* * *
As Alice Number One grew, her temper increased, as did her need for equality. The Rabbit did not fully understand what Alice Number One was fighting for. He had heard that it was for the right to vote, but he did not know what she could vote for. Kings and Queens chose what happened in the country, right?
In the end, the Rabbit decided that Alice Number One just enjoyed fighting. She always had that look in her eyes when she smashed the windows or poured acid on the grass in the park. The right to vote was probably just an excuse to do this. The Rabbit was not sure that it wanted someone like that living in Wonderland.
Then, one day, Alice Number One did something really bad, and the authorities came to her house. The Rabbit heard that Alice Number One had accidentally set fire to someone's house and some children were in at the time. One of the children was horrifically burnt while the other had died from smoke inhalation. The Rabbit did not know what being killed meant but the Rabbit knew that the same had happened to Alice.
Alice... Who was that again? The Rabbit did not seem to remember.
* * *
The Rabbit had followed Alice Number One into the 'prison'. The authorities had suspected that Alice Number One had brought the Rabbit with her as a source of company, they did not suspect that the Rabbit had come on its own.
Alice Number One did not like enclosed spaces; they made her feel nervous. And the Rabbit doll only served as a conduit for her paranoia. In her eyes, the Rabbit seemed to be observing her, not the other way around. It was as though it had a mind of its own.
The Rabbit did not like seeing Alice Number One like this. The Rabbit Doll did not know how to deal with her when she was like this. The Rabbit preferred seeing her outside, even though she sometimes did things that worried the Rabbit when she was outside. She would be easier to control if she was in a situation where her mind was free.
The Rabbit had to get her out of this place. This 'prison' also unsettled it. Alice used to hate small places, and that had brushed off on it. It could send her to Wonderland, but it did not know how to enter her mind to make this possible. It was also afraid of what she would do in Wonderland. Would she destroy Wonderland's greens and smash windows like she did in this place? The Rabbit had such high expectations of her when they had first met, and now the Rabbit was not so sure. But the Rabbit had stayed with her so long, and she had taken great care of it, so maybe this violence was just an act, and she was really nice inside. The Rabbit just hoped that was the case.
The Rabbit had the perfect opportunity to enter her mind when she fell asleep. That was how it appeared in Alice's imagination. As a dream. Alice Number One was certainly violent but she was sure to have nice dreams. Right? No time to think about that any more. The Rabbit had already planted the dream in her mind. It was up to her now. Anything was better than reality.
Alice bolted awake. Where was she? It did not feel like the prison cell. Maybe they had moved her...
She opened her eyes. Above her she saw a clear blue sky. Her eyes scanned the area as her body was too tired to get up. She was in the middle of a forest.
That's weird... Slowly, she sat up. Really weird. Looking around her, all she saw were trees. She stood up and brushed down her skirt.
Wait, skirt? She looked down at herself. She was wearing a bright red skirt and hiking boots. Something she was definitely not allowed to wear in the prison.
"Ah, you're up, you're up!" cheered a young child's voice. She flicked her head around. Standing on one of the tree stumps was a little boy.
But this little boy did not seem like any ordinary child. There was something off about him, and it wasn't the rabbit ears. There was a look in his eyes, as though he was not quite there.
"I've been waiting for you to get up for ages, Alice. I was starting to get bored!" There was a lot of power in his voice, too. It echoed around the otherwise silent forest. Where were all the animals? She could not hear any birds, either.
The boy grabbed her hand, suddenly right in front of her. "Come on! I want to show you around Wonderland!" he said with a beaming smile.
Wonderland? What an unusual name, Alice thought as the boy started to drag her down a forest path, red from autumn leaves. Wait, wasn't it just spring?' She looked back down at the boy, who was beaming up at her. And who the hell is this kid?'
"Hey, boy, what's your name?"
The boy stopped. His grip on Alice's arm tightened.
"To be honest, I'm not quite sure myself."
There was silence between them for a moment. It unsettled Alice slightly, the boy suddenly seemed a lot older. As quickly as the feeling came, it ended. He looked back at Alice and smiled. "But that's okay! I have Alice here, I'll remember later."
The boy stopped dragging Alice around the forest when they got to a large opening. He let go off her and climbed on to a rotten tree stump. It looked a lot like a face...
"Okay, this is where the tour ends! I hope you enjoyed it! Please enjoy the rest of Wonderland!" He spread his arms out as though to show the vastness of Wonderland, grinning still.
"What exactly can I do in Wonderland?" Alice asked, cautious for breaking any more laws than she already had. The boy leaned forward, somehow keeping perfect balance on the stump.
"You can do absolutely anything! This is Wonderland! Alice can do whatever she wants in this place! After all, this is her dream!"
So it's a dream, is it?' Alice thought, letting his words sink in. That meant that she really could do whatever she wanted here. She did not have to worry about the police, or the government. She did not have to worry about anything. And that was just fine with her.
"Okay, I understand, thank you for letting me come here," She said, faking a smile. This would be perfect. She could do anything!
The boy did not seem to hear the malice in her voice. He just seemed happy that she was here.
"I'm happy that you're happy! I'll be watching, then!" He jumped off the stump and ran off, disappearing into the forest. Alice did not care if he disappeared. She did not even watch him run off. She had this entire place to herself where she could do whatever she wanted and not get in trouble.
"Perfect."
* * *
SIGNING OFF!
Rinrei
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