by Dani Hoots
“You have nothing to be afraid of, Alice.” Malcolm grabbed my hand and kissed it gently. “We will be here with you.”
I felt myself blush. Realistically, there wasn’t any reason I should trust him nor any of the others. They pretty much kidnapped me and brought me here without telling me why they needed me. But for some reason I felt as if I could trust them. I felt as if this was where I was supposed to be, but that didn’t really ’t make any sense. I was somewhere that wasn’t supposed to be real. But this world had everything I’d always wanted, an adventure, the boy I had a crush on, new things to explore.
A place where I could be myself.
But was that true? I mean, did I actually ever act like myself around others, I wondered. Did I really know how to act around others or was it all just a lie? Was I simply trying to fit in all the time, or was this who I was? I felt as if I didn’t know anymore, not after the condemning I received from my parents and the shadows I hide in at school. So the question really was, who was I?
“And if he’s not to your fitting, I will be here for you Alice.” Chase grabbed me and pulled me away from Malcolm. “I’m a better protector than that Mad Hatter over there.”
Malcolm shot him a look. “In your dreams, Cat.”
I chuckled at their arguing but decided to change the subject, as I could tell that it was only going to get worse. “So you guys have been looking for me for a while then. You have been at school for a month now.”
“Yes. We had to make sure you were the right person. We can’t just bring any human here,” Malcolm answered.
I stopped and watched them carefully. “Why, what happens?”
“They don’t accept the change and well...” Malcolm trailed off.
“Well what?”
“They die,” Chase answered as a matter of fact.
“Die?” I exclaimed.
Chase nodded and smiled as if it were some kind of game. “Yes, their bodies don’t accept this world and they disappear, both from here and the real world. It’s as if they never existed in the first place. No one remembers them, except for those here. But in the real world, there is no one there to remember them, no one to mourn them. It’s for the best, really, as no one in your world will know the truth. It’s better that way.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. How many people had disappeared? How many people didn’t accept the change and simply ceased to exist? I had accidentally arrived to this place after getting pushed in the locker. Does that mean I could have died if I wasn’t the one they were looking for?
“Speaking of which, how is your head?” Malcolm asked.
I placed my hand on my forehead. I had forgotten all about it. “Fine. There’s no more pain.”
“Good, you don’t have anything to worry about then.” He smiled, as if trying to reassure me. It didn’t work, I still worried that I would suddenly disappear and everything would be gone. My existence would be no more.
But in the back of my head, I wondered if that truly would be a bad thing. My family didn’t like me, I only caused them trouble. I only had one true friend, and if I were gone, she was sure to have other friends, as she already had a lot more friends than I ever did. Would anyone really miss me if I was gone?
It was only a slight thought, a doubt really, and it passed as soon as it came. Even though my family disagreed with me, I knew they still loved me and Kate was my best friend and neither of us would have it any other way.
I turned to Chase. “You mean I could have died if I wasn’t the correct person?”
“But you are so you’re fine.” Chase placed his hand on my shoulder. “So don’t worry about it. I wouldn’t have brought you here if I didn’t think you would be fine.”
“But why did you erase my memories? Why didn’t you just explain all of this earlier?”
“Because we weren’t ready. We still aren’t ready but the White Rabbit found you and made the first move.”
“White Rabbit?” I questioned. “Like the creature that Alice follows into Wonderland?”
“Yes, that little kid that tried to kill you was the White Rabbit,” Chase explained. “So in a way, he brought you to Wonderland just like the original Alice.”
The little kid, I had almost forgotten. “That little kid was the White Rabbit?”
“Yes, don’t let appearances fool you, he is a dangerous person. He is the Queen and King’s right-hand man.”
“Which brings me to another question, why do you all look so young? I mean you look older than you say for school but you can’t be more than twenty and that is pushing it.”
Chase shrugged. “Age doesn’t matter here. Most people are young here because the dreams that reside here are those of younger generations. Most of them disappear when they get to a certain age, others stay but it’s rare. Most people let go of their dreams. They don’t think they are as important when they are older.”
“You mean people give up on their dreams? And therefore their existence here is gone.”
“Yes, and they disappear into nothing. The problem now is that Morpheus is destroying dreams that haven’t been forgotten yet, causing chaos on your side. People are becoming depressed, losing their vision, and even losing reality.”
That made sense, in a way. I did feel like I was seeing less people my age really pursuing what they wanted. There was a sadness that was spreading through my generation. “And somehow I am supposed to fix it all.”
He winked. “Something like that.”
“And how in the world am I supposed to do that?” I asked because truly I had no idea what I was doing there. And on top of that, I really believed I was still asleep. When was this dream going to end? It all felt so real though and was quite strange.
Once we approached the castle, Malcolm and Chase escorted me inside. I gasped at how grand it was on the inside just as it was on the outside. Although the rooms were high and mighty, there wasn’t much left in the way of decor. It seemed to me that it all had been raided, taken away for some other use or exchanged for money, if money existed here, I really didn’t know how this world worked. There was a hierarchy and that was all I knew.
