"Alissa, truth or dare?"
"Dare!" Alissa said confidently, crossing her arms. Lacey tapped her chin,grinning evilly.
"I dare you.... to knock on Alice Liddle's door and talk to her."
The six girls sitting in the circle stared at Lacey, eyes wide. Lacey smirked and leaned back, taking a long drink of her Sprite.
"I'll do it," Alissa announced, standing up and grabbing her grey rain jacket. Lacey almost choked on her drink, spitting it out and coughing.
"Are you insane?!" India squeaked. "She's mad!"
"She'll drag you inside her house and kill you!" Guinevere shrieked.
"She'll tell you one of her insane stories about the Red and White Queens!" Marissa yelped. Alissa only shrugged and put her hand on the door knob.
"If I'm not back by tomorrow, call the police," she stated before stepping into the thunder storm.
--*--
Alissa shivered on the doorstep, waiting for the mad old woman to open the door. She knocked again for good measure, and was about to walk away when the door creaked open, revealing half of a face before it swung wider, showing Alice in all her glory.
The old woman's grey hair tumbled over her shoulders in curls, a blue bow placed dead center on her head. She wore a blue gown covered by a white apron and black and white striped stockings, as well as shined black shoes.
Alice eyed the fourteen-year-old on her door step before grabbing her hand and dragging her inside, slamming the door shut behind her and locking it.
"Why where you just standing out there? Think of what might have happened if the white rabbit had seen you, child," Alice hissed. She sighed and let go of Alissa's arm, walking into the kitchen. "Ah, well. Since you are here, would you like a biscuit? They're fresh out of the oven."
"I-I'm good," Alissa shook her head, following the mad woman. Alice groaned and handed Alissa a plate anyways.
"You kids never get enough to eat. I swear... anyways, just try them,"she nodded towards the biscuits in Alissa's hands. "You've never tasted anything like them. Besides, it would be quite rude of you not to."
Alissa lifted one up to her mouth and took a bite, not knowing what to expect. As she bit down on the treat, bliss flooded her senses. Alissa relaxed, the sweet taste of heaven overloading her taste buds. Alice smirked, seeing the girl gobble down the rest of the biscuits.
"I told you," she laughed, sitting in an armchair and gesturing towards the couch opposite her. "Please, sit."
Alissa sat quickly, leaning forward as she asked "where did you learn to make those?"
"From the White Queen," Alice laughed. "She was a witch in the kitchen."
"The White Queen...tell me, what does she look like?" Alissa asked, trying to make conversation.
"White hair, silver crown, white dress, white skin... she was quite a sight. She was a good ruler, as well," Alice murmured, lost in a memory.
"And what was Wonderland like?" Alissa whispered, not wanting to break the old woman's trance.
"It was brilliant, full of brilliant creatures. It was twisted and turned, going left and right, up and down," Alice mused. "It was... oh, how to put it... Wonderlandiful. I'd like nothing more then to live there, in the old Wonderland. Unfortunately, I am too old... you, however, are not. Tell me, child, would you like to see Wonderland?"
"I can see Wonderland?!" Alissa squeaked, unsure why she was excited to see a made up place. Alice nodded.
"First, we need to prepare you some food. Come back tomorrow wearing good adventure clothes and bring a steak knife."
YOU ARE READING
We're All Mad Here
FantasyAlice Liddle, age 79, has the title of town crazy. She claims that there are white rabbits in waistcoats trying to kill her and insane hatters stalking her. She insists that when she was seven, she fell down a rabbit hole into a different world en...
