Follow Me Down

Alice was on aboard the ship to China. Starring in awe at the beautiful untamed sea. It was a brilliant idea to expand the company this far. She could never be happier! She was not tied to Hamish anymore and she could do anything that she pleased, but deep down inside, something was missing.

“Alice? Are you listening?” Lord Ascot’s voice startled her and caused her to break out of her thoughts.

“Hm?” She breathed, “Oh. Yes. Of course I was listening.”

“Really?” Lord Ascot cocked a brow, “What did I just say?”

Alice bit her lip, thinking of an idea to say, got it! “You were talking about the company?” Alice gave him a toothy grin.

Lord Ascot chuckled, “What I was talking about was if there was something the matter, you look a bit off”

“I’m fine,” Alice answered quickly, looking back at the restless waters, “I just feel that something’s missing.” Alice paused and turned to face Lord Ascot, “not that I’m not happy now, what I mean is I feel like I left something. And whatever that may be it’s well, it’s making me mad”

“Don’t you remember anything before you fell in the rabbit hole? Anything at all?”

Alice thought hard, she remembered running away from the very awkward proposal an then..nothing. She shook her head vigorously, “No. I don’t. I wish I did, because it feels like something important happened and I forgot about it.”

Lord Ascot nodded, though he couldn’t understand what she was saying, she was a smart kid, she would remember whatever it was soon. He smiled at the thought, she was just like his father adventurous, open-minded, smart, a best of all completely mad.

“Hey you! What are you doing here?!” Lord Ascot and Alice were startled by the sound and turned around. Seeing one of the men chasing around a boy around the age of 6 or 7.

“Stop!” The man commanded finally catching the boy, and apologizing to Alice and Lord Ascot for the trouble.

Alice felt bad for the little boy. She frowned and winced as she watched the man grab the boy tightly on the arms.

The man was about to take the boy away..

“No,” Alice stated, “leave the boy, I’ll take care of him.” the man looked at Alice strangely preparing to object, but Lord Ascot gave him a look and the man shrugged it off, bidding g’day to them,

Alice crouched down face the boy and grinned at him, “Hello there,” she said kindly. The little boy trembled. Alice smiled thoughtfully, “Are you alright?”

The boy stopped trembling and looked at Alice, “Yes. I’m terribly sorry for sneaking in here,” he said softly,

“It’s alright,” Alice said, managing to stand up, offering the boy a hand to take, “come, you must be famished, I’m Alice by the way, and you are?”

The boy shyly took Alice’s hand, ”Tarrant,”

Alice gasped, visions of a man in a top hat, having the most beautiful emerald eyes, filled her vision. She felt dizzy.

“What?” She stammered.

“Terrence. It’s Terrence ma’am” The boy said in a louder voice, Alice sighed in relief. She didn’t know this man with a top hat that filled her thoughts. Though it felt that she did. Alice gripped tightened a bit.

“Okay, Terrence what would you like to eat?”

Terrence grinned widely, “Oh anything ma’am. If that’s alright.”

“Of course it is!” Alice exclaimed feeling a bit better. Alice bid her goodbyes to Lord Ascot and headed for the kitchen. Terrence sat on the stool as Alice cooked something up.

“Tell me Terrence,” Alice said while stirring the spoon, “how did you get a board the ship?”

“Me Father works here. Mother has put us both out. I had no where to go, so why not? I tagged along with my Dad, No one even noticed I was here.”

Alice nodded, pouring the soup in a bowl and sliding the ball on the counter, Terrence caught it.

“I would say you’re mad, but I won’t” Alice murmured, a chuckle escaping her lips, she propped on her elbow, watching Terrence eat his soup.

“Weren’t you supposed to marry Lord Ascot’s son?” Terrence said, slurping his soup.

Alice smiled, “Well I was, but I realized that I can’t just let everyone control my life. It was my life after all”

“You’re happy though ma’am?”

“Of course I am!” Alice replied as if Terrence said something rude, actually, Alice wasn’t really sure.

“Oh. I’m sorry ma’am, I didn’t mean to pry.” Terrence said, chagrin and remorse overcoming his features.

“It’s fine,” Alice reassured, “And don’t call me ma’am I feel old when you call me that. Please call me Alice.”

“Alright ma’am--I mean Alice,” Terrence grinned, Alice laughed. Suddenly Alice felt dizzy again,

“Terrence, why don’t you bring your Father here to get something to eat alright?” Alice stood up, “I’m not feeling well, I’ll go get someone to make something alright?”

Terrence nodded and thanked Alice, and she quickly got someone to cook. She walked to her cabin, the dizziness blurring her vision, she collapses on the bed.

Alice was falling fast into the an endless abyss with fleeting surreal images: a lush off-killer landscape, strange misshapen people, a blue caterpillar floating in the Smokey mist, the wry smile of a man in a top hat, a gryphon, and a silhouette of huge headed woman screaming.

“Off with her head!!”

Alice sat up, sweating bullets, it was only a dream. She inhaled sharply, the dreams again.. After Alice got out off the hole, she never had the strange dreams again, but now, now they’re back.

What did it mean?