Alice, there is no Wonderland

How it all Started

1. The Portal Beneath

Alice Abdeen leaned against the ledge of her cramped bedroom, surrounded by the comforting untidiness of her sanctuary. The room was small, with slanted ceilings that could bump her tall friends' heads. Alice covered her tired walls with huge posters of beautiful landscapes to add life to her daydreams, The window panes we no better than her walls, with their colors fading from years of sunlight streaming through the dusty windowpanes.

Despite the worn appearance of her surroundings, Alice cherished every corner of her haven that protected her from the chaos of the outside world, a place where she could lose herself in the pages of her favorite novels.

Alice lived in an ordinary, modest brownstone house settled among rows of similar buildings in a not-quite-affluent neighborhood of New York City. The everlasting noise, filled with the sounds of car horns deafening and people shouting in a dissonance of urban life has become her uninvited companions.

Living with her grandmother in this brownstone house had become Alice's reality ever since her parents passed away when she was just a little girl. Now, at eighteen, she and Grandma had no one and their days were spent in a boring routine of shared meals and quiet conversations.

Grandma, whose full name was Nadia Abdeen, was a gentle soul, her once-vibrant spirit now dimmed by the passage of time. Her silver hair was thin and delicate, framing a face lined with the wrinkles of a life well-lived. Despite her fragile appearance, Grandma possessed a rare element of strength that had always comforted Alice in times of uncertainty.

Still reading those fairy tales, habibti?" Grandma said, her voice carrying a slight Egyptian accent.

Alice looked up, her eyes lighting up at the sight of her grandmother. "They're not just fairy tales, Sitto. They're adventures waiting to be discovered."

Grandma's adorable laughter was like a comforting melody in the shabby room. "Ah, just like the stories I used to tell you about Alexandria, yes? Such wonders we had there."

Alice nodded, a fondness swelling in her chest at the memories of her grandmother's tales. "I wish I could have seen it, Sitto. It sounds amazing."

Grandma reached out and gently squeezed Alice's hand. "One day, habibti. One day you will see it all. But for now, get a good night's sleep. Tomorrow is a new day."

With a faint smile, Grandma tiredly rose from the chair and went to her room, leaving Alice alone with her thoughts once more.

Alice sat on her bed flipping through the pages of a new DaVinci Code, she couldn't shake the feeling of restlessness that bothered her. High school had become a monotonous blur of sessions and projects, leaving Alice feeling adrift in a sea of mediocrity.

While Alice stared at the ceiling imagining the shadows contrasting the bustling sounds of the city, a sense of longing washed over her. She yearned for something more, something beyond the confines of her ordinary existence. Little did she know, her wildest dreams were about to come true in the most extraordinary way imaginable.

2. The Hidden Chamber

The warm morning sun shone on Alice's long blonde hair, waking her up from her short sleep after a restless night. As soon as she opened her eyes, her eyes dropped on the everlasting existence of the dusty windowpanes forcing her to come back to reality. She pushed the covers and, sat up and stretched with a sense of anticipation to what she decided on doing today. Alice quickly got dressed in her favorite baby blue shirt and jeans before running down the narrow staircase to the kitchen.

She likes this color in particular for her long blond hair and tiny body, she sees herself as Alice and believes she is waiting for the rabbit hole!

Grandma was already up, humming a Middle Eastern melody as she prepared breakfast.