xxAlicexx

“What are you talking about?” Were, of course, Blaine’s first words to you.

“When I fell into that hole…” you twisted your fingers through your hair, trying to remember, “I was following him. He must have led me here, knowing I would fall into this world…”

“Alice, I’ve been all through those woods, and never once did I see a guy like THAT. Are you sure that’s what happened?”

“I know it is!” you yelled, defensively, getting annoyed at not being believed. “You think I would justgo off chasing anything? I mean, seeing a guy with rabbit ears, and a fluffy white tail is odd to me, and I wanted to see what was going on.”

“Ok, ok,” he held his hands in front of him, as if to fend off an attack. “Why didn’t you stop him and ask him why?”

“Oh gee, why didn’t I think of that…” you mumbled sarcastically, looking down where he had disappeared. “Let’s follow down this path, he just went down it moments ago. Maybe we’ll meet up with him…”

Blaine nodded, putting his sword back into the sheath on his back and grabbed the sack with the supplies you had gotten from the house.

It seemed like the darkness had lifted, even since you had killed the imposter of Red, and now sunlight danced through the leaves of the trees, and shone down brightly on you, making you feel warm and comforted. You half expected the sun to grow cold and the moon to glow with light, with how things were twisted in this place, but that was one thing that was normal, or as normal could be seen. Maybe you should have questioned it, but you wanted to let your guard down for now, until some immediate threat came popping out of no where. Not very cautious of you, and you would think that you would have learned by now that caution is what keeps you alive. But the bright sunlight, and bird songs kept your mind busy for the moment, like darkness had completely fled with the killing of one evil witch. If only that were true…

The dirt path got more and more unstable under your feet as you went along until it turned completely into a gravel road. The trees began to thin too, and then you saw that many of them had been cut down to their stumps.

“Looks like we’re heading into yet another different part,” you sighed, rubbing your forehead, “And I was growing so fond of the light and trees…”

The sky was now completely blanketed by grey clouds, and not a peek of it’s real color made it through. They looked greasy, more like smoke than clouds, like stains clinging to the sky. As you went over a hill you could see why… there was a factory of sorts in the distance with small towers puffing out smoke, turning all the sky to grey.

You looked back, and again noticed that behind you there was the forest with life and light and clear skies. But you had to go forward again, and face whatever evil might lay inside.

Blaine out his hand on his sword, and looked to the looming factory and whistled, “That place looks impressive. We’re going in there I assume.”

You nodded, shielding your eyes against the dull grey, “I don’t see any other path. Besides, we’re looking for Hatter Industries, and that certainly looks like a factory for an industry. Whoever it is must make clocks… because that’s what I found in Red’s house. But it is strange…” you took it out of the sack that was hanging around your shoulders and showed it to him. “Look at how it counts time. It has no order or logic at all… Like time doesn‘t even exist.”

“Maybe it doesn’t really,” he sighed shaking his head, “This place is so confusing, it’s hard to tell what’s up and down, day or night. I mean have you seen it once turn to night since we’ve been here?”

“Only once, I think,” you remembered it getting dark, but you could hardly have called that night. “You shouldn’t expect anything to be like it was back home. This isn’t home, and we may never get back there.”

“You know Alice,” Blain shuffled his feet a bit as he spoke, “That wouldn’t be such a bad thing…”

You hadn’t really thought about it much, but there really was nothing back home for you. Except for sanity… but you could get over it, couldn’t you? And eventually maybe fir in here with these people… “No,” you shook your head, “We have to go back. I’m sure father is worried. About you…”

“He cares for you too,” Blaine argued your words, though you had not actually said he didn’t care for you. Only had you implied it. “He just… doesn’t know how to deal with you.”

“How to deal with me?” you asked, bitterness in your voice. “I’m his own daughter… a gentle word, or hug or kiss on the forehead would suit me just fine. And all these years nothing… even since mother left… I know he blames me for her leaving…”

“That’s not true,” Blaine again argued, gripping your shoulders with both hands. “No one knows why she left. She just disappeared, not because of you, or him or me.”

You felt tears stinging in your eyes, but you didn’t let them fall. Instead you turned and coldly began to walk to the factory. It was the only thing you could do when you got so emotional, just turn and leave without letting anyone else help you.