The castle was quiet, footsteps echoing through the hallways. It felt like walking through an old church during the week when no one was there. Very eerie to say the least, especially since the only lighting came from the dirt-covered windows, making the room dim enough that it was nearly impossible to see what was in front of me. I grabbed Chase’s hand, mostly because I couldn’t see anything around and knew with his cat eyes that he indeed could. I noticed that Malcolm glanced over at our hands but didn’t say anything. I just hoped he didn’t think anything of it. I really just trusted that Chase could see, and this entire time he had been more open to me than the rest of them. God, I didn’t know what to think.
We finally came to a room that had a fire roaring in it. It felt good against my skin as it was starting to grow dark outside and a chill had swept through the land. As we entered, two people stood up from the couch with a smile on their faces.
“You made it!” Davis sprung up and ran towards us. He wrapped his arms around me. “I’m so glad you didn’t get caught, I was so worried.”
“Uh, thanks? Really it is thanks to Malcolm, he was able to get us into the clear,” I said, not quite sure what to do as a boy was hugging me.
Chase grabbed him by the collar and pulled him away from me. “Get off of her, you perv!”
“I’m not a perv, I was just happy to see her!” Davis yelled back.
“Yeah, yeah, like I haven’t heard that one before. Give her some space, will ya? You think she wants some disgusting rodent touching her?”
Davis pushed Chase. “Stop calling me a rodent!”
Malcolm stepped up, which I was glad. I wanted to say something, but I didn’t know them well enough to feel I could barge in on their conversation. “Knock it off you two, can you act civilized for once in your life?”
Chase appeared as if he was
going to say something, but didn’t. His ears just turned down like when a cat was annoyed.
“Well, the time has come at last, I see,” a voice said behind me. I turned to find an older gentleman with greying blonde hair. His blue eyes appeared to have seen so much through the years.
“Alice,” the man greeted. “At last we finally meet. I am Howard, or you may better know me as the Caterpillar.”
CHAPTER 10
I stood there in awe, not quite believing that the man who stood in front of me was the wise Caterpillar from the stories. I mean, it wasn’t that he looked stupid or anything, I just never imagined him being a scraggly man with worn-out clothes and greying scruff on his face. But by the way he stood, I could tell he had an air of authority about him, and that was all I needed to believe him.
I bowed to him out of respect. It was strange to do as an American, yes, but after Japanese class and watching so much anime, it really just became a habit that I picked up. It was better to be formal than it was to be less so. “Please to meet you.”
He laughed. “Please, you don’t need to use such formalities. It’s not like I’m a king or something. I’m just a man who has been around for a while, a tired one at that.”
I straightened up. “So, can you tell me, what is going on?”
He walked over towards the fire. “How much do you know, miss Alice?”
“Not much really, I just know there is a Dream Kingdom and the Cirque de Rêves is trying to destroy people’s dreams in my world. That, and I know that I am involved somehow. That is about it.”
“Good, good. I don’t have to start from scratch. I am glad my boys were able to give you that much.”
“There is still a lot I don’t quite understand, I was told that you would explain it all.”
He nodded. “Yes, in due time. But first, Alice, I would like to know what you think of this world.”
I blinked. “What I think?”
“Yes, of this world and of the people you have met so far.” He laughed. “I guess that is hard when they are standing right there in front of you. Boys, how about you give us some time alone so we can discuss everything. Alice is probably getting hungry, why don’t you fix up some dinner?”
Malcolm nodded. “Yes sir.” And with that, he left with the rest of them, who had gone to what I presumed would be the kitchen. Chase was the last to leave, as if unsure if he should leave me there alone.
“There, now you can say anything you would like, they will never hear anything from me.” Howard grinned.
I always found it hard opening up to someone I didn’t know, even if they were supposed to be professionals. I had gone to a counselor when I was younger, my parents thought it was strange I was so introverted and quiet. They never got anywhere with me because, honestly, I didn’t want to change and I never could talk to someone I didn’t know that well.
I shrugged. “What am I supposed to say? This world is beyond my imagination, I’m flabbergasted at the thought of being in a children’s book.”
He chuckled. “Ah, yes, Lewis Carroll’s take on our little kingdom. He got some things wrong, of course. Whether or not that Alice was protecting us or if it was him not listening to her, I do not know.”
“Yes, well it is definitely a world that I never thought was possible to exist. And to find out that there’s some reason you all need me.”
He was silent for a moment then turned to the crackling fire. “But there is something else, isn’t there? That you want to talk about?”
I nodded. “I want to know if this is a dream. I want to know if this is just in my head or if it is real.”
“So, I’ll ask again. What do you think?”
“I think I hit my head while closing a window and I am lying on my floor in a pile of paint at home,” I honestly replied. There was no point to lie.
Howard frowned, his attention not leaving the flower. “You really believe that? Or is that just how you are coping with it all?”
I didn’t answer. Truthfully, I had never had a dream that seemed this real and lasted this long. I felt everything here, even the warmth of the fire on my skin.
