ALICE

EPILOGUE

Tristan was snapping his fingers in front of her face. "Alice Vincent, come back!" He shouted.

"What?" Snapped Alice.

Tristan gave her an exasperated look. "You've got to stop disappearing off to wonderland!"

Alice blinked. An image of a woman with red hair, suddenly appeared in her mind. She tried to hold on to it, but it had disappeared just as fast as it had come.

Tristan looked thoughtful. "If you are Alice, then who am I?" He mused. Alice gave him a sly smile. "Stop giving me that, 'I know the answer' smile!" He said, with an eyebrow raised.

"Well, I do know the answer!" Said Alice.

"And I do not want to hear it!" Said Tristan, covering his ears. "I am very well aware that the answer is something I would not like!"

Alice laughed and grabbed his hands, lowering them at his sides. As she did, she realized he had really strong and hard muscles.

'How had I not noticed that?' She thought with some surprise. Surely she had touched him before, hadn't she?

Alice let go of his hands and looked at him. He was quite handsome, she realized with a jolt. He had delicate and soft features, but his muscled body suggested that he was not as soft as he looked. He wore a random dark blue t-shirt with jeans, but still managed to look charming.

Alice shook her head, pushing her thoughts aside. "Just hear me out!" She pleaded.

Tristan gave a sigh of defeat. "Fine! Who am I?"

"You're the mad hatter!" She replied, laughing.

Tristan eyed her for a long while. After some time, he let out a small laugh. "You are the one who's crazy!" He said.

Alice stopped laughing. Another boy's voice echoed in her mind, though it was not Tristan. It was the same voice she always heard in her dreams. "Find your way back to us Alice, to me!"

"Hey, are you alright?" Asked Tristan, holding her gently by the shoulders. "You're gone really pale."

Alice smiled. "I am fine!" She replied. Though she was far from fine.

He smiled. "You know on second thoughts, you should continue looking pale for the rest of the day." Alice looked at him confusingly. He continued, "It actually matches your grey dress!" He said, laughing.

Alice hit him lightly on the shoulder. "Shouldn't you be leaving?" She asked.

He stopped laughing. "Okay, I am sorry! No need to send me away!"

"I am not asking you to leave!" She protested. Tristan looked confused. Alice made an impatient noise. "Didn't Aunt Ela ask you to return early today?" She reminded.

Tristan smacked his forehead. "Damn, the guests!" He shouted in panic. 

Alice looked at him with surprise. He hardly got worried, but she figured his worry was not pointless.

His mother Ela, was usually a sweet woman but when angered, she was like a volcano who would then burn you until nothing remained. Not that she had ever shouted at Alice, but she had once seen how Tristan's sweet-as-sugar mother, had suspended the teacher who had beaten her son for no valid reason. Being a principal did have its perks.

Tristan's mother was also mostly busy like Alice's, but she was not as careless as Sophie. Ela made sure her son was cared for.

Tristan's father had died due to cancer, before his son was even born. Alice could not help but envy that he did not have vague memories of his father as she had, which often made her want to bang her head to stop them from coming.

Tristan was rambling something about how he still had to buy biscuits from the store. He looked at Alice. "Be ready tomorrow by eight!" He said, bending to tie his shoelaces.

"Where are we going?" She demanded.

"To see my new kingdom, remember?" He reminded. His voice sounded strained with the effort of bending.

"You mean the kingdom you work in." She pointed out, with a lazy smile.

"I am generously going to pretend that I did not hear that!" He said trying to sound angry, though he was smiling. He straightened up. "See you tomorrow, Vincent!" He said. Before Alice could say anything, he kissed her on the cheek and ran out of the room.

Alice touched her cheek with a little surprise. He had kissed her goodbye before, since the time they were kids, but why did it still feel as if it were something she was still getting accustomed to?

Alice sat down on her bed with a sigh. There were so many things in her life that did not make sense. Most of the time, she felt as if there was someone who was always watching her. Sometimes, she thought she could even see figures in the air.

Alice wondered why she could not remember certain things that she knew she was not supposed to forget. She closed her eyes. Who was that boy she always saw in her dreams? The boy with sea blue eyes, who always pleaded her to find her way to him.

Alice opened her eyes and looked around. Her room, where she had always felt secure, seemed to make her feel uneasy. She missed Tristan, even though it had been only a few minutes since he had left.

Alice took a deep breath and stood up. She made her way towards her window and stared out at the woods. She considered going for a walk, but she felt really tired.

Suddenly her neck burned. "Ouch!" She exclaimed.

Alice grabbed her gold locket, which felt warm in her hands. It had been a gift from her mother on her eighteenth birthday, along with the black and silver bracelets that Alice always wore. How could she not? They were the only things Sophie had ever gifted her daughter.

Alice tried hard to remove the locket from her neck, but the thing hung on stubbornly. No matter how hard she tried, the locket and black bracelet seemed stuck to her skin.

Alice let go of the locket with a sigh, and leaned her head on the window, feeling frustrated. Would all these riddles in her life ever be solved?

Alice drew back and looked out again. "One day, I will figure everything out!" She promised to herself, as she watched the wind rustle the trees.