To the Edge of Darkness - UNDER MAJOR EDITING

Chapter 2: Alice

The day was coming to an end, bringing yet another sunset to join the sky, which was tainted with shades of orange, purple, pink and yellow. The darkness of the night had been covering the land and stars were lighting up one by one, until completely bringing Wonderland into a darkness that would only leave the next morning.

Desmond laid down on the grass, arms crossed in the back of his head to support it as he watched the stars appearing and the daylight fading out into the rising twilight. He closed his eyes and let out a deep breath, one he'd been holding all day long. Everything around him was slowing down, until reaching a pick that would'be been determined by total darkness, washing away all the fears, worries and bad things the day had left behind. The forest surrounding the twin's house had never been this peaceful.

He wanted to let this peace overwhelm him and chase away thoughts of worry; he could've as well spent the night right there.

Until a branch cracked and pulled him out of his peaceful mindset. His eyes flew open as he leaned up on his elbows, looking around anxiously. At first, he wasn't convinced whether he should speak or not until another cracking was heard from the woods.

"Is there someone?" He asked, frowning.

No answer. His heartbeats fastened.

"Who's there—"

"Silence!" A feminine voice—surely belonging to a young woman—spoke from behind him before a delicate white hand covered up his mouth, preventing him to say anything else. Desmond struggled, trying to push the hand away, but she wrapped her other arm around his neck, threatening him with a sharp blade. "They must not find me!" The girl bellowed.

He froze as soon as he noticed the blade, raising his arms up in surrender. But when the girl inclined her grip around his neck, he quickly pulled out a small blade with a golden handle from his boot, attempting to defend himself. She looked at him, frightened, and when he retreated his blade apologetically, she moved her hand swiftly and violently flayed his skin with her blade. Desmond dropped his dagger when the blade touched his skin and he backed up, looking down at her ghastly. It was the first time he actually looked at her and he only then noticed waved golden hair covering her face. She wore a dark green silk hooded mantle, which was tied around her neck with a silver brooch shaped in a heart, circled with carved leaf garland.

The girl crawled a little further from him, stood up and patted the hood back on her head. She looked at him, her eyes throwing glares. It happened quickly and he only got lost in her bright turquoise eyes for less than a minute before she fled away. He could tell that she was running away from someone else, or something, and he wanted to know what it was she was so afraid of. Without waiting any longer, he ran after her, shouting to be heard.

"Hold up!"

The girl stopped suddenly and turned to him, glaring. "Look, I'm sorry to have brutally attacked you,"

"And harmed me," He asserted.

She sighed, evidently annoyed as she rubbed her wrist, trying to hide a wince. "Yeah, whatever, and now I really must go!"

Desmond inclined his head lightly, noticing something familiar about her face. It took him quite a while to remember he'd seen it before, on a wanted sign. The name returned to his mind, and he felt almost stupid to have missed on such an obvious detail.

Alice. The fugitive, the one the Red queen wanted the most.

He blinked twice, shocked. "Wait, you're the fugitive, you're her... you're Alice!"

She pushed a strand of hair away from her eyes and peered down. "I am, you got a problem with that?"

Desmond raised a brow when he heard her voice, noticing the accent differing from the other wonderlanders, but quite similar to his own and Thomas's.