Imagination

Ending

I woke up in my room again. The words the Queen said to me stayed within my mind. 'Don't follow the rabbit' but how was I going to find out who the rabbit was if I could barely tell who the others were. I wanted more than anything to go back to sleep and attempt to forget it all. Forget the creatures of Wonderland or that the place even existed in my madness.

I didn't talk much during the day. I mostly kept to myself. For once in a long time, I wasn't hallucinating. It feels like days have passed since I visited the Queen of Hearts in her castle and she issued me my warning of the White Rabbit but I know it was only yesterday. Sutton is no longer the Mad Hatter, the flowers don't sing sweet songs to me anymore, everything is normal now. I finally feel free.

It's been about a week since the last time I visited Wonderland. I've been avoiding everything that I believe to be involved in sending me to my madness. I feel bad for avoiding Sutton. I'm sure I have hurt his feelings but I can't fall back down that rabbit whole or it's "off with her head!"

"How are you feeling today, Miss Alice? Any new visits to Wonderland?"

"I'm actually doing a lot better. I haven't had any trips these past few days."

"Well that's good to know." Dr. White had a curious look on her face that said otherwise. "So no more songs from the flowers or tea with this Mad Hatter?"

A smile came across my face. "Nope. All is well now."

"Ok well that's good to know. Until we meet again, Miss Alice."

I left Dr. White sitting in her chair with a look of complete confusion. I walked down the hall feeling quite proud of myself.

* * * *

Today felt different. Something wasn't right. The cat has returned and disappears when I look in its direction. The walls are covered in ivy leaves. I was doing so well and now I don't know what is going on.

"Well hello, Miss Alice, and how are we feeling today," Sutton asked me as he sat down next to me.

I looked up at him and once again he was the hatter. "I don't know anymore. I thought I was free. Everything was normal again."

"Wonderland, huh? Seems like an interesting place for a cup of tea."

"Would you stop saying that?" I snapped at him.

"Do you not like tea?"

"I do like tea and I get that you do too. Please stop playing this game with me."

"I'm not sure what you mean. I'm not playing any game. I'm just finally showing you who I truly am."

"I can't sit here anymore." I couldn't take the madness anymore. I left Sutton sitting alone and hurried on to my appointment with Dr. White. Maybe she can make sense of all this.

* * * *

"So Miss Alice, how are you feeling today?" Dr. White asked.

"I'm fine I guess. I mean I was doing just fine and now all of a sudden I feel like I am falling deeper into the rabbit hole then I had intended but I'm not quite sure how to pull myself back out."

"I understand. There is no way out." I looked up at Dr. White instantly.

"What do you mean?"

"Did you finish the book that you chose for your paper?"

"No I didn't." I kept looking at Dr. White with a curious face.

"Well that explains a lot," Dr. White stood up from her chair and started to walk around the room. "Well Miss Alice, if you haven't figured it out yet, it was me who placed this book in your possession but somehow you managed to escape me."

"What? I don't understand." Dr. White was standing in front of me now.

Dr. White pulled out a pocket watch that was attached to a golden chain. Horror crashed onto my face. "I know that watch. I've seen that watch before. It belonged to the white rabbit that was in the picture in the Queen's castle." That was when it hit me. "You...no it can't be... You're the White Rabbit from my nightmares?"

I watched as Dr. White's face contorted into a wicked smile. "Oh my dear Alice, that was no nightmare you were having. That was in fact complete reality."

I clamped my hands on my ears with my eyes wide open. "No...No! You're lying! This doesn't make any sense! How could Wonderland be real?"

"Well now I wouldn't call it Wonderland, Alice but if that's what you want it to be fine. I would just like to know how you managed to free your mind from going completely mad and even after I put everything in your way, you still managed to escape me."

"I listened to what the Queen told me. She told me not to follow the rabbit."

"Of course she did. She was always getting in my way."

"I don't understand what's going on here." The whole room wanted to start changing before my eyes but I tried to fight the urge.

"Well you see, my dear Alice, no one escapes Wonderland." It was then that it all started again. The walls began to fade into nonsense. Dr. White took on the shape of the White Rabbit and soon every object in the room became obscured. With the wicked laughter of the Rabbit, everything became Wonderland and soon I too lost my sanity. I became completely mad in my insane Wonderland.