The Wrong Alice (Edited Version)

Chapter 33

I banged on a wall. "Chesh!" I yelled. "Are you there?!"

Once again, after several tries, there was no reply and I heard the queen's steps growing nearer. I began running again. This is how it had gone for what seemed like hours now. Run, shout for help, hear steps, run again. Over and over. It seemed there was no exit to this maze.

Out of breath yet again, I leaned against the wall and I closed my eyes, momentary silence washing over me. When I was no longer wheezing, I started hurrying down the hall again. I was turning a corner when a blade sliced through the air towards me. I ducked just in time and it hit the bricks above my head. The queen stepped back and held the sword at my chest. "Looks like a victory for the cat," she laughed lightly. "Not that the mouse had much of a chance anyways."

She drew the sword back, prepared to strike me down. Terrified, I took the chance to race past her, darting away down the hall.

Her voice followed after me as I ran. "It's useless, Alice! Just give it up!"

I raced away from her, praying for a door. Then, as if my prayers had been answered by some divine force, I saw a door straight ahead of me. Finally! When I reached the door, I grabbed the handle and pulled it open. My feet barely slowed as I found myself running through the forest. I must have found my way outside the castle walls.

There was a shallow end in the moat and I splashed through the water, hoping to avoid any crocodiles until I reached the other side. Thankfully, I made it across quickly and safely. As my feet snapped twigs, as did the steps of the queen. When I made it to a thicker part of the forest, I began weaving in and out of the trees, ducking under low branches I knew the queen couldn't. 

When I was running on exhaustion, I hid myself behind a tree and tried to catch my breath. Where was she? Her footsteps had stopped a bit prior. I couldn't hear her anymore. As nervousness crept into my being, I got a bad feeling in my stomach. I barely saw the shine of the sword in the corner of my eyes before it came whizzing through the air, stabbing into the tree next to my head. The queen laughed and began towards me.

I grabbed the sword and yanked it free of its oakwood sheath. It was heavy, heavier than before. I held it in both hands, turning to face the queen.

She held a new sword in her hand and a gleam in her eye. "Do you even know how to use that?" she asked.

I gripped the weapon in my hands. "I won't give you another chance. Give up Wonderland," I said. I lowered the blade slightly. "Make up with your sister. Help rebuild this beautiful world. Please."

The queen glared at me and whacked down a nearby bush that had only just begun to bloom. "This world has never been beautiful. It was rotten from the inside out from the beginning. I found that out when our parents died," she said. The queen stepped towards me again. "They promised us everything and then left us. Then, as if to spite me even more, they rejected me further. I, eldest daughter to the queen, was disown from the throne. They gave it to my little sister and threw me nothing much more than a few courtships to scrounge at like some sort of dog."

I finally saw the pain that had lurked in her eyes for so long. It was so deep, so scarring. I understood why she felt such hatred for my mother. I dropped my sword to my side. "It doesn't have to be like this. If you talk to my mother, your sister, maybe you can work this out," I pressed.

As I took a step towards her, the queen swiped the blade at me. "Never. I won't give Wonderland to anyone. I am not here to reason. I am here to win," she said. "And I will."

My eyes widened, and I brought my sword up to block her blow. She didn't stop there, however, and swung again. I avoided or blocked every attempt, but eventually she gained the upper hand and she locked swords with me. Slipping in the leaves below, I was backed up into a tree trunk.

The queen's eyes showed fire. As she pushed harder, the blade slit my shoulder. I winced, trying to push her off. Miraculously, I was able to shove her away and moved out of range of her blade. There was no bargaining with her anymore. I knew it would be futile. But I was no match for her and she knew it; I knew it too. The longer we fought like this the more likely she was to kill me. I had to get away and find Cheshire. He was the only one who could fight her.

I started running back towards the castle, trying to keep a fair distance from the queen. Suddenly, I screamed in pain as she sliced the sword across my back. I lean against a tree and turned to face her, holding my own sword out in defense as I felt blood soaked into my clothes. 

The queen laughed at my feeble attempt to protect myself. "You have no one to save you. Just die with honor," she said. "It'll be the only thing you'll be remembered for."

Our blades crashed and sliced as we went back and forth. I thought I might get the upper hand, but suddenly our blades locked. Again, my back hit a tree and I was cornered, crying out as bark dug into the gash on my back. Suddenly, the queen twisted her blade and yanked my sword out of my hands, the sound of it landing in a bush only a moment thought as the next thing that happened block everything else out. The queen's sword cut through my clothes, through the flesh of my stomach, and stopped five inches into the tree trunk behind me.

My throat grew tight and I couldn't move. I tried to cough, but all that came out was blood that dribbled down my chin. I blink rapidly, trying to keep my eyes open.

The queen's own eyes sparked with delight and a smile crawled across her lips. "I win," she said. Then she pulled away, leaving me pinned to the tree. "I win! I win!" she shouted, almost as if she had gone back to being a child. She turned to me. "How does it feel, Alice? Do you feel empty? Or is it a fulfilling feeling to have a piece of metal in your stomach?"

I couldn't answer, but a broken smile formed on my red-stained lips. I laughed softly, though it hurt to do so.

At this, the queen's smile vanished. "What's so funny?" she asked. When I continued to laugh, she stomped her foot. "Stop it! Stop it right now!"

I coughed greatly, choking on some blood, but still dropped my head back, beyond amused. Angry, the queen grabbed my hair and pulled it roughly. "Stop laugh-"

Silence followed the shot. For a moment of confusion, the queen stared at me. Then her eyes dropped to her dress where blood was steadily soaking through her clothing. She let go of me to touch it. The gun in my hand went off again as I pull the trigger a second time, the queen stumbling back from the force of the bullet. 

The smile on my lips was just barely there now. "I win," I whispered.

The queen fell to her knees. Then she collapsed on the ground, her last breath leaving her in a soft sigh.

As I gazed down at her, my smiled finally disappeared completely. The gun slipped from my hand and fell the ground with a dull thunk. I felt my eyelids drooping as my energy drained from me. "I win..." I murmured. 

The woods seemed to relax all of a sudden, the breeze blowing by gently as if to heal all that had just occurred. It made me feel drowsy; perhaps that was just the sword through my stomach. I wondered if I'd get to see Cheshire before I drifted off. Maybe he'd find me just before my eyes closed and I would see his face one last time. Maybe... I would get to hold his hand... His warm, soft, beautiful hand...

As my eyes began to close, I heard Cheshire's voice. He was calling my name. The vibrations of his deep voice reverberate through my head like a buzz. I closed my eyes as his voice drew nearer. I had to stay awake, I told myself. I couldn't sleep, not until I had seen him. But I was so tired... 

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