ALICE

CHAPTER 12- MENDALINE

The inside of the cave was even more eerie and unnerving. Alice thought she could almost hear the winds whispering to her in hushed tones. She shivered a little.

Knave, who was walking close beside her, turned to look at her. "Are you scared?" He asked, his voice echoing.

The cave was lit in a really dim light, making it hard for Alice to see if he was smiling or not. "Why, are you?" She demanded, trying to keep her fear out of her voice.

The echo of their own voices almost made Alice jump. She often saw such caves in movies, and was almost expecting to find human skeletons laying around, at any given moment.

Knave chuckled. "Don't worry, she just likes being dramatic!" He assured.

"You mean the witch?" Asked Alice. Knave did not reply. Instead, he continued walking.

The cave seemed to never end. As they went deep inside, Alice wondered how fast she would have to run in case the 'good witch' decided to have a change of heart. 

Alice looked around, trying to find traces of past victims. Much to her relief, there was nothing, save dirt. Or maybe the witch had removed all evidence. After all, it would barely take a witch a minute, considering their powers. Alice swallowed hard.

Beside her, Knave laughed. The sound of laughter in the empty cave made her skin prickle. She wondered if anyone had ever laughed in here before, and if they had, how long had it lasted?

"Care to share the joke?" Alice demanded.

"Relax!" Said Knave. "You are not going to find any skeletons or bodies. She is not that type of a witch!" He assured.

Surprised, Alice asked, "How did you know that I was looking for bodies?"

"Because Miss Alice, you are not the only one who has access to movies." He replied.

Alice squinted, trying to see his expression. Unfortunately, the light seemed even more dimmer, making it nearly impossible for Alice to even see her hands. She badly wished for a torch. She made a mental note to always carry one, whenever she had to enter a witch's cave.

Finally, they came across a fire burning on a small pyre, making Alice feel grateful for the light. Sitting beside the fire was a little girl. She looked barely above six. Her hair, tied in a braid, looked red in the fire's light. Or maybe it was red. It was hard to tell. The little girl wore a plain, long white dress.

The girl looked up as they approached, and Alice saw she was the most beautiful little girl she had ever seen. Her features were fine, her bones elegantly crafted. Her skin was really fair, her lips red, her eyes pure black. It was as if she resembled a smaller version of snow white.

"Knave?" The girl called out. Her voice was magical, unable to resist.

Knave bowed. "Indeed, Ma'am!" He replied.

Alice choked as realization hit her. "No way is she the witch!" She blurted out, looking at the little girl incredulously. "I doubt she even knows the spelling of witch."

Knave and the girl, both turned to look at her. Knave with alarm, and the girl with amusement. The witch smiled, showing white teeth. "You have a big problem, my girl!" She said in a pleasant voice.

Hearing the words, 'my girl' from a six-year-old kid, was a little unsettling for Alice. "What problem?" She managed, trying to keep her voice even. She felt shocked and stunned from the inside.

"You let appearances deceive you! You never try to look beneath the hidden smile and words." The girl paused, eyeing her. The stare was so creepy, that it almost made Alice want to run away. "Or perhaps, you do not want to!" She observed.