TADA! Three chapter updates in one day! Man I am on fire! Hope you like the revisions
Sobs sounded throughout the mansion, resonating from Alyce's room. The girl was currently curled into a little ball, rocking back and forth as she clutched her throbbing right cheek. The memories of her last encounter with the crazed hatter echoed through her mind.
~Flashback~
Jack tightened his grip in Alyce's hair, his smile widening at the sounds of her screams. She thrashed wildly, trying to break free, but only succeeded in pulling hair from her scalp.
"Please," she pleaded, "Please let me go.I didn't mean it. I'll be good, I swear-"
SLAP!
Alyce froze, blue eyes wide as they stared into Jack's narrowed brown ones. 'He slapped me.' Alyce head witnessed him beat other people, and the after effects of his violence (such as Sophia's inability to speak), but he had never hit her. She sat there, dumbfounded. Suddenly, she was shaking. Shaking in anger, in misery, and in fear, all rolled up into one giant, unidentifiable emotion that she was no longer able to contain.
"Who the HELL do you think you are!?" She screamed. "What right do you have to do this to me? I have done nothing but what I was told since waking up in this God forsaken room and you have the AUDACITY to tell me that I'm to blame for this?! It's not my fault everyone here is completely nuts! You're nothing but a horrible-!"
Alyce didn't have the chance to finish her rant, as the Mad Hatter had smashed his gloved hand over her mouth, though her muffled cries of outrage could still be heard. The hatter, annoyed with the girl's angry rant, removed his fist from her hair, only to bring it crashing down to her stomach. All noise from her ceased and her eyes widened, pain filled tears forming and spilling over before she had the chance to stop them. She tried to hang onto her earlier spurt of bravery, but it was rapidly dissipating. Jack laughed at her feeble attempts at maintaining a steady glare, moving the hand from her mouth to hair once more.
"Stupid girl," he sneered, "You don't seem to understand. I run the show here, not you. You are nothing but a pet, and I will not tolerate insubordinate outbursts such as that. You have no rights, no freedom here. I'll do what the hell I want, whether you like it or not, is that clear?" When Alyce didn't respond, he landed another punch to her gut. "IS THAT CLEAR!?"
"Yes," Alyce gasped out, coughing up blood as she did so. "Yes! Whatever you say!"
Jack, pleased with the girl's response, smiled with false comfort, mocking the girl.
"That's a good girl. And know this, Alyce, no matter where you run, no matter where you hide I will always find you. And if not I, then someone else," he paused, yanking her up by her hair till she faced a black, floor-length mirror in the corner of the room, "and with one look at your face, they will know who you belong to, and drag you back kicking and screaming. After all, no one would defy the Mad Hatter."
Alyce stared in horror at her reflection. Her hair was a tangled mess, and her eyes were red and sore from crying. She was hunched over clutching her stomach. But she couldn't really focus on the pain, because her eyes were glued to her right cheek. She was having trouble comprehending what she was seeing. 'This can't be can't be real. No, this isn't right. He can't do this to me.'
There, on her cheek, was a black spade, tattooed onto her skin. It was filled with intricate swirls, with a hollow center that held the letters "M.H." in a crimson, gothic looking calligraphy. 'Mad Hatter,' she realised. She began to tremble, finally comprehending the Hatter's words. The collar around her throat meant nothing now, because one look at this mark would tell everyone who she belonged to. Who OWNED her. She was too shocked to even cry. She could only stare at the mark in horror as Jack laughed wildly as the realization that she was no longer free struck her.
~End Flashback~
So here she sat, trying to subdue her uncontrollable sobs once more as she clutched her throbbing cheek and held her pained stomach. After he had revealed his mark on her, he had restricted her freedom further with rules. So far, Alice was not allowed off the property under any circumstances, and she could not leave the house unless accompanied by the Hatter himself. She had to obey every order and demand without question, or she would face a punishment of Jack's choosing. To make matters worse, she had to obey Kaleb (whom Jack referred to as 'March Hare'), but when she tried to protest, Jack just punched her again, causing to cough up more blood.
Alyce abhorred Wonderland, and silently vowed to get back home, no matter the cost. But first, she had to figure out how to survive.