Prologue: Alice Liddell was always a curious child. She loved games and riddles, problem solving was her favorite type of challenge. She didn't have many friends but she didn't much mind, in fact she preferred the solitude. The adults in her life tended to pay her no mind, that is, until she got older. Alice, at the age of sixteen, had grown into a beautiful young woman. She had flowing blonde hair, piercing blue eyes, and porcelain skin. Her beauty was both mesmerizing and unsettling. Many tried to ask for her hand but the quiet girl had always refused. She'd rather sit alone, buried in a book, reading of fantastical worlds filled with magic and adventure.
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"Alice, dear, come downstairs. There's someone I'd like you to meet!" My mother called from the bottom of the stairs.
"Coming!" I replied before rushing down the stairs, on the tenth stair I hop up onto the railing and slide the rest of the way down and land at the foot of the stairs inches away from my startled mother.
"Alice! That is no way for a lady to act!" She scolds. She brushes off my dark blue dress and readjusts the black bow that ties back my hair.
After taking my hand and dragging me into the living room she says, "Alice, I'd like you to meet Klaus Richter." Klaus Richter is the son of one of my father's work associates. He's tall, has a strong athletic build, raven hair, and stormy grey eyes. Tall, dark, and handsome? Yes. Ever gonna happen? Not a chance. "It's a pleasure to meet you miss Liddell." Klaus says extending a hand to me. I shake it as a display of politeness but am by no means necessary planning to keep playing nice.
"Well, I'll let you two get acquainted." My mother says before heading to the kitchen.
As soon as she's out of earshot my polite smile turns into a mischievous smirk as I eye him up and down, sizing him up. "So...Klaus, are you a fan of games?"
The sudden change of my demeanor must've shocked him because he stares at me dumbfounded and speechless.
"Personally, I like problem solving challenges..." I say stepping closer.
"G-games are fun... everyone likes games..." He says in a flustered tone, his face gets brighter with each step I take.
"You know what a good game to get to know someone is?" By this point we're inches apart. My eyes lock on his and don't move for a second.
"N-no I um... can't say I do..."
"A guessing game I like to call 'who am I?' the rules are quite simple: I try to guess things about you, each guess I get right I take a step forward, each I get wrong, I take a step back. Then it's your turn. Wanna play?"
He finally breaks his gaze from my eyes, when he does he lets out a shaky breath and then smiles.
"Guess away." I smile and walk backwards to the stairs.
"You're an only child." I say.
"Correct." I take a step forward.
"Your favorite color is blue."
"Correct." I take a second step.
"You look up to your father."
"Correct." I take another step. Five more to go.
"Your father doesn't appreciate you though."
He hesitates and looks at me quizzically before replying, "Correct..." Four.
"No matter how much you try it's never enough for him."
"Correct...how do you know this?" Three.
"This meeting was his idea."
"Correct...you still haven't answered my question..." Two.
"You're afraid of disappointing him, but deep down you know you already have."
"S-stop it!"
"Was I correct?"
"Miss Liddell, please-"
"Was. I. Correct?"
"Y-yes. Yes, ok, you're right. About all of it, just- stop. Please."
I take the last step forward and now I'm inches away from him smiling brightly.
"Your turn." He sighs and walks to the stairs. I shake my head. "No. You stand there." I point to the threshold of the room.
"But, that's not fair? It's not the same distance."
"It's shorter. It'll make it easier for you to win."
"Fine." He stands in the correct spot and looks at me with determined concentration. "You...like playing mind games."
"Correct." He takes a step forward.
"You're good at reading people."
"Correct." He takes a second step.
"You hate people. That's why you prefer solitude."
"Incorrect." He takes a step back.
"You um... you like to be in control."
"Incorrect." He takes another step back to where he originally stood.
"You hate losing."
"Incorrect." He takes another step back into the foyer.
"You're competitive?"
"Incorrect." He takes a fourth step back. Three steps from the door.
"Ok um...let's do something simple. You like books with romance?"
"Incorrect." Two.
"What kind of girl- whatever, um...you play piano?" He asks looking around the room.
"Incorrect." One and goodbye. He backs up into the door and I wave him off. "Lovely to meet you~ hope we can do this again sometime, goodbye now." I feel his eyes on me as I walk back upstairs giggling to myself.
***
I wander around the garden, the lazy afternoon sun slowly disappearing behind the surrounding hills. A white flash at the corner of my vision catches my eye. I quickly turn and see the white cotton tail of a rabbit dart into the bushes at the edge of the garden. I rush in to follow it the bushes form a sort of tunnel that I crawl through and on the other side is an area I never knew existed. Tall hedges surround me on all sides and in the center of the clearing is a huge gaping hole in the ground. I spot the rabbit inside the hole running into the darkness below. As I'm peering over the ledge I must loose my balance because I topple over and dive headfirst into the hole!
