The White Rabbit

Chapter Eight: The Queen's Croquet Ground

"Wake up my dear Rabbit, you're going to be late." Alice whispered into his ear, planting a soft kiss on his full lips. He rolled away from her--his straw mattress rustling beneath his wire-thin frame.

"I'm up, my Queen. I'm up, indeed!" His body stretched heartily and his grin peeled back the skin on his face, splitting his dry lips in the center. He rolled toward his side of the bed, and slipped his long sinewy legs into what was left of his now worn and hole-filled white slacks. Walking bare-chested toward the long window of their new home, he joined Alice--the Queen of his Heart, as she gazed across at the stream, rippling over mossy rocks. She was so happy to be here.

The sun glimmered through the window, the rays catching every speck of dust, as if it were glitter. Alice's frail body, her dirty straw-like hair and her filthy, tattered and faded blue dress shown in the sunlight like a bruise on an infant to anyone else, but Rabbit saw her like a glowing angel that had fallen from the heavens. 

"We have lived in happiness in our Wonderland for two years, my love, my Queen..." he said, lifting her hand to his cracked lips, "... whatshall we do to celebrate?"

Alice turned to him and smiled, using her thumb to wipe the blood from his lip.

"I know, why don't we go down to the stream and fish! It will be like the day we met and fell in love!" Alice exclaimed, her eyes glistening with joy and a little bit of insanity. Her eyes, which were now the eyes of a feral cat, a huntress--were upon him, almost demanding that he do as she said.

"Somewhere along the line, Alice began to realize Wonderland only existed because of her..." Rabbit thought, trying to understand how she had such a hold over something he wanted and created for himself. 

"Anything you desire, my Queen, but first... a gift." he teased, as he pulled out a large dirty brown paper bag from under the side table. 

The Queen's eyes were ablaze, almost ravenous, as she tugged the bag out of his hands and ripped it open carelessly over their bed. Red. It was so red. 

"It's beautiful!" She said in a sultry tone, "...put it on me."

Rabbit stood, toes curling into the unsteady mattress, as he stood above his undressing Alice. He felt a rising in his groin as he watched her lift what was left of the tattered blue dress up and over her head, revealing a completely nude and helpless young body. 

"Ah, now I remember how she gained control.." he thought as he tried to squelch the fire rising inside him.

As he slipped the red day gown over her, he realized could still see her chest through the fabric. This was to be his treat, every day now. She probably wouldn't even realize it.

The two scurried off, playfully, to the stream. The sunlight shone warmly over the land, making it's way through the rustling trees, and warming the earth below. The old abandoned church they had taken shelter in, had grown ivy on it's walls and flowered hedges haphazardly adorned the grounds--each plateau of the yard providing a new path, a new puzzle to guide your way through. Just beyond the other side of the stone wall was a small wooded area that ran into a bog-like marshland. 

--

"He's over there!" screeched young Bonnie, pointing to a very cunning cat and running in the direction it disappeared in. Her eldest brother Tommy, rolled his eyes and planted his walking stick into the ground firmly next to his polished black boot. Sundays always wound up like this; they would finally get out of church and the three of them would walk home while their parents went to play bridge with the Collins' family. And somehow Bonnie would always manage to chase a cat that only she could see, apparently. With her only being five years old though, he forgave her and continued to walk alongside Johnnie, his youngest brother.