Al in Wonderland: You've Gone Mad

Chapter 6: Red Hearts

The moon was large and hung in the sky, Al looked at the clock, it ticked slowly. He wiped the blood from his cheek and smiled. "Sophitia, what a lovely name." He snickered, the red liquid dripping from the sliver bladed knife. He held the knife close as if he'd received something so precious from it. Perhaps a life he once knew returned to him-

For only a second Al opened his eyes, he blinked and saw the brightest light he'd ever seen that nearly made him go blind-

"Bloody hell!" He covered his eyes quickly feeling them burn so suddenly. He dropped the card and dropped to his knees. "What was that?!" The Cat emerged from behind him wrapping it's boned tail around Al's shoulders.

"Dear dreadful boy, what ails you?" The large cat noticed the card and looked at it, "I believe you dropped something blind one." It laughed fiendishly delighted and picked the card up. Al reached touching Cheshire and sighed rubbing his eyes good before trying to open them again. All he could see were bloody hearts everywhere. His eyes stung so much he couldn't bare to keep them open so he closed them tightly.

"It seems you have been cursed, dear Al. From whom, I can only guess." The cat waited for Al to stand leading him down the mountain where the large phoenix rested still. Blood poured down the nest it lay on, the three eggs it had protected to its very end all shattered with embryo still as if frozen in time.

Al got onto the bony cat and rubbed his eyes trying to see. For this nothing worked and yet he saw so perfectly. For what reason was unclear. He took the card from Cheshire and remembered a sudden warm flight, small chirps and a large terrifying roar of a protective mother. He looked back up at the mountain as Cheshire walked away from it.

In only a second before he blinked he saw the world he once knew, a world he thought he knew. What is this madness he bore for so long? Something within finally snapped? Perhaps something happened in reality?

Al looked forward again and at the card, with a stiff frown he whispered. "I'm running out of time already." The cat's ears turned hearing him,

"For what have you lost time for? You're already mad, Al."

"What use have I being here with no purpose?"

"Speaking riddles are we? Well, if you must know, you are as dimwitted as any child can be. Though you may be the near age Alice was when she first stumbled here, you know not of what she did to become this way."

"What are you talking about?"

"My dear Al," the Cat stopped, "There is more to Wonderland than you will ever know. All you must worry to do is find all the card. Each time you find a card, your watch resets. Take a look will you? I feel as though a run has over come me." The Cat lay down tiredly and waited.

Al pinched the pocket watch as he pulled it out his pocket. It ticked slowly seeming to go back in time for some reason. "My it seems I am far from late-" Al said and paused-

-Al opened his eyes, he smelled the horribly wonderful scent of dead prime roses. He lay in a bed of dead flowers, he smiled seeing the strange cat, its grin comforted him for some reason-"Wait!" He stood up quickly, the Cheshire cat appeared from behind a tree and laughed.

"This happened before!" the irate boy screamed impatiently. He looked at the pocket watch that clicked along the way it has. "It restarted my time?!"

"Of course, dear Al!" The Cheshire cat laughed, "This time is of twisted nature. For the many times you believed your time was up, this world shows it. That clock will reset this world as many times as it wants until you find all the pieces to your memories-"

-Al opened his eyes, he smelled the horribly wonderful scent of dead prime roses. He lay in a bed of dead flowers, he smiled seeing the strange cat, its grin comforted him for some reason.