Hello dear readers! I'm back after a very long hiatus. I have more free time on my hands than I used to, and it made me so sad to see this fic unfinished, so I've started working on it again. I hope you enjoy this update! As always, reviews are so appreciated. It always brightens my day to hear someone has enjoyed my writing.
Chez was awakened from his sleep in the wee hours of the morning by muffled shouting and pounding coming from beneath the small deck of his boat. So, his oyster companion was awake. And unhappy. He couldn't imagine why. It surely had nothing to do with the fact that she had trusted him with her life and well-being and the Stone of Wonderland.
Seriously. Oysters. There was a reason they were all enslaved, and it was not because of their superior mental abilities.
He briefly considered speaking to her, but then decided to wait. He had plans for her, of course. Ever the opportunist, he'd sent a message to the Dodo asking him for a meeting. At the docks where they were currently moored, of course. It was the principle of the thing – he did not leave his boat for anyone. He would only go so far as to meet them at the entrance to the docks. Besides, he knew that once the Dodo knew what Chez knew, he would not mind the trip downcity.
Alice fought against a wave of nausea that threatened to overwhelm her. Claustrophobia wrapped itself around her so tightly she felt like her rib cage was going to collapse. She curled up in a ball, struggling to breathe. She could not stand being in here a minute longer, but she had no way to get out. She'd tried screaming, demanding that Chez free her. She'd tried kicking the door and windows. She'd tried throwing herself against them in the hopes of breaking through. Nothing worked.
Eventually she slumped, exhausted, against the glass. What did Chez have planned for her? Her stomach churned as she considered the possibilities. No doubt the cat would sell her back into servitude. She thought for a few minutes that he would call Hatter, but then why would he not bother to tell her this? Besides, she didn't think she wanted to end up back with Hatter. He was turning out to be just as bad as the rest of them. Whatever plans the diabolical cat had made would not be enjoyable for her – she was sure of this.
Alice swallowed the bile rising in her throat. Ricky, maybe. Did Chez know she'd belonged to Ricky? She couldn't stand the thought of returning to him, or being imprisoned anywhere else.
She had to find some way out of this place. She had to find Jack and get some kind of explanation.
"Chez!" She screamed, pressing back against the window. "Let me out you asshole!"
When no answer came, she let her head slump to the side, dejected. Then she gave a small start as she felt her face contact cool metal. She turned to look. On the edge of the window, there was a small handle with a keyhole underneath it.
With a jolt of excitement, she realized that the glass was a door that was meant to open. She looked around the tiny chamber and realized that it held cushions that were far too large to fit through the hatch leading up to the boat. Of course. The window had to have been opened in order to get those inside. No doubt it was only designed to be opened when the boat was out of the water, but she didn't mind getting wet if it meant getting out of here.
Alice searched frantically through the cushions, looking for a key. She couldn't find one, even after going over every inch of the chamber. Chez must have it hidden somewhere else. She pounded the glass in frustration.
Then it occurred to her that she had a hair pin in her pocket.
She took it out, and gave it a hasty examination. It was a small wire bobby pin, part of a set she'd picked up at Twenty's shop. The lock looked simple enough. Maybe she could somehow get it open. She held her breath as she gently pushed the pin into the lock. After a moment she felt it catch on the mechanism inside the lock and slowly turn. Yes! Yes! Alice turned it slowly…
…Only to have the turn stop as the wire bent. Frustrated, Alice took the pin out with trembling hands and bent it back into shape. She was not going to remain Chez's prisoner, and face whatever fate he had in mind for her. She was going to open this lock if it killed her.
It took the better part of an hour before she finally felt the mechanism inside turn and click.
With breathless excitement, she realized she'd done it. The door was unlocked. She pushed on the door gently and found it barely moved. And it was no wonder, with the water pressing against it keeping it closed. Undeterred, Alice braced herself against the floor, put both feet on the glass, and gave a heroic push.
The door slid open and icy water flooded into the chamber.
She wondered if she should have thought this through more carefully.
She tried to push her way out but the water was too strong. Fighting to stay calm, she waited until the chamber was almost full, then took a deep breath and scrambled through the opening. She kicked her feet and made it to the surface, gasping for breath, feeling like a drowned rat.
She was an oyster, but that didn't mean she knew how to swim.
She flailed clumsily to the edge of the dock and pulled herself up onto it. She managed to kick her feet up in spite of the weight of her sopping weight shoes, and rolled over onto the wood.
She was free.
She heard a gurgling noise behind her, and turned just in time to see Chez's boat slowly starting to sink beneath the black water. The cat was nowhere to be seen. Suddenly something on the boat caught her eye. Her coat! She scrambled across the dock to the boat and stretched herself out over the boat, managing to grab the garment just before it was submerged.
