Alice into Darkness

Eerie Cries

"Marsh!" Alice cried out, dashing into the living room without even knocking the door first- "Marsh! It's me, Alice! Marsh, where are you? I am back... I am back!"

Alice received nothing but silence as answer to her calls, it seemed that Marsh the Hare was not at home that day and there was something strange about the living room: Even though the fireplace, the brick walls and the soft and blue couches were just like Alice remembered them, this time everything was covered by dust and there were fallen leaves everywhere...

"What happened here?" Alice whispered, closing a window that seemed to have stayed open for a very long time- "Where has Marsh gone to? The house feels... abandoned..."

Alice visited the cozy wooden kitchen, the library and the dining hall just to discover even more dust and fallen leaves, there were dead squirrels here and there and then she climbed the steep staircase that led to the bedrooms above. The Hare's personal room was not as dusty and its windows were closed, but it turned out to be just as abandoned as the rest of the house.

"What happened to you?" Alice said, sitting on the bed as she looked at the various paintings hanging from the walls- "Well, at least now I can be sure that I am in Wonderland for real... Just how long has passed since my first adventure in this world?"

Alice admired the beautiful paintings that her friend Marsh had created: The landscapes of lakes, forests and mountains were delightful, but her true artistic talents were displayed in those wonderful portraits of various Cats, other Hares and also of ordinary people that she had met over the years.

There was a particularly good portrait of a little Alice Layttel, a great mirror stood beside the wooden wardrobe and then Alice discovered a framed photograph laying on the little bedside table...

It was the picture of Marsh and a ten years old Alice enjoying tea together at the gardens of the house, Alice recalled that it had been a very nice and sunny day, Edward the Hatter had been behind the camera and judging from how old the photograph looked a really long time must have passed since those days.

"You taught me to paint" Alice whispered, admiring the picture as she held it with both hands- "My stars, it feels like entire decades have passed here even though to me it was not even twelve years..."

Alice stayed at her friend's abandoned room for some time just looking at the portraits and enjoying her memories, but then she heard a strange and eerie sound somewhere out there in the forest... She knew that this world was not actually as safe and friendly as she recalled it, and she decided that the first step would be to make sure that the house would be an effective refuge for her.

"Whatever that made that sound cannot be good for me..."

Alice dashed all over the place closing every window that she found open, she kicked the dead squirrels out and soon she found a complete set of keys that allowed her to lock all of the five doors of the house. Miss Layttel heard the unnerving cry again somewhere between the trees outside, but she felt safe already because the windows were equipped with steel lattice and the doors were heavy and strong.

The house seemed functional despite having spent so many years in decay, so Alice walked into the blue and silvery bathroom and she tried the old shower just to see what would happen...

"That's great!"

The water was rusty at first and it smelled a little weird, but after just a few minutes the liquid became warm and clean. Alice took off all of her clothing (which was almost glued to her body at certain parts!) and she enjoyed a great shower for a long time, happy and relaxing while the water took the sweet and sticky fluid down the drain...

Alice washed her dress and cloaks, she found white and clean towels and also she borrowed one of the Hare's orange coats while her own attire was drying by the fireplace. The house started to feel like a cozy home again, the hours were passing and suddenly Alice discovered how hungry she actually was...

"Let's see" Alice said, searching for whatever that she could find at the kitchen- "That bread is hard as rock... Petrified biscuits, not very safe to eat... I think that used to be apples back then... And wine bottles! Excellent... What is this?!"

Alice discovered two old and heavy glass jars at the bottom of the shelves. The first jar was full of strawberry jelly that looked and smelled delicious after Alice had removed its metallic cap, and the second turned out to be exactly what she had been hoping to find and have for dinner that night:

Happy Gryphon's Artificial Turtle Soup - The best in Ayreland since 1137!

The thick and dark green jelly inside smelled great when Alice removed the lid just to check, so she proceeded to fill a large saucepan with it and she added some water from the faucet. The matches and the stove worked just like they had been used the day before, and soon Alice was enjoying a huge bowl of artificial turtle soup beside the warm and cozy fireplace...

"What now?" Alice said, devouring old cinnamon biscuits, a spoon of strawberry jelly after another and a huge glass of wine as she finished her soup- "Whatever that happens from now on, at least I have a house since I doubt that Marsh will ever come back... My stars, I am so tired..."

Alice removed the orange coat in order to once again wear her own white dress and violet cloak, she cuddled peacefully not far from the hearth with the Layttel sword in her hand, it was already dark outside and she finally fell asleep.

The night was soon filled with wolf howls and eerie cries between the trees, but at least for now Alice Layttel was safe from all the dangers of the world...