze away. Her pale blue eyes were cold, calculating. Yet even he didn't miss the fact that they were become red. He'd hurt her. He realised that. He asked her for her trust and she gave it, and yet here he was, lying to her to get out of a situation that scared him.

What if she hates me?

"Unless your heart, your soul, and your whole being are behind every decision you make, the words from your mouth will be empty, and each action will be meaningless. Truth and confidence are the roots of happiness." Hatter sighed as Dormouse finished his beloved quotes and looked up as he scratched the back of his head.

"I'm sorry." Alice scoffed, and began walking forward, pushing Hatter out the way roughly.

"I'm sorry. Yeah great excuse Hatter." She spat. "Sorry I didn't tell you that you're dying!"

Hatter clenched his teeth as he followed her, grabbing hold of her shoulder.

"I'm sorry about everything Alice. I was just scared-"

"Scared?" Alice turned, to face Hatter her eyes wide as if what he was saying was ridiculous. "You'rescared!" she let out a bitter chuckle. "I'm in a strange world being lead around by a cowardly lunatic!" Hatter flinched. "I have been chased by over grown Catfish, slept in a cave, ambushed by Judoon wannabe's, I have a death sentence from the Queen of Hearts over my head and on top of that Wonderland is trying to kill me. So I think I have a little more right to be scared than you do." Alice marched off, pushing the branches back with a little more force than necessary. This girl is going to be the death of me. Hatter thought as he ran a hand down his face and massaging his eyes to get rid of a growing headache.

"Alice I didn't mean it like that. Alice?" Hatter stopped as he realised Alice hadn't interrupted him yet, the forest quiet. "Alice!" No one replied.

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Her teeth clenched and hands now fists, Alice muttered nonsense under her breath as she violently pushed branches out the way. Angry tears clouded her vision but she quickly brushed them off. She didn't know why she felt so betrayed by Hatter, she'd only known him a week yet at that moment she just had so much anger bubbling up inside her she could barely control it.

"I trusted him." She muttered softly, her anger starting to disperse. Slowly, she collapsed against the tree, her breathing ragged and palms sweating. Faint chirping sounds formed around her as she tried to control her breathing, like those she heard from crickets above ground. Only it was more like a harmony, sad and slow. Yet it was this sad harmony that was causing her muscles to tense and head to pound.

"This...must be...what...Duchess...was talking about." She breathed, trying to disperse the fog that was forming in her vision with rapid blinking.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that." The voice was monotone, low, yet she could hear the hint of humour there. Almost mean, sardonic yet with a hint of a fatherly tone. Like a parent, explaining to a child that what they were doing was a bad idea. Alice's head shoot up, her head spinning around as she desperately tried to find where it came from.

"You're not looking the right way." The voice said again, mockingly for above her. Finally, her gaze landed on a large grin hovering in front on her face, only a grin and nothing else.

"Wh-wha-" the grin chuckled, dark violet eyes appearing before gray fur with purple stripes sprouted forming a head that hovered in front of her.

"Its rude to gawk you know." Alice watched the cat like creature before her with wide eyes, her hands gripping the protruding roots beside her.

"Who are you?"

"Don't you mean 'what' are you?" it replied, blinking innocently.

"I didn't say what, I said who." The cathead laughed, bobbing up and down, grinning with glee. With a flourish, the cat spun round on its back before lifting the tuff of hair on his head up, as if it was a hat.

"Cheshire Cat, at your service." It replied. Letting out the breath she'd been holding, Alice let the previous fear wash out of her. Cheshire Cat. He's good in the book...right?

Miss Mary, Mack, Mack...

"What was that?" Alice asked the cat but he'd disappeared from his spot hovering in front of her.

"It's rude to start a new conversation when the previous one isn't finished." Alice snapped her head up to see Cheshire sitting on a tree branch, his tail swinging from side to side.

All dressed in black, black...

"Are you sure you can't hear it?" She said, standing quickly and looking around for the source of the chanting. "Cheshire chuckled under his breath, spinning around in the air.

"I did hear that you were a bit of a mad one. But I never thought you be as mad as a hatter." Alice brushed Cheshire's statement off, straining to hear the soft chanting.

She had a knife, knife, stuck in her back, back.

"I think I've gone mad." She whispered, running a hand through her curled hair as she took steps away from where she believed the voices where coming from.

"You say that as if you're the only one." The cat disappeared again, reappearing beside Alice's head, talking over her shoulder.

"Although I hate to cut out meeting and conversation short," the cat continued as the Alice watched the forest with meticulous care. "I would recommend running now dear Alice. The children never do seem to realise when they go too far with their games." Alice looked back up to see that Cheshire had disappeared.

"Wait!" she cried. "How do you know my-"

She cannot breathe, breathe...

"Name." Alice trailed off as the chanting grew louder. Cheshire was nowhere to be seen, the words getting louder and louder as they carried on. Something was coming, and if she listened to Cheshire it was coming for her.

Alice dashed through the woods behind, only thinking that runaway from the voices would help her get away.

She cannot cry, cry...

And yet with each step the chanting got louder.

Jumping over roots and smashing through branches - she was convinced were saying "ow" as she broke them – Alice forced her legs to keep running.

Why did I walk away from Hatter! How stupid can I get!

That's why she begs, begs...

Alice paused in a clearing, trying to catch her breath yet her throat was rough and raw, her breathing just making her feel worse, as if she was going to throw up. Everything seemed like it was spinning, the same feeling she got when her panic attacks attacked.

She begs to die, die.

Gaining control of her breathing once more, Alice speed off again. The voices hadn't seemed to have gotten any further away that before, in fact they seemed even closer.

They're following me, they can see where I'm-

Alice was cut off as her foot became trapped under a root, causing the ground to give way beneath her, sending her slamming towards the ground. She hit the dirt with a thud, small stars blocking her vision.

I must be dreaming. She through deliriously. I'm seeing clowns.

Several clown like people surrounded her, the smallest of them – a little girl she believed as she was in a dress - was closest to her and watching her with violet eyes, a black stripe over them like a mask. Her hair was a pale violet frizzing and stuck out in every direction as if all the moisture had been sucked out. She was dressed in what looked like a glorified potato sack, white with different coloured shaped covering it, her feet bare.

Alice tried desperately to stand but her muscles where too tired and she was losing consciousness fast.

"Hatter" she mumbled softly. The smallest clown stood closer to her and put a soft hand on her cheek, her hand freezing yet smile warm and comforting.

"Mummy."

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