Long time no update. My apologies. So I always put important dates down on my calendar in black sharpie, right? July was COVERED in sharpie, almost completely. Marching band season's in full swing and stuff, and I have more responsibilities as section leader. Right after band stuff, I promptly went on vacation. So I wrote bits and pieces of this chapter throughout these times. I rather liked this chapter, though. Spicing things up, yo.

Oh, I also distracted myself with working on a new fic. I discovered the comic Johnny the Homicidal Maniac over this summer, and I fell in love. It's great fun, and I definitely recommend it (be warned of gore, language, etc). It's by the great Jhonen Vasquez. Anywho, I had a good time writing it. It's titled Serenada Schizophrana (like the Elfman composition). I feel like a review ho for ranting a little about this, but... XD Ah well. Just wanted to let you guys know what I was up to.

Also, I remember at some point someone inquired about the Red Queen. She will eventually make an appearance, so stay tuned!

I own nothing of Alice in Wonderland.

There they were, in that dingy stable again. She wrapped herself up tightly in her too-big clothes, keeping out the nighttime chill. Both of them now could fit comfortably together in a single stall; they were in opposite corners, slightly nestled in the hay. Earlier she turned her nose up at such an idea, sleeping in horses' hay. Now, however, it only made her feel even warmer and cozier…even though it was sometimes faintly prickly. Alice lied down and sighed; her whole body ached. Her body craved sleep but her mind was still as restless as ever. The lamp which they had flickered several feet away but it was now dreadfully bright now that she was so small. How much she wished she could put it out! The only problem was that this would require her to get out of her warm cocoon and go into the cold air for a few moments. Warmth was more important, she concluded.

To her glee, it seemed that the Hatter was getting up from his sitting position to turn it off himself. He did so stiffly, each step labored. He, in truth, had ended up doing much more than she had. There had been the incident where he'd practically ran a mile whilst carrying her but he had gone out on a trek to get his hat back as well. Alice had protested at this, as she'd remembered how awkward and heavy the thing could be when quite tiny. Nevertheless, he had gone out and returned as weary as a zombie. Once the flame slowly died down, he went back to his own mound of hay and simply plopped down in exhaustion.

She swallowed a little and spoke quietly into the darkness. "Good night…"

The Hatter mumbled something into the hay. A tension that was heavy in her stomach lessened considerably. Alice then closed her eyes, desperately seeking sleep.

She was not so lucky. Alice sat bolt upright, gasping for air as if she had been drowning. Her body was slick and slimy with sweat, the night air causing her to shiver. Her heart pounded against her ribcage. She drew her legs to her chest in a desperate attempt to find some sort of calm. What…what had happened? She certainly didn't remember dreaming at all. One moment she was snug in her little corner of the stall, eyes drooping…and then she felt as if she'd been running a marathon. Gradually her breathing slowed, heartbeat following suit. Alice's eyes searched around in the inky dark. There, still sound asleep and snoring lightly, was the Hatter. Oh, how she absolutely envied him now.

Very carefully and quietly she stood from her comfy nest. He still did not stir. She let out a silent sigh of relief. Alice then tip-toed out of the dingy stall, set on getting out of the stable. She certainly wasn't in any mood to sleep anytime soon, and fresh air would surely be of some benefit. Her little trip to the outside ended up taking longer than expected. Each step was deliberate and calculated. She was in no mood to interact with the Hatter, especially at whatever hour it was. It probably didn't help much that with her decreased size her step-length became quite miniscule as well. Well, it had been too good to be true when she had been normal-sized for so long after arriving in Underland.

Once finally outside, she spotted a fairly good-sized rock and promptly sat upon it. It was smooth against her legs, almost like river rock. She covered her mouth in a yawn. How odd it was, she noticed. After sitting there quietly for a minute or so she simply heard nothing. No bugs, owls, or any sort of life. Even in a house where she wasn't exposed to wildlife, she'd hear things such as the large clock that kept time or wind from the outside. Frowning at the realization, she turned her gaze upward. Alice would only stay troubled. A mammoth blanket of clouds had arrived and not a single star twinkled in the nighttime sky. Her eyes widened. It was now as if she were in a silent, lightless cage.

Her head soon felt dizziness creep into it. Goodness, she had been holding her breath the entire time. She felt like a fool. Who said that there had to be noise all of the time, anyway? Clouds were perfectly normal, too… Despite her rationalizations, Alice wanted desperately to just be back in her warm corner of the horse stall, as silly as it sounded. Her bare feet hit the soft earth, ready to take a step forward and head back inside. As soon as that happened, though, her legs became paralyzed. A chill ran through her being, as if it were suddenly the middle of winter. Things were getting out of hand; surely it was nothing but an absurd, warped dream of some sort…

Alice carefully drew in another deep breath, seeing as though she was neglecting that important activity. It was not until this particular point would she experience the most maddening and horrific sensation. She felt behind her a looming, terrible presence that set every nerve on high-alert. Whatever it was, she could even discern its eyes boring into her back, or maybe her head. This wasn't a kindly old woman or a lost traveler, but something…much more sinister, nefarious. Despite all protest from her reason, Alice soon began turning ever so slowly and deliberately to face it.

Whatever "it" was.

Smoldering, garish yellow eyes. They were empty. No, they were more than that. A void. Nothing reflected in those eyes.

