Alice and the Lost Kingdom

The Mysterious Journal and The Pesky Rabbit

"-lice! Alice, wake up!"

Groggily, I opened my eyes and stared at my sister's blurry face. I sat up and rubbed my eyes, trying to chase away the tiredness. A yawn escaped my lips and my sister, Vanessa, gave me a disapproving look.

"Alice, Father's been looking for you! He said-" she stopped and took in the mess of books scattered around me. She picked one up and examined its empty, dark brown, leather cover.

"Isn't this..." she started. I snatched it away from her, hugging it close to my chest.

"Yes, it is," I answered. Vanessa gave me another look of disapproval.

"You snuck it out of the study? Father will be furious when he finds out," she said. I stuck out my tongue in response.

"He won't find out. I was going to put it right back," I said snootily. My sister sighed and stood up. She dusted the dirt from her light yellow dress and gave me a final deadly look.

"You'd better hurry. Father's not in a good mood today." I let out an exasperated chuckle.

"Is he ever?" Vanessa continued her "no nonsense" look as she turned and headed down the garden path back to the house. I sighed and pushed myself up onto my aching legs. I had fallen asleep with my legs tucked under me. Every time I stepped pins and needles danced along the bottom of my feet. Despite my pained feet, I sprinted through the garden. Father was sure to be fuming and the punishment I was about to get would only double if I took to long getting back. And Father's punishments hurt far worse than sleepy feet. The gravel crunched beneath me as I ran. My heavy breathing mixed with the crunches and created a solid, pounding beat that surrounded me. All I could hear was the gravel and my breath. Then a rustle flittered through the trees as a great gust of wind shifted the air around me. There was an offbeat crunch of gravel from behind me. I paused and the crunching continued. Cautiously, I turned to look back down the path. The gust blew my strawberry-blonde hair into my open, panting mouth and wide, startled eyes. Beyond the curtain of hair I could just make out a dark, male figure. He stood still at the far end of the path. The wind caused his hair to ruffle and flow. The tails on his coat pushed on either side of his legs, looking as though they were being pulled towards me. Atop his head where two long, white shapes that resembled long loaves of bread.

My breath caught in my throat, to afraid to move or make a single sound. I stared at the shadowy figure and he stared back at me. The silence hung thick in the air as it mixed with our tension. It was like someone had thrown a heavy quilt over the two of us. I was suffocating. Slowly, I raised my hand to brush away my hair. The figure did not move. My hand covered my vision briefly as I quickly swept my hair aside. As my hand flew away from my face I saw that the figure was gone. I stared straight ahead, unsure what had just happened. Had there really been someone there or was my tired mind playing tricks on me? Suddenly my thoughts came rushing back in a crushing whoosh. My father was still waiting for me! I spun around quickly, my feet twisting on the gravel. Another breeze fluttered around me, causing my hair to fly forwards with the wind. As the breeze fluttered by I could've sworn I heard the soft whisper of my name.

"Unbelievable! How could you just disappear like that without telling anyone? And you dawdled on your way back, after knowing how urgent it was that you should return to the house!" Father howled at me. I tried my hardest to keep my apologetic act from slipping, but anger bubbled inside me. I bowed my head slightly and intentionally lowered my gaze.

"I'm sorry, Father," I repeated for the umpteenth time of this conversation.

"Sorry is not going to cut it. I want you to go straight to your room, young lady. No dinner for you." I nodded 'weakly', and then quietly exited the living room. As soon as I shut the great, sliding, wooden doors behind me I dropped the act. It slipped off of me like a silk blanket. A small, snide smile came to my face despite the 'trouble' I was in. Skipping dinner was nothing new. And Father hadn't asked about the journal so I was safe from being reprimanded there. I raced up the winding, wooden staircase to the third floor. Down at the end of the hall was my bedroom, it's door hanging open. But I headed down the hall to my left. I counted the doors on my right as I passed them. One...Two...Three...Four...Five. I glanced down the hall both directions then turned the knob and eased the door open as quietly as I could. It slid open with a soft groan. I quickly closed it behind me and hurried deeper into the room.