Imagination

Chapter 6

"How are you doing today, Miss Alice?"

"I'm not sure how to answer that question."

Dr. White gave me a concerned look. "What do you mean by that?"

I was having second thoughts about admitting to me losing my grip on reality but I figured I would have to come clean eventually. "Well ever since I remembered Wonderland, my mind is starting to associate real life things with the fictional events. My nurse has an exact twin the reminds me of the two in the story. Flowers are talking and singing to me. One of the other patients here is turning into a mad hatter at a crazy tea party. I fear the day I find the red queen and the white rabbit."

A faint twinkle in Dr. White's eye flashed for a split second. "So you believe you are falling into this fantasy world of Wonderland?" I just nodded my head in response. "Well Miss Alice, I'm glad you opened up and let me know what is happening. Maybe now we can get to the root of the problem. Go have a long lunch and I will see you tomorrow."

"Are you ready to go already, Miss Alice?" Porter asked me when I stepped in the hallway.

I looked up at him and I couldn't believe my eyes. I noticed him standing there in a pair of red pants and a striped shirt. His twin, Parker, was standing next to him in the same attire. On the collar of their shirts, their initials were stitched in the same shade of red as their pants.

"I have to get out of here," I said as I darted through them.

"Miss Alice, wait!" I heard one of them call after me.

I wasn't planning on stopping. I walked as fast as I could to the cafeteria. As I walked along the tiled floor everything started to change. The grass slowly started to poke its way through the cracks and soon covered the entire floor. Ivy branches started to cover the walls. The hallway was slowly turning into a forest path. "I must truly be losing my mind now," I said as I continued down the path. After a few steps I was no longer in a grass covered hallway but walking down a forest path that opened up greatly.

As I continued to walk in the same direction soon I was greeted by a mysterious voice that seemed to be coming from nowhere. I searched the the tree branches high and low but could not see anyone in the dark branches above.

"Over here, Miss Alice," the voice said to me. I followed the direction of the voice only to find a cresent shaped smile and two yellow cat eyes staring down at me.

I walked closer to the tree that the face appeared. "And who might you be?"

"Why I am the cat. The cheshire cat." It was then that the rest of the body to the cat started to appear.

"How are you able to do that? Be here and yet not here at the same time?" I asked.

A laugh escaped his ear to ear grin. "That's a secret I will never tell. Now where are you going, Miss Alice?"

"I'm not really sure anymore. I guess I am trying to find my way back to sanity."

"That's impossible. You have no way or have you forgotten?"

"Forgotten what? I think I would remember someone like you. I don't have any idea what you are talking about."

"Well let me tell you this, the only ways are the Queen's way," the cat said. "You can find her by going this way," the cat pointed to the left, "or by going that way," and then pointed to the right.

"So either way will take me where I'm going?"

"I suppose but I would be warned not to make her angry, Miss Alice. Things might get a bit mad around here." It was then that the cat started to disappear with his cresent grin fading away last.

"Great. Now which way should I go?" I asked myself. "Well I guess it doesn't matter now does it. I guess I'll just go this way." I turned to my left and started walking further into the forest.

It felt like hours had passed as I walked along the path. Over tree roots, under low branches, and even walking around holes. "This has to end eventually right?" I finally got tired of all the walking and sat down on a tree stump.

"Why have you stopped, Miss Alice?" The cheshire cat asked me as it reappeared in the tree across from me.

"My feet hurt. This is taking forever. How much farther must I walk?" I asked while rubbing my feet.

I didn't think it was possible but the cat's grin grew in size. "Well if you wanted quick and easy there is a short cut."

I let out a deep sigh. "Why didn't you say that before?"

"Say what?"

"What you just said," I argued.

"I said a lot of things, Miss Alice."

I rolled my eyes. "The short cut."

"What short cut?" The cheshire cat asked. This cat was testing my patients.

"The short cut to the Queen's castle. Can you show it to me?"

The cat started to laugh. "Oh that! Well why didn't you say so before?" The cat then pulled down on a branch in the tree and as if like a lever, a small door opened up in the tree trunk revealing a pathway that led straight to the Queen's castle.

I let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you!"

"You're welcome, Miss Alice but do remember not to make her angry." The cheshire cat disappeared once again.

"It's about time. Maybe I can finally figure out what on earth is going on here." I stepped through the small doorway and headed up the path leading to the castle.