Her mouth was stuffed with cotton. An eternity it seemed before she could pull herself from the pull of that horrendous gaze. What she saw was perhaps equally as unpleasant.

It was as horribly black as the starless sky. Some would say it looked like a horse, she imagined. It hadn't the soft, warm lips of gentle horses but serrated, bone-like extrusions from its garish flesh. Its mane hung down in a string-like manner. Though its bones tried to protrude towards the creature's flesh, the edges were indistinct, fuzzy… A haze almost surrounded the creature, making it seem like a specter. Its rancid breath proved otherwise. She hadn't a clue what to place on that stench, it was-

The beast stepped forward, smoke dark around its hooves. They were cloven, but cracked and oozing with something dark. No, she wouldn't get trapped in those eyes again. They wanted to pull her in and trap her. She was small now and weak and it loomed over her.

A grating screech came from its open jaws. She could feel herself recoil, but not at the volume. It echoed in her head, clawing around and shredding her self-control. Though gangly, she was certain that she wouldn't last seconds. Despite the stable but feet behind her and the Hatter a shout away, this was no longer her realm.

Briefly she considered the entire scenario to be but a dream. An expected response to recent trauma. Some sort of symbolic nonsense, maybe. But dear lord, that sound still rattled within her and tore at her resolve and rationale. Her legs were turning to gelatin.

Hot breath came in a gust against her face along with that smell. Her stomach lurched, wanting desperately to dispel whatever was left inside. All over, every pore of her being felt sullied. It was then that she became trapped once more.

In those eyes she could see nothing.

Alice had her blankets wrapped around her securely. She lied there, rather still. Gradually day time had tip-toed into the stables, warming the earth again. She still felt cold, unbearably so. Shivering, she drew a portion of cloth up to her chin. Her eyes felt watery and laden with the desire to sleep; Alice's mind was just beyond restless. She had counted sheep until she grew sick of the charade, and now her opportunities for rest were at an end. Relieved as she was that it was practically morning something felt askew.

Her thoughts drifted elsewhere, trying to busy herself with something. For one, she now recognized the fact that her stomach began to rumble once more. Her meals now were so sporadic and it was apparent that her body did not enjoy this too terribly much. Thirst tore at the lining of her throat. Had they ever collected any water? The Hatter had gone off to the well and had used-

The well. Heavens, how could she have forgotten about that? He had been so verbal then it had stunned her, perhaps as much as the peculiar poem had. He had held a fear in his eyes, deep down. Then she, she had grabbed for his hand? She remembered little of what he had said then, but when his hand had moved to her cheek… Alice could feel her face begin to become a bit warm. What would have happened had the Bull Frog monstrosity not come? Would she have had any more answers and perhaps… She sighed.

She almost feared going back to sleep. After the…incident of the night prior, things had simply…blacked out. One moment she was ensnared by the creature's gaze, and the next she was back in her sleeping corner. No in between. Had such a thing even occurred? The Hatter began to stir.

He yawned most audibly, tearing her from her musings. Her reddened, sleepless eyes shifted over to his waking form.

The Hatter stood soon after, bending over to pop his stiff back. Releasing yet another yawn he dug around for a comb, which was now much larger in size. Had she any rest, she would've considered it incredibly comical. He circled the enormous object, trying to find some way to use it effectively. It was then that he caught sight of weary blue eyes framed by sheets.

He took a moment to clear his throat. "Oh, um…good morning. Sleep well?" He was quite visibly still nervous.

Sighing, Alice pushed herself up onto one of her elbows. She rubbed one of her aching eyes with the heel of her hand. "I 'spose."

A smile twitched at his lips. "Oh, good. We're just a few hours away from the Duchess's, I assure you!"

The Hatter had gone off to gather their things together in his section of the stall. For whatever reason, some things were separated from the rest. He darted about, picking up items, inspecting them briefly, then set them in their respective piles. Alice weakly stood to better watch the outlandish activity. Her hand immediately went to steady herself on the wall, a bout of dizziness coming upon her suddenly. She shook the feeling off, hoping that he wouldn't be distracted by it. She just hadn't slept well, was all…

Once fairly better, Alice inquired, "What exactly are you doing?"

He almost tripped and fell, so absorbed in his work that he'd focused on nothing else. "Oh, yes, well I was making two sets of things. Things That Are Silly To Try And Lug To The Dutchess's In Our Size That We Will Return For Later as well as Stuff We Might Need To Get To The Dutchess's That Really Aren't All That Much Of A Bother To Carry. I imagine we'll be able to get back to normal size upon arriving, you see." He shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot.

"Oh, that seems sensible enough…"

The Hatter tilted his head to the side, his excited organizing-face fading into one of concern. "My, you're subdued today. Are you sick, Alice?"

She shook her head. "No, of course not. I didn't sleep so well; might've been the wood flooring…" He still looked at her apprehensively. Alice frowned. "I'm perfectly fine, Hatter."

He had shirked away at her gaze at once. "Well, in that case we really should get going. Our company has been in waiting for far too long, I think. Now, if you wish to take something of the Stuff We Might Need To Get To The Dutchess's That Really Aren't All That Much Of A Bother To Carry, there's those things, that…"

She tuned him out at this point in time. Her mind was far too tired to focus on one thing for too long, and he was droning on and on. Recognizing which pile he was gesturing to, Alice began to walk toward it in order to gather what she could. As soon as she made her first step, the only thing which she could see was black all around her.