Toxic Wonderland.{Under construction!}

Chapter Nine

The worst pain in the world is not your own, but that of the one's you love. Hatter and Caleb are being dragged ahead of us unconscious and bloodied, the kids clutching my night gown, I can do nothing about any of these things.

I think the wound on my back has opened up, no, I know the wound on my back is open again.

'Chesh where did you go?' I silently ask nothing as we’re being poked and prodded so we keep walking.

"Alice, where are they taking us?" Dee asks and one of the chess pieces hits him with the butt of his sword in his shoulder. I throw my arm out in time to catch the second blow before the woman dressed in white motions for the guard to stop. My arm throbs and I'm going to have a terrible bruise but its well worth it as long as Dee is alright.

"What are you looking so frightened for?"The intruder asks airily as though we are having tea and she can’t find the crème. I look at her with utter disbelief written across my expression.

"I don't know it may be the fact that you burst in, beat my friends, hit a child, and kidnapped us." I snap at her without thinking. A dark look crosses her face for just an instant before it’s replaced with an eerily calm smile, the smile angel sculptures wear while watching over someone’s grave.

"Yes, I do suppose that is something to be frightened about. I'm very sorry to have frightened everyone but we needed you to come with us."

"Why, and who and what are you?"I ask ducking to avoid the blow coming my way, the top of my head is grazed but I don't care.

"The White Queen, you may call me that. Oh my! What a wretched cut!" She cries snapping her fingers sharply at the guard who stops trying to hit me" Well we must fix that!"

I flinch away from her touch and she shrugs muttering something about later, the door to the castle has been knocked inwards, and we step carefully to avoid getting splinters. Outside everything seems to be in ruins. The breakfast table is smashed and a large section of the castle is setting in the moat. Many of the living flowers are wheezing terribly, most have stopped breathing at all.

"Everything is going to ruins, like it should." The White Queen mummers absentmindedly looking around with satisfaction etched into those angelic features making me flush angrily. Even though I haven't lived here long, I love this place more than anything and she thinks it deserves to fall apart.

"What is that awful stench?"The White Queen asks pinching her nose delicately while stepping over to the moat. From what I can see the water has turned into a foul-smelling black tar. Gently one of the Chess pieces sticks the tip of his spear into the mess, which yanks him straight in, he starts to erode before our eyes. A few other pieces move to help him but the White Queen stops them.

The formation starts walking once more, using a piece of castle wall as a bridge we all cross, careful to avoid the tar. Sharp pebbles and thorns scratch our legs and feet as we enter the Bandersnatch's forest. Dee and Dum have stopped crying because they know where we are; I hope Bandersnatch can help us.

The deeper we go the less hopeful I become; I'm losing hope because the trees are dying. As we progress deeper and deeper every minute we walk forward things become more and more dead. When we reach the very core of the forest, the trees and plants have already decayed and the reason why is lying on the ground. In a pool of blood a familiar blond man lies facedown motionless.

I run to touch his arm, which is freezing cold, not even thirty seconds later my bandages arm is grabbed roughly by a guard.

'Don't be dead, you can't be dead.'

"What's going on?"Bander asks groggily rubbing his head and wincing as he tries to sit up.

"What happened to you?"I ask breaking free of the pawns grasp to pressing the Bandersnatche’s shoulder down to the ground so he won’t get up.

"I don't know, the forest, it just started dying right before my eyes." He whispers shutting his eyes, for a moment I don't realize it but his breathing has stopped. The Bandersnatch is dead and so is the Eventual forest. A colorful cascade of leaves shower down on us and trees begin to topple over onto each other. All at once the children break free of the formation and fly over to me, ignoring the thorns on the ground.

"They're escaping!"The White Queen says shrilly before trees pile on top of one another, creating a barrier between us and them, her voice is lost in the chaos.

"Alice is he ok?" Tweedle Dum asks looking at Bander.

"I don't think so sweetie. I think he got sick and now he’s sleeping." I whisper trying not to let the tears still over so they won’t know I’m lying to them.

"Your arm is bleeding!"Camilla says lightly touching my cut which is now missing its bandage"I think it’s infected."

Twisting my arm and I neck I finally see the wound for myself and it doesn’t look good. The edges are a swollen shiny red and have cracks running through. Inside yellow puss mixes with blood and oozes out.

'Thank God it doesn't smell.' The sound of tearing fabric startles everyone into jumping.

"Camilla what are you doing?"I ask as she continues to tear her gown, the one her mother gave her, I see the tears glistening in her eyes as I place a hand over hers before she completely ruins her dress. Shaking my head no I pull all of the kids close to me, we’re boxed in by trees.

"Wrapping it will only make is worse." I say gently deciding a little lie is better than the truth, though I honestly have no clue if it'll be better or worse.

"Can you help him?" Dum asks pointing at Bander with a small hand. I shake my head no because if I answer with words I’ll break down in tears. Instead of talking I smooth his hair for a while before he and the others doze off. The wood of the trees is decaying and it smells terrible but as long as we’re safe it’s bearable.

My back is in searing pain, the blood is drying making it stiff, the rough bark doesn’t make things better either. Camilla's head is leaning on my shoulder, the twins are both sleeping on my lap and Bander is…sleeping over there.

' Who knows where The Cheshire Cat is.' I think trying not to feel angry even though no one but me would know, I can forgive him for leaving us, if I could send the kids away as easily as he can evaporate I would in a heartbeat. The hair on the back of my neck tingles, the oddest feeling of being watched by something or someone is strong in my mind.

'Hatter and Caleb, we don't have Hatter and Caleb! 'I think panicking silently to myself ' I’m such an idiot! Not that we could have carried them to safety but I didn’t even try to help them!’ I bury my face in my hands and cry quietly for a few moments before steeling myself. My wounds are pulsating individual beckons of pain so I know I need to make this quick.

"Chesh, I know you're out there, and I know you can hear me." I start trying not to pass out " Go to Hatter and Caleb and make sure they're alright. Or go get help from someone else. Make sure they’re trustworthy." I say before more leaves fall with a soft rustle, covering us in a blanket of nighttime.

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So I think this chapter is a load of phooey. I really don't like it but I have no fanteraction. Yes thank you those who comment but I do need help sometimes, so who wants to save Alice, Hatter, Caleb, and the kids?! Post you're name in the comments and you too, can be part of the rescue party! That is all my little fishies,

Love you all,

Osiris Day ✾◕‿◕✾