And What I Found There - Book Two

1. I'm Haunted

 I'm standing alone in a white tree forest, but I don't feel like I'm outside... I feel like I'm trapped in a snow globe...

The bloody red sky is same color as my long, straight hair streaming out around me. The ground is ice cold, covered in snow... I shiver, I'm only wearing this skimpy red halter top and a dramatic silk M skirt... Whoa, I'd never wear this... Only now do I realize I'm tied by the wrists between two trees... I struggle against the lacy red restraints, but I can't make them tear... snowflakes lazily drift down and cling to my hair and eyelashes...

I hear music now... it's dark and heavy and kinda has a creepy edge to it that makes me think of a ritual taking place somewhere close, somewhere too close... I struggle more against my restraints, my pulse pounding as I start to panic, I can feel my blood roaring through my veins...

Suddenly the dreary light vanishes, and everything looks like it's in the throes of midnight... The trees turn black and the snow on the ground transforms into smoking soot... My eyes water and I start to choke, coughing as I strain to look around, it's like I can sense something creeping up on me...

A startled shriek escapes me as a creature suddenly morphs to life with a sickening hiss. I thrash away, panting uncontrollably with terror as the creature and dozens more just like it start to peel themselves out of the shadows of the trees... They look like mutilated, burnt silhouettes... Bands of smoke waft off their forms as they dance around me... My heart splutters in my chest with fear... Their eyes are made completely of blazing fire, just like Vampires, and blood drips from their long black fangs. Their boney limbs jerk around like they are puppets on strings as they move in time with the eerie, haunting music.

I don't understand! All of this is so terrifying -too terrifying- how can this possible be in my head? I shake my restraints, feeling more and more desperate, and now suddenly I jump as I feel icy cold fingertips slowly dancing up my arm... I yelp and turn to look...my eyes are less than inch away from the fiery eyes of a Vampire.

No wait... He isn't the hideous monster bat or anything, he's still...absolutely beautiful. I can't make myself speak, but I give my bondage a meaningful glance...

He just smiles seductively and takes my face in his hands, kissing my jaw and nuzzles at my neck... It's like I'm put under a spell by his kisses... They make me feel both icy cold and burning hot at the same time... I shakily gasp... He trails his kisses down my arms, holding onto my waist as I slowly twist and turn while the sadistic music beats louder... The shadow demons crouch around us, swaying in place as they watch hungerly...

He kisses all of my exposed skin, drawing mesmerizing patterns across my flesh with his tongue, I can't even believe I'm imagining this stuff... 

I ache to touch him for myself, but I can't do anything more than move and twist in my bondage, how is this me? I can't move like this...can I? He gently bites my side and now kneels in front of me, I give a hypnotic laugh of wonder as if his fangs are injecting me with endorphin... He nuzzles my legs apart and bites the inside of my thigh, my laugher sounds nigh hysterical as he slowly licks my blood, sliding his tongue up and up -

I sit bolt upright with a shriek, sweat makes my hair stick to my forehead. 

I take a couple of deep breaths, nervously clawing my curls away from my face as I look around frantically. I'm safely tucked away in the enormous and posh Alice bedroom at the Palace. One half of my room is completely exposed to the elements, so the entire room is illuminated by the frosty, silver glow of the full moon outside. The sound of the ocean crashing against the bluffs and the balmy, salty breeze that cascades around me instantly soothes my spiking anxiety.

I slowly take a deeper breath and drop my hands.

Why do I keep having these freaky nightmares? Is nightmare even the right term though? They feel so real, too real... And where is this freaky blood fetish coming from? I normally get woozy at the mere mention of blood. I hurry outside to my balcony, anxious to be moving after dreaming of being tied up.

What is happening to me?

I end up just staying up for the night, it's still dark outside right now yet I can smell dawn on the warm sea breeze and can just make out a glowing line on the horizon of the ocean. Today is my birthday. I'm eighteen. Finally. I mean, there were times during these past three weeks I didn't know if I'd ever get to eighteen. I thought I'd die before that happened... But thank God it did happen. Even though I'm still nervous about what lays ahead, I'm thrilled for it at the same time.

I'm an Alice, I tell myself. And this is my wonderland, I think with amazement as I watch the sun rise.

From downstairs, I hear the doorknob whistle, announcing I have company. Thrilled for being distracted out of my thoughts spiraling around my current nightmares, I hurry down the stairs and throw the door open. "Quill, hi!" I sound way too excited as I greet the White Knight apprentice. I blush and try to seem cool as I lean against the doorframe.

"Adara, good morning," he grins. "Happy birthday!"

I blush even more. "Th-thanks."

"You look so beautiful!" He gushes. "Eighteen looks fantastic on you! Though you looked sensational seventeen, of course. I mean, you're absolutely the perfect picture of health. Err, wait, that wasn't what I meant to say at all." It's his turn to blush now.

I burst out laughing and he is all charismatic smiles again.

"How did you rest, Adara? Was everything adequate?"

I nod. "Yeah, everything was fine." Whoa, that lie was effortless. "Thanks. Hey, are we going to breakfast or straight to training?" I cross my fingers, eager to not see all the Royals again.

"Cornelius would never let you train on an empty stomach, My Alice. But don't worry, we'll be practicing all day." He leads the way down to the Great Hall.

Uggghhhh, I'm so not looking forward to the Queen of Hearts trying to psyche me out before my first training assessment.