ALICE

CHAPTER 13- MARIA

Alice snorted. "I doubt she would've, even if her powers worked!" she mused. She turned to look at Knave. "So why did you look like a love-sick sheep then?" She demanded.

Knave chuckled. "I was pretty disappointed with our useless trip to the cave, so I decided to just play along and make things a little entertaining. That was of course before you decided to act all heroic, and jump in to save me!"

Alice, feeling like an idiot, remained quiet. This birthday had been full of embarrassing events. She took a deep breath. "So now what?" She asked.

Knave looked at her with sad eyes. "Now I guess, I stay here!" He quickly looked away. After a while, he said, "It is an unfair deal, really. I mean, you get to be in my amazing company, while I have to deal with your stupidity!"

Alice crossed her arms. "Excuse me! You do not get to call me stupid every single time and get away with it! This time..," She broke off as Maria appeared, holding a bowl of soup in her hands.

"Alice!" Maria exclaimed, smiling brightly. She placed the bowl on the bedside table. "What exactly happened?" She asked.

Alice looked at Knave in puzzlement. "You did not tell them?"

Knave gave her an exasperated look. "Like I said, your friends were so angry at me, that we did not have any other conversation, other than the fact about how my head would be cut off, if something happened to you!"

Maria shook her head. "Actually, it was how we would chop off your hands and legs, and then mix you in a grinder!" She pointed out.

Knave looked at Alice disbelievingly. "Can you believe it? Letting all these good looks go in vain. What a shame! Truly none of you deserve to be in my presence!" Alice sighed, as Maria broke into a laugh.

Alice looked at her, feeling surprised. Maria hardly laughed. Knave smiled back at her. Judging by their rapport, Alice imagined they had bonded quite well in the short time, while she was not awake. She hoped the situation would be the same with the twins too, but she doubted it.

"Eat finish Alice, You must be starving!" Said Maria. Alice nodded.

As Knave began to pass her the bowl, his hand brushed hers, and for a horrifying second, Alice thought her hand passed right through his. She grabbed his hand frantically. The bowl tilted by the impact, but Knave held on with his other hand. 

He looked at her curiously. Then, he raised one eyebrow. "Do you want me to feed you?" Knave asked.

Relieved, Alice let go of his hand and shook her head. Knave looked at her worriedly, but it lasted only a moment.

Alice took the bowl from his hands, and began to drink the soup. As soon as she did, she realized just how hungry she was.

Alice paused. "Maria, do you have any idea where mother went?" She asked, breaking the silence. When there was no reply, Alice looked up and saw Maria lost in thoughts. "Maria!" She shouted.

"Wha.., what?" Maria began.

"This time you're off to wonderland!" Teased Alice. "Anyways, do you know where mother is?" She asked again. Maria shook her head.

Alice gave a small nod, and went back to drinking her soup.

Maria did know. She knew a lot of things and yet....,

She had tried her best to protect Alice from what was coming, but she had failed. Maria did not want to do anything of what she had done. Not letting Alice have any friends, making Alice's whole world revolve around her, and worst of all, hiding the truth about Evan. Making Alice hate her own father. Maria had done things she had never imagined she was capable of, and yet she was forced to, because somewhere far from here, her sister needed her to.

Maria looked at Alice drinking her soup, and unwillingly smiling at something Knave had said. Maria had never imagined that she would grow so attached to Alice, that she would want to risk her own sister's life to save her.

Maria had made up her mind to just do what would save her sister, but Alice, her pure heart, her actions, her talks, everything about her made Maria want to protect her. Protect an innocent girl who had no idea what was going to happen to her.

Maria would've been happy if her sister had died with her. That way, she would not have had to see Alice's first step towards misery.

Maria had seen Alice's hand go right through Knave's. Her worst fear coming true. Alice was losing her powers to touch him. Soon she would not be able to see him, or any of them again. Maria knew, but she could not do anything, except watch.