“Her blood tastes like dirt.”

She laughed at his complaint. He ‘kissed’ her palm, and she caressed his cheek briefly before she fell. She fell into nothing.

She fell sideways and then fell up. She soon realised it was black because her eyes were closed. So she opened them, slowly, and looked around the room, frowning. The floor was cold, grey stone. She heard the echo of her shoes scraping the floor as she scrambled to a stand.
“Alice?” She spun around, her arm poised to hit whoever – whatever – had spoken. “Alice… it’s only me.”
“And are you only harmless?” She turned her hand. Her palm was bleeding.
“Perhaps.” It shuffled towards her. Its shape was lost in the shadows.
“That’s not good enough.” She lowered her arm. “What are you?”
“No one you’d care about.” It sighed and shuffled to the side.
“I said what.”
“A figment.”
“A helpful one?”
“Perhaps.”
“Then what is this?” She reached up to adjust her glasses, which she soon found were not there.
“It is whatever you want it to be.”
“I do not want it to be this.” She scowled and kicked at the floor.
“Then you are lying.”
“How do I know you aren’t?” She glared at the shadows.
“You don’t.” Its breath was on the back of her neck.
She tensed. It giggled.
Giggled?
“Cheshire?”

It giggled into the distance. She looked around the room.
“Hello? Cheshire?” There was a soft laugh in the distance, so she ran towards it. “Wait for me, Cheshire!”
“And what is an Alice like you doing here?” He stepped from the shadows.
“I am the Alice, thank you very much, sir.” She stood straighter and stared at him defiantly.
“Ah, yes. My mistake, Alice.” He stooped into a shallow bow.
“Where is Cheshire going?” She squinted at the seemingly neverending hall.
“Somewhere.” He said breezily. “It doesn’t matter much. She’ll come back eventually.”
She narrowed her eyes, watching him suspiciously. “And who might you be?”
“Does it matter? We’re late!” He suddenly seemed very alarmed.
“Late f-?” She began.
“Late for tea!”
“But we can’t!” She protested as he dragged her along. “I need to find Cheshire!”
“She’ll come along later.” He sighed.
“But I need to-“
“All you need to do, Alice, is come with me.”
“I don’t want to see the queen.” She frowned and tugged on her arm.
“We’re not going directly to her majesty.”
“Her majesty?” She paused in her struggle.
“Indeed. There’s no time for her yet.” His head more bobbed up and down, which she figured was his version of a nod.
“Then…” She frowned.
“You’re right.”

“Alice!” She blinked at the table. It was, like everything else, stone. The three were sat around it, happily sipping on their tea until she arrived.
“Dormouse!” She smiled and waved to him, unaware that it was her bloody palm she used. “March Hare!” She nodded to her. “And Mister Hatter.” He grinned towards her.
“Yes, yes.” Her escort bobbed a nod and let go of her suddenly, pushing her towards a chair. She frowned but decided to not say anything as she sat in it.
“How are-”
“We only have time for a little bit of tea. We must see her majesty soon.”
“That’s all very well, but-”
“Ooh! Can I help you?” The dormouse stood up excitedly.
“Well, I’m sure-” She glared as she was interrupted once again.
“No, no, no!” He shook his head. “It can only be Alice and me. Maybe Cheshire, but only because she can’t be controlled and so comes and goes wherever she pleases whenever she feels like it.”
“Stop doing th-”
“But she’s our Alice, too.” The dormouse grumbled.
She narrowed her eyes and stood up. They bickered over who she really belonged to and why. “I’m going to leave now…” She waved half-heartedly at the table and turned.
“Good luck!”

She ran. The stone corridor didn’t stop, but there was occasionally moss growing on the walls.
“Alice?”
“Yes?” She skidded and turned, her eyes wide.
“Is that you?” He sauntered towards her, a book under his arm. She tilted her head.
“Perhaps you can help me figure out this mess, Mister Caterpillar.”
“I don’t know.” He opened his book and flicked through. “Ah.”
“What?”
“You’re not meant to be here.”
“Pardon?”
“You have an audience with her majesty.”
“Which one?” She put her hands on her hips.
“Whichever you choose, although I suggest the right one.”
“Well, that very helpful, Mister Caterpillar.” She rolled her eyes.
“I’m being serious.”
“As am I.” She sighed. “I must find Cheshire.”
“Ah.” He turned a few more pages. “She’s with the right queen.”
“And which one is that?”
He seemed puzzled. “The right queen.”
“Never mind.” She shook her head. “I’ll find it myself.”
“Follow the right path!” He called after her.
“But I don’t know!”