Breathless, she checked the pockets. Her fingers brushed its wooden case, and she nearly cried with relief. The ring was still there! Chez had taken the coat from her, but had made the mistake of leaving the ring in the pocket. No doubt he had not reckoned with the possibility that his prisoner would escape.
Alice stood watching the last of the boat sink as she considered her options. She had the Stone of Wonderland – whatever it was. She couldn't see why there was anything particularly special about it, other than the fact that it was apparently very old. But Jack had given it to her for a reason. She was relieved that she had recovered it before it was lost – possibly forever – to the water.
She decided she wanted to get somewhere where she could dry off. Dawn was creeping into the sky, but down here the tall buildings blocked the sunlight. She was freezing. She kept her coat off so it wouldn't get wet, and set off along the docks looking for a way upcity.
Somehow, she needed to find Jack. He would be looking for her, she hoped. That is, he would be if he'd visited the tea shop and realized she was gone. She wondered if Hatter was also looking for her. A scowl darkened her face.
She was jolted from her reverie by the sound of voices. Alice froze, trying to hear where they were coming from. It was difficult to tell down here. She waited until she felt sure – the voices were up ahead – and quickly turned down a jetty and hid behind a thick pole. It was not the best hiding place, but she had nowhere else to go.
She watched as a small group of people walked by the place where she had been standing only a few moments ago. Her breath caught when she recognized Chez, who was sauntering in front of three burly men. They did not see her.
They passed out of sight, and then a minute later she heard an angry yowl. The cat's boat was still tied to the docks even though it had sunk, and no doubt the cat was now realizing that his home was at the bottom of the lake.
She heard his angry growl. "Find her!"
Shaking with cold and exhaustion, Alice's mind raced. Should she stay where she was or take the risk of running for it? It suddenly occurred to her that Chez would think the ring and jacket were still on the boat, which was now underwater. Quickly, she took the ring out of her coat pocket and put it in the roomy pocket of her dress, then she bundled up the coat and threw it into the water, wishing as she did that she could swim so that she could jump in after it and get away.
She looked at the dark water again, then suddenly had an idea. She carefully braced herself, then lowered herself down into the water. Once she was all the way in, she hung on to the edge of the dock with both hands, kicking her feet to stay afloat. She waited for what felt like an eternity. She heard more shouting, then heavy footsteps shook the docks as booted feet ran down the jetty.
Alice was gasping for breath. The water was frigid and she wasn't sure how much longer she could stay in it. Her body was starting to go numb.
She waited until the noises died down, then carefully scrambled back up again. She sat on the edge of the dock, gasping for breath. Now what? If she tried to leave, odds were she would run straight into her pursuers. On the other hand, she needed to get warm, and quickly.
The decision was made for her.
She was just about to stand up, when she heard a voice cry, "found her!"
Then before she could protest strong arms had grabbed her shoulders and pulled her roughly to her feet. Somehow, this man had crept up on her. She mentally kicked herself for not staying in the water longer. Being cold was better than being a captive.
"Let go of me!" She yelled, struggling to free herself.
"Stop fighting, or I'll kill you," a harsh voice spoke in her ear.
He clearly meant it. Reluctantly, she stopped struggling. Her heart was racing. The man who held her pulled her roughly back toward where Chez's boat had been. Chez was prowling back and forth, looking very angry indeed. The two other men stood next to the diminutive cat. None of them looked happy with her.
"Alice," Chez hissed, dragging out the last syllable of her name. "You filthy little oyster. What have you done with my boat?"
Alice felt cold fear in her stomach, but also a growing anger. How dare he ask her this, when he had trapped her in the boat to begin with! "I didn't do anything except what I had to." Her teeth chattered as she spoke. "Besides, you trapped me in there for no reason! Did you tell your friends that?"
"We're wasting time," the man holding Alice said. "Dodo will want to see her."
"Yes, quite," Chez hissed. Then, suddenly, the cat stiffened and stared again at the boat. He let out a low yowling noise, then turned to Alice and gave her a look that was truly chilling. "The ring," he said, "was on my boat. Which means it is now at the bottom of the lake."
Alice fought the urge to put a hand in her pocket. Chez was giving her a look that was nothing short of deadly. Alice noticed that even the men seemed nervous. An angry Cheshire cat was enough to make even these thugs quail.
"Come on, we need to go." Said the man holding Alice. "You -" he said to one of the other men. "Stay here and find that ring. Cat, if we can't find it we're going to come back and drown you."
Chez's hackles rose. "I would like to see you try," he hissed. "You had better hope he finds the ring quickly, because I'll removed his limbs one by one and drown him before you return."
Alice felt that there were far too many death threats flying around. But her thoughts were getting foggy and she didn't dare open her mouth, lest she get herself into even more trouble.
Somehow, she would find a way to talk to Jack. The Dodo was a friend of his, if she remembered right. Perhaps all of this was a simple misunderstanding, and she would be freed once she was able to talk to the Dodo. Shivering with cold, she let the men lead her away without resisting.