That was all Blaine was meaning to do though, help you in any way he could. But you never were one to let someone help, and you had only grown more distant through the years. You had had no other friends in your home, and no one to go crying to when you were hurt or scared besides Blaine. Which is why you had resolved long ago to not cry, even if it killed you. But every now and again you came close, and even once or more lost it. But not now, not when you needed to keep together. Thinking about past only led you a step back, and now you needed to go forward more than ever.

As you got closer you noticed that the factory had water surrounding it, and a huge pipe leading from it that was spraying slimy black and green liquid into the water among other unmentionable things. You held your nose to the smell of it, and walked on, glancing over your shoulder to Blaine who kept close to you, looking every which way for danger. There was nothing in sight though, no guards as you would expect and no host to greet you.

Then you heard music… or more so a voice singing.

“Do you hear that?” You asked to Blaine who had his brow wrinkled, telling you he did indeed hear it. “I wonder who’s singing…”

You turned a corner, and found yourself in front of a small house, with trees around it. Strange to see next to the bleakness of the factory, even more since around the land the trees had been cut down. But from behind the house is where the singing was coming from.

Slowly the two of you walked around, and peeked from the corner of the house into the back yard and saw a most curious sight. A man, with a tall hat atop his head sat singing beside an overgrown rabbit, and a mouse the size of a small dog. The were all sitting around a table, lined with piles of dirty dishes, and pots filled with tea.

The mouse had it’s eyes closed, as if sleeping, but it was muttering things, as you could hear when he said, “Do you have nothing better to do than make my ears bleed…” he yawned, as one eyes opened then closed again and his snoring resumed.

“Intruding on out party!” the Hare cried pointing to the two of you peeking in on them. “And there is hardly room for us as it is…”

You were confused, as the table was set for at least twenty other people, and there were only three there. “But there are chairs for more…”

“Then why don’t you sit down?” He asked in a much friendlier voice now.

But as you went to sit in the one closest to you, the Hare cried out, “I’m sitting there!” and moved to sit in the chair before you could react.

“Couldn’t you have worn some nicer clothes to your party?” The Hatter now spoke for the first time, looking over the teacup he held in his hands to your ripped clothing.

“I wasn’t aware that this was a party for me,” you said surprised.

“It’s not,” the Hare scolded before moving to yet another chair.

You didn’t like how this was going, but shrugging you sat down. Blaine refused, and stood behind you, guarding over you.

“Tea?” The Hare asked, holding up a teapot, steam coming out of the top of it.

You looked down at the grimy dishes, but not wanting to be rude held out a black stained cup for him, “Certainly, I’d love some.”

“Love some what?” he asked, cocking one ear to the side.

“Some tea…”you replied, trying to sound friendly.

“Oh, we don’t have any,” he said, pouring himself a cup full.

“Then what’s that?” You asked, pointing to the liquid in the cup.

“Tea,” he said, as if you just weren’t getting it.

And you weren’t… this Hare was very contradictory.

“It’s not very nice of you to offer something and then not give it to me,” you said, clearly sounding annoyed this time.

“And it’s not very nice of you to show up at someone else’s party,” he replied, nodding his head as if it were fact.

“But you said it was my party!” you said angrily, standing up with your hands on the table.

“It is,” he smiled, handing you the cup of tea in his hands. You glared at him, not understanding this cruel joke, and as you lifted the cup to take a sip he snatched it away from you, “That’s not for you! It‘s for him.”

You looked behind you to where the Hare was pointing and coming from the side of the house was the bunny boy you had seen earlier. He walked up to the table and took a seat next to the Hatter, and whispered something in his ear.

But the Hatter shook his head to what was said, “It’s not time for that yet. It‘s only 6...”

The bunny boy sighed and shook his head, “I always hate coming to this place…”

“Well you weren’t invited,” the Hare told him, taking a cup of tea from his hands as well.

The Hatter hadn’t taken his eyes from you the entire time, and it was making you uncomfortable how he stared but said nothing. You looked over to the bunny boy and glared, which made him look sad, “Why do you look at me so?”

“You have to ask?” you said, angry with him, but somehow feeling bad for it, “You’re the reason we’re in this mess. Why did you lead me here?”

He blushed and looked down to the table, his white ears dropping down,“I have been watching you for a long time… you always seemed so sad, I just wanted to bring you here, and keep you with me forever…”