Into The Wonder

Returning from Wonderland

"Mother! Mother! I'm home. Have you miss me?" Alice came running in the manor. Her blue dress was dirty, and her white apron was missing. There were leaves and sticks tangled in her sunny blond hair. The girl of eight found her mother in the parlor with her father. They were still dressed in the clothes they were wearing when she left to play in the yard. Yet, that had to be months ago.

"Alice, what on earth have you been doing?" Her mother, Lady Adaline asked as the girl flung herself into her mother's arms. "You are filthy, love."

"Having grand adventures with Hatter, March Hare, and Dormouse. I have been gone for months Have you not missed me?" Alice asked with a worry look on her face. Surely, they had to notice she was not there.

"Months, sweetheart?" Her father, Lord William asked. "Sweet child, you have only been gone for maybe an hour or two. Looks like you fell asleep under a tree again."

"No, Father. I followed a white rabbit wearing a waist coat to their den and climb through. I have been in Wonderland." Alice told her parents.

"Wonderland? That sounds like a magical place." Her mother mused, tucking her hair behind her ear. Her daughter had a wild imagination and she adored to hear all about the things in the little girl's head. "Tell us about this place."

"It is beautiful, Mother. There are talking flowers, a floating cat, and silly people. The best part, they are all wonderfully mad." Alice exclaimed, grinning big.

"Mad, like a lunatic?" Her father asked. He rise his eyebrow to his wife.

"No, Father. Bonkers." She spoke.

"You said something about grand adventures with a hat?" Her mother asked. Lady Adaline stood up.

"Hatter, Mother. He is wonderfully mad too. And the sweetest person you could meet. He carried me on his back while we ran away from the Queen of Hearts." Alice told her mother as she was guiding Alice to the washroom.

"Why were you running away from a queen?" Lady Adaline laughed.

"The roses that were planted in her garden were white and she wanted red. To save the card men from losing their heads, we help paint the roses red." She told her mother.

While bathing, Alice spoke about her other adventures with her new friends. How they faced the jabberwocky and Alice used her apron to distract it from March Hare. Alice told her how the Bandersnatch lost its eye to Dormouse's little sword. Alice felt bad and gifted the eye back to the Bandersnatch. Alice and her friends traverse the land of Wonder and always made time for tea.

"My love, this sound so marvelous. I think we need to sit down and write all your adventures down." Lady Adaline expressed, dressing Alice for dinner.

"The best part, Mother. I can go back tomorrow and have even more grand adventure. I wish you could meet my friends. Hatter makes delightful tea and biscuits." Alice explained, thinking about what else she would venture through.

"Better than Martha's?" Lady Adaline asked.

"Almost better than Martha's." Alice giggled.

The next day, Alice raced across the yard to the old oak near the stone fence. She was smiling as she pulled the ivy away. Down the rabbit hole and she would be back in Wonderland.

Confusion set in as she found a large stone where the hole should be. Alice pushed and pulled with all her might, yet it would not budge. She beat on the stone until her hands were sore. Alice sat there, crying. How was this possible? This is where the white rabbit led her. She looked about, hoping to see the white rabbit in the waist coat. It was not in sight.