“So.” He chuckled, seeming to appear from nowhere. “I heard ye’ve been havin’ trouble.”
“Yes, I have.” She nodded, not bothering to stop. She heard him start to run to keep up.
“Do ye’ have any idea where ye’re goin’… Alice?”
“Not really.”
“Would ye’ like some help?”
“That’s why I want Cheshire!” She clenched her jaw.
“I might be the closest thing to Cheshire other than Cheshire and that Rabbit.”
“But you’re the Hatter.” She glanced over her shoulder, frowning.
“I am.” He agreed, shortly before stopping.
She slowed down to a walk but he stood where he was, so she eventually stopped. “What?”
“Ye’re not going the right way.”
“…What on earth are you talking about?” She looked around.
“Ye’ took a wrong turn, Alice.” He started walking backwards.
“But… there were no turns!” She started walking towards him. “Please don’t leave!”
“There we are.” He stopped and smiled proudly. She furrowed her brows and turned around. There was a very thin, possibly paper-thin, wall in front of her. To the left was red and white patterned blocks, but to the right the grey blocks continued.
“The right path?”

He nodded solemnly. “I’ll stand here.”
“Why?” She raised an eyebrow. “I thought you said-“
“There’s a reason why I’m not as good.” He sighed, then took off his hat and bowed. “Farewell, Alice.”
“Farewell, Mister Hatter…” She frowned and walked down the grey path. She felt something tug on her sleeve. Surpressing a sigh, she looked down. “Hello, Hare.” She smiled.
“Hello, Alice!” The hare grinned back.
“Are you here to help me?” She asked hopefully.
“I’m here to try to help you!” The hare nodded.
“Thank you.” She looked ahead. “How much longer?”
“A few more stages.”
“Stages?”
“I really can’t go into much detail, I’m afraid. I barely understand it myself.” The hare shrugged helplessly.
“What can you do for me?” She reached into her pockets, trying to find something, anything at all.
“Well, I have this.” The hare held a teacup in her paw.
“How peculiar.” She furrowed her eyebrows. “How does it work?”
“You see, you pour tea into it and then you-“
“Yes, yes. But how may it be of help?” She inquired impatiently.
“Oh… not much, really.” The hare stared at the cup. “It can fly sometimes, get big other times…”
“That’s very kind of you.” She took the teacup and gently placed it into her pocket.
“We’re here!”

The hare waved after her, not moving from her new spot. The dormouse grinned proudly.
“Hello!” He waved in a friendly manner.
“Hello, Sir Dormouse.” She curtsied.
“No need for that, Alice. Let’s just be on our way.”
"Certainly.” She started to jog. “How much longer until I meet the queen?”
“Oh, her majesty, you mean. She’s just after me.”
“Oh. Do you have any idea of what to expect?”
“None at all.”
“What a shame.” She sighed.
“I’m sorry. I wish I could be of more help.”
“Why is Cheshire so free to do as she wants?”
“She’s the guide, of course.”
“She’s the what?”
“The guide. She chooses the things you want or need.”
“Then why did she leave?” She frowned.
“It was meant to be that way, I suppose.”

Emotionless.
Not now.
Meaningless.

She sighed and pulled the pillow over her head. She was laying on her considerably large bed fully clothed rather late into the night. To an outsider, she would seem to be having trouble going to sleep.

Why do you do this again?
Someone needs to remind you of who you are.
But it's not even my fault.
Are you so sure about that?

She rolled over, wrinkling the otherwise perfectly pressed blankets. She crossed one knee over the other and stared up at the ceiling intently, as if it had suddenly demanded her attention and close observation.

Stop trying to lay the blame on others.
I'm not.
Oh, really?

Her brows creased and the tips of her mouth turned downwards.

Stop it.

If the other had a voice, she was sure they would be using it to laugh scornfully. She could almost hear it, and that scared her.

You're ridiculous. No wonder his mere words had an impact.
What do you know about how words affect me?
Plenty.
And what about where he comes from?
You've gone soft.

She crossed her arms. Her jaw clenched. Her level stare at the ceiling now had an edge of hostility in it.

I see where this is going.
Do you, now?
Yes, and the answer is, as it always has been, no.
Always?
Without you twisting me.
Still, you have said yes.
In the past, when I had no support.
And what about me?

She tapped her elbow slowly.

What about you?
Where's my support?
Who cares? We won.
One battle.
It's not a war.
One internal battle for one person.
It wasn't my fault.
I know. It was his.
It was right.
It was about as right as it was to make her.
But you have Onyx.
But she's nowhere near as... formidable.
You're using her?
No.
Then what's wrong?
She may be in worse shape than me.
Is that so bad?

She stopped her tapping for a few moments. A small smile forming, a hint of triumph.

Yes.
Not now. Not for a long time.
You say it like you have any control over the matter.
I do, don't I? Otherwise, why would you ask? Common courtesy doesn't suit you.
It won't matter what you want, in the end.
And what if I am the end?

Everything in the room seemed to be completely still for those few seconds in time.

That's rather an ambitious statement.