Chapter 2
K.N. Lee
Alice clutched the crystal handle of her new dagger. The
crystal was cold and the grooves pressed into her palm. The dagger felt as
though it was made just for her.
Having
a weapon, and one as glorious as the crystal dagger in her grasp, felt right.
She
swallowed and took a step forward. The Cheshire cat floated above her. His
devious smile taunted her. Rows of sharp, silver, teeth gleamed at her.
Alice
almost felt that he was taunting her. He wanted her to think that he was on her
side, a friend perhaps, but Alice knew better.
Wonderland
had won. They had her back after she had fought to stay away. Alice wasn’t
completely naïve. She had assessed the alternative. The truth was, Alice was
more afraid of the unknown. She had killed herself. If not Wonderland, where
would she have gone?
Visions
of everlasting fire taunted her. If Wonderland was real, then perhaps Hell was
as well, and Alice was certain that that’s where she would have gone. Children
that kill their parents and siblings didn’t go to Heaven, at least, not in
Alice’s mind.
Alice glared at her surroundings. She was stunned by the
drastic change, but oddly, it suited her new attitude. This time, she wouldn’t
be fooled. This time, she would not be the meek little girl she was before. She
would seek out those that ruined her. Alice would kill them all.
“What are you thinking, Alissss?”
Alice cast her glare at the cat. “Shoo. I know my way
from here.”
The Cheshire cat’s grin only widened. He chuckled and
spun around and around, making her dizzy. His purple and orange blended with
the red sky.
“But, Alissss. Things have changed. Wonderland is not how
you left it. You’re dead. Thus Wonderland has,” he paused and looked at the red
sky in thought. “Shall I say, Wonderland has…adapted, to fit your new reality?”
Alice shrugged. She looked down at the black and deep
green forest below. The trees seemed to reach for her. She knew she had to get
down there, but there weren’t any stairs. This bridge ended abruptly and stood
in the sky with a steep drop to the blood filled river.
Alice
didn’t know where she got her insane ideas, but somehow she trusted them more
than anything right then. She clenched her jaw, closed her eyes, and took a
leap from the bridge.
Cool
air encircled her. Her skirt billowed out like an umbrella. Alice opened her
eyes and grinned evilly. “Call it what you want. I want her head.” She
remembered the red queen’s twisted face. She wanted to lop her head off and
carve a new face into the dead flesh.
It would be her prize.
The Cheshire cat chuckled again. “Good girl.” He started
to fade. “Good girl.”
Alice glanced up and sighed. She was alone. She floated
through the swift breeze as her skirt carried her along. It was an unreliable
means of travel. If the wind changed direction, she would have no choice but to
go along with it.
For now,
Alice thought. It will have to do.
She
was glad to be alone. The Cheshire cat’s voice annoyed it. It grated on her
mind like a sharp nail.
It’s better this way.
Alice
swept through the charred forest that had once been lush and green. Her skin
tightened at the chill in the air. It was cold, and yet there appeared to be
lava trailing through the ground. Alice sneezed. A tiny gray particle fell onto
the small tip of her nose.
Alice
sneezed again and dusted the ash from her nose. She frowned at the gray residue
on her fingers.
That’s odd,
Alice frowned. She didn’t remember a volcano from before. Her black hair
whipped around her face and she pulled strands out of her eyes as the wind
picked up.
Alice
held her breath and braced herself for a rough landing. As if someone was
pushing her, the wind forced her downward and into a thorny rose bush.
Alice
yelped and hopped from the bush.
Her
entire body stung as thick, red, thorns pierced the exposed portions of her
flesh. Her scream resonated through the entire forest.
The
thorns were alive. They didn’t just get stuck in her skin. The thorns tried to
wiggle their way into her body.
Alice’s
eyes widened at the piercing, burning, pain, as the thorns hit muscle. She
screamed and frantically started yanking the bothersome thorns out with both
hands. She dropped her dagger and focused on ridding herself of the painful
prickles.
Alice
shook with terror as she pulled out ghastly thorns covered in blood.
A
vine snapped out from the bush and grabbed her dagger. Alice gasped and threw
herself onto it. The vine growled.
Alice
grabbed her dagger and pulled with all of her might.
The
vine wrapped around the blade. Alice gritted her teeth.
There was a tug of war
between the girl and the vine. She gave it her all and pulled the dagger back.
She used the blade to slice the rubbery green rope. It was strong, and fought
back.
The
vine made a shrill noise as she stabbed it over and over again. It coiled back
like a wounded snake, exposed its tiny teeth, and growled. Alice kicked it in
its mouth with her laced up black boots and it vanished.
Alice
scrambled to her feet and backed away. Crows cawed above her. Shadows crept in
closer from the dense, dark, trees.
Whatever was left of the daylight vanished.
Darkness filled every crevice of the forest. The only light came from a pale
yellow crescent moon. Its yellow rays spilled through tightly knit gaps in the
trees charred canopy.
Alice
looked up. It made the moon’s light look like a series of yellow eyes. This is
not what she expected. She almost wanted to go back home. Home didn’t exist.
Alice
held tight onto her dagger. It was all she had to protect herself. Her eyes
darted around and she turned in circles, waiting for something to leap out at
her.
She
heard a low chuckle. A familiar chuckle.
“I
told you, Alisss. You’re going to need to use that dagger on more than
yourself…”
Alice
cursed under her breath. If only she knew how right he was.
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