“Besides,” he went on. “Even if it was a dream, would it matter? How do you know what is really a dream and what is reality? There once was a Chinese philosopher who had a dream he was a butterfly and he was full of joy and happiness. Then he woke up and realized he wasn’t a butterfly, but a man. Yet, in the dream, he had no recollection of being human, so he wonders was he truly human, or was he, in fact, the butterfly’s dream? Reality is a lot more complicated than any of us understand.”
A butterfly’s dream? What was he trying to say? I stood there, watching as the fire crackled. A dream could seem real, I suppose, as in that story. But at the same time, how could I recall so many things in reality, usually in dreams you forget reality and only dream.
So this wasn’t a dream. This was real. Which meant Wonderland was real and that I was missing from the real world.
I covered my mouth. “This is real. I can’t leave, I can’t get home. How do I get home?”
Howard frowned. “You can’t, Alice, not until the Cirque de Rêves is destroyed.”
My eyes widened. It never occurred to me that there would be no way out of this, I just thought at any moment I would wake up and be home. Even though it wasn’t a dream, it was definitely turning out to be a nightmare. “What? What do you mean I can’t?”
“The portal between dimensions is being watched closely. If you went home, you would be followed by the White Rabbit again, and you won’t be so lucky to have Chase save you again. The only way to stop it is to destroy the Cirque de Rêves and then you will be safe.”
I shook my head. “But why me? What does this have to do with me?
“Let us start at the beginning Alice.” He flicked his hand at the fire and the fire became alive. Figures appeared in the flames, figures of guards and a Queen in red. The guards danced around the Queen and all those who were citizens seemed to be bowing in front of her. I watched in amazement, surprised that the fire could do such a thing.
“A long time ago, Wonderland was ruled by the Kingdom of Hearts,” Howard explained as the flames flashed into a great kingdom. People looked happy as they went about their day, smiling and talking to other figures.
“We lived in peace and harmony. That is, until the Queen came.”
The flames roared up and many of the figures disappeared. Chaos ruled over the transfigured scene. Guards had their swords out, attacking the once happy citizens. The Queen stood up on a pedestal, laughing as her people were attacked, the people she was supposed to rule.
“She made everyone in Wonderland live in fear. This was supposed to be where people came to get away from everything, but not when she came into power. She destroyed the link between worlds and the dreams that once thrived here vanished. Everyone hated her but we couldn’t do anything.”
The flame changed slowly, showing a girl in a dress following a rabbit down a hole. “Then one day, a little girl came into our world by the name of Alice.”
“Just like in the stories,” I said.
He nodded. “Yes, just like in the stories. No one knows how the white rabbit got to her or how she followed him, but she was able to go pass the barriers the Queen of Hearts put up.”
The image of the white rabbit appeared, the little boy that had tried to kill me, but this time he had bunny ears just like Melvin.
“That’s the boy who tried to kill me.”
“Yes, we are getting to that.” The Caterpillar turned back to the flames. “Alice came and questioned everything. She helped understand that we didn’t have to live in fear any longer. Her and a group of us went against the Queen and the battled lasted days…”
The fire sparked up, the image of men on horses with swords fighting, and there in the middle of it all was a little girl. She fought alongside them all even though she was still just a little girl.
“And we won. We brought down the Kingd
om of Hearts and as fast as she came, Alice left us. She didn’t even say goodbye, but simply disappeared back into your world. But then something happened, the door was opened and human dreams came back once again. We thought everything was perfect, and that we would never have to worry about anything ever again. And never see Alice again.”
Everything did seem perfect in the fire. People were appearing once again as a new Kingdom started to emerge. It was the Red and White Kingdom.
“But we were wrong. The Red and the White Kingdom started to have grudges against each other and fights broke out daily. The peace we knew for only a short time was going away yet again.”
“Is that where we are now? In the Red and White Kingdom?” I asked.
Howard nodded. “Yes. They both wanted Wonderland for themselves and could never make a treaty. Many dreams were destroyed in the process.”
The flames danced around again and suddenly Alice appeared. She was different, this time. She was older, just a bit older than I was.
“And then, as if by magic, Alice came back. She tried to put an end of the fighting but failed. Neither side would listen and she gave up. Alice then destroyed the Red and White Kingdom and vowed never to return to Wonderland.”
He waved his hands over the fire. “That’s when the Kingdom of Dreams came into existence. The King and Queen have ruled prosperously since the fall of the Red and White Kingdom. Then one day, a nightmarish circus came into the kingdom. No one suspected a thing, just a new district, a new place to venture to. But then bad things started happening—the dreams started becoming dark. Their faces clouded and some had even disappeared. The King and Queen found out but it was too late. They were also shrouded in the darkness.”
I shook my head. “But what does this have to do with me?”
He turned to face me. “I had a vision in this fire of a girl from the other side that could help us. A girl that also goes by Alice.”
“That’s not my real name, my name is Meredith. You have the wrong person.”