The Wrong Alice (Edited Version)

Chapter 23

"Someone let us out!" the twins shouted. They rattled the bars of their cell as loud as they could, but the guards ignored them, occasionally threatening to beat them to death if they didn't cut it out with all the racket.

I rested my head back on the wall behind me and closed my eyes. "Just give it a rest," I said. "No one's coming."

They glanced at each other, and then at me. "You can't give up, Alice. We can still make it out," Dee said, trying to sound positive. I shook my head and they crawled over to the bars separating our cells. "What's wrong? Why don't you want to fight anymore...?"

I snorted. "Because there's nothing to fight for..." I said.

"Sure, there is!" Dum said. "Freedom. For everyone."

"What freedom?" I asked. "The queen already took it away. She took it away a long time ago..."

Dum and Dee looked disheartened by my attitude, their fire sputtering out at once. Slumping, they held hands and they gave each other looks of worry. I curled myself farther into the corner and put my face in my arms, trying to hide from them and the rest of the group. They shouldn't talk to me. I was only making things worse.

Dee and Dum weren't the only ones with hope still left. There were hushed voices as Rab and Hatter talked back and forth, attempting to come up with an escape plan. I didn't know why they were still trying. The execution was to be held in a matter of hours. Nothing we did would change that.

While I was wallowing in my own self-pity, there was a commotion by the stairs leading out of the dungeon that caught my attention. I peeked out to see a guard coming towards my cell, hand on his spear. I frowned as he opened the door and pointed his weapon at me. "Get up. The queen demands your presence," he said.

I hesitated, wary of the deadly object in his hands, before I silently obeyed. The guard pushed me up the stairs and lead me to a familiar door; it was the room Cheshire and I had come out of when we saved the twins. Remembering what Cheshire told me, I knew where we were.

"I've brought the prisoner," the guard said after he had knocked.

The door was opened and I was shoved forward. I kept my eyes on the ground, taking only a quick glance around the room to confirm my suspicions. The queen was lying on her stomach on a bed while she nibbled on some sweets, her feet kicking lazily in the air. My throat grew tight as my eyes grazed over Cheshire sitting in the corner beside the bed. He was facing away from me, playing chess with a tiny mouse chain to the wall. The mouse looked scared.

"Leave him with me," the queen directed, waving the guards away.

The door was closed and a silence filled the room. The only sound was the chittering of the mouse as he trembled in the corner. I couldn't help but stare with disgust at the sick game.

When the silence had worn on for too long, the queen finally seemed to find what she wanted to say. "Dear, nephew, you look so sad. Won't you come have a sweet?" she asked. When I merely looked at her, she appeared disappointed. She sat up, crossing her legs. "I had them made especially for our tea party. Will you at least come sit next to your aunt and have a nice chat?"

Again, I refused to play along with her game. "There's nothing nice about you," I said.

The queen frowned and stood up, walking past me to a table nearby. "Come sit down, Alice. We need to talk," she said. Her sweet voice was gone and she seemed far less friendly than before.

I walked towards the table slowly, taking a seat and putting my hands in my lap. I didn't have much to say to the woman destroying an entire world all out of jealousy, but I would hear her out, if only to assume her.

The queen laughed awkwardly at my silence. "No need to be so scared. I'm your family after all. The worst thing I can do is chop your head off, right?" she asked. She chuckled at her own joke and again, offered me some sweets. I refused for the second time and she shrugged, picking one up and taking a bite. "If you say so."

There was a loud squeaking from the corner and I glanced at Cheshire. He was holding the mouse by the tail, dangling him around like a toy. The chess board showed Cheshire had won their game and was happily enjoying his victory. I tore my eyes away and swallowed the lump in my throat. That wasn't Cheshire anymore... Maybe it never had been...

"You're a sweet kid and I'd hate to get rid of you in haste. Besides, who knows how much help you could be to me? We could work together to take Wonderland to new heights," the queen said. She stood up and walked behind me, placing her hands on my shoulders. "You could even live in a place like this, protected from all who might harm you."

I brushed her hands off. "What help would I be to you?" I asked.

Thinking she had me around her finger, she sat across from me again. She snapped her fingers and Cheshire looked up, dropping the mouse on the floor with a slight scowl. As he walked towards the queen, however, he held his head high in respect. He shifted down to his cat form and hopped up to her lap, resting his chin on the edge of the table. I averted my eyes as he settled his gaze on me, eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"For starters, you can lead us back to your little hideaway. Mostly as a way to show trust," the queen said.

I played with the hem of my shirt. "Then what...?" I asked.

She smiled slyly. "You really are just as smart as my feline told me." She smirked as my face twisted in betrayal and my eyes moved down to Cheshire. The queen hummed lightly to herself. "I hate you so much..."

Cheshire's nose twitched and he lifted his head, glancing at the queen. "Have you considered my proposal?" he asked.

The queen ran her hand along his back. "Yes. I found it rather intriguing."

Cheshire seemed satisfied with her answer and crawled up onto the table, sitting down in the corner and turning to stare at me. Something lurked behind his turquoise orbs, something I didn't like seeing.

The queen placed her hands in her lap and gave me a serious look. "Because I'm not an entirely heartless woman, I will allow you to go home. I'm sure my dear sister is missing you terribly," she said.

At the mention of my mother, my eyebrows drew together. "Why would you let me go home...?" I asked, suspecting a trick.

"Because you'd be out of the way. Once you pass through the portal, you can't ever come back. It would benefit me and you both," she said. Then she paused. "However, I need something from you first."

"What something?" I asked, suspecting a trick.

She gave a dramatic hesitation. "On request from my wonderful pet," She gave Cheshire a gentle pat, "I will be executing White Rabbit for treason. I want to know I can trust you, Alice. Will you willingly let him be punished for his crimes?"

I stared at her. Then my eyes darted to Cheshire. Not only had he betrayed us, he was requesting death to Rab? My hands clenched into fists and I stood up, kicking my chair back in my haste. "How could you do this?" I asked, glaring at the man I had once loved. "Rab is your friend!"

He looked unconcerned, head tilted just slightly. I turned to the queen with fire burning in my eyes. "I will never let him be killed. The only people who have committed crimes are you and your followers." I spat the last word directly at Cheshire.

The queen looked sad but unaffected by my anger. She stood up slowly, snapping her fingers with a shake of her head. "I really thought I could trust you, Alice," she said. Guards rushed into the room and grabbed my arms, dragging me towards the door. Just as it closed, the queen called out cheerily, "Have fun on death row!"

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