The Wrong Alice (Edited Version)

Chapter 28

I hardly noticed where I was going until I found myself in an unfamiliar part of town. I frown and looked about my surroundings. I saw a thick wooded park a little farther ahead of me and decided to settle down there for a while; I would clear my head. I could use some silence away from home.

I sat down on a bench deep in the park's trees next to a pond and dropped my head into my hands. My mind was spinning, images of Wonderland filling my every thought. I saw Cheshire's smiling face, the twins laughing as they played pranks on Rab. Everything was jumbled together into one big mess of painful memories, throwing me into a sudden fit of stress.

My shoulders trembled as I tried to contain myself. I covered my ears with my hands as voices echoed in my head, familiar ones and ones I never wanted to hear again. Suddenly, something pushed against my leg and I started, jerking my leg back. However, when I looked down, I saw only a dirty, gray kitten.

I frowned and pushed it away with my foot. "Go on. I don't have food for you," I muttered, wiping my cheeks as if it mattered if the cat saw me crying.

The cat rubbed on my leg again and meowed at me insistently. My frown returned and I kicked at it, barely missing its skinny little body. "Go away," I said again.

I pulled my legs up onto the bench and turned away. I expected the cat to run off after my last threat, but it jumped up onto the bench merrily and rubbed along my back, butting its filthy gray head under my chin. I sighed under my breath. "Stupid animal..." I muttered.

Suddenly, I gasped in pain and tried to grab the cat that was now using its claws to climb up my chest. "Hey!" I shouted as the cat climbed to my neck and bit down on my ear. I grabbed it and pulled it away with a jerk. As it stared at me innocently, I glared at it. I could almost see it's little blue eyes shining with amusement. It was laughing at me, I was sure.

It let out another meow, kicking its legs at the discomfort of being held in the air, and blinked at me. With a sigh, I set it on the ground. "Get out of here before I throw you in the pond," I warned it, giving its back one gentle rub.

However, the kitten had no intention of leaving and sat down, turning its crystal eyes up at me curiously. I ignored it firmly, and finally, seeming to grow bored, the cat scampered off, leaving me alone once more. However, my solitude was short lived as there was a loud squeaking from the bushes nearby and the kitten soon trotted back out with a mouse clamped in its tiny jaws. It dropped the rodent at my feet and meowed again, proud. I frowned in disgust. The kitten though, looked quite pleased with its work and began cleaning its face with a contented look.

I couldn't help smiling as it reminded me of Cheshire. I felt like the kitten was telling me, "Here! I don't know what's wrong, but have a dead animal." It made me chuckle aloud. Such a Cheshire thing to do.

I bent down and ran my hand down the kitten's back, smiling as it arched into the friendly gesture. "A dead mouse is gross," I said. "But thank you anyway."

Feeling better, I stood up and started making my way home. I had stayed out long enough and the sun was setting. I was halfway home when I realized the kitten was still following me. I tried to shoo it off, but it would simply wait for my back to be turned before it began running after me again. 

When I reached my house, I saw my mom sitting on the porch steps, a worried expression on her face. I felt bad about snapping at her earlier and walked up quietly. My mom spotted me a few feet from the house and stood up. "Thank goodness, you're alright. I wasn't sure where you'd gone, and I was starting to get worried," she said as she hurried up to me.

Her eyes landed on the cat by my feet and she bent down. "Who's your friend?" she asked. "He's quite the looker."

I don't know why, but I replied with an almost immediate answer. "Cheshire," I said. I frowned at my own response for a moment.

However, my mom looked up at me, her eyes sparkling. "That's beautiful. Perfectly well-fitting for him," she said.

I couldn't help a small smile myself as my mom picked up the kitten and ushered me into the house. As I closed the door, I glanced out at the darkening sky. I hadn't realized how foreign this world really was. Compared to Wonderland, it was an ugly place; it was ordinary in every way, ordinary and boring.

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I walked home from school in a hurry, wanting to make sure my mother had remembered to feed Cheshire while I was at school. I opened the front door and rushed into the kitchen. "Chesh! Dinner time!" I called.

As I poured some food into a bowl, there was a tapping of kitten paws as a gray body ran into the kitchen, practically tumbling head first into the cabinet before it shoved his, now pudgy, face into the food. I chuckled and pet his back with a smile. "Don't eat too fast," I told him.

There was padding as my mom entered the kitchen. "Welcome back, Alice. How was school?" she asked, kissing the top of my head.

"Fine. I have a ton of homework though, so I'm going to just eat in my room," I said.

My mom nodded and walked over to the stove, pulling out pots and pans to choose from. "What would you like to eat? I could make spaghetti," she suggested brightly.

"That sounds good," I replied. After giving Cheshire one last rub I hurried towards the stairs. "Call me when it's ready, please." 

I entered my room and started pulling out my homework. I did my English, then my history, and was on my math when I got stuck on a problem I didn't understand. I frowned and rubbed my temples. After a few minutes of nothing, I stood up and took my homework down stairs.

"Hey, mom? I need some help with this problem," I said.

She looked up from the stove and set her mixing spoon down. "What is it?" she asked. She walked over and looked at the problem. After she was sure she knew what it was, she sat down and started explaining it. After a while, it starting making sense. "Then you get your answer," she finished.

I nodded. "I never thought about it like that," I said. "Thanks, mom."

My mom smiled and went back to her cooking. "Not a problem," she said. As I started picking up my things again, my mom continued. "No on sees things exactly the same as someone else, you know?"

"What do you mean?" I asked absentmindedly.

"Well, everyone is unique. Therefore, how they see things will be unique too. It's quite simple if you think about it," she said. I was still picking up my books when I suddenly froze. My mom glanced at me and frowned. "Honey?"

I dropped my math book on the floor. My mom stepped towards me, but I brushed her off, walking slowly to the window to stare out. "Unique ways... Different..." I said.

My mom looked confused. "What is it?" she asked.

I turned to her, my eyes glowing with hope. Then I smiled, genuinely smiled for the first time in weeks, and started running for the door. My mom tried to follow me. "Alice? What's wrong?" she asked, appearing panicked. 

"Sorry, mom! I'll explain later!" I called, and I raced out of the house, running towards the maze.

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